"You son of a-!"

My daughter - no, it can't be...

"Who are you?"

I asked the person in front of me. I don't know why, but I know she isn't my daughter. I know, because…!

I woke up from the dream in cold sweat, gasping for air. Looking around the room, I desperately tried to force the image out of my head. Not her. Not again. This recurring nightmare of mine that has never let up. It was much more vivid today, more so than ever before. Still reeling from the dream, I stumbled over to the toilet. As I splashed water onto my face, I looked into the mirror. I can barely recognise myself anymore.

Miyamizu Toshiki spent another minute trying to wash away his memories before giving up. His nightmare wouldn't end, he was foolish to believe it would simply go away. Deciding to return to bed, he paused in front of the window. It was still dark, but he could barely make out the first rays of light making its slow approach towards the horizon.

As he watched the sun make its appearance, his focus wavered, and immediately his nightmares returned in force. This time, he saw, 8 years ago, the destruction of Itomori. Toshiki only remembered that when the meteor struck the Miyamizu Family Shrine, he had abandoned all pretense and flung himself in front of his estranged family to shield them from the blast. By the sheerest of coincidences the school was right outside the blast zone, and thus the villagers managed to avoid the brunt of the impact, but the aftershock knocked just about everyone down as the blast wave tore through Itomori. He could barely make out Yotsuha's screaming, Mitsuha's words of encouragement and Hitoha's prayer before the noise caught up and drowned the terrified screams of the villagers in an single enveloping roar. He hadn't realised at first, but he had been holding on to Mitsuha, Yotsuha and Hitoha tighter than he ever had in his life, praying to every god he ever knew. Only after the dust had settled was he willing to loosen his grip on his family. The last time he ever held someone that tight was right when she was at death's door, and even then he did not see her through. He wasn't about to lose another. He couldn't.

Drying his face as he returned to his room, Toshiki looked up to see that the sun had already started to bring the town to life - His hometown he left so many years ago to chase down a fleeting dream in Itomori. The very place his life found and lost all meaning. Shaking his head, he forced the thoughts away once again. I have moved on. He returned to his bed and decided to try for one last attempt at sleep.

"Who are you?"

Mitsuha simply left the room without another word when he uttered those lines. The look on her face was one of utter shock, much like mine. In one exchange, she had resurfaced memories he had long lost. Bits and pieces of a life he once had, free of any concerns in Itomori. These memories contradicted his own, yet fit right in as if they were his. Overcome by the flood of disjointed memories, he barely had time to collect his thoughts when the power was cut off and an anonymous broadcast began calling for a city-state wide evacuation to Itomori High School. Only then did the memories vanish as quickly as they appeared, never to return except as nightmares that plagued him.

The next 20 minutes were utter pandemonium. Finally, someone managed to locate the source of the hoax broadcast, and had it shut down. Allowing himself the luxury to relax a little, he was about to make an all clear announcement when Yotsuha and Hitoha barged in and demanded to know what was going on. He barely had them seated when she - Mitsuha - returned.

"Not you again..." My voice faltered.

She had a look in her eyes that I knew I couldn't bear to meet, a look I know all too well. The same pair of eyes that led to towards Itomori. The same look that kept me in Itomori. Her eyes. Eyes that saw past everything, eyes would forever see more than I can ever hope to do so with my own. The same pair of eyes I fell in love with.

The eyes of the Miyamizu Clan. The eyes of my beloved Futaba.

Mitsuha had simply told me to look outside at the meteor. As she claimed, the comet was really splitting in half. In fact, it had already began entering the atmosphere.

"Believe me!" said Futaba.

I turned to her in disbelief.

"Believe me, Father!" Mitsuha exclaimed again.

In 20 minutes I had the entire town gathered at Itomori High School. Within the next 20 minutes the meteor struck.

The memory of the meteor and of his wife was enough to shock Toshiki out of bed a second time.

20 years, and I'm still no closer to accepting her passing then I was back then.

I have failed her in every way possible. I neglected our children. I abandoned her life's work. I failed to honor her family. I let her hometown die, and along with it, the thousand year heritage of the Miyamizu Clan. I am a failure as a husband, father and mayor. The only good thing I ever did was to listen to my daughter and order the evacuation of the village on that fateful day.

At that very moment, the doorbell rang.

Toshiki took a moment to compose himself before answering. It was the delivery man, carrying a letter sealed the stamp of the government - an official letter. Odd, nobody should know that I'm here on vacation, except Yotsuha. The youngest Miyamizu had always maintained a cordial relationship with her father. More than I deserved, he mused as he opened the letter.

Toshiki quickly returned to his room and considered the contents of the letter. 8 years of constant bureaucratic white tape has finally paid off. He has finally reached the end of his journey.

Toshiki wasted no time in packing his belongings. Clothes, documents, chargers. I came here for a vacation, he thought to himself, but it looks like I packed for a business trip instead. As he finished packing all his belongings, Toshiki reached for his most treasured possession, an unassuming small ceramic bottle, still sealed. He tenderly wrapped the bottle in a cloth to protect it during the long journey back, and placed it in his bag surrounded by more clothes to further protect it. It was more than a simple ornament, it was Futaba's final gift to him, made many years ago when he joked that he was jealous of the gods. The memory made him smile, despite himself. She was so embarrassed when she gave him the bottle, and when he pretended to take a drink right there and then she outright exploded at him.

The combined memories were enough to convince him. No more running away. No more denying it.

Walking out of the house, Toshiki gazed upon the hometown he left in pursuit of Futaba a lifetime ago. He had found no solace here, as it had always been for the past 8 years. Itomori was his home, and it will always be. It was going to be a long trip to Tokyo, Toshiki thought as he brought the engine to life. There were too many things to do, calls to make, clients to meet. But more than anything else, Toshiki wanted one thing he knew he could only find in Itomori.

"Call Teshi- ... No, call Hitoha." His phone immediately put the call through as he planned a route towards Tokyo.

More than anything else, he wanted a second chance.