Some Sort Of Redemption

October 13th – Suzuki Sophia

After Mirai ran out of the house I was petrified. I wanted her to be shocked and run away, but this was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I had to make her believe that I held her accountable for Yutos death, when in reality I was the only one that was to blame. But when I saw her sitting there I knew it needed to be done. 

After 20 years it just all came out. I couldn't even prove that her confession caused what happened. But at the same time I had convinced myself of it. Just like Mirai was convinced that he loved her. We both held on to our believes for 20 years because it was what kept us going. Blame Mirai for his death so you don't have to think about anything else. Was it worth it? Of course not. Especially after I lost contact with my daughter as well. I just couldn't deal with Suzuki growing up to look exactly like Yuto. And Kento. Turns out it was the same for Mirai. Suzuki was like a ghost that haunted us and reminded us of our failures. It was probably also my fault that Kento left me. 

It seemed I could only fail when it comes to human relationships. I didn't even want to come to Japan all those years ago. But when I met Kento in London over 40 years ago I fell in love with him. That was before it turned out he was a Moon and I was a Sun and we really loved each other and had two children. Yuto and Aiko. But it wasn't meant to be a happy ever after. After Yuto died our relationship was never the same and one day Kento just left and never came back and I never looked for him. That already damaged my relationship with Aiko and was possibly the reason our family broke apart for good after Suzuki was born. It was all a curse. Why did my family have to be part of this everlasting war? But it wasn't everlasting. Not anymore. This time there was a possibility to end it for good. But that also was the reason I felt so guilty about the whole thing. 

Because only Yutos death made it possible. And I knew back then that the death of a Moon was the only way to end this war. And the death of a Sun. I always tried to avoid that thought, but now I was fully aware that I might have been able to prevent Yutos death and didn't do anything about it to be able to seal his soul in that pendant. Did I really willingly sacrifice my own son and then blamed a innocent girl that loved him for 20 years? Apparently that was the kind of person I was. Maybe it was just fitting that everyone seemingly abandoned me. But now I had the ability to make it right. Or at least do something of worth myself. 

We needed a sun pendant as well. And that meant a Sun had to die and have her soul sealed within a pendant. I couldn't change the past, but I could make a choice to change the future. And the pieces were coming together. Mirai coming back opened the opportunity to use her as bait for the Kälte. If she was attacked by one of its monsters I could intervene and die in her stead. And then I only needed someone to seal my soul in the pendant. And that was the important part. I could sense Kento coming back. He must have felt the renewed attack by the Kälte and wanted to see it for himself. He knew how to seal someones soul in a pendant as well. If everything worked out the way I wanted it to, we could end the fight against the Kälte for good and no one would ever have to make the same choices I or anyone else had to make. 

Maybe it was a naive thought, because who knew what would happen after the Kälte was defeated. Something else might come along and become the new threat and the vicious cycle would never end. But for now I felt hope like I hadn't in 20 years, maybe never in my life. Ironic that it was right when I decided to be content with my own life ending. I looked at the clock on my wall, a gift I received from Kento after we got married. It was an antique english clock he imported at great difficulty to make me feel more like home and even now it didn't fail to do that. 

But I realised enough time had passed so I could call my daughter for the final time. After I had done that I went to my own car. I wasn't in any kind of rush. I knew that I had to be patient enough so Mirai would actually be in danger, otherwise nothing would work the way I wanted it to. I drove slowly through the dark streets which were only illuminated by the street lights. I knew where Mirai would most likely go anyway, but I could also feel her presence and that pointed me straight to the same place. I knew it would be the same for Kento and most likely also for the Suzuki und Kiyomi. We would all be together again and we would set the wheels in motion for a better future. 

As I reached the park where I knew Mirai would be hiding, I saw her car as well and I smiled. I got out of the car and looked around. I couldn't see her right away and the ability to sense someone wasn't that precise, but I had a good idea where she might be hiding and so I walked up the hill to the bench where I knew her and Yuto sat quite often back in the day. As I approached it I could see a figure in the dark and I knew it was Mirai. As I sat down on the bench she didn't seem to react. By now the sky was filled with clouds and the temperature was going down rapidly. Everything was set for the attack.