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Kazanora part 2 · The Monster Catcher's Journal

0:37
Hello Travelers and Monster Catchers abound.
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I'm Stelliferous and you've crash landed on
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the Monster Catchers journal podcast. Today we
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will be doing a continuation of last week's episode.
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Last week we talked about Kozunora. This week
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we're going to talk about how I was able to put
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Kozunora's soul back together after it had been
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fragmented. I never thought I'd find it there.
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The final and largest fragment of Kazunora's
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soul sealed away inside an enormous white sake
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jar buried deep beneath the old shrine ruins.
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Its porcelain body was cracked and veined with
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moss like time itself had tried to forget it,
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but the moment I brushed the dust from its rim,
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a warmth pulsed within me, faint but familiar,
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like Kazunora's breath against the glass of memory.
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I set the jar before me, lighting the soul candles
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around it, one for what was lost, one for what
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remained, and one for what could still be saved,
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the air thick, trembling with the sound, like
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wind moving through hollow bones. The shards
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of Casanora's spirit I had gathered over the
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last few weeks began to stir in their pouches,
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rattling against the wooden table, I whispered
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the invocation of reweaving, the same one I'd
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once used to mend the heart of a drowned wisp.
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By bone, by breath, by echoes gleam, return,
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old soul, from broken dream, mend what time could
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not erase, and take again your rightful place.
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The sake jar shuddered. White mist poured out,
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filling the air with the scent of plum and ash.
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Fragments rose, circling like firelight, and
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fireflies, made of memory. They merged slowly,
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painfully, into the swirling center above the
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jar. For a moment I saw Casanora's face take
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shape, ghostly and sorrowful, eyes glowing faint
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blue, but then cracks, spidered across the air.
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And the jar screamed. I steadied my hands, the
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last piece, the one I had kept close to my heart
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since the start, was still in my pocket, the
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smallest and yet the most stubborn, the memory
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of Kazunora's first laugh. I pressed it to my
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chest, whispered, You're not going, Kos. You
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never were. Then I placed it inside the mist.
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Like light exploded outward, blowing the candles
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out. When the glow faded, Kazunora was there.
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kneeling on the ground whole again. Its mask
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gleamed like polished ivory, and its spirit threads
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woven soft through the air like ribbons of smoke.
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Kazunori looked at me and spoke, voice quiet
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but clear. You found me, Monster Catcher. Even
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when I couldn't find myself, I smiled, tears
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cutting through the dust on my face. Welcome
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home, old friend. Outside the wind shifted, the
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shrine's bells chimed on their own, and somewhere
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in the dark the spirits that had once tormented
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this place finally fell. The place was no more
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a trap conceded by the evacuation. We both fell
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silent for a minute, and for a long while neither
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of us really spoke. The still air shimmered faintly
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from the ritual. Dust motes drifted through the
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pale light like tiny little spirits, unsure whether
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to rest or watch. Kazunori's forearm pulsed faintly,
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not entirely solid yet, but whole enough to breathe
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again. I reached out a hand slow and gentle so
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I wouldn't startle it. Kazunori said quietly,
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You don't have to wander anymore, come home with
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me." His glowing eyes blinked, soft blue fading
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into gold for a moment. Surprise, maybe? Then
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his head tilted, mask creaking like old porcelain.
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Home, it echoed. Voice like the wind in a hollow
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reed. I remember that word. You'll remember more,
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I promised. Bit by bit, we can start with something
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simple. I still have some glow tea back at the
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sanctuary. I told Kazunora. Kazunora's head tilted
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again, the one that hums when you stir it. That
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made me laugh, a real laugh, for the first time
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in a while. No, that's not the one. But it's
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okay, you'll remember. I packed the remaining
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candles and tucked the cracked sake jar into
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my satchel. It had served its purpose and deserved
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a place of honor now. When I turned back, Kazunora
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was waiting at the edge of the shrine steps,
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faint light curled around its shoulders like
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morning mist. The walk home was quiet, just the
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sound of leaves brushing and the faint hum of
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energy that followed in Kazunora's wake. When
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we reached the cab - or the - sorry, I was about
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to say cabin, but it's not a cabin, it's a -
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pyramid sanctuary house. But anyways, my pyramid
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sanctuary house, I lit the lanterns, soft orange
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against the blue of night, and set the kettle
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over the fire. The tea glowed gently in our cups,
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golden green, pulsing with that same rhythm as
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a heartbeat. Kazunora held the cup delicately,
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steam curling around its mask. It's warm, it
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said, almost in wonder. It always was, I replied.
