Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes.

  He was lying on a small hill just outside Sunwind Village.

  For a moment, he didn’t move. The wind pressed against his clothes, strong enough to make the tall grass bend and whisper endlessly. When he finally sat up, the sun greeted him from directly overhead—bright, unforgiving, and already at its peak.

  “So it really sent me back again…”

  Akitsu exhaled slowly, rubbing his face with both hands.

  “This is the third time I got sent back here…”

  He looked toward the village below.

  “How will things be like in this world?”

  He stood and began walking toward the village entrance.

  Sunwind Village looked exactly the same.

  The dirt roads. The wooden houses. The villagers moving about their day as if nothing had ever gone wrong—because, to them, nothing had.

  Akitsu walked through the streets, his gaze wandering, his thoughts heavy.

  They haven’t changed at all, he thought.

  Not even a little.

  Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice where he was going—

  —and collided with someone.

  “Oh!”

  “I’m very sorry for bumping into you.”

  Akitsu froze.

  He slowly lifted his head.

  “Ayame… Hoshizaki-san…?”

  Tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them.

  The girl blinked, clearly confused.

  “Excuse me… do I know you?”

  Her voice was polite. Distant.

  Akitsu quickly wiped his tears away and forced a smile—one that hurt more than crying ever could.

  “No… we don’t know each other,” he said.

  “I think I must have confused you with another person.”

  “Is that so?” Ayame replied gently.

  “Alright, then. I’ll be on my way.”

  She walked past him.

  Akitsu didn’t turn around to watch her leave.

  Instead, he stared straight ahead and continued walking.

  The dojo gates soon came into view.

  Akitsu stopped in front of them.

  He didn’t step inside.

  “Master…” he whispered.

  “I hope you understand.”

  “This is the only way to end our suffering.”

  He stood there in silence for several minutes, the wind brushing past him, carrying memories he wished he could forget.

  Then—

  “Excuse me. Do you need any help?”

  Akitsu turned around.

  Kurogane Daichi stood there, his posture relaxed, his expression calm—exactly as he remembered.

  Akitsu bowed deeply.

  “No, I don’t need help. I’ll be on my way now.”

  Daichi nodded.

  “Alright, then… stay safe.”

  Akitsu turned and walked away.

  He didn’t look back.

  The path leading away from Sunwind Village stretched forward, winding toward a distant town.

  Akitsu walked steadily, his steps light despite the weight in his chest.

  “I wonder how my life will be like…” he murmured.

  “I hope it goes well from now on.”

  A soft smile appeared on his face.

  Then—

  Something pressed uncomfortably against his palm inside his sweatpants pocket.

  Frowning, he stopped walking and reached inside.

  His breath caught.

  A knife.

  Covered in dried blood.

  “Why…?” His voice trembled.

  “Why do I still have this?! Did it not end?!”

  His hands shook as he dropped the knife onto the dirt path.

  It landed with a dull thud.

  Akitsu stared at it for a long moment—then turned away and continued walking, leaving it behind.

  The forest was quiet.

  By the time he emerged on the other side, the sun had begun to sink below the horizon. Ahead, lights flickered in the distance.

  A town.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Finally… I reached the town!” Akitsu said with relief.

  “But where will I sleep tonight? Oh well—”

  “It doesn’t matter right now!”

  When he entered the town, the sun had fully set.

  Colorful lights decorated the streets. Lanterns glowed warmly, music echoed faintly, and laughter filled the air. People walked around in elegant clothing, their faces bright with excitement.

  “This place sure has a lot of people…” Akitsu muttered.

  “Why are they all wearing fancy clothes? Is some special event happening?”

  He followed the crowd until he noticed people gathering near an alleyway.

  Curious, he approached—but couldn’t see what was going on.

  “Excuse me,” he said, tapping someone on the shoulder.

  “Why are people gathering here?”

  “Tonight, the king of the kingdom is visiting our town,” the person replied excitedly.

  “It’s especially rare since he’s coming with his family. So, of course, people want to see them.”

  “Is that so…?”

  Akitsu pushed through the crowd until he reached the front.

  Lights glittered everywhere.

  “This is beautiful…” he whispered.

  “Where is the king?”

  Music grew louder.

  A parade appeared—performers dancing with flowers, instruments ringing joyfully.

  At the back came a royal horse-drawn carriage.

  Inside sat the king, his queen, and their daughter.

  The princess had blonde hair and green eyes—just like her father.

  She waved to the crowd.

  Then—

  Her eyes met Akitsu’s.

  They held each other’s gaze for several seconds.

  Both of them looked away, flustered.

  “Was that the princess?!” Akitsu thought frantically.

  “Why was she looking at me?!”

  He quickly slipped away through the alley.

  The streets grew quiet.

  Eventually, he found a horse barn at the edge of town.

  Inside were piles of hay.

  He climbed onto the largest one and lay down.

  “I guess this is where I’ll be sleeping tonight…”

  “I’ll have to somehow try to live tomorrow.”

  Sleep claimed him quickly.

  When Akitsu woke up the next morning—

  Something was wrong.

  A soft weight rested against his arm.

  He slowly opened his eyes.

  A girl was sleeping beside him, her head resting on his arm.

  She had black hair and black eyes and wore a black-and-white silk ball gown—clearly expensive.

  Akitsu froze.

  “Who is this…?” he whispered.

  “What is she doing here?”

  His eyes widened.

  “Is she a noble?! Why is a girl wearing such an expensive gown sleeping right next to me?!”

  “Will I get into trouble for this?!”

  He tried to gently pull his arm free—

  —but the girl tightened her grip.

  “Oh no…!”

  “What do I do now?! Should I wake her up?!”

  She shifted closer and opened her eyes.

  Their gazes locked.

  Neither of them moved.

  Neither spoke.

  Akitsu finally broke the silence.

  “U-umm… excuse me, but could you free my hand, please?”

  The girl glanced at his arm beneath her head and released him.

  They both sat up, flustered.

  Akitsu laughed nervously.

  “You should go home. Your parents must be worried about you.”

  “No,” the girl replied quietly.

  “I won’t.”

  “Why is that?” Akitsu asked.

  “It’s dangerous to be out here alone.”

  “My parents don’t care about me at all…” she said softly.

  “I bet they didn’t even notice that I was gone.”

  The morning light crept into the barn—

  —and with it, a new turning point in his life.