The memory tasted like copper and regret. Aiko watched through Kael's eyes as he made the choice that would damn him to an eternity of service.
She wasn't in the dusty library anymore. She was there. In the memory. Living it.
The air was frigid. Snow swirled around her. Or was it her? Her heart pounded in her chest. A frantic, human rhythm.
She was looking at Yuki. Yuki's face was pale. Her eyes, usually vibrant, were clouded. Her body trembled. Not from cold. But from the spiritual disease. The corruption.
It's spreading, Kael. Yuki's voice, thin and weak, echoed in Aiko's mind. I can feel it. It's twisting me.
Aiko felt a surge of terror. Yuki's terror. Her desperate struggle against the inevitable.
She was seeing through Kael's eyes. Feeling through his heart. His agony. His despair. His love. So profound. So heartbreaking.
There's no cure, Kael's voice, raw with grief, echoed in Aiko's mind. No escape.
Yuki reached out. Her hand, trembling, touched his cheek. Save me, Kael. Save my soul. Don't let me become... that.
Aiko felt Kael's desperate plea. His internal struggle. His impossible choice.
The entity. A vast, formless shadow. Loomed in the periphery of the memory. Its whispers insidious. Promises of power. Of freedom. Of an end to suffering.
Embrace the transformation, little one. Become more. Transcend your pain.
Aiko felt Yuki's fear. And her desperate longing for relief. The temptation was immense.
No! Kael's internal scream. I won't let it take you!
A blade. Cold steel. Appearing in Kael's hand. His hand, shaking violently.
Aiko felt Kael's resolve harden. A grim determination. A brutal love.
Forgive me, Yuki. Kael's thought. A silent, agonizing apology.
Yuki smiled. A faint, heartbreaking smile. Her eyes filled with understanding. With acceptance.
It's okay, Kael. Yuki's whisper. You have to do this. Save them. Save yourself.
Aiko felt the blade. The cold steel. The sharp pain. A flash of blinding white.
And then, darkness. Silence. Release.
Aiko gasped, her eyes flying open. She was back in the dusty library. Kael was looking at her. His eyes wide. Haunted.
Her body trembled. The phantom pain of the blade still lingered. Her heart hammered. A frantic, human rhythm.
"I... I saw it," Aiko whispered. Her voice was raw. Filled with a dawning horror. "I saw... her death. I felt it."
Kael's face contorted in agony. His form shimmered violently. The erosion. It intensified. Pulsing with a raw, uncontrolled light.
"The binding," he rasped. "It has forced the memory. The complete memory. Upon you."
Aiko stared at him. Her eyes burned with betrayal. And a profound, aching pain.
She had lived his past. Experienced his ultimate betrayal. His impossible choice.
And she knew. She knew the truth.
"You killed her," Aiko stated, her voice flat. Emotionless. "You killed the woman you loved. And you let me... you let me experience it."
Kael flinched. His form shimmered violently. He was bleeding light. Profusely.
"It was the only way, Aiko!" he cried, his voice raw with a desperate fury. "To save her soul! To prevent her from becoming a weapon!"
"And you just... volunteered me for the same fate?" Aiko scoffed. "You knew what it was like. You knew the pain. And you still kept me in the dark!"
"To protect you!" Kael roared. "To prevent the Primordial from sensing her connection to you! To prevent it from exploiting your resonance!"
Aiko felt a surge of anger. And despair. "By lying to me? By manipulating me? By making me believe I was just a 'threat' that needed to be 'contained'?"
Kael stumbled towards her. His hands reached out. His fingers, cold and trembling, touched her cheek.
"Aiko," he rasped. "It was to keep you safe. To keep her identity hidden. To break the cycle."
Aiko recoiled. Pulled away from his touch. "There is no 'safe' with you, Kael! There is no 'hidden'! Just lies and manipulation and celestial bureaucracy!"
Kael's face contorted in agony. His eyes were wide. Haunted. Filled with a profound despair.
"I... I am sorry," he whispered. "I truly am."
Aiko stared at him. His apology. It felt genuine. Through the binding, she felt his agony. His remorse. It was crushing.
But the betrayal. It still burned.
Suddenly, the library doors groaned. A low hum resonated through the school.
"Heaven's agents," Kael stated, his voice grim. "They have found us. The binding of truth... it has amplified our signatures. Made us luminous."
Aiko felt a surge of panic. "They're here to sever the binding, aren't they? To eliminate the anomaly."
Kael nodded slowly. "And Zara. She will be leading them. She will seek to rectify my 'catastrophic error'."
Aiko looked at Kael. His form was shimmering violently. He was bleeding light. Profusely. He was pushing himself to his limits. For her.
"We must move," Kael commanded. "Rapidly. We cannot allow them to sever the binding. It would be fatal. For both of us."
Aiko nodded. She was still reeling from the memory. From the betrayal. But survival instinct kicked in.
