Emi slowly climbed back down toward them, her movements careful against the vertical rock. Haruto was still holding Miyuki's hand tightly, not letting her slip even for a moment.
"Wait, don't move," Emi said as she reached them. "I'll use my magic again. I told you before, my magic isn't strong enough to handle this for long."
She raised her hands again, focusing as she cast the spell once more. A faint blue light appeared and wrapped around
Miyuki's shoes, restoring the fading magic.
After the spell was complete, Miyuki steadied herself. This time, her footing held.
They continued climbing, moving more carefully than before.
The ascent was slow and exhausting, but after a few hours, they finally reached the top. The steep wall ended, giving way to a small flat area that looked almost like natural ground. A few scattered trees stood nearby, swaying gently in the cold wind.
Not far ahead, they saw it.
The house.
Or what was left of it.
It had been completely burned down. The structure was broken apart, its wooden frame reduced to blackened remains and ash. The air still carried the faint smell of smoke.
The three of them walked closer to inspect it.
The house had clearly been made of wood, and most of it had already turned to ash. Charred pieces lay scattered across the ground, barely holding their shape.
Emi looked around carefully. "Let's check the area," she said. "See if we can find anything before it gets too dark. It's already evening."
They began searching through the remains.
As Miyuki moved closer to the ruins, her eyes suddenly stopped on something. A piece of wood nearby had not completely burned. It looked slightly intact compared to the rest.
She stepped forward and tried to move it.
The moment she shifted the wood aside, her body froze.
She didn't move anymore.
Haruto noticed immediately. He walked toward her. "Did you find something?" he asked.
Emi also came over, her expression turning serious. They both looked down.
Beneath the wood… was a skeleton.
Emi crouched slightly, examining it. "It could be the owner of this house," she said quietly. "From the shape… it looks like a woman."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"She must have been caught in the fire. I don't think she survived."
Miyuki didn't say anything.
Tears slowly formed in her eyes and began to fall.
Haruto looked at her, then at the skeleton. His expression hardened slightly as he spoke.
"Don't jump to conclusions," he said calmly. "We're not sure this is your master. It could be someone else."
He paused before continuing.
"Your master is a high-level magic user, right? Someone like that wouldn't die so easily in a fire like this. She could have escaped… or stopped it."
He looked back at the remains.
"I don't think this is her."
Miyuki remained silent, but her trembling slowly eased as she listened to his words.
The wind passed through the burnt ruins, carrying the last traces of smoke into the darkening sky.
Emi looked around the burned area, her expression turning more serious as the light in the sky slowly began to fade.
"We can't go back now," she said calmly. "Night will begin soon, and before that, we need to find a place where we can stay."
Haruto looked at her. "We can't climb down?"
Emi shook her head slightly.
"It's too dangerous," she replied. "At night, we won't be able to see properly, and the wind becomes much stronger than during the day. Climbing up or down in those conditions is almost impossible."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"So for now, we find a safe place to stay. After that, we'll continue searching the area. There might be something here… something that can tell us what really happened."
Haruto nodded slowly. "Alright."
Miyuki didn't say anything, but she quietly agreed.
Haruto glanced at her for a moment, noticing the lingering sadness in her eyes. Then, without speaking out loud, he reached out to her through telepathy.
I know you're still thinking about her, his voice echoed softly in her mind. But listen… you told me you would support my journey. If you can't face something like this, how will you face the bigger problems that are coming?
He paused briefly, his tone steady but gentle.
You have memories of your master, I understand that. But I'm sure… that wasn't her. So believe in yourself. I know your master is stronger than this. She would never fall so easily.
There was a slight warmth in his voice as he continued.
And I'm sure… if she were here, she would say the same thing. That you're strong enough to handle this.
Miyuki remained silent, but his words reached her.
Just then, Emi glanced back at them, noticing they had stopped moving.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you both standing there? Come on."
Haruto looked up and gave a small nod.
"Nothing," he said.
The three of them then began looking around, searching for a place where they could spend the night among the ruins and scattered trees, as the last light of day slowly faded into darkness.
Six Years Ago — In the Past, Far West Forest
"Run! Don't look back — run from here!"
The voice echoed through the dark forest as fire spread in every direction, turning the night into a sea of red and smoke. A small white fox girl ran through the burning woods, her torn clothes soaked with blood and ash.
Every step felt heavier than the last, her breathing ragged and uneven as her blurred vision struggled to guide her forward. She could barely see through the darkness and the smoke, yet she kept moving, driven only by the desperate screams of her people behind her.
Then she heard it — the sound of footsteps.
A group of human soldiers.
Her leg caught on a tree branch and she fell hard to the ground. Panic surged through her chest as she forced herself up and stumbled toward a nearby tree. At its base was a hollow space, barely large enough for her small body. She squeezed inside and covered her mouth with her hand, trying to suppress her cries of pain while tears streamed silently down her face.
The soldiers stopped right beside the tree, their presence so close that she could hear their breathing.
"If you see any beasts, kill them," one of them said.
Another laughed. "Those foolish foxes think they're like us? What a joke. They're nothing but slaves — no better than dogs."
Trembling, the fox girl listened as their footsteps slowly faded into the distance.
Only after several moments did she dare to move, lowering her hand from her mouth and drawing in a long, shaking breath.