Light of Wishes

Halfway up the mountain, the summer evening sky was painted in shades of deep amber and rose, the traditional Japanese sunset casting its gentle warmth across the landscape.

Amidst the rescue operation for a tour bus that had plunged from the cliff, Sora focused intently on treating a young girl. While other doctors had begun to lose hope for the critically injured child, something deep within Sora's heart refused to give up.

"It's alright, you'll definitely be saved," Sora whispered softly, reaching out to hold the girl's hand. In that instant, an inexplicable wave of déjà vu washed over her, the sensation piercing straight to her core. The delicate touch of the girl's hand awakened memories that had lain dormant for decades, stirring something profound within her soul.

(Just like that day when I held Asuka's hand... The same warmth, the same precious innocence...)

Though she had saved countless critical patients throughout her career, this moment felt fundamentally different. There was a profound certainty blooming in her heart, as if every step of her long journey had led her to this precise moment in time.

Decades had passed in her role as a world-renowned doctor, yet while everyone around her had aged and departed, she alone remained unchanged, forever frozen in time. Her beloved friends—Ume with her vibrant spirit, Ren with his quiet strength, Takashi with his unwavering devotion, and Yuta with his gentle soul—had all long since journeyed to the heavens. Yet now, in this twilight moment, she felt an all-encompassing sense of completion enveloping her entire being.

"Dr. Hojo, we might be too late..." a young doctor called out with resignation in his voice, but Sora gently shook her head, her conviction unwavering.

"I know in my heart," she replied softly, her voice carrying years of wisdom and compassion. "This child still has a purpose to fulfill... This time, I want her to live fully and find true happiness until her natural end..."

As these words left her lips, a mysterious luminescence began to emanate from Sora's body, bathing the scene in a gentle, ethereal glow. Though she couldn't comprehend the phenomenon, her heart knew with absolute certainty that this was right—this was destined.

"Big sister... your body... it's glowing like starlight..." the girl whispered as consciousness returned to her, her voice carrying an inexplicable resonance that seemed to echo from a time long past.

The familiar cadence of the girl's words stirred something deep within Sora's memories.

"Yes, it seems so," Sora responded with a gentle smile, her voice warm and reassuring. "It feels rather magical, doesn't it? But this light will make everything right again."

The radiance flowing from Sora's form enveloped the girl in its tender embrace, and gradually, life's colors began to paint themselves back across the child's face.

"Her vital signs are stabilizing... It's incredible! Her consciousness is returning!" the young doctor exclaimed, wonder and relief mingling in his voice as hope spread through the gathering of rescue workers.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, and she squeezed Sora's hand with surprising strength. "Thank you... big sister..." she breathed, her words carrying a weight beyond their simple meaning.

Sora returned the gentle pressure, her smile serene despite the growing heaviness in her limbs. Her heart was filled with a profound sense of fulfillment, even as she felt her own strength ebbing away.

"I'm so glad everyone will be alright," she murmured softly. "Please... take good care of her from here."

With those words hanging in the air like cherry blossoms in spring, Sora gently released the girl's hand and quietly stepped away from the scene.

In the mountain's embrace, while all attention focused on the miraculous recovery, Sora made her way alone to the cliff's edge. The sky above was now a tapestry of deep rose and gold, as if nature itself was preparing a fitting backdrop for this moment of transition.

"How remarkable," she mused, her voice barely a whisper on the evening breeze. "After all these years of walking this path, I finally understand completely. Every life I touched, every moment I lived, was leading me to this culmination—this one perfect moment of purpose."

As Sora's form began to fade like morning mist in sunlight, her expression remained one of profound peace and acceptance.

"Everyone... thank you for sharing this journey with me. Through you, I learned what it truly means to live, to love, to heal..."

The final motes of light ascended into the painted sky like rising stars. As consciousness began to drift away, beloved faces floated through her mind's eye: Yuta's smile, warm as summer sunshine; Ume's laughter, bright as spring bells; Ren's expressions, shifting from pride to tenderness; Takashi's gaze, filled with unwavering devotion... and Ten's knowing eyes, watching over it all.

"Ah... what an extraordinarily beautiful life it has been..."

These were Sora's final words as an angel.

In the rescued girl's small hand remained a single feather, pure as fresh snow and soft as moonlight.

That evening's news would report "The Angelic Doctor Sora Hojo Missing After Mountain Rescue." Yet everyone present at the scene held a profound truth in their hearts—on that day, they had witnessed not just a doctor, but a true angel completing her final mission of mercy.

...

In a realm bathed in radiant light, Sora's consciousness gradually stirred to awareness. The space around her seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with a gentle luminescence that felt both foreign and familiar.

