Taking the ornate cup of tea, Takumi’s eyes widened as he processed Ashton's words. Confusion and curiosity washed over his face like turbulent waves. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath, "What do you mean she's one as well? Can you explain?" Fiona sensed his need for clarity and comfort as the old woman snorted with an expert nod. "Jessi? That young woman has been walking between realms since she was a child," she scoffed, her wise eyes narrowing as she spoke. "She's more experienced than most, even if she doesn't show it. You, on the other hand, have much to learn, young celestial walker." Her words wrapped around the trio like an incantation, each syllable punctuating the atmosphere with tension. She continued, each word laced with ancient knowledge. "Her name before her rebirth was Minxy. A bear Celestial Walker. Does that sound familiar to you, boy?" Memories flickered through Takumi’s mind, shadowy stories his father had told him around the fire. Tales of celestial walkers reincarnating, their spirits woven through time. Suddenly, the pieces fitted together. "Yes, these stories are true. Celestial walkers tend to retain many of their original appearances from their former lives as pure spiritual beings. It is evident that Jessi has not changed from the woman she once was. "By the way you behave, boy," she laughed, a gentle sound that felt oddly familiar. "You are the same as you once were, Clover."
The room fell into heavy silence, thick with disbelief and awe. Ashton blinked rapidly, his mind racing to comprehend the magnitude of the revelation. Fiona's eyes widened in utter astonishment, her thoughts tumbling into a whirlpool of questions and potential insights. Takumi, meanwhile, felt a disorienting sense of familiarity and dizziness, as if two lives collide within him. Their uneasy glances mirrored the tumultuous emotions engulfing them. As Fiona struggled to accept the revelation about Takumi's past life, a wave of disbelief washed over her. Ashton gently placed his hand on her shoulder, offering a steady presence amid their chaotic thoughts. "We’re in this together," he murmured, his voice calm and reassuring. Despite the turmoil churning in his own chest, his unwavering support provided Fiona with solace and strength.
As the reality of this moment sank deeper, it became glaringly apparent to both that their perspectives were about to change fundamentally. Takumi grappled with his own chaotic emotions; fear gnawed at the edges of his consciousness, while exhilaration sparked through his veins like fire. Doubts and confusion clouded his mind, yet beneath it all lay an undeniable sense of destiny, overflowing with potential. The elder fortune teller watched them carefully, her wise gaze weaving through their tangled emotions. She addressed Takumi again, "Drink up, young Clover. Destiny realms are vast, and your journey within them is only beginning. What you will find... may very well change the fate of everything you know." As Takumi lifted the cup to his lips, he felt the tea warmth seep into his bones. “B-but I can't be Clover!” he said before Ashton responded. “That explains why the statue looked like you, why the stories the Master tells seem to be things you'd do, and why you're always better than me at stuff." Each word Ashton said felt like little arrows in Takumi's back. He lost all the color in his face when Fiona punched Ashton. She hit him because she could see how deeply his words were affecting Takumi, pushing him further into a state of distress. She wanted to protect Takumi from the overwhelming pressure of the revelation and felt that Ashton was being insensitive. Her protective instincts kicked in, leading her to act impulsively to stop Ashton from causing more emotional harm.
Fiona placed a gentle hand on Takumi's shoulder, her voice soft yet resolute. "So what if Takumi was Clover in a past life? He is still our Takumi," she reassured, locking eyes with the woman beside her. The old sage, she leaned closer, her frail frame causing her silver hair to tumble like a waterfall of stars. "Well, I guess. I did not receive that message from the spirit. Jessi, as a cub, told her father she would find her little brother." The old woman’s words hung in the air, a heavy blanket woven from ancient knowledge. Takumi, deep in his own thoughts, snapped to attention. "Brother?" His voice barely emerged, clouded by a swirl of memories untapped. Images rushed back—this connection with Jessi, tales of family bonds threaded with the essence of love and loyalty, spun from the very fabric of existence. Raiden had often shared stories about Minxy and Clover, whispers of a strength that transcended time. Jessi's promise, a determination to find her brother, flooded Takumi with an awakening light, echoing through the caverns of his heart like an ancient song that resonated throughout lifetimes. As he stood overwhelmed, tears began to slip down his cheeks, glistening like diamonds against the backdrop of his despair. Fiona's gaze softened, empathy crashing over her like waves upon a rocky shore. The raw emotion shared between them filled the space where words faltered. She squeezed his shoulder, an unspoken solidarity radiating from her touch. Both had met untimely ends yet yearned for reunion—yearned for family lost across the chasms of their past.
