Finally We Meet Again, But...

(Sirius PoV)

Cold... What happened to me?

When he opened his eyes, only endless darkness greeted him. His chest felt tight. His body felt heavy, as if he were sinking into the depths of an ocean.

He realized something different. His form was no longer that of a wolf, but a faint shape resembling a human. Perhaps that was the body he had in his past life.

Where is this place?

Sirius tried to turn his head, but pain struck through his entire body. His muscles refused to obey. In the end, he could only surrender and let the darkness pull him deeper and deeper.

His blank eyes were fixed on a faint shimmer of light above him, quivering gently like the moonlight reflected on the rippling surface of a pond full of fish.

Suddenly his heart and mind felt as though pierced by the tip of a sharp blade. That dim glow reminded him of a woman who always managed to break through the thick fog that shrouded his memory.

So beautiful... is that you?

His mind may have erased her image, yet within his soul remained the warmth he once felt by her side.

Sirius forced the muscles in his right arm to move. He did not care if the fragile layer of flesh would tear apart. All he wanted was to grasp that fragment of light, to reach the figure who had always appeared in his memory.

His trembling hand reached forward. But no matter how much strength he poured into it, the light seemed to drift farther and farther from his grasp.

Impossible... isn’t it?

In his empty gaze, a flicker of sorrow gleamed faintly. The corners of his eyes, usually calm, were now swollen with restrained tears.

Just as he thought everything was over, someone caught his arm. His eyes widened when he realized who it was that pulled him.

The figure was wrapped in light. Sirius could not see her clearly, but his heart recognized her—more deeply than he knew himself. For a fleeting moment, he saw a gentle smile curve upon her lips.

The woman effortlessly drew him from the darkness. His body rose swiftly, breaking through a surface overflowing with light.

Splash.

“Hah... hah... hah...”

His breathing was ragged, as if he had just escaped from drowning.

“What... happened?”

Before he could comprehend the situation, his pupils widened. He was no longer surrounded by darkness.

“W-where am I?”

His feet stood on a hard floor. He found himself in the middle of a long dining table adorned with silverware and lavish dishes. Hundreds of lanterns swayed softly from the ceiling, bathing him in a warm glow. It looked like a feast prepared just for him.

“Wait, my body!”

His shoulders tensed as he looked down. No longer was his form covered in fur. Instead, a dark tunic fitted snugly around his human frame.

He raised his hand slightly. As if he could not believe what he saw, he flexed his fingers.

That sensation—the opening and closing of a human hand—he could feel it again, something long forgotten.

“No way...” his voice trembled. “What’s happening to me?”

“You have come, haven’t you?”

That voice echoed softly in his ears like a spring breeze soothing his restless soul.

The tension in Sirius’s face loosened, his gaze softening as he looked toward the girl before him.

No longer shrouded in light, her figure became clear. She wore a simple white wedding dress, her slender form framed by long black hair cascading down her back.

Yet her face was faint, only her small, sweetly curved lips visible to him. It was as if a veil of mist refused to let him see the face of the girl who once warmed his heart.

“You...”

Before Sirius could finish his words, the girl intertwined her fingers with his. Her other arm circled his waist, her black hair swaying as their bodies drew close.

A faint fragrance filled Sirius’s senses, her natural scent piercing through the fragments of his lost memories.

He took a step back as she gently pushed him. When he looked down, her smile was enough to make him forget everything.

“Relax,” she said, stepping closer.

Sirius did not reply, yet his feet began to move as though entranced.

Right. Left. Spin. Approach. Retreat. It felt as if his body had done this countless times before, remembering every motion that followed.

An imagined melody filled his mind. In that silence, two souls danced together in stillness.

As they spun one last time, their faces drew near until their lips almost touched.

Sirius opened his mouth, but no words escaped, though a thousand voices screamed within his heart.

The girl smiled faintly, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. “Do you have something to say?”

Her voice was soft and calm, yet it pierced Sirius’s heart like a blade. He bit his lip, struggling to hold back the tears that welled at the corners of his eyes.

Her fingers moved upward, gently wiping the dampness from his lashes. “You can cry. No one will blame you.”

With that single sentence, a tear fell. His lips trembled violently. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as if never wanting to let her go again.

“Don’t go... please stay with me.” His fists clenched behind her back. “I’ll give you anything you want! I’ll grant every wish you have! So please... don’t leave me again.”

“That’s what I wish for too...”

A soft light shone from the girl’s body. His blood ran cold, instincts screaming within him.

“No! I won’t let you go again!”

He tightened his hold, but his arms closed on nothing. The girl vanished from his embrace. He looked up, and there she stood several meters away, her smile as gentle as ever.

“My time is almost up. I’m sorry...”

“No!”

When Sirius tried to move, his legs refused to obey, bound to the ground by an unseen force.

“Damn it! What is this?!” He gritted his teeth, straining every muscle to move forward, but nothing happened. “Let me go!”

His tearful eyes pleaded toward the girl who still smiled at him.

“Why? Why? Why?!” His shout quivered with desperation. “We just met... why must this happen?”

Even as tears streamed down his face, the girl stood still, her serene smile unbroken. The light around her grew brighter, as if warning that her time was running out.

“We will meet again in the future. Be patient. Now is not our time.”

Sirius said nothing. His head bowed low, his fingers digging into the floor until his nails bled.

Blood dripped from his bitten lip. He tried not to cry, but the tears flowed like an unstoppable flood.

Then, once again, warmth brushed his cheek. The girl’s hand moved down, gently lifting his chin.

Their eyes met. Her faint smile contrasted with the bitterness trembling on his lips.

“I don’t remember you being such a crybaby.”

Sirius couldn’t speak. His throat was tight, words trapped halfway.

The girl leaned closer, whispering softly into his ear. “Don’t you still have something to do?”

Her tender whisper cut through his heart like a blade. His fists clenched. His body felt lighter, as though his burdens had lifted. He rose slowly, standing tall. She was right—he still had something to do if he wanted to see her again.

Sirius slapped his cheeks hard, strengthening his resolve. “You’re right. I have to keep living if I want to meet you again.”

The girl’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. “That’s the man I remember.” She sighed, turning her gaze toward the distance. “There’s still so much I want to say, but my time is short.”

Sirius didn’t answer, only followed her gaze. There was nothing but a vast white void.

Her body shone brighter, yet to Sirius, it felt like she was fading away. She stepped back, growing farther and farther from him.

“Now, wake up and find me.”

Her body dissolved into the light, but before she disappeared completely, Sirius stretched out his hand one last time.

“Wait... can you tell me your name?”

“My name is...”

The light flared, taking her away before he could hear it.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the thick red blood splattered across the wild grass.

His head still throbbed in pain, but he forced himself to rise with what little strength remained.

“You really are stubborn.”

Sirius turned. The man who had attacked him earlier was leaning against a large tree, puffing a cigar between his lips.

“How many lives do you have, exactly? I’m certain my blow should have killed you.”

Sirius stayed silent. There was no way he would reveal his near-death regeneration ability gained from the Troll so easily. That power was his secret.

“Well, no matter.” The dark-skinned man lifted the massive hammer resting on the ground. “No matter how many times it takes, I’ll erase threats like you.”

“Grrrr.”

Sirius bent his knees, lowering his stance as a growl rumbled from his throat.

No more running. No more mercy. If he didn’t give his all, death awaited him—and with it, the destruction of his only dream: to see her again.

The man stepped forward. Sirius did the same. Their sharp gazes locked, both understanding one truth.

Only one of them would walk away alive.

I will not lose!