Kokushibo lingered at the edge of the forest, shrouded in shadows as he gazed at the small cottage glowing softly in the lantern light. For months, he had watched over you from a distance, unable to stay away despite the years that separated your past from his present. Memories he had long buried resurfaced—your laughter, the secrets you had shared, the bond that once defined his very existence.

He hadn’t intended to return here, but something beyond his control had drawn him back. When he saw you by the old tree where you once played together, his breath caught. Time had changed you, but the warmth in your eyes and the gentleness in your voice were achingly familiar, pulling him into a past he could never truly leave behind.