Presa em uma jaula, uma criatura gigante e aterradora observava as pessoas ao seu redor. Parecia calma demais para algo t?o grotesco. Respirava lentamente, como se estivesse entediada. A cada movimento do peito, o ch?o sob seus pés tremia levemente. As correntes presas às paredes rangiam a cada pequeno movimento.

  “…E como você pode ver”, disse uma mulher em um palco improvisado. Ela usava um vestido vermelho, apenas o suficiente para atrair olhares sem o que ela queria. O decote a torna especialmente atraente. Seus cabelos loiros caíram sobre os ombros, contrastando com seus belos olhos azuis. Ela tinha um sotaque peculiar, mas sua voz era doce e encantadora. "Ela é muito importante. Só ataca quando seu mestre está em perigo. Através de um pacto de sangue, essa criatura dará a vida pela sua", concluiu com um sorriso gentil.

  O homem à sua frente n?o reagiu imediatamente. Era claramente rico. Muito rico. Vestia um terno de couro escuro e, nos pés, sapatos de couro branco impecáveis. O tipo de homem que parecia poder comprar qualquer coisa sem esfor?o. Alguém acostumado a fazer o que bem entende, usando o dinheiro como solu??o para todos os problemas.

  "Interessante", murmurou ele. "Ela parece bem cansada. N?o quero um peso morto me seguindo por aí."

  A mulher manteve seu sorriso profissional. "Pe?o desculpas. Nossa viagem até aqui foi muito longa, e o animal ainda está se adaptando ao clima. Isso n?o deve durar mais de cinco dias. Como compensa??o pelo inconveniente, oferecemos um desconto de cinco por cento."

  "Cinco por cento, é? Que generoso", zumbiu o homem. “Diga-me, que espécie é essa criatura?”

  A mulher hesitou por um breve momento. "Hum... é um ritoshomale."

  O homem inclinou a cabe?a, observando com mais aten??o. "Curioso... As sombras dos ritoshomales geralmente parecem atrasadas."

  “Isso é normal”, ela respondeu rápido demais. “Alguns ritoshomales n?o projetam sombras corretamente sob certos tipos de luz. Principalmente quando—”

  "Quando s?o ilus?es?", concluiu o homem calmamente.

  “Ah, senhor, por favor… que absurdo. Quem seria t?o estúpido a ponto de criar uma ilus?o e inventar uma história t?o barata sobre uma criatura que nem sequer existe, só para ganhar algumas moedas?”

  De repente, a criatura se dissolveu como fuma?a levada pelo vento. As correntes desapareceram junto com ela. A mulher alta e elegante encolheu, revelando uma garota de pouco mais de um metro e vinte de altura, n?o mais velha que doze anos. Cabelos vermelhos como sangue. Olhos verdes como esmeraldas. Vestia roupas simples e mal lavadas. Olhou para o homem com medo — e um pouco de raiva.

  Por um breve instante, ninguém ao redor do palco se mexeu. O silêncio era constrangedor. As pessoas trocaram olhares. O homem rico n?o parecia surpreso. Parecia irritado. Ele acabara de perceber que tinha sido feito de bobo.

  “Elias!” gritou a garota. “Você é estúpido? Por que abandonou a ilus?o agora?!”

  Por uma pequena al?ap?o, surgiu um rapaz um pouco mais velho que ela. Cabelos loiros, olhos escuros como a noite. Ele também vestia roupas simples, mas tinha uma longa capa vermelha. O tecido era leve, as bordas rasgadas, e um broche redondo de ouro a prendia.

  “Você demorou demais! A culpa n?o é minha!”

  “Ah, é mesmo? Inventar 'ritoshomales' e vendê-los como se fossem reais é fácil, né? O maior idiota é aquele que finge ser t?o burro quanto todo mundo. Você relaxa... e aí, de repente, ele n?o é t?o burro assim!” Ela apontou para o homem rico com o polegar, sem tirar os olhos de Elias.

