One afternoon, I approached Sarius directly.

“Hey, Sarius. I have a favor to ask.”

“…What is it?”

He stopped, clad in his usual black cloak. His eyes remained cold, but his ears were keenly focused on my words.

“I want to learn more about Star Fragments—on my own. So… will you take me to the nearby ruins?”

“…In other words, you’re granting me permission to accompany you?”

“Yeah. You’re watching me anyway, right? So as long as you’re keeping an eye on me, I’ll feel safe wherever I go.”

For a moment, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

“…An intriguing proposal. Very well. I’ll classify it under ‘Out-of-Area Observation Research.’”

And so began my journey of learning.

Our destination: the Whispering Wind Ruins, nestled beyond the hill north of the village—a half-day’s walk.

Said to be remnants of an ancient monster civilization, the site was rumored to contain one of the earliest inscriptions regarding Star Fragments.

As I walked alongside Rabbichu, Sarius—somewhat unusually—began to speak at length.

“…In this region, there were once mages known as ‘Starbearers.’ They could convert fragments into power through a technique known as memory reconstruction magic.”

“Memory… reconstruction…?”

“Yes. Star Fragments are, in essence, vessels that pass fragments of the past into the future.
That’s why those like yours—crystallized from powerful emotions—are deemed anomalies.”

—So… my feelings might one day change the future?

Eventually, we arrived.

At the center of the stone clearing stood a time-worn monument.

“Fragments of the stars are etchings of the soul.
Those who gather them shall come to know the Path of Stars.
And those who walk that path… shall reach their True Name.”

True Name…?

Sarius murmured quietly beside me.

“…According to ancient legends, monsters who attained their ‘True Name’ could rewrite parts of the world’s laws.”

Rabbichu twitched his ears and gently touched the monument.

In that moment, the writing glowed faintly—and the Star Fragment of Kindness in my hand responded with a gentle light.

Something rolled out from behind the stone.

A small tablet, inscribed with ancient script… and an engraving that looked unmistakably like Rabbichu.

“…No way. A precedent…?”

Sarius’s eyes widened.

But Rabbichu and I saw it clearly.

The creature on that stone had wing-like ears… and a gentle light surrounding it.

So you were here… even in the past.

“Kyu…”

On the way back, Sarius muttered quietly.

“…Perhaps this is your beginning.”

“No… it’s our continuation. We’re going even further from here.”

Rabbichu’s winged ears caught the glow of the setting sun, swaying softly in the breeze.