The Name That Faded From Stone
Rain fell soft over the northern graveyard
Graves stretched across hills like scars
Marble turned green by moss
Words barely readable
Shigure walked through it slowly
Each step heavier than the last
Each headstone a possible name
A forgotten friend
A fallen enemy
A life once tied to his
He stopped at one near the cliff edge
The stone was broken
Weathered beyond repair
The name scraped off
As if it was never meant to be remembered
But he knew
He dropped to one knee
Pulled away the weeds
Fingers trailing the faint cracks of lettering only he could still recognize
"I told you I'd come back here someday"
His voice barely rose above the rain
The wind stole most of it away
But the silence knew
The grave remembered
Even if no one else did
---
Back then, he couldn't save her
Not with his sword
Not with his body
Not even with his will
She had smiled
Told him not to cry
Told him to carry on
Told him she'd never leave his side
But when the world forgets you
Even the dead begin to vanish from memory
---
Behind him, a boy watched from behind the trees
Eyes sharp
Wary
But curious
"You knew her?"
Shigure didn't turn
Just nodded
"She was my light"
The boy stepped closer
"She was my mother"
That stopped him
His fingers clenched
His back stiffened
And slowly
He stood
The boy looked no older than ten
Dark hair
Same eyes as her
Same stare too
Untrusting but desperate for truth
"I found this in her old things," the boy whispered
Holding out a torn photograph
Two figures blurry in the rain
One with white hair
The other smiling beside him
Shigure's throat locked
He hadn't seen that photo in years
Didn't even know it still existed
"You're…"
"She said…you saved the world once. But no one believes me. They say I'm making it up"
---
Shigure dropped to one knee
Placed a hand gently on the kid's shoulder
"They're wrong," he said
"For once…you're not the only one who remembers"
And in that moment
For the first time in years
He smiled
Not because the pain was gone
But because it wasn't his alone anymore