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We sat there for a long time, saying nothing
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more. Outside the forest was calm. The other
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monsters, my companions, kept their distance.
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Sensing something sacred in there, Kazunora was
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home. Night settled in over my sanctuary house.
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The windows casting starlight like spilled silver.
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Gozanora sat across from me, finishing the last
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of the glow tea. Its porcelain mask caught the
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firelight, soft, gold reflections flickering
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across the cracks. The other monsters lingered
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at the edge of the room. Luma Pup's ears twitched
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nervously. Shadow Claw slinked closer to the
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shadows than usual, and Reaper Fish floated just
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above the floor. Eyes glinting like tiny moons.
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None of them had ever seen Kazunoro whole before.
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Even Orobeek watched from my shoulder. Kazunoro
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noticed them, too. Its voice was quiet, hesitant.
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They watched me. They're curious, I said, reaching
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out to rest a hand on the table, and a little
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cautious. And a little cautious. You've been
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gone a long time. They just want to make sure
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you're okay." Casanora's mask tilted, a gesture
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almost like a shrug. I think I am for now. It
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was the first time I'd heard it say, for now.
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The words trembled on its lips, or maybe in its
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voice itself, like a note held too long in the
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wind. I realized the pieces of its soul. that
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had been returned were still fragile, still cautious
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of the world. I suggested we try something gentle.
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Want to see your room? I ask. I've kept it heat
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-ready, just in case you ever came back. Cosinor
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hesitated, then followed its steps for careful,
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each footfall quiet on the wooden floor. When
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we reached the small room, I opened the curtains,
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moonlight spilled across the bed, and the little
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shelf I'd set up with tiny trinkets, soft glowing
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stones, and a few of its favorite objects I'd
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found along the way. Casanova's eyes softened.
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You remembered, it whispered. Of course I said,
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I never forget. It climbed onto the bed and curled
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slightly, porcelain hands wrapped around itself
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as if it could hold together all its fragments
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with its own warmth. The other monster stayed
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just outside the doorway watching quietly, almost
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reverent. Even Shadowclaw settled on the floor,
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its tails curling around itself, sensing the
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gravity of the moment. I sat by the bed and offered
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my hand. Kazunora rested one fragile glowing
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finger against mine. For a long while, we simply
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sat there, letting the quiet wrap around us like
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a soft cloak. I feel like I could sleep, Kazunora
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finally said. Then sleep, I whispered. Tomorrow
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we'll figure out everything else. Tonight, just
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rest. You're home now. And for the first time
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since its soul had shattered, Casanora's glow
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softened, steady and gentle like the slow pulse
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of a living star finally at peace. Outside, the
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wind whispered through the trees, and somewhere
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deep in the forest, the night monsters hummed
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softly, as if welcoming it back. I woke before
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dawn to the faint hum of Casanora's glow, soft
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and steady in the dim light. I had just poured
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a fresh cup of glow tea when there was a sharp
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knock at the door. So hard it made the walls
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vibrate. Stella Ferris? My mother's voice snapped
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through the wood. Open this door now! My heart
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jumped. I didn't expect anyone, certainly not
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them, not here. I hesitated, then opened the
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door to find both my parents standing on the
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porch, their faces tight with anger. They weren't
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smiling, weren't the gentle caretakers I knew.