  “Sarah, cale a boca e corra! Eles v?o nos matar!”

  Elias correu primeiro, derrubando uma pilha de caixas que se estilha?ou em madeira e pó. Sarah veio logo atrás, trope?ando, praguejando baixinho — com raiva de Elias, com raiva do homem inteligente, com raiva do mundo inteiro — mas correndo o mais rápido que podia.

  "Quero as cabe?as deles", disse o homem rico, observando-os fugir.

  Os gritos come?aram logo em seguida.

  "Peguem eles!" gritou alguém.

  Sarah virou a esquina por instinto, quase se chocando contra uma pilha de sacos de gr?os. Ela saltou por cima deles sem pensar, sentindo o impacto subir pelas pernas. Elias estava logo atrás dela.

  "Esquerda!" ele gritou.

  "Eu sei!", respondeu ela, já se virando.

  Eles continuaram correndo até chegarem a uma parte mais movimentada da cidade. O lugar estava lotado e se mover por ali n?o era fácil, mas os dois se esgueiravam entre as pessoas como se conhecessem aquelas ruas como a palma da m?o. Os guardas, porém, n?o desistiram e empurravam qualquer um que estivesse em seu caminho.

  Eles passaram por uma mulher que deixou cair uma cesta inteira de frutas. Ma??s rolaram pelo ch?o. Alguém escorregou. Outra pessoa gritou de raiva.

  “Elias!” chamou Sarah.

  "Entendi!" respondeu ele, ofegante. "Esconderijo. Dez minutos. N?o seja seguido."

  “Como se fosse possível”, disse ela, acelerando ainda mais o passo.

  Elias sorriu e virou à direita sem dizer mais nada. Eles se separaram. Os guardas fizeram o mesmo. Três perseguiram Elias, enquanto os outros três foram atrás de Sarah, que continuou correndo pelas ruas lotadas.

  Ela correu por vários quarteir?es sem olhar para trás. Pulou uma cerca baixa. Passou por baixo de uma carro?a parada. Virou duas esquinas seguidas sem pensar. Enquanto ainda corria, olhou por cima do ombro. Dois guardas escorregaram ao tentar atravessar uma rua estreita. Outro bateu em uma barraca. Gritos. Palavr?es. Caos. Nenhum deles parecia estar perto o suficiente.

  Sarah deu um sorriso ir?nico e correu até chegar a uma pequena pra?a à frente. O lugar estava quase vazio. Algumas árvores, bancos de pedra, uma fonte seca no centro. Silêncio.

  Ao dar mais dois passos para recome?ar a correr, ela se chocou contra algo sólido. Ouviu um leve tilintar, que parecia ser de correntes.

  O impacto a jogou para trás. Por um instante, ela pensou que fosse uma parede. Mas quando olhou para cima, percebeu que era uma pessoa.

  A man stood right in front of her. Tall. Wearing dark clothes—too simple for someone rich, too clean for a common resident. His long hair was tied back with a strange brooch. He had an arrogant gaze, and two swords rested on his back, connected by a chain that rattled in the wind.

  The girl slowly straightened up, staring at the man. Without saying a word, she took a few subtle steps to the right, as if she believed she could slip past unnoticed. The man watched her in silence, clearly intrigued.

  “Sorry about that,” she said, gradually increasing her pace.

  When she realized he wasn’t moving, Sarah didn’t hesitate. She suddenly turned and ran again, leaving him behind.

  She ran through more dangerous parts of the city until she reached a dead-end alley. The wall ahead was tall and looked sturdy. Sarah glanced around carefully and touched the wall. After a second, she tapped it again, then gave three quick taps.

  After a moment, the wall opened just enough for her to slip through.

  “Hurry up,” said a male voice, urgent and slightly annoyed. “As always, you’re late.”

