Rine's Bar,

Meilfour, Merriheim.

10:40 p.m. 18th Banem 1092.

Kashi walked out of Rine's bar with his hood drawn up to cover his face. Other regions were still fine, but his popularity in Merriheim was high to the point of being severely detrimental to traveling. The daeben made sure his hood was securely fastened, and then jumped onto and dashed across the rooftops to avoid the busy, jampacked streets.

Sentries on the rooftops glanced at Kashi as he burst past, but luckily they recognized him and made no efforts to stop him. The daeben thus continued unimpeded until he reached the Emporium. As always, there was a long queue to the entrance, but Kashi snuck in through the VIP entrance after verifying his identity with the guards.

Kashi confirmed Lunette's location with a staff, and then made his way to her changing room. Luckily, this time, the guards recognized him and quickly knocked on the door to announce the daeben's presence.

No sooner had the guard mentioned the word, 'Kashi,' did the doors burst open, revealing an excited Lunette. The songstress' blue eyes sparkled with delight when they landed on the awkwardly smiling daeben.

Kashi pulled down his hood and raised his right hand, unsure of how to react to the excitement, "...Yo."

"Yo," replied Lunette as she burst out in sweet laughter.

Kashi scratched the back of his head, a genuine smile on his face. He did not know why, but simply listening to Lunette's laughter cleansed all the stress he'd piled up over the past few days. Not only was he no longer thirsting for battle, but he even wanted to take a few days off and just rest. It was something he only felt when he was around Lunette. True Peace.

"Come on," Lunette beckoned as she grabbed Kashi's hand and pulled him into her room. "Tell me what you've been up to. I bet it's been exciting."

Kashi let himself get pulled into her room, and then looked around. It seemed blue was Lunette's favorite color. The walls of her room were painted to resemble a backdrop of a daytime sky, with a few exotic birds flying through the clouds. Her dresser and mirror were sky-blue, creating a beautiful contrast against the white sofa beside the door.

Lunette pulled Kashi onto the sofa and then sat down beside him, repeatedly pressing him for the details of his latest trip.

Kashi smiled, let himself relax, and began to narrate the events of his trip without leaving out a single detail, from the eggs in Suvron Gate, to Kira's state, to the growth of his inner world.

Lunette hung on every word, her emotions fluctuating as Kashi narrated. She cried when Kira's state was brought up, panicked when Kashi talked about the Marilith, and frowned when she heard about the Chaos Order's atrocities. By the time Kashi was done, his hand had gone through the seven stages of grief, being twisted this way and that by the anxious Lunette.

Lunette's tears caused something to rise within Kashi's heart, and before he knew it, he instinctively reached out and gently wiped her tears. "Hey, don't worry. Nothing happened. I'm pretty strong, you know?"

"I know you're strong," Lunette muttered, bowing her head. "But that's why I'm scared. Because you're strong, you'll keep looking for stronger people to fight. I'm scared you'll one day meet someone you can't beat."

"Don't worry," Kashi consoled Lunette as he reached out and patted her head. "If I can't win, then I'll run away. I won't do something stupid and throw away my life. I have too many things to live for."

Lunette raise her head, puffy red eyes gazing at the daeben with hope. "You promise?"

Kashi grinned as he ruffled her hair. "I promise."

"Hehe, you can't break a promise," Lunette warned as she grinned through her tears.

Kashi looked at Lunette's puffy eyes, and the grin that was meant to reassure him despite her fears. An unfamiliar, but powerful emotion swept over the daeben as he cupped the songstress' face in his hands, and gently wiped her tears. However, unlike the last time, Kashi did not release her, but stared intently into her eyes, trying to understand what this new feeling was.

"...Kashi?" Lunette called, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Lunette's sweet voice broke the dam of hesitation in the daeben's mind. Kashi instinctively drew closer to Lunette, his head leaning down towards hers. Lunette's eyes widened in shock, but then she quickly shut her eyes and tilted her head upwards in anticipation.

'Surrender.'

Kashi was only inches away from Lunette when a voice from another lifetime rung in his head and made him freeze. Surrender. Kashi did not know why, but he felt like if he went through with this, he would truly be giving everything of him over to Lunette. She would be his world, and the only thing that mattered. From another standpoint, it could be said she would hold complete control over him.

'I love you, Suzu...'

If Lunette loved him, then life would be perfect. Kashi believed he would be the happiest man in the world.

'You are a mistake! I wish I never gave birth to you!'

But if Lunette did not love or ever stopped loving him, then that Kashi knew that power she held would be enough to destroy him.

WOONG!

Kashi's heart plummeted, engulfed by a terrible fear. Never had the daeben been so afraid. Not even the prospect of death could terrify him this much. However, somehow, the thought of Lunette one day looking at him with those eyes, frightened him so much he did not dare move an inch further.

