Returning to the clan grounds once more, Mikoto felt as though a lifetime had passed. She looked at the empty streets and the desolate houses, even faintly catching the scent of blood that had lingered in the air all this time.
"I'm back," Mikoto murmured. She walked down the long street to its end. She had once thought she would spend her entire life here. She had never expected that she would be the only one left now.
Standing before the gate where she had once died, Mikoto's hands trembled. For a long time, she did not dare push it open. That scene had been a nightmare for her two children, but was it any less of one for her?
Suddenly, a warm hand clasped Mikoto's. Anyo had arrived without her noticing. With a casual wave of his hand, the house before them collapsed with a crash, crumbling into debris that vanished as though it had never existed.
With a smile, Anyo said, "Mikoto, since it was a painful past, why not forget it and start over?"
Looking at the empty ground before her, Mikoto felt as though some passage within her heart had opened too. A composed smile appeared on her face as she replied, "You're right. It is time to start over. Where's the money?"
"In the front courtyard. I've arranged the people you need too. They're all waiting outside."
Anyo was a little curious, unsure what Mikoto intended to do.
But Mikoto had no intention of satisfying his curiosity. With a gentle smile, she said, "Go on, take care of your business. I'm going to spend some money renovating this place. Come back in a week. From now on, this will be your home."
Home? Anyo felt somewhat conflicted deep down. He nodded to Mikoto, then turned