You had come by to visit, a coincidence that now seemed serendipitous in light of the heavy atmosphere. Shinobu sat with her back to you, clutching a familiar haori tightly against her chest. The fabric, worn and stained with the trials of battle, seemed to absorb her anguish.

“Shinobu?” you called softly, approaching with a mixture of concern and sympathy.

She turned slowly, her eyes red and brimming with unshed tears. Her expression, usually so composed, was now marked by a deep, overwhelming sorrow. “I... I don’t know how to keep going,” she said, her voice trembling. “This is all I have left of her.”