The man with the mask (Part two)

"Don't worry, Dad," Kyoko said, forcing a reassuring smile. "She probably just needed time to think. She’ll be back soon—I know she will. She has to be."

But deep down, doubt gnawed at her. Days passed, and still, there was no sign of Aruna.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into months. A full year passed, yet Aruna never returned. Slowly, hope withered—until Kenji and Kyoko could no longer deny the possibility that she was gone forever.

Another year passed, and with it, any remaining hope. Aruna was gone, and they had to accept it.

Two years later, while cleaning the attic, Kyoko stumbled upon an old box tucked away in the far corner. Intrigued, she opened it to reveal a white mask, adorned with intricate, unfamiliar designs. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Who could it belong to—

"Kyoko!" her dad called from the front yard. "I need help with the gardening!"

"Coming, Dad!" She carefully placed the mask back in the box and rushed to assist, but her mind couldn't shake the question of who the mask might belong to.

A couple of weeks later, whispers began circulating about a mysterious masked figure who would appear at the front lines during battles, aiding the soldiers. Yet, just as quickly as he arrived, he would vanish without a trace.

He was rumored to be a master swordsman, incredibly agile, yet no one knew his identity. The only thing they saw was a black mask, decorated with strange, distinctive designs, hiding his face.

One morning, as Kyoko was taking a walk, she spotted a notice board with a poster pinned to it.

THE MYSTERIOUS MASKED MAN. WHO COULD HE BE?

The poster featured a painting of the very mask he always wore—

"Wait, haven’t I seen this somewhere?"