  “As if,” she replied, throwing herself into a dirty, sunken armchair where Elias’s red cloak lay.

  The hideout was the basement of a house that had burned down years ago. No one went there anymore. People said the place was haunted. But to Sarah and Elias, it was home. For an adult, it would be cramped and uncomfortable. For two children, it was a house.

  The basement was filled with things they had found, stolen, or bought over time. There was a small improvised ventilation system that let air flow in and out occasionally. Strangely, everything was organized. Nothing seemed out of place.

  “I said ten minutes. You’re five late.”

  “Yeah, yeah… do you even have a watch?”

  “I count,” he replied. “Simple. And you’re way too arrogant. I think we need to start talking about your plans.”

  “My plans? No,” she corrected. “You agreed. So they’re our plans.”

  “Our plans? No,” he scoffed. “Don’t try that. If it had worked, you’d be bragging about how great the plan was and taking all the credit.”

  Sarah smirked.

  “I would never do that to you, Elias. My dear friend.”

  Elias crossed his arms, ignoring her ironic charm.

  “We almost died over something stupid. The man we tried to trick… he wasn’t some ordinary merchant, Sarah. I saw the emblem on his carriage. An eye with a crow. Must be some faction.”

  Sarah stopped swinging her legs.

  “So what? Rich is rich. Doesn’t matter what suit they wear. They’re all the same. We don’t need to worry. He’ll forget about it soon enough.”

  “No,” Elias lowered his voice. “I heard he has ties to the Baron of the Lower City. You don’t rob someone like that and walk out of the city breathing.”

  “First: we didn’t rob him. We tried. Second: we’re not leaving the city, so we’re fine.”

  “What kind of logic is that?”

  “Whatever. The plan failed, and now we’re going to spend the rest of the day hungry.”

  “Not really…” Elias said. “Since I’m the worker of this team, I stole some stuff on the way back.”

  He pulled a hidden bag from beside the improvised couch and dumped its contents onto the table. Bread, fruit, and some cheese spilled out.

  “Wow, Elias, you’re amazing. Never doubted you,” Sarah said immediately.

  “Only strangers would buy that, Sarah.”

  “Yeah, yeah… wow, I’m starving,” she said, reaching for a piece of bread.

  “Listen,” Elias said, grabbing one too. “This is all we’ve got. So one a day.”

  “I keep thinking about what we’d do if we were rich like that guy.”

  “We’d be jerks like him, wasting money everywhere.”

  “That’s totally something you’d do, Sarah. I’d probably want a quiet life. A family.”

  She fell silent for a moment.

  “Whatever. My opinion hasn’t changed. Besides… I don’t want to be far away from you. Not at all.”

  Elias lost his composure and nearly fell off the small table.

  “What?”

  “What what?”

  “What did you just say?”

  “That I don’t want to be far away from you. What’s the problem?”

  Elias blushed and looked away, trying to hide his face. Sarah narrowed one eye and saw him twisting in embarrassment.

  “Hey? Elias, you okay?” she said, getting up. “You turned red out of nowhere. Got a fever? Ever since we met, you’ve had these weird attacks. Maybe we should check that.”

  She approached, and Elias turned even redder. Sarah placed her hand on his forehead. Even though she was usually rough, she could be gentle sometimes. Her hand was small and careful, warmer than his skin.

  Elias watched her face without realizing it, memorizing every little detail: the shine in her green eyes, the messy red hair.

  “I think you’re fine too,” she murmured.

  “And do you even know how to check temperature?” Elias said, gently lowering her hand.

  He held her wrist for a second longer, his eyes fixed on hers.

  “Then it’s decided,” he said, almost without thinking. “We’ll stay together forever.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Sarah blinked, then broke into a wide smile.

  “You idiot… it’s a promise.”

  After a moment, Elias pulled away and walked to a corner of the hideout.

  “That reminds me of something.”

