"I’m sorry," Kaito said.

The ghost went still in the chains.

"I can’t let you harm her."

For a second, nothing moved.

Then—

"SHE DESERVES TO DIE."

The sound tore across the rooftop. The rasp broke with it, raw and jagged.

The dark energy surged. The chains snapped tight as it dragged itself forward, straining toward Hana’s body.

"SHE IS A MONSTER. WHAT SHE DID. SHE SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE. SHE DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE ALIVE."

Kaito did not move.

He looked at Hana on the concrete behind him.

Her hair around her face.

Her chest rising and falling slowly.

He thought about Hana putting her arm around his shoulder on the metro and shaking him gently.

He thought about her pointing her chopsticks at him and saying at least we’re both failing equally. He thought about her on her toes with her eyes closing.

Could she really be the same person?

He knew her.

Or that’s what he thought.

She had been warm. Direct. Quick to laugh. Kind in ways that didn’t feel forced.

Not this.

Not the girl in his memories.

It had to be wrong.

It had to be a misunderstanding.

Yeah right?

There was no way.

He reached back and pressed his palm to the concrete.

"SHE RUINED HER."

The voice tore through the air.

"THAT GIRL RUINED MY DAUGHTER—"

The chains strained, grinding tight. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"—SHE IS STILL THE SAME. SHE SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE—"

"..."

"Don’t you want to see how your daughter is doing now?"

The voice came from behind him.

Low and unhurried.

Kaito’s hand stopped.

He turned.

Shizuka stood in the rooftop doorway with a girl in her arms.

Silver hair loose around her face. Red eyes catching the light. Her jacket hung open like ever.

The girl was small. Dark hair. Cardigan and loose pyjama bottoms.

Kaito’s voice came out low.

"Shizuka."

The ghost went completely still.

Shizuka walked forward without hurry and set the girl on her feet.

Then she straightened and folded her arms, her gaze moving once across the rooftop before settling.

The girl swayed slightly as she found her balance.

Her eyes were wide, unfocused. She turned her head slowly, like she was trying to place something that wouldn’t come.

The roof.

Kaito.

Hana on the ground.

Her hands tightened in her cardigan. She pulled it close around herself and looked up at Shizuka.

"Where am I. Where is my dad."

Shizuka pointed at the empty air in front of her. "Right there."

The girl looked at where she was pointing. She saw nothing. Just the rooftop, the night, the city beyond the parapet wall.

"That’s not my dad," she said. Her voice was steady but her jaw was tight. "My dad is dead. He died two years ago. I don’t know who are you and what this is but—"

"Call him," Shizuka said.

The girl looked at her.

"Just call his name."

A long moment.

She looked towards Kaito.

He nodded.

The rooftop was very quiet.

The city spread out below them, lights and distance, indifferent.

The girl turned toward the empty air.

"Dad."

Her voice was small. Just the one word.

Kaito looked at the ghost in the chains. Then at the girl.

He pressed both palms flat on the concrete and released the chains.

The ghost made a sound.

Not words.

Just a sound, low and broken, from somewhere inside the dark energy.

It reached toward her with both hands, but could not touch her.

The dark energy around it was shaking.

"Sora." Its voice cracked on her name. "Sora. Sora."

She could not hear it.

Her eyes moved across the empty space without finding anything.

She had gone very still. Her head tilted slightly. Her hands came up to her own arms and wrapped there.

"Dad?" Her voice dropped, raw and small.

Something was there. She could not see it. She could not hear it. But there was a warmth in front of her, familiar.

Her chest tightened before her mind could explain why.

Her eyes filled.

"I know you’re there," she said quietly. "I can feel you."

She swallowed.

"I was so angry at you." Her voice was steady but her jaw was tight.

"When you died. I was so angry because I knew. I found out later, from the police report, from what they told me. I knew where you were going that morning. What you were going to do." She pressed her lips together.

"And I thought it was my fault. That you died because of me."

She stopped. Breathed in hard through her nose.

"I thought about that every day. That you died because of me. That I killed you. If I was never born..."

The ghost was shaking. It had both hands pressed toward her face, not touching, just there, just close.

"NO Sora! It wasn’t your fault," it said. "Sora. Listen to me. None of it was your fault."

She could not hear it. She kept going.

"But I don’t think that anymore." She looked up at the sky for a second. "I went to therapy. It took a long time. But I don’t think that anymore." She looked back down at where she felt him.

"I know you were trying to protect me. I know that’s all you were ever doing. I just wish... you hadn’t. I wish you had stayed."

"I’m sorry," the ghost said. "I’m so sorry, Sora. I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry left you when you needed me the most. I am sorry, I was just so angry I didn’t think—"

It stopped.

The dark energy around it trembled.

A pause.

"I’m proud of you," it said. Very quietly. "I need you to know that. I am so proud of you."

Sora had her hand pressed over her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking.

"I miss you," she said through her hand. "I miss you every day. It doesn’t go away." She dropped her hand.

"But I’m okay Dad. I really am. You don’t need to worry about me now. I have a small apartment and I work at a flower shop and I’m learning to sew and—" She laughed, short and wet. "I’m terrible at it. You would have laughed at me. But I am sure you would have worn proudly whatever I made... Would have made me little embarrassed. haha"