"Shinya!"

More and more fragmented memories flooded her mind, leaving her bewildered, with only this name supporting her spirit.

She ran through the bustling plaza and reached the marketplace in the west of town. Everything here felt incredibly familiar—the bakery at the corner, the jewelry shop next to the blacksmith, the thriving tailor's shop... She sprinted past these stores, seeing many familiar faces whose names she couldn't recall.

In that moment, she panicked, unable to distinguish whether she was Nicole or Irene.

Their memories intertwined, with only one common thread—Kuro, also known as Shinya.

But now, Nicole couldn't find him.

The setting sun cast a blood-red shadow behind Nicole.

At the crossroads outside the market, she bent over in exhaustion.

Helpless, she held her head and crouched down.

Unconsciously, she reached for the necklace around her neck, trying to calm herself. But instead of the familiar fishbone pendant, she felt the paired cat's paw.

The pendant was tinged with the crimson of the sunset, emitting a soft and warm glow.

She clenched it tightly in her hand, speaking to herself in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Shinya, I forgot something so important."

"I'm sorry, Shinya, forgive me for hitting you back then."

She tidied her windblown hair and was about to stand up to continue searching for Shinya when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"This is for you. You mustn't be mad at me anymore."

The owner of the voice walked past Nicole, and a pair of deerskin boots stopped in front of her.

Nicole looked up and saw herself—not her current self, but Irene, her past self.

At this moment, Irene and Nicole were of a similar age, looking identical.

Nicole was no longer surprised by such images; she was gradually accepting this reality. The only thing she couldn't understand was the cause of these visions.

She decided not to ponder this for now and simply watched these memories unfold—memories of her and the younger Shinya.

Irene was holding the same cat paw pendant that Nicole wore around her neck. Irene placed it into the boy's hand and then turned to leave.

The black-haired, purple-eyed boy looked at the pendant in his hand, seemingly unsatisfied.

"Irene," young Shinya called after her, "I want both of them. I saw you bought two."

Irene turned to face him, hands on her hips, scolding, "What? You want more? Why don't you just rob someone?? That one's mine, I'm not giving it to you."

"Give it to me. I want it." The boy stubbornly extended his hand toward her. "Give it to me and I won't be mad at you anymore."

"But now I'm mad!"

"I'll trade you five cherry cakes."

"Ten!"

"...Deal."

Reluctantly, the girl handed over the fishbone pendant from her bag. The boy took the pendant and smiled faintly.

"What do you need two for?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Secret."

"Tch, it can't be anything good."

"How do you know it's not something good?"

Nicole watched as the two walked away into the sunset, suddenly remembering something. She turned over the cat paw pendant and saw the uneven scratches on the back.

She remembered that after getting the two pendants, Shinya had tried to carve their initials—S and I, for Shinya and Irael—into the hard mineral surface.

Since he didn't know how to polish or engrave properly, he ended up leaving some rather unsightly scratches. Unless the two pendants were put together and examined closely, it was impossible to recognize the letters.

"So this was your 'secret'?"

A slight smile tugged at her lips, finally turning into a fond, bittersweet smile. "...You little fool."

"Who's the little fool?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded beside her.

Nicole was so startled that she sat down on the ground. She looked up to see Shinya bending over, looking at her.

"Finally found you," he said.

In the night, his eyes shone with a light brighter than the stars and softer than the moon's glow.

"You scared me! You walk so silently!"

"Have you ever seen a cat walk noisily?"

"Aren't you a werewolf? You have a 'wolf' part in you too. Please respect your own lore!"

"...This conversation feels familiar. Nicole, you..." Before he could finish, Nicole's sudden movement interrupted him.

Nicole stood up from the ground and threw herself into his arms.

In an instant, the moon peeked out from the clouds, illuminating the entire night sky and casting its gentle light on the embracing pair.

"Nicole?" Shinya had never been hugged by her like this before. Rather than feeling excited or thrilled, he was more concerned that something might have happened to Nicole when they were apart.

The girl buried her head in his chest, remaining silent.

Shinya stopped asking questions and simply wrapped his arms around her waist, quietly enjoying the moment with her in his embrace.

After a short while, Nicole gently released her hold on him. Only then did she realize what she had done. She turned her face away, not wanting him to see her slightly blushing cheeks.

"Uh, Shinya, I'm sorry, I..." Nicole's stammering apology was interrupted by Shinya.

This was the first time Nicole had called him by his name.

"You... you really remember who I am?" Shinya asked tentatively.

Nicole nodded. "I remembered a lot of things, about you and me."

The street under the night sky was illuminated by warm orange lights, casting a gentle glow on the two of them.

"I... should apologize to you." Nicole lowered her head apologetically, feeling too guilty to meet his gaze. "Even though I feel like the one who hit you was Irene, not me... but Irene was indeed my past self. I'm very sorry for what happened that day..."

Shinya knew exactly what she was referring to. Irene had harshly confronted him and even hit him in an attempt to make him leave. He would never forget it. Although it hurt at the time, he soon forgave her after understanding her intentions.

However, he decided not to reveal his thoughts now.

"Lift your head," he said, gently holding Nicole's chin, making her look into his eyes. "I accept your apology, but you must promise me that there won't be a next time."

Nicole panicked a bit, wondering if he was still angry.

Their eyes met, one pair timid, the other solemn.

"I-I promise," Nicole vowed under his intense gaze. "I won't hit you again," she then looked away, mumbling, "besides, I couldn't even if I tried."

Shinya frowned, turning her chin back to make her meet his eyes again.

"That's not what I want you to promise," he said firmly. "Promise me you won't leave me again."

"Lift your head," he said, using his fingers to gently tilt Nicole's chin, making her look into his eyes. "I accept your apology, but you must promise me there won't be a next time."

Nicole panicked a bit, thinking he might still be angry.

Their eyes met, one pair timid, the other stern.

"I-I promise," Nicole vowed under the pressure of his gaze. "I won't hit you again," then she glanced away, mumbling softly, "and I couldn't beat you anyway."

Shinya frowned and gently turned her chin back, reclaiming her attention.

"That's not what I want you to promise," his tone left no room for argument. "Promise me you won't leave me again."

This time, Nicole remained silent.

She remembered why Irene had wanted Shinya to leave. Although humans and werewolves looked similar, they were fundamentally different species. The differences in their physical capabilities and lifespans were astonishing.

Shinya, in werewolf years, was just reaching adulthood, with a lifespan of up to three hundred years. Nicole, even after an inexplicable rebirth, couldn't escape the fact that she could only live for decades.

When she turned into a wrinkled old woman, Shinya would still look the same as he did now.

From the very beginning, their timelines were not aligned.

This was why Irene had decided to part ways with Shinya.

Facing the same issue, Nicole didn't know if she could give a better answer than Irene.

"I can't promise that." Nicole shook her head, her voice calm yet filled with sadness.

The answer didn't surprise Shinya. He withdrew his hand and looked at Nicole from a step away.

The streetlights cast indistinct shadows of the two of them. A beam of light between them seemed like a clear yet insurmountable barrier.

Silence settled between them like frost, even the moonlight lost its color, hiding behind the clouds.

After a long while, Shinya sighed and took a big step forward.

He crossed that barrier and stood by Nicole's side, their shadows merging into one.

He reached out and patted the girl's head.

"What do you mean you can't promise? I don't accept that answer. I'll give you another chance to think about it. No rush, you know I have plenty of time."