The sky is filled with gray.

Everything crumbling, families mourning their loved ones, children looking for their parents. There are some lucky ones that are able to reunite with their family.

I envy them...

Building after building. We walk through the destroyed town, pass a structure that used to be our academy and even further until we finally arrive to where I used to live. Hidiku's home was somewhat further back but it can be seen from here.

As expected, our homes are no longer here, yet it brings Hidiku to his knees.

Maybe I should say something...but what? I might only make things even worse.

Then I catch a glimpse of something moving with the corner of my eye and investigate it. It's a member of the clean-up crew, a pitch-black coat covering their whole body and a mask with a long bird like beak covering their face. Unable to tell if it's a male or a female, I look at the person taking care of the leftovers as a crow that's about to feast on a corpse.

I approach the cloaked person in hopes to get information on our parents.

A male voice comes through the black mask. It is deep.

"My apologies, there were very few corpses that were recognizable. If your parents aren't on the list, then they most likely are one of them."

I lower my head. It is another thing I expected but it still doesn't make me feel any better.

He places his hand on the top of it.

"Child, do you have a place to go back to?"

I shake my head in denial.

"An orphanage at the district's entrance has been turned into a centre for those that lost their homes. Seek help there."

He walks off to the next corpse.

I return to Hidiku.

"How did it go?"

He's still on the ground, staring at it.

I shake my head once more.

Hidiku hits the ground with his fist in anger but also grief.

"Damn it! Why did it have to end up like this? If only I was stronger. Then at least Himari...." .

As I stand next to him, I decide to finally try and finally say something. Even if it helps just a bit, it will be worth it.

"It's not your fault, it's nobody's.... we weren't ready, I guess...nobody was."

He stands up, grabs me beneath my collar with both of his hands and lifts me so I can reach the ground only with the tip of my toes. Then proceeds to yell into my face.

"Oh yeah? And why is that? The military is not ready to fight a demon? If they are not at fault then-"

He puts a sudden halt to his rage when he looks at me with surprise.

The expression on my face is clear as the droplet of tear running down my cheek. The moment he grabbed my collar, fear took over me. Hidiku is a kind and a gentle person, he wouldn't do as much as hurt a fly. But now he became physical with me instead...I'm scared.

As I'm staring directly at him with my trembling watery eyes, Hidiku decides to put me back down.

"I'm...Sorry"

I look back at the ground again, having my bangs cover my eyes as I wipe them with my arm and sniff. Then I walk off to where my house used to stand and locate the drop door to the basement.

Hidiku keeps his gaze on me for a bit longer.

"What's that beneath your eye?"

As I'm confused to what he's talking about, I touch the spots beneath my eyes with both hands when I feel something with one of them. It's as if I have something engraved in my skin.

I shake it off and proceed to pull the drop door. It's unusually heavy, is it jammed? I place my palm on it.

The door is freezing.

Hidiku gives it a shot but also struggles so I assist him.

It finally opens and a sudden wave of frigid air hits us.

As we descend down the stairs, our eyes are met with an unforeseen scene that leaves us shaking with its temperature as well as our astonishment.

The basement is reflecting our own image as the icy surface glitters.

I can now see the mark beneath my eye Hidiku was referring to earlier. It's like some kind of symbols aligned beneath each other.

"What is this?"

Hidiku asks curiously as he's looking around the beautiful crystals made of ice.

"It's Charlotte's magic....in order to keep the body preserved."

Both of us show discomfort as neither of us would like to say or hear that about our beloved.

We continue walking through the basement and locate the wooden table Himarin is laying on. She's completely frozen, the image brings in even more thoughts I never wanted to think of.

What if I break something off? I don't want to do this...

I try to slowly slide my hand beneath her, but she's completely stuck to the table.

We can't move her like this. If only there was something to melt the ice with.

I look down at my palm as sudden realization strikes me. I can generate heat with my ability.

While Hidiku is looking around for something that would help, I heat Himarin up just enough to be able to safely move her.

