Silence lingered long after the Guildmaster's words faded.
Not the calm kind.The kind that pressed down on Kuro's chest until breathing felt optional.
"…What am I?" Kuro repeated, quieter this time.
Mika didn't answer right away.
He was staring at the Guildmaster—jaw tight, eyes sharp, like he was memorizing every line of the man's face. When he finally spoke, his voice was low.
"He's a person," Mika said. "Start there."
Lucien blinked. "…That was surprisingly grounded."
[Give him a medal. Or a nap. He's doing great under cosmic pressure.]
Mika didn't even flinch this time. "You're enjoying this too much."
[Absolutely not. I hate ancient beings, destiny nonsense, and unfinished metaphors.]
Kuro exhaled shakily despite himself.
The Guildmaster watched them carefully. "Mika is correct. Whatever else Kuro may be, he is first and foremost alive. That matters more than you think."
Kuro's fingers curled into the fabric of his sleeve.
"…It said I was unfinished," he murmured. "Like I'm missing something."
Lucien shifted his weight. "Okay but—hypothetically—lots of people are unfinished, right? Emotionally? Mentally? Academically?" He gestured to himself. "I failed alchemy twice."
"That is not what it meant," the Guildmaster said flatly.
Lucien deflated. "…Worth a try."
Fragments and Fault Lines
The Guildmaster turned back to Kuro. "What you carry isn't your soul. That much I can say with certainty."
Kuro looked up sharply. "It's not?"
"No. If it were, you would not be you."He paused. "Think of it as… an echo. Power without will. Memory without identity."
[That's generous. I'd call it a walking apocalypse scrapbook.]
Mika crossed his arms. "And it's trying to reconnect with the rest."
"Yes."
Kuro's stomach twisted. "If it succeeds… what happens to me?"
The Guildmaster hesitated.
Mika noticed immediately. "Don't."
"I will not lie to him," the Guildmaster said quietly.
Kuro straightened, forcing himself to listen.
"If the fragments reunite… there is a strong possibility that you would be overwritten."
The words landed like a blade.
Lucien sucked in a sharp breath. "Overwritten as in—"
"Gone," the Guildmaster finished.
Kuro felt strangely hollow.
Not panic.Not fear.
Just… emptiness.
Like hearing something you'd already known.
Mika's hand slammed into the table beside them. "That's not happening."
The room jolted.
[Ooo. Protective rage. Ten out of ten.]
Mika glared into the air. "Not helping."
Kuro glanced up at him. Mika's expression was furious—but beneath it was something else. Fear. Raw and unhidden.
It made Kuro's chest ache.
"…Mika," he said softly. "It's okay."
Mika turned on him instantly. "No, it's not."
Lucien quietly stepped back a few paces. "I feel like I should not be between whatever this is."
A Choice, Not a Fate
The Guildmaster raised a hand. "Enough."
He looked at Kuro again—but this time, there was something gentler in his gaze.
"You are not doomed. Not yet. The fragment inside you is incomplete on its own. It needs you as much as it wants to erase you."
Kuro frowned. "…That doesn't sound reassuring."
"It means you have leverage," the Guildmaster replied. "And time."
[Time. Love that word. Very vague. Very threatening.]
Mika asked the question Kuro couldn't bring himself to."What do we do?"
The Guildmaster answered without hesitation.
"You train.""You learn control.""And you stay alive."
Lucien nodded rapidly. "I can do that! I'm great at staying alive. Mostly."
"You will not leave Kuro alone," the Guildmaster continued. "Ever."
Mika's jaw tightened. "That was already the plan."
Kuro blinked. "Mika—"
Mika looked at him. Really looked.And his voice softened, just a fraction.
"I don't care what fragment, god, or ancient horror thinks it owns you," he said. "It doesn't."
Kuro swallowed. "…You say that like it's simple."
"It is," Mika replied. "You're here. That's enough."
Something in Kuro cracked.
Not loudly.Just enough to let warmth seep in.
Lucien cleared his throat. "Okay, wow. That was… intense. I'm going to emotionally unpack that later."
[Same. I didn't sign up for feelings.]
The Whisper, One Last Time
As if summoned by the thought—
A cold pressure brushed the back of Kuro's mind.
They cannot stop what is inevitable.
Kuro stiffened.
Mika felt it instantly. "It's back."
Kuro nodded.
{It says they can't stop it.}
[Oh please. Ancient beings say that all the time. Zero originality.]
Mika stared at the far wall, jaw clenched. "Tell it something for me."
Kuro hesitated. "…What?"
Mika's voice dropped, sharp as steel.
"Tell it to stay away from what's mine."
The whisper paused.
For the first time—
It sounded amused.
Such arrogance… from something so small.
Mika smiled without humor. "Good. It noticed."
[Wow. I like him. Can we keep him?]
{Elvastia—}
[Relax. If the universe ends, at least it'll be dramatic.]
The presence receded again—reluctant this time.
Gone, but watching.
The Guildmaster released a slow breath."That won't be the last time."
Kuro nodded. "…I know."
Mika stood, offering Kuro his hand. "Then we deal with it. One step at a time."
Kuro took it.
Lucien followed them toward the door, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, uh… training arc next?"
[Oh thank the gods. I love training arcs.]
Mika muttered, "I hate that I agree with him."
For the first time since morning—
Kuro almost smiled.
But far above the Guild Headquarters,beyond the clouds,
something watched them leave.
And waited.