I do not know how long I have been here. It has been, perhaps, several hours 
since my spirit was sated, and yet, there is something still comforting about 
this place, that I do not wish to leave. I can feel this place...the spirits and 
the memories here whispered to me in the unending melody of ice. 

Kae-san. I still think of you. I remember your smile, your gentle eyes, your 
beautiful voice. You showed me a kindness I could never repay; called me your 
sister, though it was something we both knew I could never be. I wanted to 
protect you. I should have been able to. When I listened to your screams from 
behind the thin wall, that very last time, I knew that he would not stop until 
you were dead. And yet I could only sit and listen and wait until the screaming 
finally stopped, and know what it meant. 

And now, it is the same, and I must again watch, bound by my word, as those I 
care for suffer by a cruel master. Only this time, it is my own selfishness that 
has allowed this suffering. It is my selfishness...and it is my fear. I was never 
afraid of Furusawa, and yet he made me helpless, right up to the end. This 
man...is so much more dangerous than Furusawa could ever be. I know I must not 
break my word, and yet...I cannot watch these people suffer and die. Not because 
of me. Not again. Please, Kae-san, help me...I cannot... 

I reach forward, blindly, desperately...and my hand finds the knife, which I had 
promised...promised to return to him covered in blood. I form my hand around the 
hilt, which is now cold from the cavern floor, and bring the blade slowly to my 
abdomen. 

"Forgive me, Kae-san...forgive me, everyone..." 

And then, suddenly, there is pain. Pain and weakness, as blade tears itself into 
me, and I feel the blood spread out through my clothing and over my torso and 
legs. I feel the disorientation as the world around me begins to spin. And 
now...I am supposed to...but my hand slips as I try to pull it to the side, and 
the knife falls to the floor. 

The pain still burns through me. I suppose, if I so wished, I could disguise it, 
or remove it entirely. But I think to myself, as I close my eyes, and rest my 
head against the cavern wall behind me, there are some things that must be 
endured, even if it is painful. And so I endure it, quietly, as all such things 
must be endured. 

And now, finally, the pain has disappeared, and I am left only with darkness, and 
emptiness, and the soft, comforting melody of water and ice. And somewhere, far 
in the distance, Kae-san, I believe I can hear you singing along.