The shrine's ancient energy still pulsed around them, but Aiko barely felt it. The weight of what she had seen—of who she had seen—pressed down on her chest, leaving her breathless. The vision had been clear, the face undeniable.
The enemy had a name. And it was one she had known her entire life.
Ryou's grip on her arm was firm but careful. "Aiko, tell me."
She met his gaze, the storm in his eyes mirroring the chaos within her. Mei hovered nearby, her usual sharp tongue subdued by the tension suffocating the air between them.
Aiko swallowed, her throat dry. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely more than a whisper. "It's… my ancestor."
Ryou frowned. "Your ancestor?"
She nodded, forcing herself to breathe. "The one who was entrusted with the Kyūbi's power after it was split. The first of my bloodline to carry the foxfire."
Mei's eyes narrowed. "But I thought your ancestors were supposed to be the protectors of the Kyūbi's legacy. Are you saying one of them caused this?"
Aiko clenched her fists, anger and confusion warring inside her. "I don't know why they did it. But I saw them. I saw their face. They were the ones who forced the Kyūbi to divide herself. They are the reason Ryou and I—" She stopped, exhaling shakily. "They set this fate into motion."
Ryou remained quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable. But Aiko could feel his emotions through their bond—controlled fury, quiet grief, and something deeper. Understanding.
He finally spoke. "If your ancestor was the one who created the curse… then we need to know how."
Mei scoffed. "Oh sure, let's just march up to the spirit of an ancient betrayer and ask them to explain themselves."
Aiko ignored the sarcasm, because beneath it was a grim truth. If her ancestor had done this, then the knowledge of the curse's creation still had to exist somewhere.
Ryou turned to her, his voice lower now. "Aiko, do you know if your family kept records? Old texts, forbidden knowledge?"
Aiko hesitated, then realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. "My family's shrine."
Mei crossed her arms. "You mean the one that was burned down?"
"Yes," Aiko said, her mind racing. "Most of our history was lost in the fire, but there were scrolls, artifacts—things my grandmother used to tell me were never to be touched. I… I found the shrine once when I was young."
Ryou's gaze sharpened. "You found it?"
Aiko nodded slowly. "I wasn't supposed to. I used to wander beyond the village, past the forest where no one dared go. I stumbled across the ruins hidden beneath layers of ivy and earth. I didn't understand what it was back then, only that it felt… important. Sacred. I told my grandmother, and she warned me never to go back. But now…" She exhaled, realization settling over her. "Now I know what it was."
Ryou nodded. "Then that's where we go next."
Aiko felt a strange sense of resolve settle within her. She had spent her life honoring her family's duty, believing in their sacred purpose. But now, she was starting to see that purpose had been built on a lie.
If her ancestor had cursed them, if they had trapped the Kyūbi's power in this cycle—then she would be the one to undo it.
Even if it meant facing the ghosts of her own bloodline.
Mei sighed. "Great. Another shrine. Because that worked out so well last time."
Ryou shot her a warning look, but Aiko just exhaled and turned toward the path leading down the mountain.
"No more running," she said, her voice steady. "We end this at the source."
And with that, their hunt truly began.