Whispers of the Past, Bonds of Today

Rain fell softly, soaking the crumbling remains of the house. The scent of wet earth filled the air, mingling with the lingering traces of smoke, echoes of the destruction that had taken place. In the dim room, lit only by the faint glow from outside, Ikuro stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the sword tightly clutched by the girl before him.

There was something about it that felt deeply familiar. And yet, the more he tried to remember, the more distant the memory became.

Eventually, he sat down across from her, his gaze never leaving the blade that had clearly seen better days.
"That sword… is it yours?" he asked, his voice calmer than he felt.

The girl looked at him and gave a slow nod.
"Yeah... I found it in this house. It's the only thing left behind."

Ikuro narrowed his eyes, now studying the sword more closely. The blade was worn by age, but still sturdy. Faint carvings adorned the hilt, and the weight in his hand felt... perfect. Too perfect. As if his fingers had once been molded to its grip.

He reached out, his fingers brushing the hilt gently. The girl tensed, her eyes sharp with caution. But Ikuro didn’t try to take it. He simply let his hand rest there, feeling the texture of wood and steel that felt oddly natural in his palm.

"Why do you ask?" her voice was flat, but her gaze was sharp, watching every flicker of his expression.

Ikuro sighed, trying to put his feelings into words.
"I... don’t know. I feel like I’ve seen this sword before. Like it was... part of something important."

She didn’t answer right away, only stared silently. The rain intensified outside, its soft patter filling the silence between them. Drops of water leaked through holes in the ceiling, splashing on the dusty wooden floor.

After a moment, Ikuro looked at her with more resolve.
"You’ve been living here… alone?"

The girl looked away. Her expression hardened slightly.
"Yeah... and... I don’t have anywhere else to go," she said quietly.

Ikuro fell silent. Those words struck something deep inside him. Once, he too had felt like that, like he had lost everything, like he was alone in a world that didn’t care.

He looked back at the sword again, studying it more intently this time. Just beneath the elegant carvings near the hilt, he spotted something. A faint symbol, nearly invisible unless one knew where to look. His heart skipped a beat.
That crest… he had seen it before.
But where?

Flashes of fragmented memories rushed through his mind. A room lit by candlelight. The clash of blades. A figure standing before him, teaching him how to hold a sword the right way.

"Ikuro, this sword isn’t just a weapon. It’s a part of who we are."

The voice echoed from the depths of a long-buried past.

Ikuro shook his head, trying to dispel the haze that clouded his thoughts. When he looked back up, the girl was still watching him, guarded.

"Have you ever seen anyone use this sword before?" he asked.

She hesitated, then shook her head.
"No... I just found it here. I don’t know who it belonged to. But... it feels like I’m supposed to keep it with me."

Ikuro felt something stir inside him. He didn’t understand why, but he understood the emotion behind her words. The feeling of clinging to something when everything else had been taken away.

The rain continued to fall. A cold wind slipped through the shattered window, brushing past them like a whisper from the past. Ikuro drew a deep breath and stood up. He looked at her seriously now.

"If you’re okay with it… we can leave this place together," he said firmly.

The girl furrowed her brows.
"What?"

"You said you had nowhere to go, right?" Ikuro repeated. "I don’t have a fixed destination either. If you’re willing, we can travel together."

She didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes searched his, as if trying to judge whether or not he could be trusted.

Silence returned. Only the sound of the rain filled the space between them.
Then, finally, she let out a quiet sigh.

"Alright," she said softly. "But don’t expect me to rely on you. I can take care of myself."

Ikuro gave her a faint smile.
"I don’t doubt that."

The girl stood up, her sword still tightly in her grip. The moonlight streaming through the broken window finally revealed her face more clearly. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Ikuro saw something deeper in her gaze.

Something that reminded him... of himself.

Maybe this wasn’t just a chance encounter.
Maybe… this was the beginning of something far greater.