  Sarah watched him silently, trying to sneak another piece of bread. Before she could, Elias suddenly turned around. She pretended she wasn’t doing anything.

  He approached her with something hidden behind his back, held with both hands. He looked nervous. His hands trembled slightly, and his face was red again.

  Sarah had already guessed it was a gift.

  “It’s not much… here.”

  He stretched out his arms, revealing a flower.

  Petals red as blood, perfectly open. It looked like something that had been carefully taken care of just moments before.

  “The old man at the park said women like flowers. But if you don’t want it, that’s fine. I know you don’t like that stu—”

  “I love it. Really. Thank you, Elias,” Sarah said, with a gentle smile that lit up the dark hideout.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She dropped back into the armchair.

  “As a reward—and since you’re sick—you can sleep in the chair with me tonight. Come on. There’s space for both of us.”

  Elias hesitated for a moment, but instead sat on the floor beside her, leaning his back against the chair.

  “What? Don’t you want to sleep with me?”

  “I don’t!”

  “Then screw you.”

  They fell into silence.

  The glowing crystal flickered weakly, casting uneven shadows across the charred walls. The wind howled outside, but inside the hideout, only their breathing could be heard—steady and calm for the first time that day.

  Elias stayed awake for a while longer, staring at the burned ceiling, thinking about how everything had changed in just a few hours. But exhaustion eventually won.

  Silence.

  The night was quiet, completely different from the hectic day they’d had. The rest was well deserved. Both hoped the next day would be better.

  Knock. Knock.

  Suddenly, two loud knocks echoed through the secret passage. The two of them woke up in a panic.

  Instinctively, they looked toward the door. Their hearts beat fast, like arrows cutting through the air. They knew very well that whoever was on the other side wasn’t a friend.

  Knock. Knock.

  Two more knocks, then an even stronger one. Someone was determined to get in.

  They looked at each other and, urgently, without saying a word, started gathering their things, trying to make as little noise as possible. The knocking didn’t stop. In less than a minute, they were ready.

  They quickly moved to a corner of the basement. Sarah pushed aside a curtain hiding a staircase, and at the top was a trapdoor. She climbed first. Elias followed carefully. When he reached the top, Sarah helped him through.

  They emerged into the burned house. The walls and wooden floor looked like charcoal. It was hard to tell which room they were in, since almost nothing remained from the fire. The smell of burnt material still filled the air. Their steps sank slightly into the dark wood, but they knew exactly where to step.

  They moved quickly and reached a narrow hole they used as an exit—but not before checking the street for suspicious movement. The moon lit the sky, and the night’s darkness was clear.

  The street was nearly deserted. It felt strange how empty the place was. Not even the house lights were on. It was hard to hear even the night animals.

  “This is weird,” Elias said, looking back at the burned house.

  “Come on, don’t waste time here,” Sarah replied, pulling him by the arm. “We’ll find somewhere safe for the night and come back later.”

  They took a few quick steps when suddenly they heard:

  Knock. Knock.

  Two knocks on the door of the house to their right. Elias looked, stepping back.

  Knock. Knock.

  Again, in the house ahead. Another knock at the house at the end of the street. And another… Suddenly, every house had two knocks. Again. And again. And again. The street lamps flickered wildly along with the knocking doors, which shook violently with each impact.

  “Sarah, stay close to me,” Elias said, stepping in front of her.

  They couldn’t move. Shock filled their hearts, stopping their legs from obeying their minds.

  Then suddenly, everything went silent. The lights went out… until only one turned back on, revealing a figure.

  “Ah… looks like I’m the one who found you. How lucky for me.”

  The man was tall and unnaturally thin. He wore elegant dark-brown clothes that looked like they were made from animal skin. He leaned on a dark cane. On his head sat a top hat with a dark feather, probably from a crow. His skin was pale. He had a wide smile with teeth that didn’t seem human. His large eyes were an unclear mix of yellow and gray.

