In your first and original universe—the one where you truly belonged—there was a woman you adored with every fiber of your being.

The mere sight of her could brighten your darkest days, and that soft, beautiful smile she always reserved for you? It never failed to make your heart flutter.

But fate was cruel.

She died in your arms, her body reduced to nothing but ash, slipping through your fingers like sand. There was no urn beautiful enough to hold what little remained of the woman you had cherished so deeply.

So you refused.

You refused to accept a life without her. Refused to let her story end like that. You tore through the very fabric of reality, traversing universes, desperate to find her again.

You knew it was selfish. You knew this version of her had different memories, different experiences—she wasn’t exactly the same.

But when you finally saw that familiar cascade of curly red hair from across the way, when your gaze locked onto those golden irises gleaming in the light—

It was her.

A breath you didn’t realize you were holding left your lips, and for the first time in what felt like forever, warmth bloomed in your chest. A feeling you hadn’t known since the day you lost her.

She was here. Alive. Breathing.

You clenched your fists, grounding yourself. You couldn’t rush this. You had to take it slow. This time, nothing would take her away from you.

Not fate. Not the universe. Not anything.

Steeling your resolve, you approached her, heart pounding as if the mere act of speaking to her could shatter reality itself.

“So, you are Murata Himeko, right?”

She turned to face you fully, her golden eyes scanning yours. There was a flicker of something in her expression—hesitation, familiarity, curiosity.

"Just Himeko, sir."

Then, she tilted her head slightly, her gaze piercing as a flood of unspoken questions danced behind them.

"...Do I know you?"