Mika’s Destiny: The Mountain Princess’s Return

Mika awoke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat. She lay frozen in bed, her eyes wide open, shaking uncontrollably.

This time, it was simply a nightmare.

Even so, the images refused to fade. They clung to her mind, hurting like open wounds, raw and deep. She had seen it again—the misty mountain slope, the shadow of Aiko fleeing into the forest amid the swirling wind.

But this time, Mika's mind fixated on Kaito. The sword that Tatsuya had raised over the unarmed Kaito, the heavy breaths of the men closing in, and Kaito's unflinching stare—brave yet resigned, as if he had already accepted his death.

Why didn't he run? Why wasn't he armed?

She remembered how Kaito's gaze had only flickered back for a brief moment, as Tatsuya fumbled for his sword.

Was he checking how far Aiko had gone? Was he waiting for a signal? And why didn't Aiko stop, knowing Kaito was in mortal danger?

Mika struggled to understand what was going on in Kaito's mind, but she couldn't.

The soft weight of something pressing against her chest returned her to reality. Standing with two front paws planted firmly on Mika's chest was the black-and-white cat. His purring vibrated gently through her, steady and comforting. "You're my little protector. You must've woken me up from my nightmare," she thought, reaching up to stroke his fur. The cat's pupils were huge as he looked at her, his gaze unblinking and understanding.

She thought of Kaito's words, weak but urgent: Then save yourself. You must live.

The words reverberated in her mind, unsettling, heavy, and depressing.

What did he mean? Save myself? From what? Was I even really there? Or was it a warning for the present?

Mika rolled over in bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all.

His final words were: "Take care of her."

What had his last request really meant? How could she have taken care of Aiko? What did Kaito know about the princess? What was the true connection between Kaito and Aiko?

Mika felt as though there were countless threads strewn around her—all disconnected and impossible to piece back together.

With a heavy sigh, Mika climbed out of bed. Her head still felt heavy, but she forced herself to dress and open the curtains. The sunlight flooded in, casting warm golden rays across the room. Outside, the world seemed to be moving on—the city buzzing, birds chirping, the children running to school.

How lucky they all are! They get to live in the present…

Mika felt the cat rub against her leg.

"Yes, Shirokuro, let's go feed you," Mika said.

The day before, Mika had wondered how to name her new friend and had playfully proposed calling him Haru or Momo, to which the cat seemed coldly indifferent but perked up when she called him Shirokuro, which means "white and black."

Mika shuffled to the door leading into the living room and opened it, allowing Shirokuro to lead the way. The first thing that caught her eye in the living room was Kenji Matsuda was sitting slumped on the floor in the far corner, his gaze fixed on a few pieces of paper in front of him.

Mika hesitated in the doorway, unsure whether to speak or leave him to his thoughts, but the silence felt too heavy to her.

"Good morning, Matsuda-san," she said.

"Ah, hey, Mika," the teacher replied, absent-mindedly.

He looks totally different from yesterday.

The other day, there had been an expression of joy and hope that lit up Kenji's face when Mika told him about the successful audition. They talked for half of the evening, him encouraging her, and she praising his influence on her development.

Today, he looks even more defeated than the day I went to his house.

"Is anything wrong?" Mika asked.

Instead of replying, he just groaned scooping the papers into a small pile.

Mika slowly moved closer. "What are those?"

"The bills and loan repayment notices," he muttered.

"Why do you have so many?" she asked.

"That is a good question," he chuckled, glancing at her. "It's a story too long to bother you with. The upshot of it is there is no way I'll be able to pay all of these."

Mika waved her arms. "Why not? Everything is possible, given time—"

"That's just it, Mika," he interrupted grimly. "I don't have time."

"Why not? I'm sure you can negotiate something…"

Kenji shook his head. "Ryuji Takahashi bought out all of my debt," he said, sounding dry and bitter. "And now he demands that I pay it all within a week. How can I possibly… There's absolutely no way…" His voice broke.

Oh no! The evil Ryuji Takahashi again! I'll never forget that name!