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Their eyes were hard, stormy. Mom? Dad?" I said
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cautiously. What's wrong? My father's voice was
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low and dangerous. Do you have any idea what
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you've brought into this house? I glanced behind
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me at Kazunora, who had sensed the tension immediately.
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The glyphs glowed dim slightly, and it shrank
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back, curling near the far corner. I swallowed.
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Kazunora is—he's—she's—I stumbled. She's my friend.
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I found her. I put her soul back together. My
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mother's face darkened and she stepped closer.
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Stella Ferris, that friend is no ordinary monster.
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He, she is your sister. I froze. My sister? That
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didn't make sense. I had no older sister. What
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were they, what were they talking about? What
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are you talking about? I whispered, voice trembling.
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My father's jaw tightened. Years ago, she was
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turned into a glyph. Her memory was wiped, her
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soul scattered into fragments. We've searched
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for her ever since that day. She, Kazunora, was
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never meant to be found by anyone, least of all
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you. Kazunora tilted his head as if it understood
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the words, even if it couldn't fully grasp them.
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Soft glow flickered, a pulse of confusion and
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fear. You brought her into your home," my mother
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continued, her voice sharp with worry. You've
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made her vulnerable. You don't know what it means
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to touch the soul of a glyph. You don't know
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the dangers. I shook my head, panic rising. I
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didn't know. I didn't. She's been hurt. But she's
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alive, her soul, her memory, she needed me. My
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father's eyes softened just a fraction. Stella
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Ferris, we know you meant well. But this isn't
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a child's game. Kazunori, your sister, could
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be heard again. The forces that made her a glyph
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are still out there, and now they'll know she's
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been found. Kazunori's glow shivered, almost
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like a heartbeat shuddering. Then it lifted its
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mask slightly and whispered, voice fragile. Sister?
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The word hung in the air like a spell. My chest
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tightened. I had spent weeks caring for it, watching
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it struggle to peace. itself back together, and
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now I understood why. Some of the flickers in
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its memory had felt familiar, like home, like
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family. I knelt in front of Kazunora. Yes, you're
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my sister, and I don't care what anyone says.
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You're staying with me. You're home now. My parents
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exchanged a tense glance. My mother sighed softer
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this time, though worry still etched her features.
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If you're going to keep her here, Stella Ferris,
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then we'll have to prepare. You must understand
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what this means. There are things you don't know,
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things you'll have to face together. Cosinora's
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glow steadied, pulsing stronger now, and it whispered
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again, together then. For the first time I saw
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its spirit, not as a broken down piece of a fragment,
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but as something that could fight, remember and
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live. My sister was back, and we had to face
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the storm that had hidden her for so long. After
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what felt like an eternity, my parents finally
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stepped inside. My mother's hands shook slightly
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as she clasped them together, and my father's
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eyes stayed fixed on Kazunora. My sister, glowing
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faintly in the corner, said my father said voice
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heavy. There are things you need to know, things
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about her, about all of this. I obeyed, heart
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hammering, Kazunora stayed close, almost instinctively
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pressing a hand, or what passed for a hand, against
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mine, its glow pulsed, small but steady. My mother
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took a deep breath. Before you were born, your
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sister, your older sister, was like you, a child
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of magic, of blood tied to the glyph line. But
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she was curious, brave and stubborn beyond measure.
