Sunlight peeked gently through the clouds, the storm finally having passed. Birds chirped softly near the windows as the hospital came alive with the usual morning rhythm of nurses and patients.
Yumi stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open to the soft beep of a heart monitor and the scent of sterilized sheets. She blinked, groggy, then sat up slowly.
"Where…?"
The memory came back fast.The rift zone. The ambush. Riku shielding her. His shoulder cut. His blood. His strength.
Her heart raced.
She turned toward the nurse passing by and grabbed her sleeve.
"Is Riku Hayashi okay? Is he here?"
The nurse smiled warmly. "Yes. He's okay. But he's already been discharged."
Yumi paused.
"…He left without saying goodbye?"
The words stung a little. She looked away, hugging her blanket. A mix of relief and disappointment swirled in her chest.
Later that day, she was released.
She stepped outside, her leg still slightly sore but fully bandaged.
Then she froze.
Riku stood near the hospital entrance, leaning casually against a lamppost, twirling something in his hand. His silver hair glinted under the sunlight, and his piercing blue eyes met hers.
He walked toward her.
No smile, just a calm and confident look as always.In his hand—was a blade.
He held it out to her.
"Your old one broke," he said, tone casual. "Figured you'd need a new one."
Yumi's eyes widened.
It was sleek—lightweight but durable, forged with a faint Essence glow along the edges.
She took it with trembling hands.
"You got this for me…?"
He shrugged. "Of course. Can't have you going into rift zones empty-handed."
Her cheeks flushed pink.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, sudden hug.
"Thanks for the blade, Riku… and for saving me."
Riku blinked, then chuckled softly.
"No big deal. You saved me from all those bullies in middle school, remember?"
Yumi pulled back slightly, still close. "You still remember that?"
He looked her in the eyes. "Of course I do. You were one of the only nice people who stood up for me. I never forgot."
Her blush deepened.
Riku then pulled out a compact silver umbrella and handed it to her.
"Hold this."
"…Why?"
He gave her a small smirk.
From behind him, a soft roar echoed—and a glowing dragon made of silver and blue Essence shimmered into existence beside them, curling its long neck downward.
"Because you're riding with me."
She stared in awe as he hopped up lightly onto the dragon's back, then offered a hand.
She took it, climbing up.
As the dragon rose into the air, wind rushing through her hair, Yumi gasped and laughed.
"This is amazing, Riku!"
"I know," he said, eyes scanning the city below. "I like it too."
They soared across the rooftops and clouds, wind brushing their faces, the afternoon sun gleaming off distant towers.
Eventually, he landed near her house.
She hopped off gently, still smiling.
"Thanks for everything," she said.
Riku gave a small nod, then soared back into the sky, vanishing with his dragon into the clouds.