"I don't need to know more," I finally said.

Hikari slowly looked up, as if she wasn't sure she'd heard me correctly.

"What...?" she murmured.

I took a deep breath. My heart was racing, but not from fear. It was a calm, warm, enveloping certainty.

"I don't need to understand everything," I continued. "I don't need answers that will hurt. If being with you means leaving some things behind... then that's okay. You are enough for me."

The silence was broken by a soft laugh.

Hikari smiled.

It wasn't the rehearsed smile of other days, nor the one that seemed to be held on out of habit. It was a genuine, radiant smile, as if something heavy had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Jaika," she whispered.

She hugged me.

Her body was warm, familiar, and for the first time since arriving in the city, I felt like I belonged somewhere. The world seemed to settle around us, as if it had been waiting for this decision.

The days that followed were... happy.

Surprisingly happy.

I discovered how much I had in common with Hikari. We liked the same quiet books, aimless walks, and shared silences more than long conversations. We laughed at silly things, cooked simple dishes together, and stayed up late talking about small but possible futures.

"Sometimes I overthink," I confessed to her one night.

"I think for both of us," she replied with a smile. "Just enjoy yourself."

And I did.

The city became brighter. The sunsets seemed shorter, as if the sun no longer hesitated. I stopped looking at reflections in the windows. I stopped searching for presences in the alleyways. Without realizing it, I stopped thinking about Kuro.

I never saw her again.

At first it was strange. Then, natural.

As if she had never been part of my journey.

One night, while we were sitting on the bed, Hikari turned off the lamp and settled down next to me.

"It's late," he said gently. "It's time to sleep."

I nodded.

I closed my eyes with her arm around me, her calm breathing matching my own. Before I drifted off, a fleeting image crossed my mind: a mirror covered by a white cloth.

I didn't feel the need to uncover it.

End 1:Where the Light is Enough