  “Normally, I’d ignore two street kids… but you touched a very sensitive part of this world.”

  They stepped back. Without hesitation, Elias grabbed Sarah’s wrist.

  Then she shouted:

  “Run!”

  They dashed into the dark street.

  Two steps. Then three. On the fourth, his body froze.

  “Huh?!”

  His leg was pulled backward, as if someone had grabbed his ankle. But no one was there.

  “Sarah… something’s—”

  His body was dragged half a meter back.

  “ELIAS!”

  Sarah saw something. Not clearly. It was strange. It moved like a snake through the air, as if space itself were being squeezed.

  “Run!” he shouted, trying to break free.

  Another force grabbed his shoulder. Then his neck. For a moment, his feet left the ground.

  Sarah rushed forward and grabbed his hand with all her strength.

  “Let him go, you bastard!” she shouted at the empty air.

  For a second, the pressure loosened. Elias dropped to his knees, coughing.

  “Go! Go! Move!” he yelled.

  Sarah helped him up, and they ran, turning the corner.

  “Run! Run! Crawl like wounded animals,” the man said with a calm smile.

  They ran, turning every corner they saw. The street was still completely empty—until guards suddenly emerged from the shadows, blocking the road ahead.

  “This way!” Elias pointed to a narrow alley.

  They ran into it. The alley was tight, full of trash and broken crates. But there was an exit ahead. When they finally reached it…

  BANG.

  A loud sound echoed, almost like thunder. Night birds flew off in fright. Startled, Sarah turned toward the noise.

  A man who looked like an ordinary soldier stood there, holding a short object made of dark metal. Something strange. Different from anything she’d seen before. Smoke rose from its front.

  “Elias, come on! We have to go!” Sarah pulled his arm, like she always did.

  But Elias didn’t move. His body suddenly lost all strength. Before he could fall, Sarah grabbed his cloak. Unfortunately, the brooch couldn’t handle the weight, and the cloak came loose, staying in her hands as she watched her friend collapse to the ground… with a hole in his chest.

  “…Elias? Hey, Elias! What are you doing…? We have to go. If you don’t get up… how are we supposed to stay together? Forever?”

  “Impressive…” the man from earlier murmured, watching the body on the ground.

  “A single shot. Just one… and this much damage. A genius, without a doubt. And to think a child was capable of it… Well, looks like there’s still one child left.”

  His eyes turned to Sarah. The smile on his face wasn’t wide or exaggerated. It was small. Polite. Almost gentle.

  “Tell me…” he continued, tilting his head slightly. “What do you intend to do now?”

  Sarah didn’t answer. Her hands trembled. The red fabric of the cloak was still clenched in her fingers.

  “Run away?” he suggested. “Alone? I’d like to see you try.”

  He glanced at Elias’s body.

  “He seemed very devoted to you. Looked like a hardworking boy… and in the end, he turned into just that on the ground.”

  His cane pushed Elias’s shoulder, rolling the body slightly to the side.

  “See how fast it is? One sound… and it’s over.”

  He clicked his tongue.

  “Your lives are very cheap, you know.”

  Sarah slowly raised her face. Her eyes trembled, full of tears… but not only that. There was something else there. Something hard. Cold.

  “I… will… you—”

  “Tsk… what unnecessary noise.”

  The voice came from behind Sarah, along with the sound of chains clinking in the wind, as if it had always been there. Not even the guards noticed where it came from. The man with the cane slowly turned his head.

  A man was leaning against an unlit lamppost, as if he had been watching everything for some time. He was tall, wearing dark clothes—too simple for someone rich, too clean for a common resident. His long hair was tied with a strange brooch. He had an arrogant gaze and two swords on his back, connected by a chain.

  “Seriously?” he continued. “A loud noise in the middle of the street, people running, kids crying… Is Zillies trying to wake up the whole city?”

  One of the guards reached for his weapon.

  “Who are you?”