"Where do we go?" Aiko asked.
"Deeper into the school," Kael replied. "It is old. Complex. We can use its spiritual resonance to mask our signatures. To evade them."
He grabbed her hand. His grip was cold. Firm. A silent promise. Of protection. Of a shared fate.
They ran. Deeper into the abandoned school. Through dusty classrooms. Down dark hallways. The air was thick with ancient sadness. And now, the cold hum of celestial power.
Aiko felt it. The Reapers. Their cold, precise spiritual signatures. Hunting them.
"They're fast," Aiko whispered.
"They are trained for pursuit," Kael replied, his voice strained. "And Zara... she is relentless."
They reached the school's gymnasium. It was vast. Dark. A faint light filtered through the broken windows.
The air here was heavy with lingering spiritual energy. The echoes of children's laughter. Their games. Their dreams. All long past.
"We can use this," Aiko said, her mind racing. "The lingering energy. I can amplify it. Create a distraction."
Kael nodded. "A logical strategy. But dangerous. It will draw the attention of the Nox. And further alert Heaven."
"We don't have a choice," Aiko retorted. "We're trapped."
Suddenly, the gymnasium doors burst open. With a blinding flash of white light.
Three Reapers stood in the doorway. Commander Raphael. Zara. And another, a stern-faced male Reaper with eyes like molten gold.
"Kael," Commander Raphael stated, his voice resonating through the gymnasium. "Surrender. The anomaly must be rectified. The binding severed."
Kael stood in front of Aiko. His energy blade shimmered into existence. "I will not surrender. The human is not an anomaly. She is integral to the balance."
Zara stepped forward. Her emerald eyes fixed on Kael. "You are deluded, Kael. This human is tainted. Corrupted. Her very existence is a breach of protocol."
"She is not tainted!" Kael roared. "She is fighting for humanity! For true balance! Not your cold, sterile order!"
Aiko felt a surge of warmth. Kael was defending her. Fighting for her. Against his own kind.
"The human must be contained, Kael," Zara stated. "Her power is volatile. Unpredictable. It attracts chaos." She looked at Aiko. Her gaze was piercing. "And her essence is... familiar. Too familiar. It echoes a past transgression."
Aiko shivered. Zara knew. She knew about Yuki. And about Aiko's connection to her.
"You know, don't you?" Aiko challenged Zara. "About Yuki. About why she looks like me. About the Primordial."
Zara's eyes widened fractionally. A flicker of surprise. "The human is informed. Kael has been... indiscreet."
"It matters not," Commander Raphael stated. "The directive is absolute. Sever the binding. Eliminate the anomaly."
He raised his hand. A blinding wave of celestial energy erupted from him. It slammed into Kael.
Kael roared. He met the attack head-on. His form shimmered violently. The erosion. It intensified. He was bleeding light. Profusely.
"Aiko! Now!" Kael commanded.
Aiko nodded. She closed her eyes. Focused. Imagined the lingering spiritual energy of the gymnasium. The echoes of laughter. Of games. Of joy. And of despair.
She amplified it. Not her own power. But the ambient spiritual energy of the school.
The gymnasium began to hum. The air crackled. The lights flickered. The very foundations of the school seemed to groan.
The spirits of the school. They reacted. Their whispers intensified. Not just mournful. But angry. Resentful.
Intruders!They disturb our peace!Make them leave!
The Reapers paused. Their serene expressions wavered. Their eyes flickered.
"Spiritual interference detected," Commander Raphael stated. His voice was strained. "Unforeseen anomaly."
"It's working!" Aiko yelled. "They're affected by the ambient energy!"
Zara snarled. "The human is using the spiritual residue of the school against us! A crude but effective tactic!"
Kael, seeing Aiko's strategy, surged forward. He lunged at Commander Raphael. His blade flashed.
"Maintain it, Aiko!" Kael commanded. "Keep them destabilized!"
Aiko pushed her energy outward. Amplifying the school's spiritual resonance. The gymnasium became a maelstrom of raw emotion. Joy. Sorrow. Anger. All swirling together.
The Reapers struggled. Their movements became jerky. Erratic. Their celestial forms wavered. Their serene expressions contorted in subtle discomfort.
Kael moved with renewed vigor. His blade a silver blur. He struck at Commander Raphael. And the other Reaper. They parried. But their defenses were wavering.
"This is not a battle we can win, Kael!" Commander Raphael roared. "You are outnumbered! And weakened!"
"My duty is to the balance!" Kael countered. "And she is the balance!"
Zara lunged at Aiko. Her emerald blade flashed. "The human is the source! Sever the anomaly!"
Aiko scrambled back. She couldn't maintain the resonance and defend herself.
Suddenly, Kael was there. In front of her. His blade flashed. He deflected Zara's attack.
"Do not touch her!" Kael roared. His eyes burned with a fierce, protective fury.
