- A week after the events:
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‘“Thank you for deciding to help rebuild Amoria.” Estella looked at them with gratitude, her voice warm, if tired. In the background, she could see the great progress in rebuilding the destroyed city, new stone buildings were rising at a rapid pace, and the citizens were working side by side, repairing what had been destroyed.
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Kimoko smiled gently, although her eyes still showed the weariness of a whole week of intensive work.
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“We couldn’t let Amoria fall,” she said calmly. “It’s kind of our place. We’ll always be here to help. And besides it’s kind of our fault that Amoria got partially destroyed, you know? Nikita and our rescue mission.”
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Kigami, who was standing next to her, nodded. “Yes, although I have to admit it’s not an easy task. We still have a lot to do.”
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Estella looked at him with a slight smile, but didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked up at the city skyline, where both the destruction and the new structures were visible.
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“I know. But I can see how hard you’re trying. And that gives me hope that everything will eventually return to normal.” Her tone became more serious, but full of determination. “Amoria is strong, and together we are stronger.”
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Kimoko looked at her, then at Kigami, who stood next to her with a thoughtful expression. “That’s right,” Kimoko replied. “But we still have many challenges ahead of us. We can’t forget that real rebuilding will only begin when the destruction is no longer a daily occurrence.”
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“We have everything we need to move forward,” Kigami added, looking at them both. “Not only strength, but determination. And that will be enough.”
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Estella looked at him, her lips curling into a small smile. “Thank you, Kigami. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
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“No problem,” he replied with a small smile. “That’s our task.”
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They headed together towards the central square of Amoria, where work was still going on. The day wore on, but there was a calmness in the air a calmness that grew stronger with each passing moment as the city rebuilt itself.
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A small tree grew in the center of the square before them, its leaves shimmering in the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the cobblestone ground. Just below it stood a stone sculpture, Estella and her brothers, though Kimoko couldn’t quite make out their features because of the many cracks and chips in the stone. Some of the broken pieces lay at their feet, as if waiting to be put back together.
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Estella crouched down and carefully picked up one of the pieces. It was covered in a thin layer of dust and dirt. She blew the dust off it, then ran her fingers gently along its edges. It was a tail, her brother’s tail.
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She was silent for a moment, holding the fragment in her hands. Her gaze became distant, as if she were recalling memories from years ago.
Kimoko and Kigami exchanged glances, but didn’t speak, allowing her the moment.
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Estella stood up and carefully placed the broken tail back where it had fallen off. She adjusted it for a moment, as if trying to understand if it really fit. The stone was cold and rough in her hands, but when she finally placed it in place, it seemed as if the sculpture had regained some of its former integrity.
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“It’s a symbol, isn’t it?” Kimoko said quietly, watching Estella.
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Estella nodded. “Yes. It’s a reminder of who we were. Of what we’ve lost, but also of what… we can rebuild.”
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Her voice was calm, but there was a glint in her eyes that spoke of something deeper of determination and hope.
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Kigami slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at her carefully. “What if everything can’t be rebuilt?” he asked quietly.
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Estella turned to him, the corners of her mouth lifting in a faint, almost sad smile. “Then we will find new ways to move forward.”
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Kimoko sighed quietly, allowing herself a moment of respite. “Sounds like something you would tell us even if we were at the brink of collapse.”
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Estella smiled a little wider. “Because that’s exactly what it is. We can’t give up.”
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Kimoko looked back at the sculpture. It was cracked, but still standing. Maybe that was what mattered most. Not its perfection, not its unbroken integrity, but the fact that despite everything, it still stood.
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A gust of wind rustled the leaves of the tree, casting the golden reflections of the setting sun on their faces. Maybe that was a sign that Estella was right.
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“Do you miss him?”
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Estella nodded.
“Yes, every day, but I know he doesn’t want to know me, I was awful to him.”
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The goddess felt Kigami place a hand on her shoulder, a warm, confident touch that held more care than he would like to admit out loud. Estella didn’t move, but remained silent for a moment, staring at the cracked sculpture.
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“It’s not that simple,” he said quietly. “Siblings… Sometimes we get lost. We drift apart. But that doesn’t mean we’re lost forever.”
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Estella looked at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “What if he doesn’t want to find me?”
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Kigami sighed, withdrawing his hand. “Then you have to find him.”
