Volume 3 – Chapter 19: The Path Forward

As the weeks wore on, Kaito and Rika found themselves soothed within this chaos, even though the outside world continued to burn. They had learned to accept that nothing could be guaranteed, nor would there be the promise of a happy ending, but the burden borne from their bond helped lessen that weight. They had made their choices, and that's what really mattered.

One afternoon, as they sat by the fire and cool ropes of grass-about two feet high-the embers danced and rolled, flickering against a backdrop of silence. Mind wandering again, Kaito's thoughts conjured visions from the future. He had always been worried about the present, what was to come. But now, it was as if the future were something lost, dreamlike, but out of reach.

He finally said, "What happens when we reach the end?" hardly above a whisper, still gazing at the fire before them.

After a moment's pause, Rika then answered; she must have been considering the question within herself. Rt "We keep moving on," she said finally in her cool way, "even if we don't know where forward is, even if everything falls apart." At last, she said, "We move forward, because that's all we can do."

Kaito just gazed at her, knowing that there would be a quiet strength in her eyes. That's always what I admired about her, the strength of her will while she was ever within the unknown. She had managed to accept the inevitable and attach meaning unto the present.

Maybe I'm not as strong as you," he said softly." I don't think I'll be able to keep on going if there's no clear reason for why I'm doing it.

And softening further by degrees, Rika said, "No; you don't need a reason. Just keep going for yourself. And for those who are still with you. That's all anybody can ask."

He slowly nodded, absorbing the weight of her words. This fight was not merely to win; it was to live through it, to endure, and to defend what could still be defended.