The staircase descended into silence.
Musha walked first.
Her footsteps echoed through the darkness.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then disappeared.
She stopped.
Kaito nearly walked into her.
“What is it?”
Musha raised one hand.
“Listen.”
Everyone became still.
Nothing.
Then—
Donnnn.
The bell.
Deep beneath them.
Donnnn.
Another.
Katsurane tightened his grip on his sword.
“There are no bells this far underground.”
Musha touched the wall.
“It isn’t a bell.”
Raiden looked at her.
“Then what is it?”
“A heartbeat.”
Silence.
Donnnn.
Musha closed her eyes.
The sound wasn’t coming from one direction.
It was everywhere.
The mountain itself seemed alive.
Kaito stepped beside her.
“You hear things differently now.”
Musha opened her eyes.
“I hear everything.”
“Everything?”
She nodded.
“The stone.”
She touched the wall.
“The roots.”
Her fingers moved lower.
“The water beneath us.”
Then she touched her chest.
“And something beneath all of it.”
Kaito’s expression darkened.
“The Hollow King.”
Musha shook her head.
“No.”
Raiden looked at her.
“Then what?”
Musha whispered:
“My mother.”
Katsurane froze.
“Queen Aiko?”
“I don’t know.”
Musha stared into the darkness.
“But I can hear her.”
They continued downward.
The walls changed as they descended.
The ancient carvings became more detailed.
Musha ran her fingers over them.
Warriors.
Dragons.
Kings.
Queens.
Then children.
Hundreds of children.
All carrying stones in their chests.
Musha stopped.
“What are these?”
Katsurane examined the carving.
“Children of the Sacred Bloodline.”
Kaito shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
“These aren’t children of the bloodline.”
He touched one carving.
“They’re vessels.”
Musha’s expression hardened.
“Vessels for what?”
Kaito didn’t answer.
Raiden did.
“For the White Shadow.”
Musha turned toward him.
“My power?”
“Not exactly.”
Raiden looked at the carvings.
“The White Shadow existed long before you.”
Musha frowned.
“Then why was I born with it?”
“Because someone chose you.”
“Who?”
Raiden’s eyes lowered.
“Your mother.”
Musha stared at him.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“Then tell me everything.”
Raiden remained silent.
Musha stepped closer.
“No more secrets.”
Katsurane looked at Raiden.
“She deserves the truth.”
Raiden sighed.
“Your mother belonged to an ancient order.”
Musha waited.
“They were called the Moon Guardians.”
Kaito’s expression changed.
“I thought they were a legend.”
“They were.”
Raiden looked toward the carvings.
“Until Aiko became their last surviving member.”
Musha’s fingers tightened.
“What did they guard?”
Raiden answered quietly.
“The Hollow King.”
Musha looked into the darkness.
“So my mother spent her life guarding that thing?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she have me?”
Raiden looked at her.
“Because the seal was failing.”
Musha’s chest tightened.
“And I was the replacement.”
“No.”
Raiden’s voice was firm.
“You were the answer.”
Musha shook her head.
“That sounds like the same thing.”
“It isn’t.”
He stepped closer.
“Your mother refused to sacrifice you.”
Kaito looked away.
“She chose to break the ancient rules.”
Musha stared at him.
“How?”
Kaito touched his chest.
“She split the White Shadow between us.”
Musha froze.
“What?”
Kaito looked at her.
“You received the light.”
He touched his own chest.
“I received the darkness.”
Musha’s eyes widened.
“You have the White Shadow too.”
Kaito nodded.
“But mine was incomplete.”
Musha looked at his white eyes.
“That’s why your eyes…”
“Mother said the darkness would consume me eventually.”
Musha whispered:
“But it didn’t.”
“No.”
Kaito smiled sadly.
“Because someone else carried the other half.”
Musha understood.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
The staircase shook.
A deep roar came from below.
Katsurane drew his sword.
“We’re running out of time.”
Musha continued downward.
“We keep going.”
At the bottom of the staircase stood a massive door.
It was carved from white stone.
Unlike the black stone above, this one seemed to glow.
A single symbol was engraved in its center.
Musha’s symbol.
She approached.
Kaito grabbed her arm.
“Wait.”
Musha looked at him.
“What?”
“The door only opens for the Moon Guardian.”
“Then why are you stopping me?”
“Because once it opens…”
He looked afraid.
“…there is no going back.”
Musha placed her palm against the symbol.
“What is behind it?”
Kaito whispered:
“Your mother’s final memory.”
The door opened.
Light flooded the corridor.
Musha stepped through.
And suddenly—
she was eight years old again.
Snow fell around her.
She could hear her mother’s voice.
“Musha.”
She turned.
Queen Aiko stood beneath a red moon.
Young Musha was sitting beside her.
Her eyes were still clouded.
Her small hands were wrapped around a stone.
The same stone inside her chest.
Aiko knelt beside her.
“You must listen carefully.”
Little Musha tilted her head.
“You may not understand today.”
Aiko smiled sadly.
“But one day you will.”
Musha watched the memory from a distance.
She couldn’t move.
Couldn’t speak.
Couldn’t touch them.
Aiko continued.
“There are people who will tell you that your power is a curse.”
She placed a hand over Musha’s chest.
“They are wrong.”
The memory changed.
Aiko was older.
Blood covered her clothes.
Kaito stood beside her.
Raiden was kneeling in front of them.
Katsurane was there too.
Musha stared.
All of them looked younger.
