Remembrance

A Few Weeks Earlier

After his encounter with the strange man, Cloud spent the next few days inspecting the glowing stone—in the playground, in his room, at the shrine. The stone's gentle luminescence seemed alive, pulsing softly in his hands. It offered a quiet companionship, a stark contrast to the noisy games of the other children. "A better way to use my time," he thought, preferring its enigmatic glow to their laughter.

The afternoon sun blazed over the grassy playground, its heat drawing shimmering waves off the ground. The air was thick, cicadas droning in the background. Children ran past, their laughter mixing with the rhythm of pounding footsteps. Cloud sat apart on a small wooden bench under a wide tree, its shade shielding him from the scorching sun. His eyes were locked onto the soft light of the glowing stone in his lap.

...

"Why don't you play with the others, Cloud?" a gentle voice interrupted. He looked up to see Ms. Chie, one of the caretakers, lowering herself onto the bench beside him. Her long dark hair framed her kind face, her white dress billowing faintly in the warm breeze.

He sighed, having heard that question many times before. "I am not one of them Ms. Chie, I never have been. I'm only a boy amongst the foxes."

She shook her head, her smile unfaltering. "You are wrong Cloud. Yes, you're different, your name and accent are unusual," she chuckled, "you're not as physically strong as the other kids maybe but… you have foxfire inside you like any other boy or girl here, it just burns in its own way. I suppose yours is a bit weaker compared to theirs but that is something that will grow along with you as time goes on... You're a fox too Cloud."

He stood, her words rolling off him like water over stone. "I'm not sure that's true," he said softly, his fingers tightening around the glowing stone. "But… I suppose that might change one day."

He turned and headed toward the woods, the cool shade of the trees beckoning him away from the open field.

**

Present Time

"I see. Do they not feed you at this orphanage, or do you just naturally look like a straw-man?" the man asked, his voice laced with dry amusement. His mask, a stark contrast to the dim glow of the realm, made it impossible to read his expression.

Cloud shrugged, his thin frame barely filling out his tattered clothes. "I think it's just me, but not sure." His tone was light, as if he wasn't bothered by the observation.

The man turned on his heel, his dark cloak rippling slightly with the movement, and began walking away without another word.

"Wait!"

Cloud quickly shuffled forward, nearly tripping over the uneven terrain as he tried to keep up. His heartbeat thrummed with excitement. "I want to see you defeat more Phantoms, so I can learn."

The man paused mid-step. Though his mask concealed his face, there was the slightest tilt of his head—perhaps surprise, perhaps annoyance. He scoffed. "You'd just get in my way, so don't follow me. I won't save you twice."

Cloud shook his head, determination hardening his gaze. "No worries, I won't get in your way. You can leave me for dead if you have to—I just want to see how to exorcise a Phantom properly."

The man huffed, exasperation bleeding into his body language as he resumed walking. The crunch of his straw sandals against the cracked earth was the only sound between them for a few moments. Then, without turning back, he muttered, "Fine. Like I care if some kid across the country dies. What's your name anyway?"

"Cloud. My name's Cloud. How about you?"

The man finally glanced back, his head tilting slightly. "Cloud? That's a peculiar name."

As he leaned back slightly, he caught sight of Cloud's stark white hair, strands of it floating weightlessly in the eerie, stagnant wind of the Yokai Realm. The glow from the distant, unnatural sky illuminated his features just enough to highlight how beautiful his hair looked. "Does your name have something to do with that fluffy white hair of yours?" he asked, straightening again.

Cloud chuckled softly, the sound a rare warmth in the otherwise cold atmosphere. "Maybe. Who knows?"

The man exhaled through his nose, then his voice took on a more serious tone. "So, you've never kil—I mean, defeated a Phantom, right? That means this is your first time here." He studied Cloud more intently now, something unreadable behind his gaze. "Do you remember how you got here?"

Cloud's eyes flickered upward behind the mask, staring at the murky, swirling sky as he racked his memory. "No," he admitted. "The last thing I remember is…"

**

A Few Weeks Earlier

The forest embraced Cloud with its earthy scent and the soft rustle of leaves. He navigated the uneven terrain with ease, hopping over logs and ducking under low-hanging branches. After some time, he reached a hammock strung between two sturdy trees. With a practiced leap, he settled into it, the woven ropes cradling him as he stared up at the leafy canopy. A single leaf spiraled down, and he caught it deftly between his lips, letting out a quiet chuckle.

He took out the stone from his pocket, and began inspecting it once more, his head shifting and turning.

