On a distant planet, somewhere in the galaxy, Solara met the second twin star of the Yuutaka.
Upon arriving, she noticed that the other member was already there, waiting for her. She said as she approached. "Sorry for the delay — did I keep you waiting too long?"
Before her stood a man with a solid, well-built frame — not excessive, that natural solidity of someone who has always fought. His face was fine and elegant, almost too perfectly drawn to be entirely real. His silver-white hair contrasted strikingly with his eyes — two irises of absolute onyx black, deep and still, that gave the impression of reading through people rather than simply looking at them. He wore a shirt beneath a black jacket adorned with a few silver chains, a wide panel of white fabric tied at the waist whose length fell silently down his back, and over all of it a plain black cape, swaying behind him like a shadow that had decided to stay.
He turned toward her and said, his voice relaxed. "It's never unpleasant to wait for you, Solara."
As they had only just been reunited after so long, Solara let a slight irritation show on her face at Sirius's teasing tone.
Sirius Yuutaka. Together with Solara, he was recognized the world over as a twin star of the Yuutaka. At the time, just like Solara, he had been adopted by Nova and Luna — two years after her. At nine years old, he had escaped from his family and wandered alone through the universe, without direction, completely lost. It was there that his path had crossed that of Nova and Luna, who had taken him in and watched over him as their son. Since then, Solara and Sirius had become exceptional heroes, recognized and respected throughout the entire universe for their feats — each more remarkable than the last, which had earned them the name of twin stars of the Yuutaka.
Seeing Solara's irritated expression, Sirius changed the subject to ease the atmosphere. The teasing expression left his face, replaced by something more grave, more sincere. "Actually… I'm sorry I couldn't answer Elyra's call. You had to deal with Reimu alone, because of me." He lowered his head slightly, looking dejected and filled with regret.
Solara exhaled softly and sat beside him on the rock. She spoke to him in a soothing voice. "Don't worry — you had responsibilities elsewhere. What matters most is that everything ended well."
Sirius took on a serious expression. He placed his hand against hers and turned toward her, his gaze deep and direct. "I read your report, Solara. I know you." A pause. "You blame yourself for not having been able to prevent the death of Nozomi's father."
After Sirius's words, Solara lowered her eyes to the ground. The guilt was clearly audible in her voice. "If I had arrived sooner, or if I had managed to seal him faster… I could have prevented it."
Sirius raised his voice to reason with her, with a conviction that was firm and warm at once. "Solara — just before you left to face Reimu, you had defended a planet for an entire week, without the slightest pause. It's already a miracle that you were able to show up and face Reimu without even having had time to breathe."
He stood and positioned himself before her. He crouched so that his face was level with hers — forcing Solara, her head lowered, to meet his gaze. "It's a stroke of luck that Reimu was weakened. You could have died, Solara. You know very well that we cannot save everyone." He stood back up and concluded in a composed voice. "What you can do now is support them and watch over them. To make up for your regrets — and to turn those regrets into something useful."
Solara felt relieved to have been able to confide in Sirius. Something inside her untied, the dull tension she had been carrying for weeks lightened all at once. She was at peace, serene as she always was when she finally managed to let out what she kept to herself.
The radiant smile he loved to see returned to her face. She spoke and asked. "What are you planning to do now? I'll need your help to keep watch over them."
But Sirius let a disappointment show on his face — fleeting, but real. He smiled nonetheless to soften the news. "I would have liked to be with them, and to spend time with you. But I have other responsibilities to honor."
Solara looked at him, curious. "What kind of mission?"
"We can no longer leave Reimu unsupervised. It's obvious that one day he will return. Someone would need to keep watch over his movements — and I am the only person capable of taking on that role."
Solara added. "You haven't forgotten that promise, have you? We swore it on our lives."
"I haven't forgotten. We promised Nova not to kill Reimu — out of respect for their former friendship. Our master could not bring himself to kill his best friend, and wanted to leave him alive in the hope that one day he would become who he once was."
But suddenly Sirius's tone changed. Colder, darker. His gaze became piercing, without trying to conceal it. "If Reimu's actions put the children in danger again — or worse, if he goes after you. I will not hesitate to break that promise to protect you."
Silence settled. Solara made no attempt to contradict Sirius. She understood his intentions — better than anyone. She knew, having grown up with him, that behind that cold and piercing gaze lay an immense heart, ready to do anything to protect those he loved.
Sirius added. "Furthermore, I have accepted a service for someone I have known for a long time. It will take up all my time, on top of keeping watch over Reimu."
Solara stiffened slightly. She could see clearly that he was hiding something from her. "What kind of service is more important than helping our master's children? It's not like you to keep secrets from me, Sirius."
Sirius smiled, skillfully deflecting the question with a mocking tone. "It's perfectly normal for men to have a secret or two from women." Then he continued before she could press him. "Besides — were you able to verify what I asked you?"
Solara accepted, for this once, that he keep his secrets. She answered his question. "Your hypothesis was confirmed. The waves do correspond to those that Nozomi gives off from time to time."
