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Shadows of the Past

  The group found themselves resting at a peaceful inn in the outskirts of the dungeon town. As the morning sun bathed the cobbled streets in soft light, Elara and Garron chatted with Rinara over breakfast, laughing and comparing the scars and stories of their previous battles.

  Rinara, sipping on her tea, smiled. “You kids sure are something. I was already 15 when I took on my first dungeon. Now look at you three—barely twelve, and already B-rank.”

  Elara blushed. “Well… it’s mostly thanks to Kazuki. He’s scary strong.”

  Garron nodded, “Yeah, but don’t let that fool you. We’ve all worked hard. Even Elara here’s been blowing up monsters like popcorn.”

  They laughed again. Kazuki stood near the window, arms crossed, silent and distant. His eyes were sharp, scanning the horizon as if watching for something.

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  Rinara turned to him. “Kazuki, right? You’ve been quiet. Always like that?”

  “He’s just… focused,” Garron answered for him.

  Kazuki turned slightly, giving the faintest nod. “Rinara. You have a place to stay?”

  She raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. “No. I… haven’t figured that part out yet.”

  Without another word, Kazuki turned to the innkeeper and booked a room for her using his own funds. Rinara stared at him, surprised. Elara gave her a gentle smile. “He’s like that.”

  That night, the stars outside the window twinkled faintly. Kazuki sat alone in his room, the dagger resting in his hand. He stared at it, the reflection of his empty eyes glinting off the metal.

  He twirled it slowly, lost in thought—until it slipped, slicing his finger.

  Blood welled up. Instinctively, he cast Recovery.

  Light flared briefly, wrapping around his hand.

  And then—it hit him.

  A painful surge of memories. His body trembled. The dagger fell to the ground. The room spun. Screams, silence, screens, and darkness. Anime. Isolation. Cold hands. A status screen flashed before his eyes:

  [Curse: Memory Suppression] - Lifted

  Access to Previous Life: Restored

  Kazuki gasped faintly, clutching his chest. His breath steady, but his heart pounded like thunder.

  “...So that’s who I was.”

  But his expression remained unchanged—empty, calm, unreadable.

  Just one word escaped his lips, quiet and cold:

  “Finally.”

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