"When you're ready to wield the storm, this will guide you," he repeated the words of the strange man. "What does that even mean?"

He heard a sudden swift rustling in the bushes not far from him, his eyes quickly darting towards it. The rustling continued, Cloud unable to ignore it. He finally sprung up from the hammock and began to slowly move towards the noise.

"What the hell is that?" he whispered to himself.

The closer he moved towards it, the stone in his hands began glowing brighter and brighter. "That's weird."

A sharp spark crackled from the stone, making him drop it. Bending down to pick it up, his eyes caught sight of something—a furry leg. His breath hitched as he looked up to see a fox standing mere feet away. Its electric blue eyes held his gaze, their intensity pulling him into an otherworldly trance. His vision blurred, the edges of the world dissolving into darkness. Then, in the void, two piercing blue eyes surfaced, glowing like distant stars—the eyes of the man from the shrine.

Cloud gasped, stumbling back and falling to the ground. When he blinked, the fox was gone, leaving only the faint rustle of leaves in its wake. He clutched his chest, struggling to steady his breathing.

**

Present Time

"Struggling to breathe, you say?" The man's voice carried a mix of amusement and irritation, his mask barely tilting as he glanced at Cloud. "That's a new one. But with your condition, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And yet, here you are, wandering through the Yokai Realm when you can't even breathe properly." He scoffed, shaking his head. "You're an even bigger idiot than I thought."

Cloud let out a short laugh, the sound dry and unfazed. "Hey, my breathing was way worse back then, trust me. I'm normal now in comparison." He shot the man a sideways glance. "By the way, you still haven't told me your name."

The two trudged forward, entering the narrow valley from before. The jagged rock walls loomed over them like silent sentinels, their rough surfaces casting long, shifting shadows under the eerie glow of the sky. The wind howled through the pass, sharp and biting, tugging at their clothes like unseen hands trying to pull them back.

The man—still nameless—paused for the briefest moment, his gaze lingering on Cloud before he finally spoke. "My name is Kai."

As if in response, the eighth moon above them began to wane, its pale glow fading into the encroaching darkness. Their footsteps echoed through the valley, swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence that followed.

"So," he said, his voice barely rising above the wind, "what happened after the fox disappeared?"

**

The Day After The Encounter With The Fox

Cloud found himself back on the same bench, the glowing stone clutched in his hands. The other children's laughter drifted through the air, but he remained detached, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Ms. Chie approached, once again she sat next to him, this time with an apple in her hand.

"We've had a good harvest this year," she said, extending her hand and offering the fruit. "You kids will eat well for a while."

Cloud accepted the apple with a small nod. "That's good, Ms. Chie. I'm glad you're happy."

Her brow furrowed. "It's not just for me, Cloud. This is good news for all of us."

He remained silent, the soft breeze playing with his hair. After a moment, he stood. "I'm going into the woods for a while."

Ms. Chie's expression shifted to concern. "It's not safe out there. You could get hurt… Be careful."

He hesitated, then took a bite of the apple. "Thank you, Ms. Chie… for everything."

Her confusion lingered as she watched him walk away, his small figure disappearing into the trees.

The forest felt heavier this time, its shadows thicker, its silence deeper. The fox appeared again, gliding effortlessly between the trees. Cloud followed, the stone's glow lighting his way. The path grew steeper, each step more grueling than the last. As the sun set, he collapsed on the ground, exhausted. The fox lay beside him, its warmth comforted him silently.

When the cold night breeze roused them, Cloud began to gather firewood, his fingers fumbling with the damp branches. Sparks from the rocks in his hands fizzled out before catching. Frustrated, he glanced at the glowing stone. Striking it against the wood, a brilliant flame roared to life. He chuckled softly, drawing closer to the fire's warmth.

…

Dawn broke, and the fox nudged Cloud awake. "Alright, alright, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. The morning breeze accompanied them as they traveled further, the path stretching longer than Cloud expected. As they made more progress the clouds grew thicker and darker. The air grew heavier with each step, the forest whispering in a language he couldn't understand. The clouds above swirled, casting eerie shadows across the path.

After a long struggle, they arrived at a tiny meadow where a modest wooden house was situated right in the center, its time-worn walls seamlessly merging with the wilderness around it. Before he could reach the house, his vision blurred… Cloud fell to his knees as he gasped for air while the fox proceeded to the doors which slid open, revealing Takahiro.

"I see you made it Cloud. You have taken the first step to a long journey."

Wind chimes swayed gently above the doorway, their soft melody breaking the stillness of the moment.