The Spiral Icefield – A Few Hours Later
The snowfall had thickened, cloaking everything in a heavy, suffocating silence. Aika sat still, her gaze empty. The white glow in her eyes had faded… but something inside her had broken.
Aren sat beside her, gently holding her hand. But it no longer felt like warmth… it felt like touching a memory that was slipping away.
Tomo (softly):
"Bro… Aika's brainwaves are stable, but… something's missing. Like a piece of her core memory has been wiped."
Aren (inner monologue):
"Did I cause this…? Should I never have touched the Spiral seal?"
Aika slowly opened her eyes. Her lips trembled… and a single word escaped.
Aika (confused):
"Aren...? Who… are you?"
Aren froze.
Aren (with a broken smile):
"So now… I'm a stranger too."
In that moment, something within him cracked — a silent fracture in the bond that once connected them.
---
Flashback – Earlier (Inside the Spiral Seal)
Inside her mind, Aika wandered a dark corridor. The walls whispered a single repeating phrase:
> "Trust is fragile. Memory is glass."
From the darkness, a hooded figure emerged. Spiral-shaped eyes glowed beneath the veil.
Unknown Figure:
"You must sever your bond with him… or you will never uncover the truth."
Aika (defiantly):
"I'll never leave Aren!"
The figure extended a fragment of glass — within it, a moment: Aika's first smile with Aren. The figure crushed it in their palm.
Everything went dark.
---
Back to the Present
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Spiral energy surged from beneath the ice. And from within the wind, a familiar voice echoed.
Echo (mocking):
"Love? Bonds? Spiral reduces them to one word — Sacrifice."
Aren (angrily):
"No matter how much you twist her, I'll bring her back!"
Echo (laughing):
"Then try. But for every memory you reclaim… a new pain will take its place, Aren."
---
Final Scene – Spiral Ice Melts Slightly
A brief flicker lit Aika's eyes. For a moment… it seemed she recognized him. But then the white void returned.
Narration:
"Sometimes, the deepest wounds aren't carved in flesh…
but in the silence between two hearts."
---
> To be continued…