"O... Onii-sama..."
The words slipped from her lips, trembling with a mixture of surprise and disbelief, like a faint echo from a distant past. It felt as though countless lifetimes had passed since I last heard her address me with such affection. The name she called out was not just a name—it was a bridge to memories long buried, a connection to a bond that had once meant everything to us both. Her voice, raw and unguarded, revealed her true emotions before she could conceal them behind the facade she had built over the years.
She hadn't forgotten me. Even after all this time, even with my face obscured, my appearance altered, and my presence cloaked, she recognized me. The realization hit her like a shockwave, dispelling the threatening aura she had surrounded herself with. Her eyes, wide with astonishment, searched my hidden features as if trying to reconcile the figure before her with the boy she once knew. There weren't many who would call her by that name, especially now.