Aiko held a glowing stone.
“I cannot keep the seal closed.”
Raiden lowered his head.
“Then we must sacrifice the child.”
Aiko’s expression became cold.
“No.”
“The prophecy says—”
“I don’t care about the prophecy.”
She turned toward Kaito.
“He will take the darkness.”
Kaito stepped forward.
“And Musha?”
“She will take the light.”
Raiden looked horrified.
“You’re splitting it?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll destroy both children.”
Aiko’s eyes filled with tears.
“Then I will find another way.”
The memory shattered.
Musha gasped.
She fell to her knees.
Kaito caught her.
“You saw it.”
Musha pushed herself upright.
“She chose us.”
“Yes.”
“She didn’t abandon me.”
“No.”
“She saved me.”
Kaito nodded.
“She saved both of us.”
Musha closed her eyes.
For the first time in years—
she smiled.
Then she heard something.
A whisper.
“Musha.”
Her smile disappeared.
That voice.
Her mother’s voice.
But it wasn’t coming from the memory.
It was coming from behind the next door.
Musha stood.
“Mother?”
Kaito looked at her.
“That’s impossible.”
The door opened by itself.
Inside was a circular room.
In the center stood a woman.
Long white robes.
Black hair.
Her face hidden beneath a white mask.
Musha raised both swords.
“Who are you?”
The woman slowly lifted her head.
Then removed the mask.
Musha froze.
Queen Aiko.
Alive.
Standing directly in front of her.
Kaito’s breathing stopped.
Raiden drew his sword.
Katsurane whispered:
“My queen…”
Aiko looked at Musha.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“My daughter.”
Musha couldn’t move.
Her swords lowered.
“Mother?”
Aiko smiled.
“Yes.”
Musha ran forward.
Kaito shouted:
“Musha, wait!”
Too late.
Musha reached Aiko.
Aiko embraced her.
Warm.
Real.
Musha’s body trembled.
She buried her face against her mother’s shoulder.
“You’re alive.”
Aiko held her tightly.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Musha began crying.
“I thought you died.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
Aiko pulled away.
Musha looked into her eyes.
“Why didn’t you come for me?”
Aiko’s expression broke.
“Because something was hunting you.”
“The Hollow King?”
“No.”
Musha froze.
Aiko touched her cheek.
“Something much worse.”
Raiden stepped forward.
“Aiko.”
She looked at him.
“You shouldn’t have brought her here.”
Raiden raised his sword.
“Who are you?”
Aiko stared at him.
“I am exactly who you think I am.”
“No.”
Raiden’s voice hardened.
“You died eight years ago.”
Aiko’s expression became sorrowful.
“Yes.”
Musha turned toward him.
“What?”
Raiden pointed his sword at Aiko.
“This isn’t your mother.”
Musha stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
Raiden shook his head.
“Musha, listen to me.”
Aiko looked at him.
“You still haven’t told her.”
“Told me what?”
Raiden hesitated.
Aiko whispered:
“Tell her.”
Raiden’s face went pale.
Aiko turned toward Musha.
“The woman who raised you…”
She paused.
“…was not me.”
Musha stared at her.
“What?”
Aiko continued.
“Your father was not the only one who protected you.”
Musha’s heart raced.
“Then who was she?”
Aiko looked toward the ceiling.
“The woman wearing my face.”
The room became cold.
Musha’s eyes widened.
“She…”
“She is a copy.”
Kaito stepped forward.
“Created by the Hollow King?”
Aiko shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Aiko looked directly at Musha.
“Your father.”
Silence.
Musha felt the ground disappear beneath her.
“My father?”
Aiko nodded.
“He created her.”
Raiden looked away.
Katsurane stared at the floor.
Musha’s voice trembled.
“Why?”
Aiko’s eyes filled with tears.
“To replace me.”
Musha couldn’t breathe.
“Why would he do that?”
Aiko whispered:
“Because he believed I was the reason the kingdom would fall.”
Suddenly—
the entire mountain shook.
Aiko’s face changed.
“We have to leave.”
Raiden looked toward the door.
“It’s here.”
Musha turned.
“What?”
Aiko grabbed her hand.
“The thing that has been hunting you.”
A deep sound came from the staircase.
Not a heartbeat.
Not a roar.
A voice.
“Musha.”
The walls cracked.
Kaito drew his sword.
Katsurane stepped beside him.
Raiden raised his blade.
Aiko pulled Musha behind her.
Then something appeared at the entrance.
A figure wearing armor made of black bone.
Its face was hidden behind a dragon mask.
Two red eyes glowed beneath it.
Kaito stared.
“No…”
Raiden’s expression hardened.
“You know him?”
Kaito’s hands trembled.
“I know that armor.”
The figure removed its mask.
Musha heard Kaito whisper one word.
“Father.”
Musha’s eyes widened.
The man looked at her.
Then smiled.
“My daughter.”
The mountain fell silent.
Aiko stepped forward.
“You were never supposed to find her.”
The man laughed.
“I didn’t.”
He looked at Musha.
“She found me.”
Musha raised both swords.
White fire ignited around one.
Black fire ignited around the other.
The man smiled.
“Good.”
His eyes turned red.
“Now show me what your mother made you into.”
Musha stepped forward.
“I’ll show you something else.”
She raised her blades.
“What?”
Musha’s voice was calm.
“What happens when a daughter stops being afraid of her father.”
The dragon bells rang.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
And beneath the mountain—
the Hollow King began laughing.