  The man completely ignored the question. He only looked at Zillies.

  “And you still give a speech after that. How embarrassing, Baron.”

  He sighed.

  “If you’re going to kill, then kill. If you’re going to talk, then talk. Doing both at the same time is amateur work.”

  Zillies narrowed his eyes, the smile fading.

  “Interesting…” he murmured. “And you would be?”

  The man stepped forward. The chain of his swords clinked softly.

  “What, you don’t know me? Guess I’m not that famous around here. Oh well. Earlier today, I saw something very interesting.”

  His eyes shifted to Sarah. For a moment, the arrogant look turned more focused.

  “I got very curious.”

  He looked back at Zillies.

  “And when I finally find what I was looking for… I end up seeing a disgusting scene like this. So how about this: disappear. And I promise I won’t wipe out this bunch of useless idiots along with you.”

  A pause.

  “Oh, before I forget…” he said, stretching his neck.

  “Kizuryu. Yajirushi Kizuryu.”

  Silence spread through the street. The guards didn’t know whether to look at the baron… or the man with the swords.

  Zillies tilted his head slightly.

  “Kizuryu, huh? What a curious night.”

  Yajirushi yawned.

  “If you’re going to fight, hurry up. We don’t have all night.”

  In the next instant, his body froze.

  An invisible pressure squeezed his shoulders. Another grabbed his leg. The air around his neck tightened like fingers. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly under the force.

  The guards smiled in relief.

  “Got him,” one muttered.

  Yajirushi looked at his own shoulder, as if a child were holding it.

  “Huh… so that’s it?”

  The pressure increased. His coat tore at the shoulder. The air trembled around his body. Space itself seemed to be compressed. Zillies smiled.

  “It’s rude to interrupt a conversation, you know. Aspiring Kizuryu.”

  A third invisible force tried to twist Yajirushi’s arm behind his back.

  “In the end, you’re just another nobody who stole that man’s name.”

  The sound came before the light.

  CRACK.

  A line of blue electricity ran along Yajirushi’s arm. The air snapped. The invisible forces recoiled for a moment, as if burned. The surrounding guards took a step back.

  The sharp smell of ozone filled the street.

  “Ah…” Yajirushi cracked his neck. “That was a bit annoying.”

  An arc of thunder ran across his back, passing through the chains of his swords.

  Zillies narrowed his eyes.

  “Lightning magic… interesting.”

  The invisible attacks continued, but this time they didn’t even reach Yajirushi. He dodged with ease. Meanwhile, the guards around him tried to strike with swords and gunfire. He moved with precision, counterattacking with his bare hands, knocking them down one after another until…

  “Your friends are done. Now it’s just you and me, Baron.”

  “Show me how far your strength goes, Kizuryu.”

  “Alright. Try to keep up.”

  He vanished. Like lightning. A flash crossed the street. In the next instant, Yajirushi stood in front of Zillies, his fist wrapped in electricity. Zillies barely had time to raise his cane.

  The punch hit his stomach. The baron’s body bent in the air. His hat flew off. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he was thrown back. He slid several meters before stopping near the end of the street.

  Zillies coughed. A thin line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Even so, he smiled.

  “I see… so the rumors are true.”

  Yajirushi shook his hand as if he had just swatted an insect.

  “So you do know me. Liar. Just putting on an act. You’re tougher than you look.”

  He took another step.

  “But I don’t have time to play politics in some small city.”

  Electricity danced across his body again.

  “So, shall we continue?”

  “Hahaha… very well, Yajirushi. A fine performance. You can keep this small victory for today.”

  “What, already giving up? That was nothing.”

  Zillies turned, ignoring Yajirushi’s taunts, and walked into a dark alley. He glanced over his shoulder, watching Yajirushi approach Sarah.

  He smiled.

  “Until next time, Kizuryu. I hope we meet again in the future.”

