After the Strategium

  I left the Strategium with a faint headache.

  The hallways of Helix Academy were quieter at this hour, but my mind wasn’t.

  Every time something happens, it turns into an incident.

  I rubbed the back of my neck.

  Truly the greatest academy.

  Just as I stepped outside the hall, my phone vibrated.

  A reminder notification appeared on the screen.

  Reminder: Tomorrow — Remembrance Day of Mom and Dad

  I stared at the message.

  For a moment I didn’t move.

  Should I go… or not?

  Silence lingered in the empty corridor.

  Then I sighed.

  “…I should go.”

  I slipped the phone back into my pocket.

  At least the least I can do for this body.

  But a problem immediately appeared.

  How does this even work?

  Where should I go?

  What should I bring?

  What do people even do on a Remembrance Day?

  I exhaled slowly.

  “Book.”

  The familiar voice answered instantly.

  “Yes.”

  “Where is the Kai family memorial site?”

  A short pause.

  Then the book replied.

  “The Kai Family Memorial Site is located at Luminara Memorial Grounds, Eastern District of Helix City.”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Good.”

  Then another question came to mind.

  “What should I bring for a Remembrance Day visit?”

  The book answered in its neutral tone.

  “Common offerings include flowers, incense, candles, and the favorite foods or items of the deceased.”

  I frowned slightly.

  “…Favorite foods?”

  The book continued.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Visitors may also bring written messages, personal items, or simply offer prayers in remembrance.”

  Another pause.

  “What is the standard procedure?”

  The book answered immediately.

  “Standard memorial observance typically includes:

  Cleaning the memorial stone.

  Placing flowers or incense.

  Offering a moment of silence or prayer.

  Reflecting on memories of the deceased.”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Understood.”

  Then I asked one more question.

  “What flowers are commonly used?”

  “White lilies and white chrysanthemums are traditionally used to express remembrance and respect.”

  I exhaled.

  “Well.”

  “That settles it.”

  I turned toward the academy gates.

  “I should buy everything in advance…”

  “…before Ada’s training.”

  The Next Morning

  I woke earlier than usual.

  For once, I skipped my morning routine.

  Training can wait.

  Remembrance Day could not.

  I dressed quickly and left the dormitory.

  Helix City was still quiet in the early morning.

  Shops were only beginning to open, and the streets carried the calm atmosphere of a city not fully awake.

  After purchasing flowers and incense, I headed toward the eastern district.

  Eventually the stone gates of Luminara Memorial Grounds came into view.

  The cemetery was vast.

  Rows of white memorial stones stretched across gentle hills, surrounded by tall trees and quiet pathways.

  The air carried a peaceful silence.

  I opened my phone and checked the notes I had copied from the Book.

  “Location of Kai family memorial… section D7.”

  I walked along the paths, checking the stone markers until I found the correct section.

  Then I stopped.

  Someone was already there.

  A girl stood in front of the memorial stone.

  She looked to be in her early twenties.

  Long dark hair fell down her back, and she wore simple black clothing. Her posture was calm, but there was something distant in the way she stood there.

  I recognized her immediately.

  From the contact photo saved in my phone.

  Liora Kai.

  This body’s older sister.

  I slowed my steps.

  …How should I greet her?

  I had never met her before.

  At least not as myself.

  So I stayed silent.

  Liora finished placing flowers at the memorial stone.

  She lit a small stick of incense and bowed her head briefly.

  Then she turned.

  Her eyes landed on me.

  Recognition appeared instantly.

  But instead of greeting me…

  She simply ignored me.

  She packed her things into her bag and stood up.

  Her gaze briefly dropped toward my bag.

  The bag was slightly transparent.

  The flowers inside were clearly visible.

  Her expression hardened.

  “There’s nothing here that Mom or Dad liked.”

  Her voice was calm.

  But cold.

  “You don’t have to come here just for formalities.”

  She picked up her bag.

  “That’s just disrespectful.”

  She paused for a moment.

  Then added quietly,

  “Maybe you would care… if they were your real parents.”

  The words hit harder than I expected.

  But before I could respond—

  She had already turned away.

  She walked down the path without looking back.

  I stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened.

  “…So this body was an orphan too.”

  I sighed softly.

  “Book.”

  “Yes.”

  “Who are the real parents of this body?”

  The answer came immediately.

  “Ether proficiency is not sufficient to access this information.”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Of course.”

  I turned toward the memorial stone.

  For the first time, I looked carefully at the names engraved there.

  Elias Kai

  Marina Kai

  The letters were carved cleanly into the white stone.

  For a moment, I simply stood there.

  Then I followed the instructions.

  I cleaned the memorial stone.

  Placed the flowers in front of it.

  Lit the incense.

  Thin smoke rose slowly into the quiet morning air.

  I remained silent.

  I didn’t know what memories this body had with them.

  But as I stood there…

  Something strange happened.

  My vision blurred slightly.

  A drop of water fell onto the stone.

  I blinked.

  Another followed.

  Tears.

  “…What?”

  I wiped my face quickly.

  But the tears didn’t stop.

  More followed.

  And then more.

  My breathing became uneven.

  Why…

  I tried to stop it.

  But my chest tightened.

  A quiet sob escaped my throat before I could stop it.

  I covered my eyes with one hand.

  I didn’t know if the grief belonged to me…

  or to the original owner of this body.

  But it didn’t matter.

  The emotion poured out like a flood that had been waiting too long.

  For several minutes I stood there, shoulders shaking slightly as the tears continued to fall.

  Then gradually…

  The storm passed.

  My breathing steadied.

  The tears stopped.

  I wiped my face slowly.

  And then I noticed something.

  My chest felt lighter.

  Like a weight I hadn’t known was there had finally disappeared.

  “…Strange.”

  I looked at the memorial stone one last time.

  Then I bowed my head slightly.

  After a few more seconds, I packed my things and left the cemetery.

  As I walked back toward the academy, a quiet thought crossed my mind.

  Maybe I made things worse…

  Between this body and his sister.

  I exhaled slowly.

  And continued walking back toward Helix Academy.