Next chapter is on the ninth of September.
A moment later a cone of light is emitted from the gem on Mokona's head and Fai is faced with the dimension witch staring directly at him, impassive.
She waits a moment then speaks evenly.
"Mokona, I need to speak with Fai-san alone. Would you sleep while transmitting?" The witch asks, more a statement than a question.
"Okay." The small creature agrees, slumping a little in Fai's hands immediately.
Fai feels a bitter smile cover his face. That hasn't changed and there's relief that spreads through him. He continues to pet the sleeping Mokona
"I doubt there is a way to come back from this." Fai says, grimacing at the too-high pitch of his voice, "You know that I would have chosen death over this. I still will choose death over this." He says honestly.
"There are ways." The witch corrects, expression unchanging at Fai's promise.
"If you regain your left eye you can use the magic in it to reverse the changes." She says.
Fai feels a small amount of hope well inside him which he immediately crushes.
He doesn't reply so they sit there again in silence, watching each other.
"About Kurogane-san…" Yuuko says.
Fai cuts her off quickly.
"We've talked. I said 'Good morning, Kurogane-san.'." The mage says, smiling insipidly, his one remaining eye closing.
The witch again pauses before replying.
"Is that your answer?" She asks.
Fai pauses, slumping a little.
"At first I had planned to call him by his name like with Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan and Mokona-chan but it was… Fun. It was much more fun to annoy him with those nicknames." The magician says, "I doubt anyone had given him a nickname before." He says, fingers still smoothing over Mokona's fur.
"It was so fun that I didn't realise that I was stepping over the line I had drawn for myself." He says with a grin.
"That's why I will not forgive him for forcing me to live. If I forgive him we might become close again." Fai confirms, smile unmoving.
Yuuko blinks slowly.
"The things which have happened did not happen because you two had spent time together." She says evenly.
"Even so." The mage starts, looking down at Mokona in his lap, "I don't want to make people unhappy. Those words that I said to Ashura-ou. I will not let them be a lie."
Fai does not look up but if her did he would have seen the flicker of pain that goes over the witch's face as she says his name.
"There's one thing you should remember." She says, once again impassive as he looks up at her.
"To everyone in your group you are no longer someone who can pass through their lives and be forgotten. You are important to them. Your suffering is their suffering too." Yuuko states.
Fai swallows, looking down again.
He doesn't say anything for a long while.