Zara scoffed. "Still so sentimental, Kael? After what happened to Yuki? You risk everything for another human?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "She is not Yuki! She is Aiko! And she fights for something you cannot comprehend! For humanity! For compassion!"
"Compassion is a weakness, Kael!" Zara retorted. "It leads to chaos! To betrayal! You know this! You lived it!"
Aiko felt a surge of anger. "Compassion is not a weakness, Zara! It's what makes us strong! It's what makes us human!"
Zara glared at Aiko. Her emerald eyes burned. "You speak of humanity? You, whose essence echoes with the taint of the Primordial? You, who carry the very seed of chaos?"
Aiko froze. The taint of the Primordial. Zara knew about that too.
"What are you talking about?" Aiko demanded.
"The spiritual disease that consumed Yuki," Zara explained, her voice cold. "It was not entirely destroyed. A fragment lingered. A seed of chaos. Passed down through generations. A recessive trait. Until it found a suitable host."
Aiko's blood ran cold. "Me?"
Zara nodded. "Your power. Your resonance. Your unique ability to connect with spiritual energy. It made you the perfect vessel. The next manifestation of the Primordial's influence."
Aiko gasped. Her mind reeled. She was infected. Just like Yuki. She was a ticking time bomb. A potential monster.
"No," Aiko whispered. "That's not possible. I'm not tainted!"
"You are, Aiko!" Zara stated. "And the binding... it has accelerated the process. It has made you a prime target. For the Primordial. And for Heaven. To contain the threat."
Aiko felt a surge of despair. And betrayal. Kael had known. He had known she was infected. And he hadn't told her.
"Kael!" Aiko choked out. "You knew! You knew I was tainted!"
Kael's face contorted in agony. His form shimmered violently. He was bleeding light. Profusely.
"I... I sought to protect you," he rasped. "To find a cure. To prevent the transformation."
"By keeping me in the dark?" Aiko cried. "By making me a pawn in your cosmic game?"
Commander Raphael saw their distraction. He lunged at Aiko. His hand, glowing with celestial energy, aimed for her forehead. To sever the binding. To cleanse her memories.
"Aiko!" Kael roared. He surged forward. His blade flashed. He intercepted Commander Raphael's attack. A clash of blinding light.
"Now, Aiko!" Kael commanded, pushing back Commander Raphael. "Your power! The spiritual residue of the school! Amplify it! Create a diversion!"
Aiko hesitated. Her mind reeled. The betrayal. The taint. The terrifying truth.
But survival instinct kicked in. She had to fight. She had to survive.
She closed her eyes. Focused. Amplified the school's spiritual resonance. The gymnasium screamed. A chorus of angry spirits.
The Reapers recoiled. Their forms flickered violently.
Kael used the opportunity. He grabbed Aiko's hand. His grip was cold. Firm.
"We must escape!" Kael commanded. "Now!"
They ran. Towards the back of the gymnasium. Towards a side door.
The Reapers, disoriented by the spiritual chaos, struggled to pursue them.
"They're escaping!" Zara shrieked. "Do not let them! Sever the binding!"
Aiko felt a sudden, piercing pain in her chest. The binding. It was being attacked. From outside.
Kael stumbled. His form shimmered violently. He gasped. "They are attempting to sever the bond remotely!"
Aiko felt the power surge. Her own. And Kael's. Fighting back against the severance.
She pushed her will into the binding. Refusing to break. Refusing to yield.
"No!" Aiko screamed. "You won't break us!"
She amplified her Soul Resonance. Not just the school's energy. Her own. A blinding flash of golden light.
It erupted from her. Blasted through the gymnasium walls. Pierced through the earth. Shot into the night sky.
A massive spiritual beacon. Burning brighter than before. A defiant signal.
The Reapers roared. Their forms wavered. They were overwhelmed by the sheer power.
Kael and Aiko burst through the side door. Into the cold night. The forest loomed around them. Dark. Silent.
"Run, Aiko!" Kael commanded, pushing her forward. "Run!"
Aiko ran. Her legs burned. Her lungs screamed. But she kept going.
She felt the binding. The constant, subtle connection to Kael. His pain. His desperation. His defiance.
And then, a new feeling. A profound, aching sense of... hunger. Not hers. But from within her.
A cold dread settled in her stomach. The taint. The spiritual disease. It was stirring. Awaking.
Because of the surge of power. Because of the beacon.
Aiko stumbled. She looked at her hand. It trembled. A faint, dark vein pulsed beneath her skin.
Zara pulls Aiko aside. "Has he told you about Yuki yet?" she asks. "Because if he hasn't, you're in more danger than you know." This was now fully revealed. The next step is the full flashback.
She was tainted. She was changing. Just like Yuki.
And Kael knew. He had known all along.
Aiko felt a surge of despair. And a terrible, cold certainty.
Her life was a cosmic mistake. A tragic echo of a past betrayal.
And she was about to become the very thing Kael had sworn to destroy.