I had been pushed into coming here.
There was no escaping it anymore.
No more excuses.
No more delaying the inevitable.
Today... I had to face the person who had once shaped me into who I was.
The Second Creator.
My master.
Ben.
And...
Her.
His daughter.
Makima.
A strange knot tightened inside my chest as I stepped through the portal leading into Master's world. The familiar scenery spread before my eyes beneath the warm afternoon sun. The streets were lively, filled with merchants calling out to passing travelers while children laughed as they chased one another through the market. It was a peaceful city... one that somehow felt both familiar and distant.
I remembered fragments.
Pieces of conversations.
Hours of relentless training.
The warmth of this place.
Yet whenever I tried to remember anything beyond that...
Everything dissolved into an endless white fog.
"..."
I let out a small sigh.
'Master...'
The first memory that surfaced wasn't comforting.
It was torture.
The endless training sessions.
The bruises.
The broken bones.
The impossible expectations.
Thinking about them now almost made me laugh.
Back then, I truly believed he wanted me dead.
"...No."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"He simply wanted me to survive."
As I continued walking, another thought quietly surfaced.
In my own world...
I had never been someone who formed deep bonds with others.
Relationships always felt...
Fragile.
Empty.
As though everything we had built together could disappear with a single careless sentence.
Everyone carried pride.
Everyone carried expectations.
Sometimes...
One misunderstanding was enough to shatter years of friendship.
Perhaps because of that...
I had never truly tried.
Never worked hard to become close to anyone.
It simply didn't seem worth it.
But now...
After everything that had happened...
Something inside me had changed.
Those bonds no longer felt empty.
They felt...
Real.
Strong enough to survive mistakes.
Strong enough to survive silence.
Strong enough to survive pain.
"..."
'I want that.'
'I want to become someone who can protect those bonds.'
Before I realized it, I had arrived in front of the Adventurer's Guild.
The massive stone building stood proudly in the center of the city exactly as I remembered. Adventurers continuously entered and exited through its enormous doors while requests covered the mission board inside.
Taking a slow breath...
I stepped inside.
The familiar sounds of conversation immediately surrounded me.
Several adventurers glanced in my direction before returning to their own business.
Then—
"...Eh?"
A surprised voice reached my ears.
The receptionist behind the counter suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened as she stared at me.
"...Mr. Zaraf?"
For a brief second...
I could only blink.
She hurried around the counter before stopping in front of me.
"It's really you..."
"You finally came back!"
A warm smile spread across her face as she continued speaking without giving me a chance to respond.
"Do you know how long it's been?"
"Everyone thought—"
She suddenly stopped herself.
"...Never mind."
"I'm just happy you're alright."
I smiled awkwardly.
She clearly knew me.
Perhaps...
Before the accident.
Unfortunately...
I couldn't remember her.
"I'm sorry..."
"My memories are still incomplete."
Rather than becoming upset...
She simply smiled gently.
"I know."
"Captain Ben already told everyone."
"So don't force yourself."
Her kindness only made the guilt inside me grow heavier.
I nodded gratefully before asking,
"Is Master Ben here?"
She shook her head.
"He left the city this morning."
"He should return around tonight."
"I see..."
Looks like our reunion would have to wait.
"Thank you."
After leaving the guild, I quietly began making my way toward Master's home.
The road there was strangely familiar.
Even without complete memories...
My feet somehow remembered where to go.
"..."
A question continued echoing inside my mind.
Makima.
What exactly had we been?
Friends?
Acquaintances?
Something more?
Something less?
Every possibility only created more uncertainty.
I had no memories of us together.
No conversations.
No promises.
Nothing.
Only the uncomfortable knowledge that someone important existed...
And I couldn't remember why.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed someone walking past me.
A soft fragrance drifted through the air.
Flowers.
Fresh and gentle.
The scent felt oddly nostalgic.
My steps slowed.
Then stopped.
Without understanding why...
I turned around.
Only then did I realize where I was.
A bridge stretched across the quiet river beneath the afternoon sky.
Several people walked across it peacefully.
Among them...
One girl had stopped walking.
She stood only several steps away.
Long dark hair gently swayed with the breeze, flowing behind her like ink spreading across water.
Slowly...
She turned around.
Our eyes met.
Time...
Stopped.
Neither of us moved.
Neither of us spoke.
Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
Mine simply remained fixed on her.
A strange heaviness settled inside my chest.
Who...
Was she seeing?
The person standing before her now...
Or the person she had once known?
"..."
Silence stretched between us.
Even the sounds of the bustling city seemed to disappear.
