I walked along the road, dust swirling from beneath my feet. The heavy heat weighed down on my head, making my ebony hair burnt and dry. I could see nothing ahead of me, trees lined both sides of the dirt road, and they seemed to stretch on endlessly. I had no idea where she was, yet at the same time, I knew where to turn.

I’d been here before, many times had I run down this long straight path. Back then, running along with her, it had seemed much shorter, despite my legs having grown a lot since then.

I flexed my fingers, wishing that the same hand would grab mine. Hold it, so I could feel the smooth skin once more. I knew the shape well, I could easily have held my one hand with the other, and they would form her grasp. But it wasn’t right. I couldn’t feel her hand in my hand, even though they were the same. I let my arm fall limply to my hip, where it hit the bone that jutted out. I hadn’t eaten properly for ages; my appetite had disappeared the day I woke up in hospital. My ribs were clearly visible under my clothes, a plain white shirt and black belt, and black shorts. I wore a thin silver scarf round my scrawny neck, hiding my shame. Other Remaining’s would have perhaps thought it a symbol of love, strength. They would have thought it shameful to not have the mark upon their throat. Not me. I hated it, the constant reminder of the night I never wanted to remember, and the girl I couldn’t bear to forget.

But had I forgotten too much, already? She looked exactly the same as me, had practically the same lips, nose, everything. I remembered how she needed me, followed me everywhere. But her eyes were different to mine, in the way they stared at me, innocent and scared. I couldn’t remember them … I had to see them.

I knew that the one thing I hadn’t forgotten was her voice. I heard it every single night, in my sleep. Reminding me of what I did. Why I left her in that never ending hell.

“Why, Mio? I’ll wait forever, but you’ll come back, I know you will.”

I twitched out of the reverie as a fly landed on my arm. Brushing it away impatiently, I looked around to find my feet had been carrying me further along the road without me realizing. The dust had stopped swirling, the road becoming clearer, yet more shaded by the massive trees. It should be here. The sign would come as I walked into the dark. Thinking of where I was going was extremely painful, yet I walked on.

And then it was there. The beautiful butterfly fluttered into the forest on the left side. Its crimson glow illuminated the path I was to take to see her. Perhaps, now the main antagonist of the village was gone forever, her spirit appeased, another mystery would surface, and I would once again be caught it in midst of it all. Could I really do it all over again?

I grimaced at the thought of another round of pain, and prayed that I would just see Mayu’s butterfly and leave. But as I felt in my pocket for the sharp corner of the mystical device, the Camera Obscura, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Things never were.

Stopping just in front of the place the glowing insect had disappeared, I swallowed hard. I would fight tooth and nail to see her again. I’d go to the ends of the earth for Mayu. Either way, hard or easy, I’d make sure I saw my sister one last time, before leaving this cursed place forever.