Chapter 48 · Reunion in the First Snow

Tokyo's first snow fell earlier than usual. When Grandma Chizuru slid open the tatami room's wooden window, fine snowflakes rustled into the courtyard, landing on the ancient cherry tree—where Yuekui had tied the first cherry blossom sachet around her wrist in spring three hundred years ago.

"Snow on cherry branches—doesn't it look like sugar frost?" She turned to smile at the others gathered around the hearth, a newly completed cherry sachet resting on her knees. Twelve sachets lay neatly on a celadon plate, each embroidered with different flower patterns; the last one held a sugar-melted star at its center, glowing warm gold in the snowlight.

Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core warmed at his waist. Gazing at the swirling snow outside, he recalled Yuekui's words from a dream the night before: "When snow blankets Locking Dragon Abyss, I'll meet you with spring flowers."

"Captain!" Little Peach dashed in from outside, hugging a bulging cloth bundle, snowflakes in her hair. "Coalball says it's cold and wants its new cotton scarf!" She placed the bundle by the hearth, revealing twelve fluffy lumps inside—Grandma Chizuru's murder of crows, now curled into fur balls with snow still clinging to their tails.

"These little ones pick their moments." Sakura laughed, turning her tablet to the window. The live projection showed the Spirit Pattern Tree dusted in snow, its starlight twinkling like diamonds. Jiu's crows swooped down from the branches, grabbing cotton scarves to nuzzle into the flock, making Little Peach giggle.

In the afternoon, everyone sat by the hearth sewing sachets. Though Grandma Chizuru's hands trembled with age, she insisted on stitching the final one herself. Her fingertips traced the cherry patterns on the fabric, then paused: "This flower… just like the one at Locking Dragon Abyss three hundred years ago."

"Is that so?" Su Qinghuan took the sachet, her spirit pattern core warming. The moment her 指尖 (fingertip) touched the cloth, memories surged—spring three hundred years ago, when Locking Dragon Abyss's cherry blossoms bloomed wildly. Yuekui sat on a creekside stone, holding a little girl in a red cotton jacket (Chizuru) in her arms. Her armor lay nearby, bloodstains on the wrist guard, yet she focused on threading the needle, the cherry-blossom hairpin in her hair swaying gently.

"General Yuekui, this flower is stitched crooked." The girl tilted her head. "Like it's wilted by snow."

"Crooked is better." Yuekui smiled, handing her the needle. "When spring returns, it'll bloom with real flowers."

The scene sharpened. Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core trembled, starlight weaving a glowing map above the hearth—spring at Locking Dragon Abyss, cherry blossoms and snow falling together, Yuekui and Chizuru crouching by the creek: one teaching sachet-sewing, the other poking water with a branch, cherry-blossom hairpin and stardust meteorite bracelet shining in harmony.

"So…" Little Peach's hand froze mid-air. "The bracelet on my wrist was given by Yuekui?"

"Not to you." Grandma Chizuru's voice was as light as snow. "To the future 'Reunion Knots'." Her fingertips brushed the sachet's edge stitches. "Each sachet holds a spirit pattern envoy's 'original heart'—Yuekui's protection, my loyalty, your passion… and," she looked up at Lin Ye, "unspoken promises."

As dusk fell, the snow thickened. Standing under the Spirit Pattern Tree, they watched snow whiten the starlight. Grandma Chizuru held the final sachet and approached the tree: "Yuekui, it's time."

The moment the sachet touched the trunk, the entire tree burst into brilliant light. Cherry blossoms fluttered down, not ordinary pink and white, but golden stars—cherry blossoms from three hundred years ago, riding time's snow for a reunion across three centuries.

"Yuekui!" Little Peach cried, tears mixing with snowflakes with her collar. The stardust meteorite bracelet on her wrist lit up, resonating with the sachet to form tiny lights. Yuekui's figure materialized in the air, armored but bloodless, cherry-blossom hairpin shining, the teardrop mole at her eye clearer than in memories.

"I'm here." Yuekui's voice was like spring wind over snow. "I'm in every 'Reunion Knot', every sugar painting, every cherry blossom." Her gaze swept over them, finally landing on Lin Ye and Little Peach. "Little Ye, Little Peach—thank you for giving 'reunion' new meaning."

Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core suddenly melted into starlight, wrapping his hand as he gently touched Yuekui's phantom. This wasn't a memory-touch, but real warmth: "This time, let me protect you."

Yuekui smiled. As her phantom faded, she tossed the twelve sachets into the air. Stars from the sachets fell, melting into everyone's spirit pattern cores—Su Qinghuan's core gained the sweetness of rice balls, Asagao's the clumsiness of scarf-knitting, Jiu's the chaos of crows, Grandma Chizuru's the gold dust of sugar paintings…

"This is…" Su Li touched her warm spirit pattern core. "Our 'Reunion Knots' stored in spirit pattern cores by General Yuekui."

Late at night, Lin Ye sat alone on Tokyo Tower's deck. The Reverse Scale Core hovered over his knees, starlight flowing with today's scenes: the Spirit Pattern Tree dancing with cherry blossoms and snow, Yuekui's phantom smile, Little Peach raising the sachet shouting "Sister Yuekui".

"Captain." Little Peach's voice came from the stairs. Wrapped in his new scarf, holding Coalball, golden cherry petals in her hair from play, she said: "Grandma Chizuru says Yuekui's cherry blossoms are blooming especially well this year."

Lin Ye looked at her snow-lit face, recalling that stormy night three hundred years ago when he'd carried injured Yuekui, murmuring "Little Peach, don't be afraid". Now he held Little Peach, standing on first snow, thinking: Yuekui, look—we're all safe.

Wind swept the tower, lifting a golden cherry petal that floated afar, landing on a healed soul's shoulder—it was Yuekui, and every "Reunion Knot" once wrapped in love.

In a warmer corner, Coalball pawed at Grandma Chizuru's newly baked sugar cookies, Sakura and Jiu organized today's spirit pattern core memories, Su Qinghuan cooked sweet wine rice balls in the kitchen, Asagao knitted new scarves for the crows…

The snow continued falling, now warmed by spring's temperature.