The whole thing inside with Kisa...my failure. It didn’t take long. Our last conversation which felt like forever…in the end, it was just a couple fleeting seconds. When I turn up Gust and shoot higher into the sky, I can still see Echo. Darting about the rooftops and sky pathways in the moonlight. She’s fast. But to be honest, I’m not sure she’s really trying to escape. It’s like she’s waiting for me to catch up. Perhaps the weight of her crimes is slowing her down. Or maybe it’s just that I’m going too fast. My Gusts are so strong that the gale force winds behind me are blowing away roof tiles. You’re not getting away! There’s only one thing on my mind as I slam down from heaven behind Echo. I’m going to send you to hell!

She glances over her shoulder-

“ECHO! Why! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!”

“…” No answer. She just takes one look at me.

And flickers a dozen meters away onto another rooftop.

Stop running.

It’s pointless.

…

I chase her.

“Don’t run! TELL ME WHY!”

I will erase you.

With body and mind, using Gust to increase my speed, I yell out words as I pursue her through this city of darkness. She never answers back-

“ECHO! WE COULD HAVE SAVED HER!”

You have no idea who I used to be.

…

“GIVE ME AN ANSWER!”

Do you want to find out?

…

“THERE WAS STILL TIME!”

I tried to change.

…

“WHY DID YOU DO IT?!”

You made me this way.

…

“STOP RUNNING!”

Now I will be your judge, jury, and executioner.

…

“ECHOOOO!”

Accept your punishment!

…

Suddenly, I have a shot.

There’s an angle.

We’re up on the upper pathways, amidst some rooftops.

A modified ice crystal flies from my hand.

It’s a technique I’ve been saving for Selena-

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

Go ahead, block!

The ice crystal shrieks like a banshee as it leaves my hand. Echo turns around, her mask concealing her expression as a sword materializes in her hand. She cleaves through my frozen bullet-

Caught you.

*KACHA*

Deadly sharp fragments scatter in all directions as the ice crystal explodes into glittering shrapnel. The spell is meant to be blocked. Most of the shrapnel flies away harmlessly. But a few shards manage to connect. Her mask chips in several places. Her body isn’t protected. Echo lets out a little cry and falls from the sky pathways into an alleyway below us. By the time I go down to follow her, she’s already up. You’re not getting away!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Puchi*

An ice crystal aimed for her lower leg hits.

She stumbles and turns around with her sword.

Forced to face me.

Try running now!

I cast again-

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

This time, I aim for her sword hand.

Echo doesn’t react in time.

A late sloppy block.

Her blade is knocked aside.

An opening.

I see my opportunity.

And charge.

Perhaps it’s not the safest move as a mage.

But I don’t care.

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

As I run in, I cast more ice crystals.

She tries to block with a wobbling sword.

My ice crystals are too many-

She’s slowing down.

I aim low.

Try to cut her legs off.

Don’t even try to escape!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

One of the crystals makes it through her guard.

It shoots towards her hips.

She twists unnaturally, with cat-like reflexes.

Does a somersault in the air to just barely dodge.

Tch...managed to avoid fatal damage.

Even still, the back of her cloak is shredded by passing ice.

*Rip*

Something fuzzy pops out...waving in the wind, like an orange flame.

But then she faces me again and I lose sight of her back.

Was that a...tail?

Doesn’t matter!

All I need to do is kill!

More magic!

Block this!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Klang*

Again!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Klang*

Getting tired yet?

I’m almost on her.

Echo’s sword droops.

She’s swaying, barely standing.

Almost done.

I smile.

Guess what!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

I can cast spells without chanting!

My silent spell whizzes towards her.

She shouldn’t see it coming.

*Klang*

How did she know?!

Somehow, Echo reacts to my surprise attack.

Her sword flickers out to intercept, and I curse.

Silent spells are too weak.

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

Then I guess it’s back to this!

The next ice shard explodes into fragments

Deadly shrapnel catches the top of her head.

Her hood rips and something hard shatters inside.

Glittering red specks shoot everywhere.

