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Chapter 6: Fading Embers

Sakura sat quietly in the living room, the warmth of the manor's soft lighting doing little to ease the awkward tension that hung in the air between her and Tomoyo. It had been a long day, and the weight of their unspoken feelings seemed to press down even harder in the stillness.

Tomoyo had gone quiet after their conversation, her usual brightness dimmed by the lingering discomfort of the past few days. The two girls sat side by side on the couch, though it felt as if there were miles between them.

Sakura opened her mouth, trying to think of something—anything—to say, but the words just wouldn't come. What could she even say?

Before the silence could stretch any further, Sonomi entered the room, her presence bringing a gentle relief to the tension. "Girls, why don't you two head to the kitchen and help make dinner tonight? It'll give you something to do. Besides, it's been too long since I've had you both cooking together."

Tomoyo shot her mother a grateful look, and Sakura managed a small smile. "Sure, Sonomi-san," Sakura said, a little too quickly.

As they moved into the kitchen, the air between them lightened slightly. It felt good to have something simple to focus on—chopping vegetables, boiling water, measuring ingredients. The easy rhythm of preparing dinner helped ease the awkwardness between them, and before long, the kitchen was filled with the quiet sound of their movements and soft conversation.

"Remember the last time we did this?" Tomoyo asked with a small smile, chopping carrots with precise strokes. "You burned the rice."

Sakura laughed, the sound a little more genuine than it had been earlier. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope. It was hilarious."

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully but didn't argue. It had been funny, in hindsight. She kept her hands busy, carefully stirring the pot in front of her, feeling a small weight lift from her chest as they fell into the easy, familiar banter.

But as the conversation drifted toward lighter topics, Sakura felt a strange sensation tugging at the back of her mind. It was faint, like a distant memory, something she couldn't quite grasp. Her hands hesitated over the spoon, her thoughts momentarily clouding.

She blinked, trying to shake the feeling. Her mind had wandered to Li, though she hadn't meant to think about him. The image of him standing in Hong Kong flashed in her mind—clearer than it had been in days. For a brief moment, she could almost see his face. Almost hear him calling her name.

"Sakura?"

Tomoyo's voice broke through the fog, and Sakura snapped back to the present. She looked up to find Tomoyo watching her with concern, her hands paused mid-chop.

"You okay?"

Sakura blinked again, nodding quickly. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just... zoned out, I guess."

Tomoyo didn't press, though her expression remained cautious. "You seem distracted," she said gently, returning to her task. "I've noticed it for a while."

Sakura forced a smile, trying to wave it off. "I'm just tired, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

But the uneasy feeling didn't leave her, even as they continued working in comfortable silence. Every so often, her mind would drift back to Li—his presence tugging at her thoughts. She didn't know why. She wasn't supposed to think about him, right?

As they finished preparing the last of the food, Tomoyo set the knife down and glanced at Sakura, her tone more serious now. "You know... you could use the Clow Cards to help, you know? To find him, I mean."

Sakura's hands froze.

For a brief moment, she opened her mouth to respond, but the words never came. She felt a strange fog settle over her thoughts, like something heavy pressing down, clouding her mind. Tomoyo's words sounded distant, as if they had come from far away.

Clow Cards. What about the Clow Cards?

She stood there in silence for a moment longer before the thought simply drifted away. Without even realizing it, Sakura turned back to the stove, picking up the spoon again as if nothing had happened.

Tomoyo watched her, concern deepening in her eyes. "Sakura...?"

"Hmm?" Sakura glanced back, her expression calm and unbothered. "What is it?"

For a moment, Tomoyo debated pressing further, but something stopped her. She gave a small, tight-lipped smile instead. "Nothing. Never mind."

--

Dinner passed quietly, the soft clinking of plates the only sound filling the room. Sonomi, ever the gracious host, kept up the conversation, but Sakura found herself drifting in and out of the words, her mind wandering back to that strange feeling.

Li.

Why did she keep thinking about him?

The thought was there, but it was vague now. Fuzzier than before. Like a dream she had already half-forgotten.

After dinner, Tomoyo and Sakura helped clean up, the simple task giving them both something to focus on. As they dried the last of the dishes, the unease from earlier returned.

Tomoyo stole a glance at Sakura, still preoccupied with the way her friend had gone silent earlier. Something about it didn't sit right with her. She had almost asked again—about Kero, about the Clow Cards—but something held her back.

As they finished cleaning, Sonomi excused herself for the night, leaving the two girls alone in the kitchen. The house grew quiet, the air between them thick with the weight of unspoken words.

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said softly, breaking the silence. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sakura looked up, blinking as if the question had pulled her from a distant thought. "Of course," she said with a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Tomoyo hesitated, her mind replaying the moment in the kitchen when she'd asked about the Clow Cards. The way Sakura had just... drifted off mid-thought. It wasn't like her. She was used to Sakura getting lost in her head, but this felt different.

"You just seemed... distant today," Tomoyo continued cautiously, drying her hands on the towel. "You zoned out a lot. Especially earlier when I asked you about..."

She trailed off, unsure if she should bring it up again. Sakura had seemed completely unaware of what she'd done, and Tomoyo wasn't sure if pressing the issue would help.

Sakura's expression didn't change. She shrugged lightly, dismissing the concern. "I've just been tired. It's been a long couple of days."

Tomoyo nodded, though she wasn't convinced. The uneasy feeling in her chest lingered, but she didn't push any further. Maybe Sakura was right. Maybe it was just fatigue.

They walked back into the living room, the soft glow of the lamps casting a warm light over the space. Tomoyo sat down on the couch, glancing over at Sakura as she settled in beside her. The silence between them wasn't as heavy as before, but the tension hadn't fully disappeared either.

Tomoyo picked up a magazine from the coffee table, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. She watched Sakura out of the corner of her eye, noticing the way her gaze seemed to drift again. She was present, but her thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

"Kero-chan would've loved that dinner," Tomoyo said casually, her voice light but her eyes studying Sakura's reaction carefully.

Sakura blinked, her brows knitting slightly as if the name didn't quite register. She opened her mouth to respond but hesitated, her expression shifting into something distant, almost blank.

"Kero...?" she repeated, her voice trailing off into nothing. Her brow furrowed deeper for a moment before she simply smiled and turned to look at Tomoyo, as if the conversation had never happened.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Sakura asked brightly, her tone cheerful and unaware.

Tomoyo's heart sank.

Sakura hadn't even realized she hadn't answered. She hadn't even acknowledged what Tomoyo had said.

Tomoyo forced a small smile, masking her concern. "I don't know," she replied softly. "We'll figure something out."

As they settled into the quiet evening routine, Tomoyo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

But for now, she would keep it to herself.