Wish Your Name: Day Zero (Prelude)

Aina's memories of that time were gentle ones.
Sixteen Years Before Kiyo's Birth.
Sixteen Years Before Day Zero. The Beginning of Wish Your Name.
She and Tamamo grew side by side beneath the shrine's eaves, white sleeves brushing stone, bells chiming softly above their heads. By day, they swept the courtyards and memorized prayers, learned how to bow without hesitation and how to carry offerings without spilling even a grain of rice. Aina moved with care and reverence, every action deliberate, every word weighed before it left her lips. Tamamo, by contrast, treated the sacred grounds like a second home - laughing as she worked, skipping steps in ritual dances only to correct herself at the last moment, somehow managing to be irreverent and respectful all at once.
They gave food to the hungry together. Tamamo complained loudly while doing it; Aina thanked every villager twice. They prepared offerings, tended lanterns, helped in kitchens, and listened to stories from travelers who passed through the gates. When blessings were asked for, Aina spoke them softly and sincerely. When blessings were ignored, Tamamo rolled her eyes and declared the gods would forgive them anyway.
At night, they sat beneath the stars, shoulders touching, sharing whatever treats Tamamo had managed to obtain and whatever quiet thoughts Aina carried with her. The shrine felt alive then - safe, warm, whole. It was not a place of prophecy or destiny. It was simply home.
This was our past.
Our present.
Our happy, blissful life - lived one ordinary day at a time.
We believed it would last forever.
Until it ended in tragedy.
Make no mistake -
This was our story.
But...
I just wish.
One last time.
That I could see you again.