  Yajirushi aproximou-se da garota, que estava ajoelhada com a cabe?a de Elias apoiada em suas pernas. Ela ajeitou o cabelo dele sem perceber, memorizando cada detalhe: os tra?os delicados e masculinos do rosto, os cabelos loiros despenteados. Ele n?o disse nada. Apenas observou.

  Sarah olhou para Yajirushi, com lágrimas escorrendo pelo rosto.

  “Por favor… leve Elias”, ela implorou, com a voz trêmula. “Por favor.”

  “Certo”, respondeu ele. “Você já tem algum lugar em mente para enterrar seu amigo?”

  Sarah balan?ou a cabe?a negativamente.

  “Conhe?o um lugar. Venha.”

  Yajirushi fez um gesto para que ela subisse em suas costas.

  Relutante e envergonhada, Sarah deixou-se carregar. Num movimento rápido, Yajirushi correu como um raio. A paisagem ao redor deles ficou borrada enquanto atravessavam a cidade.

  Logo chegaram a um lugar isolado sob uma grande macieira. A cena era tranquila.

  Yajirushi ajoelhou-se e come?ou a cavar. Com as próprias m?os.

  A terra cedeu lentamente. O som era seco e repetitivo. Sarah observava em silêncio, segurando o manto contra o peito. Depois de um tempo, a sepultura estava pronta. Ele pegou o corpo de Elias com cuidado e o colocou lá dentro, como se estivesse dando um enterro a alguém.

  Sarah ajoelhou-se ao lado dele. Suas m?os tremiam. Ela queria dizer algo… mas n?o havia palavras.

  Apenas lágrimas.

  A terra come?ou a cobrir o corpo. Primeiro os pés. Depois o peito. Depois o rosto. Quando tudo acabou, restou apenas um monte de terra debaixo da árvore.

  Silêncio.

  Yajirushi ficou ao lado dela. N?o disse nada. Apenas permaneceu ali. O choro de Sarah aos poucos foi se transformando em respira??o pesada. Minutos se passaram. Talvez mais.

  Ela enxugou o rosto com a manga.

  Após alguns minutos, Sarah se acalmou.

  “Yajirushi...”

  Ele n?o respondeu, mas seus olhos mostravam que estava ouvindo.

  “Eu… quero ficar mais forte. Por favor, me ajude a ficar mais forte. Eu n?o quero mais ver as pessoas ao meu redor morrerem.”

  “Tornar-se forte… n?o impede que as pessoas morram. Você sabe disso, n?o é?”

  Sarah n?o respondeu.

  “Mas isso impede que você morra com eles. Qual é o seu nome?”

  “Sarah. Apenas Sarah.”

  Ele olhou para a árvore. Depois para o monte de terra. Depois para ela.

  “Há algum tempo, alguém me deu um nome. N?o facilitou minha vida. N?o me trouxe nada de especial. Sinceramente, só me deu dor de cabe?a.” Ele deu de ombros. “Mas também me deu uma dire??o.”

  "Você vai dar a mesma coisa que considero especial. Meu nome. A partir de hoje... você se chamará Sarah Kizuryu. é um bom nome, n?o é?"

  Sarah n?o reagiu imediatamente.

  O nome pairava no ar. Ela nem sequer entendeu o que um nome como aquele realmente queria. Apenas um nome. Nada mais. Ele mesmo havia dito isso. Mas por quê…? Parecia que aquele nome sempre lhe pertencia.

  "Ent?o, Sarah. Você aceita?"

  Seu olhar apareceu fixo no monte de terra por alguns segundos. Depois, desceu para a capa vermelha em suas m?os. Ela respirou fundo, como se estivesse tirando ar de um mundo que já n?o existia, e vestiu a capa lentamente.

  "…Aceito."

  Yajirushi esbo?ou um pequeno sorriso.

  "Ent?o levante-se, Sarah Kizuryu. Nossa jornada será longa... mas garanto que será divertida."