The Tomb of Empty Names
The cold no longer stung her skin. The wind howled in her ears, but she barely heard it.
Tsukihana floated above the ravine, arms outstretched, light wrapping her like silk. The scroll had vanished, leaving only its words burned into her mind:
"Find the tomb where no one was buried."
The glow around her faded slowly, lowering her gently to the far side of the bridge. Her boots touched stone. The Reignborn soldiers had vanished — thrown by the blast or fled in fear. The fire on the bridge had gone out.
She was alone again.
Her sword was gone, lost to the depths of the canyon.
And something inside her had changed.
She stood still for a long time, feeling the lingering echo of the scroll's power in her body. Her veins pulsed faintly, but not in pain. It was like something inside her had awakened — not fully, but enough to breathe.
She clenched her fists. "Akarui… I don't know where you are, but I'll find you."
She looked up at the tall cliffs ahead. The border of the Sky Province lay just beyond. If the scroll's message was right, that's where her answers would begin.
She started walking again.
Later That Night — In the Mountains
She found shelter in the ruins of an old watchtower. Snow covered the collapsed roof, but there was a hollow space inside with enough stone to build a small fire. She gathered broken wood and struck sparks until flames flickered to life.
As the fire warmed the air, she pulled out a small piece of Kaien's cloak she had cut before leaving his body behind. She stared at it, heart heavy.
He had raised her. Trained her. Protected her.
And she had let him die.
"I'll make it worth it," she whispered. "Your death won't be wasted."
She placed the cloth near the fire and sat with her back against the wall. Her bones ached. Her muscles burned. But sleep wouldn't come.
The words returned again.
"The tomb where no one was buried."
She didn't know where that was. But it felt like a riddle. And riddles always carried hidden truths.
Then a memory stirred — something Kaien once told her in passing.
"There are places in this world where the dead were never honored — where graves were made, but no names carved. Warriors too dangerous to remember. Traitors. Forbidden ones."
What if the tomb wasn't a place of rest… but a prison?
She sat up.
What if Akarui didn't die at all — but was sealed somewhere?
And what if someone was trying to break that seal?
Her thoughts were cut off by a soft crunch outside.
She froze.
Another footstep.
Then silence.
She quickly covered the fire with a stone and crouched low, drawing the dagger she took from one of the dead Reignborn. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
She pressed herself against the cold wall, listening.
Then — a voice.
"You don't have to hide, girl. I saw the light from half a mile away."
She stayed silent.
The voice spoke again. Calm. Confident. Male. "I'm not here to kill you. If I wanted to, you'd already be dead."
That didn't help.
Then, footsteps entered the tower. A tall figure stepped into view, wearing a long green cloak with silver trim. His face was uncovered — pale skin, sharp features, silver hair tied back loosely, and eyes that shimmered with teal.
He wasn't Reignborn.
She didn't move.
He raised his hands slowly. "Name's Renjiro. From the Sky Province. I've been tracking the Hollow energy spikes for three days. The last one… led me here."
Tsukihana didn't lower her blade.
Renjiro tilted his head. "You're the girl who blew up half the ravine, aren't you?"
She said nothing.
He smirked slightly. "That scroll wasn't meant to be opened yet. You forced it."
"I didn't force anything," she snapped. "It opened on its own."
His smile faded. "Then you're worse off than I thought."
She stood slowly, still cautious. "You know about the scroll?"
"I know who wrote it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Was it Akarui?"
Renjiro's expression changed. His gaze became sharp — and cold.
"He was my older brother."
The words struck her like ice. "What?"
Renjiro stepped forward. "You came looking for him. Now you've found me. And if the scroll chose you… that means the seal is weakening."
Tsukihana's voice dropped. "So it's true. He's alive."
Renjiro nodded. "In a way."
She took a shaky breath. "Tell me where he is."
He looked at her for a long moment. Then turned away and sat on a broken stone near the fire. "Before I tell you anything… I need to see it."
"See what?"
"The mark the scroll left on you."
She hesitated.
Then slowly rolled up her sleeve.
Vein-like marks glowed faintly on her arm — not like normal Veinborn energy. These were darker, deeper, like roots under her skin. They pulsed in strange rhythms, almost like breathing.
Renjiro stared at them. His jaw clenched.
"I was right," he said. "You're not just bonded to Hollow energy. You're carrying a piece of it."
She pulled her sleeve down. "What does that mean?"
He looked her straight in the eye. "It means the Reignborn will hunt you until your last breath. Because you're not just a threat — you're the key to unlocking something they've been searching for since the war ended."
"What?"
He paused.
Then whispered:
"The true Hollow Vein… the one that never got sealed."
Tsukihana's stomach dropped. "There's… another one?"
Renjiro nodded. "The world thinks Akarui sealed the Hollow Vein. He didn't. He only sealed part of it. The other half… broke free."
She stared at him. "Where is it now?"
Renjiro stood, brushing snow off his cloak. "Buried deep beneath the old ruins of the Sky Province — in a tomb the clans refused to mark. A place only traitors and broken warriors were ever sent."
Her eyes widened. "The tomb where no one was buried…"
He nodded. "That's where we're going."
She took a step toward him. "And what if we find it?"
Renjiro didn't answer right away. His eyes were lost in some memory. Something painful.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low.
"Then you'll meet Akarui. But he's not the brother I remember."
"What is he?"
Renjiro turned to face her.
"A shadow that forgot it once had a heart."