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Kimoko, who had been silent until now, crossed her arms. “Or at least try. He may not forgive you right away, but if you really care, you can’t just let it go.”
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Estella looked away, biting her lip. It wasn’t easy. She knew she was right, she was a terrible sister. She hadn’t noticed how far she had drifted from her own family, how her pride and arrogance overshadowed everything else. Now, when she wanted to fix the past, she felt it was too late.
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But was it really too late?
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“I don’t know if I still have the right to look for him,” she whispered.
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“The question is, do you prefer to live with this ignorance or with the chance that something might change?” Kigami asked.
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Estella looked at him in surprise. He… understood. Maybe not completely, but enough to know what it felt like, to be afraid of letting someone you care about down.
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Kimoko smiled slightly, leaning in a little closer to her. “You had your share of mistakes, but was he a perfect brother? Did he never make mistakes?”
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Estella opened her mouth to respond, but the words stuck in her throat.
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Because the truth was… Kimoko was right.
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Her brother wasn’t perfect either. And maybe that was why she still had a chance.
For the first time in a long time, a spark of hope appeared in Estella’s heart.
A small smile appeared on her face. Her eyes shimmered in the light like the silver leaves of the tree they were standing under.
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“You’re right, I can try, but I need your help.” Estella turned to them, in one of her hands she held a light blue envelope, in the other a precious silver flower, similar to the ones that adorned her dress. She then handed them to Kimoko.
Kimoko carefully accepted the envelope and the silver flower, looking at them carefully. The blue paper shimmered softly in the light of the setting sun, and the flower, though it looked like metal, seemed almost alive, its petals gleamed like moonlight on the calm surface of the lake.
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Estella looked at her with a mixture of hope and fear.
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“I know you’re planning to go to Nokta to find my brother and get his crystal,” she continued. “That’s why I want to ask you for a favor. Give him this letter and the flower. What he does with them is up to him.”
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Kimoko exchanged a look with Kigami. They both knew that finding Estella’s brother would be a challenge in itself. If he even wanted to listen to them… But still, Kimoko tightened her fingers around the envelope and nodded.
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“Okay,” she said after a moment. “We’ll pass this on to him.”
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Estella let out a sigh of relief, as if the small gesture had relieved her more than she cared to admit.
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“Thank you.”
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Kigami, who had been silent until now, raised an eyebrow. “What if he rejects it without a word?”
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Estella sighed. “It’s possible. But at least I’ll know I tried.”
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Kimoko tucked the envelope into the inside pocket of his robe, and gently tucked the silver flower into her belt.
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“Okay,” she repeated. “But you know this could be a long and difficult journey, right?”
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Estella smiled slightly, her mint green eyes sparkling in the last rays of day.
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“I know. But I hope that if anyone can reach him, it’s you.”
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A gust of wind rustled the leaves of the tree above them. Maybe it was just a coincidence… or maybe a sign that fate was starting to change.
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Estella sat down by the sculpture, lowering her gaze to the stone faces of her brothers.
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“So I guess it’s time to say goodbye…” her voice was quiet, almost inaudible over the gentle rustle of the wind.
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Kimoko clenched her fists, feeling something inside her resist this farewell.
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“Wait… What about the Tree of Memories?”
Estella smiled slightly, but didn’t turn to them.
“I decided that erasing Amoria’s memories wouldn’t be right. Not fair for my people and my brother…After all he did so many things for me.” Her voice was calm, as if the decision brought her comfort. “Besides, it was thanks to you that I understood what really mattered. I understood my mistakes and I intend to become a better goddess for Amoria.”
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There was silence for a moment, filled only by the rustling of leaves above their heads.
“Now go.” Estella took a deep breath. “If you hurry, you’ll still make it to the ship that’s leaving for Nokta.”
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Kigami placed his hand on Kimoko’s shoulder.
“Let’s go,” he whispered.
The girl looked at Estella once more, wanting to say a final goodbye, but the goddess didn’t react. Her eyes were closed, and her expression was calm, as if she was somewhere far away in her thoughts, lost in her memories.
Kimoko and Kigami slowly walked away, their silhouettes growing fainter as they headed toward the Amoria gate, leaving Estella alone, with the past she had chosen to keep and the future she had chosen to change.
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