Dawn found them in the same cave, the air washed clean by mist. The world outside had resumed its breathing, but within, stillness clung like incense.
Scene 1 — The Unseen Flare
Akihiro sat in meditation. The silver sigil across his chest began to glow, veins of light threading outward. Suiren watched warily from the pool's edge.
The Eye Core within him stirred—drawn by her lingering Saint energy. Light rippled across the stone walls, transforming them into mirrored surfaces.
"Akihiro…" she warned, but the answer was a roar of energy.
Violet fire burst outward, shattering the reflection of the cave. For an instant, two worlds overlapped—the mortal and the mirrored.
Scene 2 — Unintended Vision
His eyes opened—and saw everything. Flow of qi, weave of spirit, and through the thin, torn cloth of her robe, the pure light beneath. Horror flashed across his face.
"I—I didn't mean—Suiren, I swear—"
Her aura flared, shaking the cavern. "You saw what?!"
Before fury could ignite, the Heartlink pulsed again. Their senses fused. She gasped—suddenly seeing herself through his eyes: not exposed, but radiant, unstoppable, alive.
Scene 3 — Through His Eyes
"The Eye Core shows truth," she whispered.
He nodded, trembling. "Not desire—truth."
The tension dissolved into stunned silence. For the first time, she felt what he saw: not weakness, but reverence. The distance between them shrank, replaced by quiet awe.
Scene 4 — The Core Flare
The sigil blazed crimson; a second surge erupted, burning the last fabric from her shoulders. Akihiro turned away at once, kneeling, forcing his gaze down though his Core demanded sight.
"I didn't want—" His voice cracked under strain.
She stood amid drifting embers, half-cloaked in light. Watching him fight himself, she felt anger dissolve into something softer—respect edged with ache.
Scene 5 — Understanding in Ash
She approached, wrapped in his cloak now, kneeling before him.
"Look at me," she said quietly.
He obeyed, eyes clear.
"You turned away."
"Of course."
"You didn't have to."
"Yes," he said. "I did."
The silence that followed was heavier than any oath. Between them, the Heartlink glowed once—gentle as breath.
Scene 6 — The Silent Aftermath
The mirror light faded. Akihiro swayed, drained. Suiren caught him before he fell and eased him into her lap. His head rested against her thigh, his breath shallow but steady. She brushed damp hair from his brow.
"The Core reveals what we choose to see," she murmured.
He half-smiled in his sleep. "Then I'll choose right."
The cave quieted; only soft silver embers floated in the air.
Scene 7 — The Distant Observer
Far across the Mirror Citadel, Lady Nyra Veyne stirred from meditation. Her runes ignited crimson.
"So… the Eye has returned."
She gazed toward the mortal veil, the faintest sorrow crossing her features.
"The cycle begins anew."
Scene 8 — The Night of Stillness
Moonlight pooled through the cave mouth. Suiren sat against the wall, Akihiro still asleep on her lap. For once, she let herself smile—a small, genuine curve that broke her mask's restraint.
"Sleep well, fool," she whispered. "You've earned it."
She laid his head gently on her folded cloak and stepped into the night to meet the dawn that awaited them both.
Inside, the Heartlink pulsed once more—steady, alive, and quietly eternal