𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

62 - kunimitsu

a.n.

as you can see from my username and my profile picture, I have a soft spot for kuni :> IM SO HAPPY HE'S FINALLY SHOWING UP IN THIS FIC AAAA

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—15 years ago—

Ei's world crumbled in an instant, her life ravaged by a calamity that shattered everything she held dear.

Now burdened with the unexpected role of Archon, a responsibility she never sought, Ei grappled with her anguish. Desperate to avoid the pain of any more loss, she embraced the idea of eternity as her refuge, her escape.

In the midst of her turmoil, Ei created...a puppet.

This being, crafted from parts of herself and intertwined with wood, was imbued with a fragment of her own power.

As Ei gazed upon the puppet's tranquil, sleeping face, she could see subtle reflections of herself – the unique color of his eyes, the purple tinges in his hair, reminiscent of her beloved sister. These resemblances to Makoto only intensified her trauma, stirring memories she longed to escape.

With trembling hands, Ei garbed him in pristine white, bestowing upon him Makoto's gnosis.

In his slumber, the puppet wept.

Tears of her own began to fall.

Had she failed him?

Was he too fragile, unable to bear the weight of the gnosis?

Tormented by these thoughts, Ei, in a final act of mercy, removed the gnosis from him. Her heart ached with each sob he made.

Miko's arrival was heralded by a soft knock on the door. She entered the room with her characteristic grace, her demeanor a stark contrast to Ei's palpable grief.

"Destroy the puppet," Miko advised, her voice carrying a casual indifference. "You can always create another. It's not a significant loss."

But Ei's heart ached at the suggestion. How could she destroy something that cried in its sleep, that felt emotions akin to any human? How could she erase this being that evoked such vivid memories of Makoto?

"I can't... I won't," Ei murmured, her voice firm despite the tears that threatened to spill. "I should set him free. He deserves that much." Her resolve was clear, even as her heart wrenched with sorrow. "I'll create another puppet, one without emotions, strong enough to endure erosion."

"Set him free?" Miko echoed, her tone laced with skepticism. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Ei, you've given him a part of your own power. Don't you see the risk? In the wrong hands, he could become a weapon, a danger far beyond what you're anticipating."

Miko, her voice tinged with a rare seriousness, pressed on. "Are you truly prepared to leave Inazuma in the hands of an emotionless puppet? To abandon your people to a lifeless ruler?"

Ei's response was a slow, painful nod. "To preserve Inazuma's eternity, I must first embrace my own. I need to enter a deep meditation, far from the reach of erosion and the pains of this world."

Miko let out a heavy sigh, a mix of frustration and resignation coloring her tone. She knew her words could no longer reach Ei, who was lost in her own labyrinth of grief. The thought of Ei's self-imposed exile was a bitter pill to swallow. If Ei went through with this, Miko faced the prospect of an eternity without her closest companion.

"Ei," Miko said, her voice softer, almost vulnerable. "You're the nearest thing to family I have left. I'll miss you more than words can express. Please, reconsider this path."