But it doesn’t look like blood.

More like…fragments of a gemstone.

Echo’s hair spills out from her ruined cloak.

Ginger and messy, the strands flutter over her chipped mask.

Still, she says nothing.

I hate that.

My rage has reached a peak.

Everything looks red.

I just want to know why.

Why did Kisa have to die?

Why wouldn’t Echo wait?

Why was I too late?

I need an answer to these questions.

None of this makes any sense.

But Echo won’t explain.

So I’ll make her talk-

COME ON, SAY SOMETHING!

TALK OR I’ll KILL YOU!

WITH THESE HANDS!

I’ll REALLY F*CKING KILL YOU!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

One last ice crystal.

Her sword just barely blocks it.

Shrapnel cracks her mask in a thousand places.

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

I lunge forwards with Gust.

Before she can get her blade in place, I arrive.

Mephis’s dagger shoves Echo’s short sword out of the way.

I tackle her to the ground-

THE STRANGER THINKS I DON’T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR MURDER!

Crudely, I punch her gut…over and over-

HE’S WRONG!

*Smack*

NO BOMBS.

*Smack*

NO BORROWED HANDS!

*Smack*

I’LL FINISH YOU MYSELF!

*SMACK*

“Karrrhk!” Echo lets out a gasp as my Qi-enhanced fist finds her stomach-

“TELL ME! WHY! WHY DIDN’T YOU EVEN TRY TO FREE HER!”

...

...

Echo’s pained cry turns into a wet gasp and then silence .

But she says nothing.

Her mask’s pinhole sized eyes are cracking.

For the first time, I can see what lies underneath.

The eyes of a murderer glare back at me in the moonlight.

They’re cold.

So cold I shiver.

Not a shred of remorse or guilt for what she’s done.

Still…there’s something unusual about them.

I blink.

What?

Echo’s pupils are not circular.

Rather, they’re shiny slits in the moonlight.

Animal-like.

I pause.

Poking out beneath the wild orange hair, I see two furry triangles on top of her head.

Ears.

Down below, pressed underneath our bodies, a bristling tail escapes from the hole in her cloak.

You’re a...Demi?

“Tell me why!” I repeat. Softer this time. Echo blinks. “Is it because he told you to?!”

Still no answer.

I raise my hand above her rapidly disintegrating mask.

She doesn’t answer.

In response, I start casting.

At this range, my spells are beyond deadly.

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

A spear of ice grows from my palm.

It’s aimed right in-between her eyes.

The threat is clear.

“Tell me why...”

...

My icy lance creeps down towards her face.

Her hand comes up. She grabs my wrist.

I press down as she tries to hold me back.

A little bit more and this will be over.

“Give me a reason not to kill you!”

...

Still no reply.

I put all my weight into it.

Echo’s small, trembling hands can’t stop me.

My spell sinks downwards…

You’re dead!

And then...

The tip of my ice lance reaches her mask.

*Crack*

Echo’s mask falls apart.

A thousand tiny puzzle pieces scatter.

And finally, she’s mine.

This is it.

“I hate you! Die-!”

***********************************************

[Don’t do it!]

***********************************************

Ugh…

My hand pauses as a flashing pain runs through my head.

Slowly, I shiver and open my eyes.

Why…did you stop me?

Wait.

Wait?

WAIT!?

T-This face…why do I know it?!

…

“This isn’t right-!”

My eyes flicker to the ground.

....

Red shards of a shattered Kashan brooch litter the ground.

...

A few glittering pieces are still tangled in Echo’s hair.

...

The jewelry is beautiful.

As is the girl who wore it.

I should know. I chose them both.

The girl beneath my feet…

Is not the Stranger’s Echo.

No, the one I was trying to silence.

She has always been…

My Echo.

“Hi, Master. Am I strong enough now?”

I...I don’t understand.

“W-Why?” I whisper. The pieces fall into place as the last bits of her mask break away. “It can’t be...why is it you...Natalia...?”

...

...

[Echo...Echo...Echo…

Is it hard…waking up?]