The Truth Untold

The crow beast landed on Hiraya's spirit, causing her form to glow. Morvane could see it clearly—Hiraya was being freed from something, her aura changing as if shedding a long-held burden. Medas could only see the crow and didn't understand what was happening.

When Medas tried to use his telekinesis to attack the crow, Morvane stopped him. He explained that Hiraya was glowing more and more and seemed to want to tell them something.

Hiraya flicked her hands, and the crow disappeared. It flew toward Morvane. She apologized for what was about to happen and warned that she would possess him. The crow then entered Morvane, and he stood still, affected by its presence.

Medas could only watch, confused and shocked, as the crow entered Morvane, realizing the depth of what was unfolding.

The air in the room grew thick, and as Morvane stood still, his form began to change. Medas, still confused, watched in silence. He couldn't see Hiraya's spirit, but something was undeniably different about Morvane.

Then, to Medas's shock, Morvane spoke.

"It's been a long time, Med."

"I missed you."

The voice was unmistakable, even though it came from Morvane's body. Medas's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. It wasn't Morvane speaking. It was Hiraya.

Before Medas could react, the words that came next broke his heart. Morvane—possessed by Hiraya—spoke with sorrow, "I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you."

Suddenly, black smoke enveloped Morvane, swirling around him like a storm. The room seemed to grow colder as the transformation began. Medas's gaze remained fixed on Morvane as the black mist faded, revealing a figure that was unmistakably Hiraya.

In her voice, now clear and familiar, she spoke again.

"I'll just transform into my real form. It would be strange to keep using Morvane's body."

And just like that, Hiraya stood before Medas, her form fully realized in the world once again, though the connection to Morvane was still clear in the air.

The air was still, the tension thick between them. Medas stood frozen, unable to move or speak, his heart racing in his chest as Hiraya, now fully manifested, stood before him. Her figure, though no longer bound to the cold shadows, radiated both warmth and sorrow.

"I forgive you," Hiraya's voice was soft but firm, the words carrying weight that Medas had longed to hear but never expected to come so easily. "I forgive you now for what you did to my crow. But it's not evil like you thought. I want to tell you that, because that's what you thought, right?"

Medas's breath caught in his throat. His hands clenched at his sides as he stared at her, unsure of what to say, unsure if he even deserved her forgiveness. Hiraya's eyes met his, her expression gentle but distant. The bond that had once connected them felt fragile, like something that could shatter at any moment.

Hiraya continued, her tone more serious now, as if preparing to unravel a truth she had kept buried for so long. "I'm going to tell you the reason why I didn't want to marry you. It wasn't the will of the crow. It was for your future."

Medas's brow furrowed in confusion. He couldn't understand what she was saying, and yet, there was something in her voice that made him listen more intently.

"I once spirit-binded with a spirit of a man," Hiraya continued, "a spirit with the power to see the future."

The words hit Medas like a wave, and he could feel the weight of them. His heart pounded, his thoughts racing as he tried to grasp what she was saying. Hiraya took a deep breath, her eyes steady on his as she revealed the truth.

"I saw our future, Medas. It was chaos. You… you were going to die because of me."

The words shook him to his core. Medas could feel the sting of those words deep inside, the raw truth of what might have been. His mind swirled with confusion, guilt, and an overwhelming sadness. He wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. What could he say to that? How could he make sense of it all?

"I didn't want to risk it," Hiraya continued, her voice trembling with the weight of her confession. "I loved you, too. Reading your letters was my life. But when I saw the future, when I saw what would happen if we were together... I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Medas swallowed hard, the pain of those words almost too much to bear. His heart ached as he finally understood the depths of Hiraya's sacrifice. She had kept her distance, not because she didn't love him, but because she had known something he couldn't.

"The crow whispered to me that day in the shrine," Hiraya's voice softened, her eyes drifting as if recalling the memory, "it wasn't about you, Medas. It was about the prophecy that would happen if we married each other."

The weight of her words hung in the air like a shroud. Medas stood there, unable to speak, unable to move, as the truth finally unraveled before him. The crow, the prophecy, the choices they had both made—it all came crashing down. Hiraya had loved him enough to protect him from the future she had seen, even if it meant breaking both of their hearts in the process.

Her eyes locked onto his, and for the first time in years, Medas saw the vulnerability in them, the fear, the love, and the sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Medas," Hiraya whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just wanted you to have a future."

And in that moment, everything that had once been lost seemed to hang in the balance, waiting for the right choice to be made.

Hiraya's voice, though soft, carried the weight of years of pain and unanswered questions. "When the time you took my crow, my life had changed. I really felt powerless again. But since you were on my side, I couldn't care less. But I was empty inside. You know how I summon it, so I kept wounding myself, but it never appeared because of what you did. But like I said, I forgive you."

Medas could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered repeatedly, "Sorry… I'm sorry." The words felt hollow, as if they weren't enough to express the regret and sorrow that weighed on his heart.

Hiraya wiped a tear from her own face, her voice quiet but firm. "But there's one thing you should know."

Medas, still trembling, held his breath, waiting for what she would say next.

Hiraya's expression darkened as she spoke again, the words more difficult to utter than any before. "That time when we were together in the cabin, I didn't kill myself. I didn't hang myself…" She paused, the weight of the truth about to be revealed.

Medas's eyes widened, confusion and disbelief clouding his mind. "What…? What do you mean?" His voice cracked, but Hiraya continued, her gaze unwavering.

"I was killed" she muttered.