Chapter 163: Threads of Memory, Light of Fiction
The final days of the identity swap had arrived.
Dawn in Itomori broke gently, casting golden rays across the mist-veiled mountains.
Amid the soft calls of distant birds and the rustling of dew-kissed trees, Yukima Azuma walked silently through the still-sleeping town. By his side, Suou Yuki followed in secret, her steps soft but quick.
They moved with quiet purpose.
Their destination—
Miyamizu Shrine.
The path, steep and mossy, wound up the mountain like a sacred thread tying the past to the present.
Waiting at the base was an elder with deep-set eyes and a gentle smile—Miyamizu Hitoha, clad in traditional robes that carried the scent of old tatami and cedarwood. She was joined by Yotsuha, cheerful as always, though clearly curious about the unexpected guest.
"Grandmother," Yukima spoke softly, "I want to bring a friend along today. Is that alright?"
There was no hesitation.
Miyamizu Hitoha nodded with that same enduring kindness passed down through the generations.