"Where am I...?" she wondered aloud, her voice carrying through the ethereal expanse.

In this boundless realm of white light, an extraordinary stillness prevailed. Yet rather than feeling isolated, Sora found herself wrapped in a comforting warmth that seemed to embrace her very essence.

Then, through the silence, came a voice that stirred memories deep within her soul.

"Welcome back, Sora."

She turned toward the source of the voice, but saw only shimmering light dancing before her eyes.

"...Who are you?" she asked, though something in her heart already seemed to know the answer.

"I am the one who has watched over you throughout all your days," the voice replied, its tone carrying centuries of gentle wisdom.

"Throughout all my days...?" Sora echoed, tilting her head slightly as she tried to grasp the full meaning of those words.

The sensation was peculiar—understanding and confusion intertwined like silk threads, creating a tapestry of familiar mystery. Yet the voice itself carried a nostalgia that reached deep into her soul.

"Have I... passed from the world?" Sora asked with gentle curiosity, her voice free of fear.

"Your journey has not ended," the voice assured her warmly. "You have fulfilled your purpose with grace and devotion."

A wave of profound relief washed through Sora's being at these words. In that moment, memories cascaded through her consciousness—every life she had touched, every farewell she had bid, every beloved face she had watched fade into eternity.

"It feels like a beautiful dream now," she mused softly.

"It was reality—your reality. Every moment you lived, every choice you made, created a tapestry of extraordinary meaning."

The voice of light spoke with such tender affection that it seemed to embrace her very soul.

"...I felt so blessed to meet everyone who crossed my path," Sora whispered, her words carrying the weight of countless cherished memories.

The light continued, its presence growing even warmer and more encompassing.

"The lives you saved, the words you shared, the joy you brought to others... all of these are eternal testimonies to your existence in that world. And now, dear Sora, the time has come for you to step through a new doorway."

"A new doorway...?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of wondering anticipation.

Sora gazed into the light with gentle uncertainty, like a child standing at the threshold of something vast and unknown.

"Deep in your heart, isn't there something you've longed for?" the light asked with knowing tenderness.

Sora's essence trembled slightly at the question. A wish... It was something she had carried silently within her heart for so long, yet had never given voice to until this moment.

"Yes..." she began, her voice growing stronger with certainty. "I want to experience life as a truly normal human being."

"As a normal human?" the light echoed softly, inviting her to elaborate.

"Yes. I want to age naturally alongside those I love... to experience the full cycle of human life... and in the end, I wish to pass peacefully as a grandmother, surrounded by family."

Her voice grew more passionate as she continued, "I no longer desire eternal life. The loneliness of remaining behind while others passed on was too heavy a burden to bear. This time, even if my life is brief by comparison, I want to share ordinary, precious moments with those I hold dear."

The light responded with gentle understanding. "This is the true wish of your heart, isn't it?"

"Yes," Sora affirmed with quiet conviction. "This is what I truly desire."

...

A profound silence descended upon them, but it was not an empty silence. Rather, it was filled with deep understanding and warm empathy, like a tender embrace of the soul.

"Then I shall grant your heart's desire."

The light drew nearer, its presence carrying a warmth that felt both new and anciently familiar.

"You will begin anew as a true human being. All memories of your past life, all supernatural powers, will be sealed away, allowing you to start fresh as an ordinary girl. Are you prepared to accept this?"

Sora nodded with deep conviction, her entire being radiating certainty.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want. This time, I wish to experience life just as everyone else does—to laugh freely, to cry without restraint, to live fully and completely human."

The light began to pulse with increasing brilliance. Within its radiance, Sora's form seemed to smile with pure joy.

"May I ask one thing?" she ventured softly. "Will we meet again?"

The voice of light resonated with gentle reassurance.

"Of course. No matter where your path leads, I will always be by your side."

As Sora's form began to fade into transparency, she closed her eyes with peaceful acceptance in the final moment.

"Thank you... thank you, everyone. And..." her voice trailed off into the light.

The radiance expanded, announcing the dawn of a new story with silent majesty.

... ... ...

"Congratulations! It's a healthy baby girl!"

A newborn's first cry echoed through the delivery room, pure and strong, as the midwife carefully cradled this precious new life. Though none present could know it yet, this tiny being would one day be known throughout her school as the "Ice Queen."

On the windowsill of the hospital room, a gray kitten sat in silent vigil.

Its eyes held a gentle, knowing light, as if already seeing the extraordinary journey that lay ahead for this seemingly ordinary child.

And so the curtain rose silently on a new story—one whose future remained yet unwritten, holding infinite possibilities within its unfolding pages.