"Here, I found this."

Hidiku acquired an old stretcher, exactly what we need.

We gently place her on it and carry her out to the big field behind our house. All of us like it there and I love to lay down beneath the cherry blossom on top of the hill too.

As we are trying to climb it, the grey sky suddenly starts rumbling.

"Looks like it's going to rain soon. Let's put her down beneath the tree."

And as Hidiku suggests, we do exactly that.

I'm catching my breath and wiping off the sweat, it wasn't easy to carry her up the hill. Meanwhile Hidiku heads back down.

"I will go get something to dig up a hole with."

Without a reply, I sit down next to Himarin.

"What is it like to die? Is it just a dreamless nap you never wake up from? Or is there something more to it?"

I think back to the moment when Himarin transferred something to me right before passing away and lean my head behind my arms as I'm wrapping them around my knees.

"Just what was that?"

As I mumble to myself a few images consisting of memories of Himarin pop up in my head.

I get back on my feet and descend the hill from the opposite side.

[Hidiku's Perspective]

I'm climbing back up with a shovel but when I get to the top, Yuuna isn't here and so I inspect the surroundings, then spot her.

She's sitting down in a field of flowers as she's crafting a flower wreath with her bare hands.

This puts a smile on my face and gives me a sense of relief.

I start digging.

Soon, a sensation is felt on my skin, it's nothing unfamiliar. The sudden spring of decreasing temperatures and a mild impact felt with it on multiple points of my body.

It began raining, from a light rain to a downpour.

Soon Yuuna returns soaked wet with her creation in her hands.

"Ready?"

I ask her as she looks at me with her serious expression.

We pick Himarin up as the Cherry Blossom shields us from the rain and put her into the newly dug grave. We slowly start realizing this is our last time seeing her.

It really gets to me.

The emotions swirling up within me make me cry for her one last time. Soon I start feeling warmth coming from by back, surrounding my waist. Yuuna is gently hugging me as she has her arms wrapped around me.

I look back over my shoulder. She's too short, I can't see her face. But somehow I can tell, from the eyes covered up by her hair, tears are streaming down her cheeks.

It takes a few minutes but I regain my composure. I pick up the shovel and start throwing the previously dug up dirt back into the hole.

A few rocks we find around are placed on top instead of a gravestone with Himarin's name engraved on one of them by me.

Yuuna kneels and puts down the wreath before the pile of rocks.

[Yuuna's Perspective]

"What now?"

I question our options.

"We will have to find a place to stay."

In that moment, I remember the clean-up crew member, but to be honest, I don't want to stay there and so I decide not to tell him. Instead, I'm reminded of something by my memory.

It's a memory of me and my father from when I was only six-years old.

***

We are sitting on our above ground level veranda after my training session with father when I curiously ask him as I swing my thin legs.

"Dad, how did you get so strong?"

He looks at me with curiosity.

"Why do you ask?"

"When I grow up, I want to be as strong as you, so I need to know!"

My father starts laughing despite the fact that I'm being fully serious.

"Alright, I will tell you. Just like I'm training you, I used to have someone train me too, a master. Although my teachings might not be as good as his were. He lives deep in the forest right next to us. One day, when you are old enough, I will take you to meet him."

My eyes begin to sparkle and he starts patting my head.

"Yuuna, the very moment you were born, I could tell you are special. I believe you will accomplish great things so make us proud, and when the time comes, protect your sisters."

***

I tell Hidiku about the part with my father's master.

He takes a few seconds to think about it, then walks off down the hill.

"Let's get going before the night comes."

We soon reach the entrance of the destroyed district.

As we are about to pass through, we take a last look at it.

"Yuuna, never forget this day."

I look at Hidiku as I'm confused. He knows there's no way I could forget, so what exactly does he mean by that?

I guess it's one of those things I will figure out eventually.

We take our first step out of the district.

Thus our journey begins. The start of our new life.