The void fell silent. The meteors had vanished, the chains shattered. Kento and Furi stood, exhausted but alert, staring at the small figure emerging from the core of Shadow Furi.
The child was no more than ten, with silver hair that shimmered like starlight, eyes reflecting the entire galaxy. Their gaze pierced both Kento and Furi with something ancient, something familiar.
"…Who… are you?" Furi whispered, voice trembling.
The child tilted their head. "I am the one you left behind. The promise you swore… included me, yet you forgot."
Kento's stomach sank. "We… we didn't know…"
The child's lips curved into a faint, sad smile. "That is why I became the Shadow. You remembered the vow… but only partially. You thought it was just the two of you. But the truth was always three."
Furi staggered backward. "Three…? I… I don't remember anyone else…"
"Exactly," the child said softly. "The forgotten one always fades. That is why I am trapped here… in the space between memory and reality."
Kento stepped forward. "Then let us fix this. Tell us what we must do."
The child's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "You must remember… all of us. Not just the promise, but the feelings, the names, the moments. Only then will the Shadow dissipate."
Furi sank to his knees. "I… I need to remember. But it hurts…"
Kento placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll do it together. I promise."
The child nodded. Slowly, their small hands reached out, touching both Kento and Furi. A wave of light spread, not blinding but gentle, wrapping them in warmth.
Memories began to flicker—fragments of laughter, tears, and small hands holding theirs beneath a sky full of stars. The three of them, together, swearing an oath that had been broken by time and neglect.
"…I remember," Furi whispered, tears streaming.
Kento smiled, feeling the weight of guilt lift slightly.
"And I… I remember too," he said.
The child's smile widened, brighter now. "Then I can rest… the Shadow will vanish, and the promise… will finally be whole."
As their combined light filled the void, Shadow Furi dissolved completely. All that remained was the starry expanse, calm and endless, a silent witness to the restored vow.
But deep in the distant darkness, faint whispers lingered, hinting that the path ahead was far from over.
(To be continued…)