[Voice – Echoing in Their Minds Only: Tsukuyomi]
"Stop."
Hikaru froze. Aqua's eyes blinked in confusion.
"If he dies now, nothing resets."
Hikaru's jaw dropped. "You lie!"
Tsukuyomi's voice remained cool. "I never lied. I never said Aqua's death causes the reset. The world only loops when he regrets. When he curses himself for failing Ruby."
"He doesn't regret now. He's not dying because of guilt. He made his choice—to protect others. To live the right way. If he dies, the world will not reset. He simply… dies."
"You—you tricked me!"
"I was never on your side. You misunderstood."
"You thought Aqua's death triggered the loop because once, he died with Ruby. But the loop happened because he blamed himself when she died—not when he did."
Hikaru's world shattered in an instant.
"No… No…!"
---
[Gunshot]
The bullet hit Hikaru square in the chest. Fired by a police officer hidden in the crowd.
His body reeled back.
Blood bloomed like a flower on his shirt.
He staggered—backward.
Over the fence.
Down into the sea.
As the cold water swallowed him, his final thought echoed:
Looks like you won, Aqua. Even if it was short… I enjoyed our game.
Then silence.
And stillness.
And justice.
---
[Scene: Cliffside – Aftermath]
Aqua lay in Akane's lap, blood pooling around him. The world was fading.
He heard a voice.
Akane's.
"Please! Someone call an ambulance! He's bleeding—he's—"
Her voice cracked.
"Aqua… you'll be fine. You'll be fine. I won't let you die, no matter wha—"
Then—nothing.
A void.
Darkness.
Silence.
---
[Scene: Dreamlike Realm – Void]
Soft moonlight filtered through the blackness. The air felt weightless.
Aqua stood—whole, untouched—facing a familiar figure.
Tsukuyomi.
"I said I wouldn't interfere," she said, her voice echoing in this unreal space. "And I didn't."
"You… helped."
"I clarified the truth. Nothing more."
"Then… is this the end?"
Tsukuyomi looked at him.
"You lived honestly. You chose life over revenge. You trusted others. You protected love, not hate."
She touched his forehead.
"And now… you have one final choice."
A door appeared.
Return… or rest.
---
[Scene: Hospital – ICU – Present Time]
Machines beeped.
Doctors shouted.
Blood bags were replaced.
Aqua lay on a hospital bed, unmoving.
Ruby sat beside him, Kana and Akane flanking her.
Miyako stood near the door, hands clasped tightly, eyes red from crying. Ichigo stood beside her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder, offering silent support.
Aqua's fingers twitched.
Akane gasped. "Aqua?!"
His eyes fluttered open.
"…Akane…?"
She burst into tears.
Ruby covered her mouth, crying in relief. Kana turned away, wiping her eyes silently.
Miyako stepped forward slowly, her voice trembling. "Aqua… thank God…"
He was alive.
---
[Scene: Timeskip of several months]
Ruby stood center stage, a radiant star, tears in her eyes, dedicating the song to her brother, sensei, and her mother who taught her to dream.
Kana smiled during her drama shoot, finally feeling peace, and looking up at the sky. You'll always be my biggest fan, right?
Miyako sat at home, working quietly on her laptop at the living room table. She paused, eyes drifting to a small photo of Ai resting beside her cup.
I'm sure you're watching over him from somewhere, Ai. You don't have to worry for him anymore. He's started changing… and now, he's living his life to the fullest—happily, like he should be.
Akane sat beside Aqua on a park bench, fingers intertwined. "You're not alone anymore," she whispered.
Aqua smiled—a real smile, after a very long time.
He had survived.
He had lived.
---
[Final Scene: Moonlit Sky]
Tsukuyomi stood on the cliff's edge, watching the moon shimmer over the ocean.
"The story of vengeance ends… and the tale of healing begins."
She turned and vanished, leaving only the light of the moon behind.
---
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: "A Light Beyond Regret"
(Route Epilogue – Akane Ending)