The sight of Amoria grew more distant with each passing minute. Kimoko stood at the back of the deck, staring out at the horizon. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, catching the attention of the demon next to her.
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“Hey, are you okay?” Kigami asked, standing next to her. His voice was full of concern, though his posture still exuded the strength and confidence of his usual self. Kimoko glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze wandered back to Amoria. Her thoughts were still swirling around Estella.
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“Will she really be able to handle it?” she asked quietly, more to herself than to him, looking out at the distant horizon. Her voice was full of doubt, and her heart felt like something inside her was breaking every time she thought about Estella.
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Kigami was silent for a moment, realizing that the answer wasn’t simple. This question applied not only to Estella, but to all of them. They all had to face the unknown, the threat that was coming, and they weren’t sure how it would all end.
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“Estella is strong, Kimoko. Too strong to give up so easily,” he finally said, though his tone betrayed some hesitation. “I don’t know what will happen, but I know she’ll do everything to survive. Just like you.”
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Kimoko shuddered slightly, feeling the weight of those words. They were all in this together, but they couldn’t predict what the future would bring. Amoria was becoming more distant, and with every millimeter, the time when they could still return to normal was getting closer.
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“And you?” she asked suddenly, looking at him, her eyes gleaming in the semidarkness. “What if it all gets too much? What if we can’t handle it either?”
Kigami looked at her for a moment, as if considering her question. His gaze was now full of seriousness, and his hand slowly moved to her shoulder. “It’s not something we can prepare for. But I know this: we’ve been through a lot together. And if we stick by each other, no matter what happens, we’ll get through it.”
Kimoko felt the weight of those words. Something inside her didn’t quite want to believe it, but looking into his eyes, she knew there was no one else she could trust more. She forced a smile, though her heart still smoldered with fear.
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“How do you even plan on getting her brother’s crystal?”
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Kigami just shrugged. “Everyone can be broken in some way,” he finally answered. Kimoko pulled away from him after those words.
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“You’re not planning on doing something stupid… are you?”
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Kigami looked at her sideways, seeing her face take on a look of concern. There was a hint of mystery in his eyes, but also something reminiscent of darkness. Kimoko held her breath, watching him, waiting for an answer.
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“Stupid?” he asked calmly, as if the very thought of such an idea was something completely foreign to him. However, after a moment, when he saw the expression on her face, he sighed. “I don’t intend to do anything without thinking it through. I want everything to go according to plan, but you know how it is. Sometimes you need something… more.”
Kimoko raised her eyebrows, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her fingers tightened on the railing of the ship, and her heart began to beat faster.
“So you’re going to break someone who didn’t deserve it? A god who won’t let you break him like that?” she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.
The demon looked into her eyes, as if weighing her every emotion, and then raised an eyebrow. “If we want to save Zonrumi from destruction, we can’t afford to be sentimental. Sometimes you have to take risks to get what you want.”
Kimoko felt the weight of those words rest on her heart. She knew he didn’t mean any harm, he just wanted to end this nightmare, to do everything in his power. But the way he was going about it made her doubt.
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“And then what?” she asked quietly. “After we get that crystal, then what? How do we get back to ourselves, to what was before all this? If you cross that line, you won’t be able to go back.”
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Kigami was silent for a moment, as if finally realizing the weight of her words. A shadow of uncertainty appeared in his eyes, but he wasn’t giving up completely yet.
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“I don’t know what’s next. But I’ll do everything I can to not lose what I have now… You, my friendship with Estella, what connects us. If that means I have to break a few rules, then so be it. I want to give you a chance to be happy again, and even if you hate me for what I do, I’ll do it.”
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Kimoko couldn’t help but look into his eyes. She saw determination in them, but also a little pain. She knew he himself felt torn, but she was certain of one thing: he was willing to sacrifice everything to save them, their world, and what had changed between them.
“You don’t have to do this. You know you don’t. There’s another way. The true way…” her voice became quieter, more gentle, her gaze full of hope. “We can find another way. Together.”
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Kigami looked at her for a moment, as if searching her eyes for an answer. Then, with a quiet sigh, he ran his hand over her shoulder.
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“I wish it were that simple…” he replied, but there was a softness to his voice now, as if he was ready to accept that perhaps she was right.
Kimoko looked at him with determination, refusing to be convinced by his plans. “We will not be drawn into the darkness, Kigami. We must preserve our humanity, no matter how difficult it may be.”
“I wish you were right,” he finally said, but his eyes never left the horizon, and the sight of Nokta was drawing ever closer.
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- on Varkhazar, the Isle of Demons
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“So Koshei and his maiden are on their way to Nokta?”
Nikita simply nodded, her footsteps echoing through the cold, dark chamber of her mother’s fortress. Her four younger siblings sat at a long table, looking at her with curiosity.
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“So what’s your plan?” one of her sisters asked, and Nikita looked at her, her eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. Before she answered, her voice echoed like a cold echo in the room.
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“I’ll leave for Nokta at dawn, and you…” One of her four hands rose to where one of her brothers sat.
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“You, Pazuzu, will help me with this.”
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“Why me?”
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“Because you and your dream manipulation abilities will be able to break that stubborn god of Nokta.”
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“Why don’t we wait until Koshei gets his hands on the crystal… and just take it?”
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“Because Koshei isn’t that stupid and can’t be outsmarted that easily.”
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Pazuzu stood up and looked Nikita straight in the eye.
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“Why didn’t you just kill him when you had the chance?”
Nikita shuddered slightly, then turned to leave the room. Before she slammed the heavy door shut behind her, she said, looking over her shoulder, “Koshei makes this all the more… exciting. That’s the only reason I didn’t kill him back then.” She then slammed the door shut, her siblings hearing how her footsteps grew fainter, disappearing into the distance as she entered the darkness of the hallway.
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