What is Left of Me

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows through the trees as Lee and Sagittarius stood in the clearing. Despite the fading light, the air felt thick, as though the world itself held its breath. The tension between them was palpable, heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

Sagittarius stood rigidly, her posture stiff and unyielding, though her eyes seemed unfocused. Her ivory gaze was distant, haunted by the aftermath of their failed ascension. Lee watched her silently, his thoughts a jumble of questions and uncertainty. He had never seen someone so broken, so defeated.

"Let's continue," she said finally, her voice cold and distant. The words were a mere whisper, as though she were trying to convince herself as much as Lee. "You need to learn. We don't have much time."

Lee nodded, though his stomach churned with unease. He could feel the uneasiness in the air, the lingering dread that weighed down on Sagittarius. He knew she was struggling, but he couldn't force her to speak. She would have to come to terms with her failure in her own time, if ever.

They tried again. Sagittarius demonstrated the teleportation technique with a mechanical precision that felt hollow, as if the act itself had lost its meaning. Lee stood beside her, mirroring her movements as best he could, but there was no connection between them this time. There was no pulse of power in the air, no flicker of energy.

"Focus," Sagittarius urged, her voice tight. She held out her hand, her ivory eyes flashing with a flicker of determination. "Focus on the energy. Feel the space around you. Open the portal."

Lee hesitated, uncertain. He had no idea what was going wrong, but something about the situation felt... wrong. He could see it in Sagittarius's eyes—her frustration, her struggle to keep it together. Every time she tried, her gaze darkened further, as though the memories of a previous life were gnawing at her from the inside.

Suddenly, her hand trembled, and she pulled it back, her body stiffening as though she had been burned.

"I can't," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "I can't do it."

Lee stood frozen, feeling the ripple of despair that washed over her. The very air around them seemed to shift, as though the world itself was mourning her failure.

"Why?" Lee asked softly, trying to understand. "What's happening?"

Before Sagittarius could respond, Kuran stepped forward from the edge of the clearing. His expression was grim, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a concerned intensity. He had been watching from the shadows, no doubt sensing the growing tension in the air.

"It's not just her," Kuran said quietly, his voice low and serious. "It's her past life. The previous Sagittarius."

Lee turned to him, confused. "Her past life?"

Kuran nodded, stepping closer. "You have to understand. Zodiacs don't just come into existence as we are. We inherit memories from our past selves, especially when certain moments—critical ones—repeat themselves. Sagittarius... she's reliving her previous self's failure."

Lee frowned, his mind struggling to grasp the idea. "You mean she's remembering—"

"Exactly," Kuran interrupted. "The previous Sagittarius failed in her ascension, just like Sagittarius is now. And that failure... it led to her death. The pain of that failure is ingrained in her. Every time she tries to ascend, she relives it."

Lee's heart sank. It was no wonder Sagittarius was struggling so much—she wasn't just battling her own fear and doubt, but also the trauma of a past failure that had cost her life.

Kuran's eyes narrowed, and he sighed deeply. "I'll try something," he said. "Maybe I can help ease her burden. I have a few powers that could—"

Before he could finish, Kuran stepped forward, placing his hand on Sagittarius's shoulder. She stiffened under his touch, her eyes flitting to him briefly before darting away.

"Wait," Lee said, his instincts telling him to stop Kuran before it was too late. But it was too late. Kuran's power surged, a strange, pulsing energy radiating from him as he attempted to reach into Sagittarius's psyche. His eyes flickered with an unnatural light as he tried to bridge the gap between her soul and the memories of her past.

For a brief moment, the world seemed to bend. The air shimmered around them, the trees rustling as though caught in a storm. Lee watched with wide eyes as Kuran's power rippled across the clearing, his face tense with concentration.

But then, just as suddenly, the energy snapped back. Kuran recoiled, stumbling back a step, his face twisted with pain. His hand shot to his chest, his breathing shallow.

Sagittarius flinched, her eyes filled with raw fear. The moment Kuran touched her, her entire body had gone rigid, her form trembling as though trying to reject the foreign energy.

Kuran breathed heavily, sweat dotting his brow. His attempt had failed. The connection he had tried to make had been rejected. The energy within him had clashed with something deep inside Sagittarius—something that had been buried for far too long.

Kuran straightened up, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice strained. "I thought I could help, but I misjudged it. She needs some time alone."

Lee didn't say anything at first. The weight of Kuran's words hung heavy in the air. He could feel the tension, the unspoken emotions that filled the clearing.

Kuran turned to leave, his eyes lingering on Sagittarius one last time. "I know this isn't easy, but it's something she has to face on her own. When she's ready, she'll rise again."

Lee remained silent for a long moment, watching as Kuran disappeared into the forest. It felt like the world had come to a standstill, as if the entire universe was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. But in that stillness, Sagittarius remained still—lost in her own thoughts, her failure, and the weight of memories that were not her own.

As the last light of day faded into twilight, Lee approached her slowly, unsure of what to say. But before he could speak, Sagittarius lifted her head, her expression distant yet determined.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I thought I could be the one... but I can't."

Lee took a deep breath, trying to steady his own emotions. "You don't have to be perfect," he said softly. "No one expects you to be. We all have our own struggles. It's not the failure that defines us—it's how we rise from it."

Sagittarius's eyes softened for a moment, but the pain never fully left her. She nodded slowly, though she said nothing more.

For now, it seemed, the weight of the past would have to be carried in silence. But Lee knew that they would continue—together—until she was ready to face what came next.