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No one could've predicted this.
Mai's mother—who'd been texting her just minutes ago—now walked right past her on the beach, eyes blank, steps steady, as if Mai didn't exist at all.
Mai's heart hammered. She darted in front of her mother, waving frantically.
"Can't you see me?!"
Her voice was raw, desperate.
Of course she was upset. Who wouldn't be?
This was her mother.
Just moments ago, she'd remembered Mai. They were supposed to finally talk, face to face, truth and all.
Now, suddenly, it was as if Mai had vanished from her life.
Her mother kept walking, never breaking stride.
Mai's arms dropped limply to her sides.
She'd been through this before. She knew the signs—no matter how hard she tried, it was pointless. Her mother couldn't see her anymore.
And because her mother couldn't see her, she walked straight into Mai, shoulder colliding hard enough to send Mai stumbling.
Before she could fall, Draconis closed the twenty-meter gap in a heartbeat, catching her just as she wavered.
He appeared so fast, her mother only noticed him when she turned, startled to find a boy standing where seconds ago there'd been empty sand.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face. She remembered him being far away—how had he gotten so close so quickly?
"Hello. I'm Draconis Yi."
He kept Mai behind him, holding her hand, eyes steady on her mother.
Her mother's brow furrowed.
"So you're the one, then."
Her tone was sharp, familiar—the same edge Mai sometimes had.
Draconis's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You drag me out to a place like this—what do you want? I don't know you. You look like a high schooler. Is this some kind of childish prank? If it is, I'll be calling your parents to set you straight."
She spoke quickly, irritation clear, glancing at her watch.
She was the type who guarded her time fiercely—probably had a dozen things waiting for her back at work.
"You've got it wrong. Mai was the one who asked you to come," Draconis said, direct and calm.
He could feel Mai's palm sweating in his grip. She was tense, so he squeezed her hand—don't worry.
Her mother looked Draconis up and down, skeptical.
"Who did you say called me out here?"
"Mai."
She reached up, smoothing her windblown hair, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"...Mai? Who's that?"
Draconis froze.
Mai's grip tightened, fingers digging into his.
His expression darkened.
This was worse than before.
"Mai Sakurajima. Your daughter. You don't remember?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't have a daughter."
Her mother's impatience sharpened. "Draconis, right? What exactly are you trying to do here?"
Draconis glanced at Mai—she looked stunned, lost.
He kept his voice steady. "What about the email? You replied, remember? You must recall that."
Her mother took out her phone, showing it to Draconis.
"Funny you mention that. The sender was unknown, but I still marked it on my schedule, cleared time for it. Now I can't remember what was so important."
On the screen, the sender's name—Mai—glared back at them, cruelly obvious.
She wasn't pretending. She wasn't faking ignorance.
She truly didn't remember Mai Sakurajima.
Even after raising Mai for years, even with Mai's name right there in her inbox—her mind had erased her daughter.
Draconis drew a slow breath.
He understood now.
He bowed slightly, voice gentle and sincere.
"I'm sorry. I must've made a mistake. Forgive me for wasting your time."
Her mother blinked, thrown off.
Some instinct told her something wasn't right.
"Then… I'll be going?"
"Yes. I'm truly sorry."
"…It's fine."
Still confused, she turned and walked away.
Mai's voice was barely a whisper. "Draconis…"
He looked over—her eyes were swimming with worry.
She'd realized what was happening.
The situation was spiraling.
Draconis's face grew grave. He spoke softly.
"It means the phenomenon is spreading. We missed something."
Before, Mai's ability only messed with people's senses—they couldn't see, hear, or touch her.
But now, memories of her were being wiped away, one by one.
Mai's fear deepened.
Before, people couldn't perceive her, but they still remembered she existed. That kept her anchored, kept her sane.
Now, everyone was forgetting.
She was turning into a living ghost.
No—maybe worse than a ghost.
Draconis reached out, voice a warm anchor.
"Stay calm, Mai. I can still see you. I remember you, perfectly."
Even now, he was steady.
He had to be.
His calm steadied her. His presence was the lifeline she needed.
"Let's go," he said, taking her hand and heading up the embankment.
"Where?"
Mai's voice was small.
"If we were wrong, it means we haven't found the true source of your ability. We keep searching."
Draconis's tone was cool, but Mai just fell silent, trailing behind.
After a few steps, he realized she wasn't answering. He stopped, turned.
She stood there, head bowed, shoulders slumped.
"Mai?"
"…Let's call it a day. I'm going home."
Her voice was calm, stripped of panic—but it was the calm of someone who'd given up.
She gently pushed his hand away and walked off, silent.
Draconis watched her go, a quiet sigh escaping him.
How could he let her walk away alone, now?
He caught up easily, reached out, and wrapped her in a gentle hug from behind.
"Don't give up so soon, Mai. If this world lost your smile, it'd be a much duller place…"
Mai's body trembled—just for a moment.
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