After several moments, she slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
A quiet breath escaped her lips.
Then...
She began walking toward me.
Every step only made my heartbeat grow louder.
One step.
Another.
Until she finally stopped only an arm's length away.
She looked directly into my eyes.
Not at my white hair.
Not at my face.
My eyes.
Almost...
As though she were searching beyond them.
Searching through my memories.
Searching through my heart.
Searching for someone she hoped was still there.
Then...
She smiled.
A small...
Gentle...
Almost relieved smile.
"I was waiting."
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
"...And you kept your promise."
The moment those words reached me...
Something inside my chest tightened painfully.
A promise.
Another promise...
That I couldn't remember.
I lowered my head.
"I'm sorry."
"...I couldn't come to see you sooner."
The apology wasn't enough.
There was still something I had to say.
Something that had been weighing on me ever since I decided to come here.
My hands felt strangely cold.
"...As you already know..."
"I lost part of my memories."
"...And with them..."
"...Some of the emotions connected to my past."
She remained completely silent.
Listening.
Waiting.
Never interrupting.
As though she wanted me to finish everything I had come here to say.
I slowly gathered my courage.
"...Among those memories..."
"...Are the memories of you."
My voice almost faltered.
"I..."
"...I don't remember anything about us."
"I only remember that..."
"You're Master's daughter."
"And..."
"I know you already knew that."
The bridge became unbelievably quiet.
People continued passing by.
The river continued flowing beneath us.
The wind continued blowing.
Yet somehow...
It felt as though the entire world had stepped back...
Leaving only the two of us standing there.
I took one slow step closer.
"I know this is selfish."
"Extremely selfish."
"But..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"...Will you tell me?"
"What were we..."
"...Before the accident?"
Makima didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
She slowly turned away.
Walking toward the bridge's railing.
The river below reflected the evening sky, its surface gently rippling beneath the breeze.
She quietly looked down at the water.
Her reflection...
And mine...
Appeared side by side.
After a long silence...
She finally spoke.
"...So."
"You don't even remember..."
"...What you said to me on this bridge."
Those words struck harder than I expected.
I couldn't answer.
Because...
I truly didn't know.
Makima slowly closed her eyes.
For a brief moment...
Sadness crossed her face.
Not anger.
Not disappointment.
Just...
Sadness.
Eventually...
She accepted it.
When she opened her eyes again...
A faint smile had returned.
"We were friends."
She looked toward me.
"Good friends."
Friends...
For some reason...
That answer made me feel relieved.
Yet strangely...
A small part of my heart still felt empty.
Perhaps...
Because I had hoped to remember more.
Or perhaps...
Because I couldn't remember why those words hurt.
Even so...
One thing was clear.
If I couldn't recover the past...
Then I would build the future.
I slowly extended my hand toward her.
"...Then."
"Allow me the honor..."
"...Of becoming your friend once again."
"It may be selfish."
"But..."
"Let's start over."
"...Makima."
For several seconds...
She simply looked at the hand stretched toward her.
Then...
Her smile became warmer.
Gentler.
The kind of smile capable of easing someone's heart.
"I've always considered you..."
"...My friend."
"And..."
"I always will."
Slowly...
She reached forward.
Her fingers gently rested against mine.
The moment our hands touched...
It felt as though an invisible distance had quietly disappeared.
She opened her mouth...
As if she wanted to say something else.
"Ahem."
The deep voice echoed behind us.
Cold.
Heavy.
Authoritative.
Every hair on my body stood on end.
Both of us immediately turned around.
Standing several meters away...
With his arms crossed...
Was Master Ben.
His sharp eyes quietly observed us.
Makima instantly withdrew her hand before taking a small step back.
"...Father."
"You came back."
She tried to sound calm.
Master didn't answer her immediately.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on me.
After several silent seconds...
He finally spoke.
"...You look well."
His eyes slowly scanned my body.
"...Looks like you've been exercising back home."
I smiled awkwardly.
That much...
Was true.
Whenever loneliness became unbearable...
Whenever guilt threatened to consume me...
I trained.
Until my muscles burned.
Until my thoughts disappeared.
Until exhaustion became the only thing I could feel.
It seemed...
Master had noticed.
Without another word, he looked toward Makima.
"Go home."
"Tell your mother..."
"...To prepare a large dinner."
"We'll have guests tonight."
"...Yes, Father."
She nodded obediently before glancing toward me one last time.
A small smile.
A silent wish of good luck.
Then...
She quietly walked away.
Master finally turned back toward me.
"...You."
He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.
"Come with me."