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One day she discovered the wrong artifact, a
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relic meant to trap and fragment a soul. Cosinora
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tilted its head, slightly faint recognition flickering
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in its glow. It shattered her essence, my father
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continued. Her soul scattered into pieces, some
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were hidden by magic across this world, some
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were consumed by the glyph artifact itself. For
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memory was or her memory was wiped to protect
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her and to protect us. We tried everything to
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bring her back, but she became a glyph, an echo
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of herself. I felt tears prick my eyes, so all
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this time she's been trapped. Yes, my mother
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said softly, voice breaking, and the enemy that
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cursed her, the one who bound her soul, still
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exists. They are watching, waiting for a chance
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to finish what they started. That is why we are
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so angry by bringing her here. You've made her
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visible again, vulnerable. Casanova's glow flickered
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rapidly, pulsing with confusion, fear, and something
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else, memory. Its voice was barely audible. I
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remember fragments. Faces. Home. Those are your
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memories returning, I whispered. You're piecing
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yourself back together. You're alive. You're
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here. and will protect you, I promise. My father
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nodded, finally meeting my eyes. We will protect
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her. But this is only the beginning. Whoever
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cursed her will not rest. You need to be ready,
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Stella Faris, and she needs to learn to control
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the power inside her before they come for her
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again. I looked at Kazunora, whose glow had steadied
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warm, indetermined. I can't do it. I can't do
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this, it said. His voice wavered, but carried
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a new strength. I want to remember to fight with
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you. Then we start now, I said, together. We're
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not letting them take you again. Outside the
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wind howled like a warning, but inside the cabin,
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or, well, what I should say is my pyramid. shaped
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house, was quiet, filled only with the pulsing
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glow of a sister reclaimed, a family reunited,
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and the unspoken promise of battles yet to come.
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Even though Casanora was back with me, safe and
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whole, A shadow hung over us, my parents had
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explained the curse, the soul fragments, the
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enemy still out there. But there was one truth,
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they left me to process on my own, Cosinor would
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never be human again. The globe paused softly
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in my pyramid house that night. Almost mournful,
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I wanted to cry, to scream, to shake the world
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for being so cruel, but mostly I just sat there
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and held its hand. tracing the soft lines of
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porcelain and light. The next morning I couldn't
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help my anger boiled or bottled anymore. Or I
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couldn't keep my anger bottled anymore, not at
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my sister. Never her, but at Orion. He had known,
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he always knew, somehow he had known that Cosinora
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was more than a monster, more than a glyph. He
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had known that my sister... Was Kazunori and
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that she would never return to being human I
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stormed into his classroom without knocking the
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room froze students stared Orion looked up from
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his desk Calm as ever, but I didn't care about
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calm anymore Why didn't you tell me I demand
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it voice shaking? Why did you let me let her
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go through all the all of this without warning
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me you knew? Orion leaned back, expression unreadable.
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Stella Ferris, it wasn't my place. I had to make
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sure you were ready. That you could handle it,
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telling you too soon could have. Could have what?
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I snapped, stepping closer. Kept me from saving
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her? Kept me from finding her? She's my sister,
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Orion. My sister. And you. You just let me flounder
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in the dark while she... While she was broken.
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The classroom was silent except for the faint
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hum of energy. From Cosinor's glow that followed
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me everywhere, Orion's eyes softened slightly.
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"'I understand your anger,' he said quietly.
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"'But you've already done more than anyone else
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could have. You brought her back. You've given
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her a life she wouldn't have had otherwise. That
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matters more than what I will withheld.' I shook
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my head, tears threatening to spill. It still
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matters, Orion. I should have known. I should
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have had a chance to prepare. You could have
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trusted me." Orion sighed and finally stood,
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walking slowly towards me. Stella Ferris, sometimes
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even I have to weigh the cost of the truth. But
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I promise you this. Nothing I've done was meant
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to hurt you. Or you. We'll face this together.
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And I'll make sure you're never left in the dark
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again. I swallowed my frustration, but the anger
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didn't vanish completely. Not yet, Kazunora's
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soft glow seemed to pulse against my chest, like
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it knew I needed to be furious, that it was part
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of the process of accepting this new reality.
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I clenched my fist. Fine. But if I find out you
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ever keep something like this from me again,
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Orion, I won't forgive you so easily next time.
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weary smile. As calm and steady as always, I'll
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remember that. And just like that, the room settled.
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But inside me, a fire had been lit. One that
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would push me to protect Kazunora, to prepare
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for the battles ahead, and to never let anyone
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take my sister from me again. And that, my friends,
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is another episode. of the Monster Catchers Journal
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podcast. Thank you for listening.