Months passed.
Lissandra, though scarred by battle, began to rebuild—stone by stone, soul by soul. Life moved forward, though the ache left behind still lingered. One day, a small bird flew from place to place, delivering letters—each one addressed with a familiar hand. Hide's handwriting.
To Izumi, his master and mentor, the letter read:
"I'm sorry, Master, but I have to go. I'm glad I was your student. Thank you for believing in me, for guiding me, and for being there. I just hope you'll be okay without me. From your student, — Hide"
Izumi trembled as she read it. Tears ran freely.
Ji-San and the others received theirs as well. His letter to them read:
"Forgive me for not leading you to the end. But I was grateful to have met you. Thank you for becoming my family. I don't know the right words, so… thank you .From your Master, — Hide"
Even the Zodiacs got a note, though many weren't expecting it:
"It was great to fight beside you. I didn't think I'd ever write something like this, But I'm glad I met you guys. Maybe, someday, we'll meet again. — Hide (or Cyrus)"
Iona, sitting alone by a quiet river, read her letter in silence:
"Dear Iona, I'm sorry, but Big Brother won't be able to tell you those stories in person. But I hope you keep smiling. Be safe, okay? From, — Cyrus"
Ringo found his tucked under a stone at the training grounds, and as he looked around, he realized no one was there to share it with. The world was changing—King Regis had moved the empire, and people were scattering.
Jin and Rin stood at a cliffside tombstone—the one they had carved with their own hands. Flowers in hand, they received their letter:
"To Jin and Rin—We both wanted the world to change. Maybe we were wrong. Maybe we weren't ready. But thank you for everything. We're sorry we couldn't keep the promise. Goodbye, my friends.—Hide and Sona"
The tombstone stood above the beach on a cliff looking beyond the distance. Upon it:
"To the ones who saved the world from ruin. May their names be remembered."
Tied around the tombstone, two ribbons—Hide's and Sona's—knotted together in an eternal loop.
One final note drifted on the wind, as if written to every reader:
"This is my story. And this is where it ends. Every story has an ending. This… is mine. I'm just a human—like you. We feel pain, hope, fear, and love. And that's what makes us real. The world can be cruel. But it's also beautiful as well. I leave to you, this story for you to tell one day. Some stories have a start and end. Some stories are still continuing until the end. This is the end of my story. This is how I end it. Keep on writing your story. From your friend - Hide.""