His tone left absolutely no room for negotiation.
I swallowed quietly before following behind him.
Somehow...
I had a feeling this reunion...
Was only just beginning.
Master Ben didn't speak another word.
He simply walked ahead, his pace steady and unhurried. I followed a few steps behind, neither daring nor wanting to break the silence. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was simply... familiar.
Some people spoke through words.
Master spoke through actions.
The further we walked, the quieter the city became. The busy streets were replaced by open fields covered in a thin layer of snow, until eventually an enormous training ground came into view. The place was exactly as I remembered.
Or perhaps...
Exactly as my body remembered.
The countless hours I had spent here had been engraved into my muscles long before they were engraved into my memories.
Master stepped into the center of the field before finally stopping.
Without looking at me, he removed his coat and tossed it onto a nearby wooden post.
The cold wind immediately brushed against him, yet he didn't seem to notice it.
Slowly, he tied back his long hair before turning around.
His purple eyes met mine.
"So..."
His voice remained calm.
"Let's see how much you've lost."
A test.
Of course.
I couldn't help smiling.
'I should have expected this.'
If there was one person who would never welcome me with words...
It was him.
He welcomed people with punches.
"...Understood."
I quietly removed my own jacket and laid my sword against a nearby tree.
Today's lesson...
Wouldn't require weapons.
Only ourselves.
The evening air grew colder.
Snowflakes drifted gently from the darkening sky, landing softly across the frozen ground.
Master slowly raised both fists.
A crimson flame suddenly burst to life around them.
The snow beneath his feet melted instantly.
Steam rose into the air.
His aura expanded without restraint.
"Ignition."
The familiar technique.
The fire surrounding his fists became denser while faint purple light shone within his eyes.
He looked exactly the same as he had years ago.
Powerful.
Unshakable.
Like a mountain that no storm could move.
He lifted one finger.
"Come."
That single word carried more pressure than a battlefield.
I took a deep breath.
Then stepped forward.
The instant my foot touched the ground—
He disappeared.
"...!"
A blazing fist appeared before my face.
I barely tilted my head in time.
The punch missed by less than an inch.
The heat alone burned against my skin.
No hesitation.
No warning.
Just as ruthless as ever.
A smile formed on my lips.
"...You've still got it, Master."
He answered with another punch.
The battle continued.
One strike after another.
I focused entirely on defense at first, allowing the wind to guide my movements. Every dodge came naturally, every step carried by invisible currents beneath my feet.
Yet even so...
Keeping up with him was exhausting.
Every exchange reminded me why he had become my teacher.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary strength.
Every attack carried purpose.
Every step forced me into another mistake.
Hours passed.
The sky gradually darkened until night covered the entire field.
The snowfall became heavier.
Yet none of it reached Master.
The flames surrounding him evaporated every snowflake before it could touch his body.
I breathed heavily.
My clothes were torn.
My knuckles bled.
My entire body screamed in pain.
Still...
I refused to fall.
Master remained standing several meters away.
Aside from a few scratches across his arms...
He looked completely unharmed.
"...Again."
I forced myself forward one last time.
Gathering what little strength remained, I compressed countless streams of wind around both arms before launching myself toward him.
This time...
I wouldn't dodge.
I met his fist head-on.
Boom!
A violent shockwave erupted across the field.
The wind roared.
The flames scattered.
For several brief seconds...
Neither of us moved.
I gritted my teeth, pouring every remaining ounce of strength into my wind.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
Master's flaming fist stopped.
Not because I had overpowered him.
But because...
He allowed it to.
The flames surrounding his hand quietly disappeared.
The pressure vanished.
He lowered his arm.
"...Enough."
I stumbled backward, barely remaining on my feet.
My legs felt numb.
My arms had long since stopped responding.
Every breath burned my lungs.
Even standing had become difficult.
Yet somehow...
I was still standing.
Master watched me silently before retrieving his coat.
As he slipped it over his shoulders, he finally spoke.
"You've grown."
I blinked.
"...Master?"
"You've become stronger."
His gaze remained forward.
"And your control over wind..."
"...Has improved far more than I expected."
For a brief moment...
I forgot the pain.
Did...
Master just compliment me?
It was probably the first time I had ever heard those words from him.
Then he added quietly,
"...Looks like there's nothing left of it."
I understood immediately.
He wasn't talking about my strength.
He was talking about...
The corruption.
The darkness that had once consumed me.
This fight...
Had never been about testing my combat ability.
He had been confirming something else entirely.
Whether I had truly returned.
Whether I was finally free.
A small smile appeared on my face.
'I passed