Lunette felt Kashi's trembling hands and opened her eyes. Her heart bled in pain when she saw the worry and fear in Kashi's eyes. She smiled as she clasped her hands around his and leaned into his palm.

Kashi grimaced and retracted his hands. "I'm sorry," he said and made to stand up, but Lunette quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her chest.

"It's fine," Lunette consoled as she ran her fingers through Kashi's hair. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere, and my feelings will never change."

Kashi's eyes trembled as he listened to her heartbeat. "...Promise?"

Lunette smiled as she bent her head and kissed Kashi's on the crown of his head. "I promise."

"I see... That's good," Kashi muttered as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let me stay like this a little longer, please."

"You do need the rest," Lunette replied as she gently caressed the daeben's hair. Watching the silent daeben, she could not help but tease, "Would you like a lullaby?"

"A private performance from the great Lunette?" Kashi responded with a playful snark. "I would be honored."

Lunette jokingly flicked the daeben's forehead as payback for his tone, and then began to sing after a brief moment of silence.

https://youtu.be/_yQpU_73Dv0

"Lay down your head, and I'll sing you a Lullaby,

Back to the years of loo-li lai-ley,

And I'll sing you to sleep, and I'll sing you tomorrow,

Bless you with love for the road that you go..."

"Did you know?" Kashi muttered as Lunette's song flooded him with nostalgia and memories of a child in his mother's arms. "I originally hated this song... but somehow, it's different when you sing it." Kashi slumped as pent-up fatigue took over and his head fell on Lunette's lap. "This song... I... indeed... I... love..."

Kashi did not get to finish his words, as he fell into a deep sleep, from which old, buried memories began to surface.

A sunlit room... A pair of curtains fluttering in the wind. Right. It was summer break. Father was taking a rare break from work to spend the weekend with the family. I had just returned from Judo practice, and was in pain. Mom helped massage my sore calves while dad joked about how a man should be able to withstand pain.

Mom fiercely defended me, saying her son was the strongest man in the world, while dad called me a 'momma's boy.' I was too tired to go upstairs to change and could not help but close my eyes. Mom sat down by my side and rested my head on her laps. She began to sing 'our' song. As she sang, Father set down the newspaper and walked over to the couch. He sat beside mom, and caressed my hair, calling me his 'liitle soldier.'

Mom laughs and asks who she is then, and Father calls her his 'little songbird.' Mom and dad laugh as mom once again starts singing. I am happy. We are all happy. I do not want to fight anymore, and mom has never smiled so brightly. Even Father is smiling, for once not stressed out by work. He has finished his project, and promises he will spend a lot more time with us.

Ah... I remember now. This was the afternoon before the finals. Tomorrow we would travel to win a gold medal. But we will not make it. Mom and Father... they will die tomorrow.

Mom, Dad... I am happy. I don't care about the gold medal, so, let's remain like this, please. If we don't go, we won't get in that accident, and mom... Mom would not have to look at me with those eyes...

Mom, please, only look at me like you do now. Like you love me.

Mom...

"Mom," Kashi muttered in his sleep as tears streamed drown his cheeks.

Lunette could only imagine how much pain Kashi must've been in for someone like him to actually shed tears. However, she could not think of any way to help him, at least until he himself felt comfortable enough to upon up to her. So, she did all she could do, which was sing, and comfort him, allowing him to finally unload, even if only a drop, of the emotions that had been bottled up for years.

Meanwhile, within a white void in Kashi's mind, Suzuki stood alone, staring into nothingness. The young man wiped his face with his right palm and then looked at it.

"As expected. It seems I still cannot cry for you, mother," Suzuki muttered. "All I have left are the bad memories." Despite him saying this, Suzuki's trembling palm exposed the unease he felt within his heart. "Heh, congratulations Kashi. It appears you've made me slightly more human."

Suzuki clenched his palm into a fist and closed his eyes as the void once again swallowed him.

???

Hektor awoke to the sound of someone humming a tune that sounded like a sad lullaby. The warrior opened his eyes, and looked to the source of the sound, only to find the Sword Spirit sat on the ground, its back leaning against Razznik's blade. The spirit's gaze held none of its normal ferocity. Instead, it appeared distant and forlorn, as if recalling some long lost, painful memory.

The sword spirit sensed Hektor's gaze and immediately ended its hum. "So, you're awake." The sword spirit's eyes regained their ferocity and a sword appeared in its right hand as he glared at the youth. "Come. From here on out, I'll beat the basics into your body so you never forget. Try not to die."

Hektor felt something was off, and wanted to ask about the song the sword spirit was humming, but judging from the murder in its eyes, the youth felt his life would be in danger if he tried to pry. So, Hektor did only thing he could. He picked up his bone spear and charged at the sword spirit with a defiant grunt...