Sirius's expression became very serious. "That's progress. More research will be needed to understand the situation. But the fact that Nozomi is linked to these waves is now confirmed. I believe it is the elemental power within him that resonates with them." He paused. "There is no doubt — Nozomi will be a key factor in facing the threat looming over our world."
Solara asked him. "You've been pursuing this investigation for so long. What makes you certain that Nozomi is truly a key factor?"
Sirius answered directly. "Nozomi is the elemental master — he has been special from the beginning. This investigation is one that Luna entrusted to me. Her senses were far more developed than ours; she had perceived a threat hiding in the shadows, biding its time before surfacing. She never did anything lightly. That is why I took over at her death. If this threat is as great as she sensed, we must prepare as much as possible — and learn what it is capable of."
"What do you intend to do, then?"
He turned toward her. "I won't be able to handle it alone. I'll need you."
Solara hesitated. "But I'm going to be very busy… and so will you on your end."
"Five years!" he said with a quiet conviction. "Five years should be enough for my mission. During that time, we'll each do research on our own side and share our findings. For you too, five years should be sufficient."
"And after those five years? You want to leave them just after — I remind you that they no longer have parents and they'll barely be of age."
Sirius reassured her. "That is precisely why during those five years, you must prepare them to fly on their own. They won't be alone — several people will be there for them afterward." He drew closer to her, his voice carrying an absolute confidence. "You are the only one who can support and train them as best as possible, Solara. I believe in you."
She sighed, then agreed. "Very well. I'll help you. Until then, don't let up on your mission — we have responsibilities to honor."
His back turned, white bolts of lightning began to form all around Sirius, irising the air around him with a cold, electric light. But just as he was about to leave, he stopped and said, without turning around. "Actually… for five years we won't be able to see each other. Am I going to miss you that much?"
Solara answered in a detached tone, arms crossed. "I won't have time to be sad. The children are going to take up all my time. It should be the same for you."
Sirius let out a light laugh. Then, against all expectation, he turned around and stepped toward her. He gently took her hand, bent one knee to the ground, and pressed her hand to his lips. Before Solara had even had time to react or find something to say. He straightened and murmured close to her ear, low enough that only the wind could hear. "You, I will miss." Then he disappeared like a bolt of lightning, without waiting for her reaction, leaving her alone.
Solara remained motionless for a long moment, her eyes on the spot where he had stood just a second before. Then, after a long silence, she exhaled and turned her eyes toward the horizon.
Now that her meeting was over, she could begin her journey back to Earth — where the children were waiting for her patiently, counting the days until her return.
On Earth, the sun was beginning to set. The sunset was magnificent from the top of that hill — the sky tinged with orange and pink, the last light of the day clinging to the clouds before fading gently. Nozomi was sitting alone on the cold grass, his knees drawn up to him, his eyes lost in the colors of the sky. He admired the spectacle in silence, thinking of nothing in particular — or perhaps thinking of too many things at once.
Then, without a word, his brothers and sister came to join him one after another and sat beside him in silence.
Nozomi, his eyes still on the sky, let out a. "What are you doing here?"
Harris answered calmly, without looking at him. "Aria felt your presence. That's how we found you."
They watched the sunset together, in silence, letting the warmth of the last rays heat their faces. When the sun disappeared completely and night fell, Shinrei spoke. "Nozomi… I think we need to talk."
Everyone waited. It was Shinrei himself who broke the silence. "I think I'm going to follow Solara. Obviously, it pains me to have to part from my family. But to stay true to my convictions, I have to make this choice."
Aria asked him, in the tone of an older sister who worries. "Are you sure? You'll be far from those close to you — don't make a hasty decision."
But it was Harris who answered in his place, cutting to the point. "I've also chosen to follow Solara. Aria, I won't be alone — since you'll all be with me."
Kael turned toward Aria, his gaze calm and assured. "This won't be a goodbye — just a see you later. We'll always be able to visit them. Now, what matters most is knowing what we truly want to do. For my part, my decision is made."
Aria sighed, her gaze passing over each of them before softening. "I was afraid you'd make decisions on a whim, without taking into account everything it implies. But it seems I worried for nothing." She turned toward Nozomi, who hadn't said a single word since the beginning. "You haven't said anything. Nozomi — what have you decided?"
Without answering with words, Nozomi held out his hand. A flame was born in his palm — vivid, warm, orange and blue at once — and lit up the surroundings for several meters, pushing back the darkness of the night all around them. Its warmth spread immediately, wrapping each of them like an invisible blanket. On his face appeared something rare — a deep, sincere relief. He said in a low, composed voice. "I was afraid you'd follow me without having truly thought it through, just for me. I'm glad you made your choice on your own." He paused, his eyes on the flame. "Thank you for following me. And for supporting me at every turn. I don't know what I'd do without you."
They spent that night together on the hill — asleep under the open sky, side by side, around the fire Nozomi had lit for them. Above them, the sky was clear and strewn with stars. And for the first time in a long while, the silence between them carried nothing heavy.