"What an inspiration!" Takumi replied, an ember of determination igniting within him. Her words echoed deep, feeding the flame of his spirit and reconnecting him to the essence of his family. "I need to learn everything about Jessi," he declared, his resolve heavy in the air. The old woman smiled, understanding twinkling in her deep-set eyes. "Yes, you do. Nevertheless, a prediction was made. There is grave danger facing you, Celestial walker. Demons are hungry for blood," she warned. Surprise clenched Takumi’s heart. A wash of fear unfolded. "The demons fear you children. Your people guide mortal souls closer to purity, not to their empty bellies." Takumi shuddered, confusion weaving through him like the shadows in a night forest. "What do you mean?" The old woman paused, the weight of her words was heavy with truth. "Your people guide mortal souls closer to purity, and not to their empty bellies." He stared at her, frustration swirling within. "Yeah, I get that part, but..." She remained silent, and Takumi realized that translating meaning could be as elusive as dust in the wind. "It happens. But why should demons be worried about me?"
"Because you are the reincarnation of Clover, and he was the best," Aston chimed in with a wry smile, but Takumi shot him a blank stare, uncertainty coiling deeper. "Oh... umm," he replied, caught unguarded by the revelation. Fiona stepped forward, sensing Takumi’s turmoil. "What he meant to ask is how did they know he was Clover, and why did they attack him now of all times?" Fiona inhaled deeply, weighing their predicament. "It's possible the demons sensed a shift in the balance. Perhaps something in the universe has changed recently, triggering their fear and prompting them to strike now." All eyes turned to Takumi, clarity washing into his heart like a rising tide. They needed to act swiftly, to shield themselves from the devouring darkness that stalked their shadows. "The one thing the spirits did tell me was—someone you know told the demons that you are you," the elder divulged, her voice low and troubled. Concern rippled through the group. Takumi's breath hitched; the thought of betrayal by someone familiar turned his heart to lead. "And they seek to aid them in getting rid of you," she added somberly, casting a pall over their gathering.
Ashton stood, rooted in the chaos of emotions—his acceptance of Takumi as Clover was shattered by the specter of betrayal. The gnawing dread was evident, as if a storm cloud loomed over their destinies, puncturing the fragile connection tied by love across the ages. His thoughts raced, inching toward the inevitable truth. Who among them could possibly harbor the venomous need to sever these ties? It was too much to bear, yet like the chilling whispers of the wind, it was gradually becoming clear. The echoes of loyalty and treachery danced in their minds, weaving a tapestry of uncertainty as the looming threat of the demons drove them further into the depths of fate. Time was no longer a friend to them; it was a tempest, gathering ferocity, demanding they unravel the truth before the threads unraveled entirely. Thinking back hours had passed, and this moved Ashton to action. "Stay with Takumi!” Fiona walked forward as Ashton left. "Ashton! What's gotten into you?" she asked as she lost sight of him in the crowd. As Ashton pushed through the sea of faces, his mind was a whirlwind of confusion and betrayal. Every step he took felt heavier, weighed down by the gnawing suspicion that someone close had turned against them. The thought of a friend betraying Takumi gnawed at his conscience, making his heart ache with anger and sorrow. Takumi looked back at the woman and she seemed to tilt her head. He saw that vision while holding his head. The woman with flaming hair and the cloaked figure. Takumi's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the chaos around him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something crucial was slipping through his grasp. The images of the fiery-haired woman and the cloaked figure haunted him, filling him with a sense of urgency and confusion. All of these thoughts were connecting in his head, but he couldn't sort them out. But this woman in black, who was she? Then, Takumi's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a deafening explosion.
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