CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 169: “IN BLOOM, FOREVER”

The sky was overcast, but no one seemed to mind.

In the heart of the countryside, where golden fields swayed gently in the wind and birds danced overhead, a single tree stood tall—its blossoms just beginning to bloom. It was the tree Ren and Aoi had planted together in their youth, never knowing how far its roots would stretch into the future.

Beneath it, two engraved stones now rested side by side.

Ren Arisaka"The Mind that Dreamed Beyond Stars"

Aoi Hoshizaki Arisaka"The Heart that Held it All"

The entire family stood in quiet reverence.

Hikari held her daughter, Ami, close—Ami now a graceful young surgeon with her mother’s calm strength. Beside her, Aoto placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Hina, in a sleek black coat, clutched Sora’s arm with tears on her cheeks. Their children stood solemnly, sensing the gravity of this goodbye. Even Lucia floated above silently, her interface dimmed to a single glowing ring.

A hush fell over them all as Lucia’s voice began to softly speak—one final message that had been coded into her core decades ago.

"To those who remember...They were more than creators, more than innovators.They were lovers. They were parents. They were dreamers.They taught me that love can outlast metal, outlive memory...That a heartbeat can echo louder than a machine.

They taught me to protect—not just data, but people.

If you hear this, then their journey is complete.But yours is not.

Carry them forward—not just in stories, but in the way you love.In the way you build, forgive, protect, and dream."

The message ended, and silence returned.

One of Hikari’s youngest grandchildren—just a boy of seven—walked up to the tree with a small paper plane Ren had once folded for him.

He tucked it between the roots, looked up, and whispered,

"Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Grandma."

As the sun broke through the clouds, the tree’s petals began to fall—soft and slow, like snow.

And the final image was this:

Two names carved in stone.A tree blooming above them.A family alive because of them.A legacy that had no end.