The soft rustle of wind through sakura petals filled the air. Reiko stood alone beneath the blooming trees outside the restored Miyazaki Shrine. Though the curse had been lifted and Miwa's soul set free, an uneasy stillness lingered in her heart. The world had changed, and yet the weight of centuries still pressed against her chest.
The pendant around her neck no longer burned or glowed—but it pulsed, ever so slightly, as if echoing a heartbeat not her own.
Kino approached from behind, her eyes tracing the same petals that danced through the air.
"You haven't been sleeping," she said, her tone gentle.
Reiko gave a tired smile. "I've been dreaming."
Kino's brow furrowed. "Of Miwa?"
Reiko nodded. "And something else. Someone else. A man… older, kind eyes. A warrior, I think. He stood beside Miwa in my dream. They were… happy."
Kino said nothing, only placed a comforting hand on Reiko's shoulder. For all her knowledge, for all the scrolls she'd deciphered, the mysteries of the soul still eluded her. She had read of spiritual rebirth—how some souls, bound by regret or love, returned in new vessels.
"I think I loved him," Reiko whispered.
"The man from your dream?"
"No," Reiko murmured, her voice nearly lost in the wind. "Both of them. Miwa… and me. We both did."
---
That night, Reiko's dream deepened.
She stood in an ethereal garden under a violet sky. Miwa was there, dressed in white robes, her long hair flowing behind her like black silk in the wind. Beside her stood a man—tall, his features elegant yet scarred with time. He wore samurai armor worn by age, his eyes golden and kind.
"Miwa," Reiko whispered, approaching slowly. "Who is he?"
Miwa smiled, her voice echoing like bells. "He was mine. My protector… my love. When the curse came, he offered his soul in exchange for my safety. It failed. But his soul was scattered, waiting to be reborn."
The man turned to Reiko. His eyes met hers, and in that moment, something ancient inside her stirred. A memory. A kiss beneath the moonlight. A promise sworn in blood.
"I've waited lifetimes," he said. "For both of you."
Reiko's breath caught. She felt Miwa's hand intertwine with hers, and then the man's hands wrapped around both of theirs.
"Three souls bound by sorrow… and something more."
And then Reiko kissed him.
It was tender, filled with longing. She could feel Miwa's presence as if she were kissing too—two hearts sharing one moment of truth. And for the briefest second, Reiko felt complete.
Then—
A hand yanked her from the vision, cold fingers clutching her wrist.
She gasped awake, sitting upright in her futon, chest heaving.
"Reiko!"
Shin was there. His breath was ragged, eyes wide with a madness Reiko hadn't seen in him before. She tried to speak, but he pulled her into his arms with sudden desperation.
"I thought I lost you," he said, voice trembling. "You kept calling someone else's name in your sleep."
"Shin—"
"I don't care about the dreams. Or Miwa. Or that pendant." His fingers dug into her shoulders. "You're here now. With me."
Then, without warning, he kissed her.
It was harsh, fierce. A kiss not of love, but of claim. Reiko struggled at first, but then stilled—not in surrender, but in shock.
He pulled back, eyes blazing. "I love you, Reiko. I always have. From the first time we met. I protected you, stayed by your side, even when I didn't understand what you were becoming. And now… you're mine."
Reiko stared at him, speechless.
He saw the hurt flicker in her eyes and released her, stumbling back. "I'm sorry," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "I just… couldn't watch you drift away."
---
The next morning, Reiko stood silently outside the shrine. Kino found her by the old well, staring into the dark waters.
"He kissed me," Reiko said. "Shin."
Kino exhaled slowly. "I saw the way he looked at you. I thought… maybe."
"I don't know what to feel. I still see the man in my dreams. I feel something ancient stirring. Like I've loved him a thousand times before."
Kino bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "Do you think he's real?"
"He might be."
Kino pulled something from her satchel—an old scroll she had never shown Reiko. "This… speaks of reincarnation. Of soul bonds that stretch across eras. The Miwa Shrine maiden was said to have a protector—a samurai named Yukishiro. He died defending her, cursed alongside her."
Reiko unrolled the scroll and there he was: the man from her dreams. His likeness etched in ink.
"Yukishiro..." Reiko whispered.
And then, as if summoned by the name, the wind howled through the trees—and from the forest edge, a man stepped forth.
He was dressed in modern clothes, but his posture was regal, his eyes golden. He carried no sword, but something in his aura stilled the very air.
"Reiko Maizono," he said. "I've finally found you."
She stared at him, heart pounding.
"Who… are you?"
"I am Saito Yukishiro. I was Miwa's protector. And I remember you."
Reiko took a step back. "That's impossible."
"I remember the shrine," he said, stepping closer. "The blood. The promise. You told me you'd find me again. And here I am."
Kino's breath hitched. "He… feels like him. Like the spirit from the vision."
Reiko clutched the pendant.
"It resonated when I touched it," Yukishiro said softly. "It recognizes me, doesn't it?"
Before she could answer, Shin appeared at the edge of the clearing.
He saw them—Reiko and the man—standing close, the air charged.
"Who the hell is this?" he growled.
Reiko turned to him, eyes conflicted. "Shin…"
Yukishiro looked at Shin, then bowed slightly. "I'm no threat. I just came to remember who I was. And find what I lost."
Shin stepped forward. "She's not yours."
"Nor yours," Yukishiro said calmly. "But she is hers. And Miwa was mine. If what binds us has been passed to Reiko, then the bond still lingers."
"I don't care about past lives. I care about her, now."
Reiko stood between them. "Enough! This isn't about claiming me!"
Both men quieted.
"I don't know what I feel yet," she said, trembling. "All I know is I carry Miwa's pain, and her hope. I have to understand what I've become before I choose anything."
Yukishiro nodded solemnly. "Then let me help you."
Shin turned away, his fists clenched. "And what am I supposed to do? Just watch you fall for some ghost in a new body?"
Kino finally stepped in, her voice calm. "This isn't about possession, Shin. It's about healing. Maybe… you both need to let her figure out who she wants to be."
---
That night, Reiko stood alone again beneath the blooming trees. Yukishiro approached quietly, stopping a few paces behind her.
"You remind me of her," he said. "But you're also yourself."
Reiko turned to him. "I still feel her inside me. Her memories. Her love. And maybe... maybe it's bleeding into mine."
Yukishiro took her hand gently. "Then let's walk together. As two souls trying to remember who we are."
She didn't pull away.
Behind them, hidden in the shadows of the shrine, Shin watched.
And somewhere deep inside, the curse stirred again—not with hatred, but with longing.
This was not the end.
It was a beginning.
To be continued...