The Prophecy

Logan stirred awake to the sound of Cecily’s voice beside him. “Wake up,” she said softly, a gentle smile gracing her lips. When he turned to look at her, she propped herself up on her elbow.

“Where were you?” she asked, her voice tender.

“Nagasaki,” he whispered, the words heavy with memories.

“That’s pretty far back,” she remarked, her gaze warm. He sat up, and she followed, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“You’re here,” he said, a mix of relief and disbelief.

“Of course I am,” she replied, her laughter soft and comforting.

“Can you stay?” he asked, cupping her face in his hands. She met his eyes but shook her head.

“I can’t. You know that,” she said softly.

“Cecily, I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

“I know,” she whispered in return.

“I’ll never hurt you or anyone ever again. I made a vow.” he said

“A solemn vow,” she said with a smile that hinted at something more.

“You’re making fun of me,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

She leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear. “Sooner or later, you will hurt someone again. You’re an animal. Remember?” Her laughter rang out, haunting and bittersweet.

“You can’t hide,” she said, her voice a soft echo as she disappeared from view. Logan jolted awake, his heart racing, the remnants of the dream clinging to him like a shadow.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Yashida's words echoed in Logan's mind, "Eternity can be a curse…"

"Interesting offer," a familiar voice murmured beside him. Logan turned to see Cecily lying next to him, her fingers lightly tracing his. "What are you waiting for? Why are you turning down the old man?" she asked, her voice softening. "I thought you wanted to be with me."

Logan smiled and said, "Come here." Cecily smiled back, moving closer and pressing her lips to his. He returned the kiss, but when he opened his eyes, it wasn't Cecily anymore—it was a blonde woman. Panic surged through him as he tried to push her off, but she clung to him, using some kind of poison against him before vanishing just as quickly as she appeared.

Struggling to breathe, Logan shot up in the bed, his claws extending instinctively, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath.
Logan heard commotion outside and quickly opened the doors, stepping into the chaos. Workers were in disarray, and he watched as the old man was taken away.

"He's dead," Yukio said solemnly.

"Well, I guess you won't need to consider that offer anymore," came a familiar voice. Logan turned to see Cecily at his side, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

"I didn't foresee it," Yukio added, drawing Logan's attention. He turned to look at her, the weight of her words sinking in. When he glanced back to where Cecily had been standing, she was gone.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Logan stood in the pouring rain, blood pouring from his wounds as he looked around, disoriented. "That's a lot of blood," he heard Cecily say. He looked up, seeing her standing there, her blonde hair drenched from the rain. He'd always liked her blonde.

"You said you were done being the hero," she reminded him, her voice soft yet firm.

"But these guys were... trying to kill her," he replied, his voice strained.

Cecily tilted her head slightly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Let it go. It’s not hard to die. Come to me."

Drawn to her, Logan took a step forward, but as he reached out, he walked right through her, her form dissipating like mist in the rain.

He staggered forward, each step more difficult than the last, until he reached a balcony, gasping for breath. "Logan," Cecily’s voice called out softly. He turned, finding her standing behind him, her expression concerned.

"You’re slipping," she warned, her words barely out before gunfire erupted, cutting through the air.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Logan lay next to Mariko, his gaze lingering on her peaceful face before he slowly sat up. “Did you get it out of your system, honey?” a familiar, taunting voice cut through the quiet. He looked around, spotting Cecily seated nearby, her legs crossed, her tone dripping with condescension.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block her out, even for a fleeting moment. When he opened them again, scanning the room, she seemed to have vanished. Relief barely had time to settle before her voice echoed again, this time right beside him. “Sorry, baby. Still here,” Cecily giggled, her presence inescapable.

She walked over to Mariko, gently running a strand of her hair through her fingers. "Poor girl. She has no idea who you really are... what you really are,” Cecily whispered in his ear, her breath cold against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

“But I did,” she continued, her tone darkening, her words laced with venom. “And I know this isn’t going to end well.” Her voice dropped, filled with a chilling certainty. “Everyone you love dies.”
As the last word left her lips, Logan’s senses kicked in—there was a man in armor, a sword gleaming in his grip. Logan quickly fought him off, but just as suddenly as he appeared, the man was gone, leaving Logan breathless and reeling in the silence.

Mariko stirred awake from the noise, her eyes immediately drawn to Logan's extended claws. Without hesitation, she reached out and grasped his hand, her grip steady. Logan instinctively pointed his claws at her before realizing who it was. Her hand remained unwavering.

"Kuzuri," she said softly, her eyes locking onto his. "Do you know what that means?"
He stared at her, silent.

"An animal," she continued. "A fierce creature with long claws and sharp teeth." Her fingers traced the length of his claws gently. "It fears nothing."
Mariko's voice softened as she continued. "When I was a girl, I had nightmares. I’d wake up and run to my parents. My father would get angry." She paused, then spoke in Japanese, “Go back to sleep. Face your fears,” she translated. "My grandfather was different. He told me stories about Kuzuri, his friend," she added, her fingers still tracing the claws. "A friend he met at the bottom of a well."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He said the Kuzuri was magical and saved his life. That Kuzuri would protect me, too, as I slept in my bed," she whispered.

Lifting her head slightly, she asked, "Who's Cecily?"

Logan looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Is she like you?" she asked, her voice gentle but probing. "What happened to her?"

"She died," Logan replied, his voice thick with guilt. "I got her killed. Along with the Kuzuri," he added, his gaze shifting away as he lay back down, the weight of his words heavy in the air.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Logan was drifting in and out of consciousness, the pain and exhaustion finally catching up to him. "Logan," he heard Cecily's voice whisper, faint and distant. "Logan," she repeated, a little louder this time.

He turned his head to see her lying next to him, a small smile playing on her lips. "You’re here," she said quietly, her voice tinged with relief.

"Of course," he replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"Can you stay?" she asked, hope flickering in her eyes.

"I can’t," he said softly.

Her smile faded, replaced by a look of sadness. "Yes, you can," she insisted, her voice trembling slightly. "This is what you wanted."

"Not anymore," Logan said, shaking his head.

Cecily looked down, her expression turning somber. "I’m all alone here," she whispered. "I was forced in here." Her eyes hardened as she looked back at him. "I didn’t have a choice."

"I’m sorry, Cecily," Logan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She held his gaze for a moment, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and sorrow, before she slowly rose from the bed.

"I love you, Cecily," he called out as she walked toward the door.

She paused, her hand on the doorframe, and turned to look back at him. A small, bittersweet smile appeared on her face. "I always will," Logan added, his voice cracking.

A small, bittersweet smile curved on her lips before she turned away, walking out of the room and out of his reach.