‘I’ll be waiting for you in the future,’ she whispered.

Akiko’s eyes widened.

‘I’ll be waiting, in 2006, fourteen years in your future. Come and see me, OK?’

Let her understand.

All she could say were a few words that she wasn’t sure would ever get through to her.

For several moments Akiko stood silently looking at Kokoro, who had turned her gaze forward. Her hand was still in Kokoro’s firm grip.

She nodded. ‘I think I understand.’

She was promising Kokoro she’d come to see her.

‘I was terrified, thinking the wolf was going to eat me. I’m never doing anything so stupid like that, ever again.’

And Akiko broke into a smile.

‘PEOPLE, TAKE CARE NOW!’

‘We will!’

‘See you.’

‘Bye.’

‘Goodbye!’

‘Take care!’

‘I hope we can see each other sometime.’

A chorus of voices in a fugue.

Akiko’s voice.

Kokoro.

Fuka.

Masamune.

Ureshino.

Rion.

Subaru.

Their figures merged into the mirrors as they embarked on their final passage.

Back to their own time, to their own reality.

THE RAINBOW-COLOURED LIGHT SPILLED INTO a kaleidoscope that bathed the floor of the grand foyer – then vanished.

Only the little girl in the wolf mask was still there.

She checked that the last vestige of glow had disappeared from each of the mirrors before turning slowly away.

Quietly, she drew in a deep breath.

It’s over, she thought in the silence.

After a few moments she heard: ‘Hi, sis.’

The voice made the girl in the Wolf Queen’s mask flinch. She turned towards the direction of the voice, to the mirrors where the glow had recently dissipated. Then she quickly looked away.

Rion Mizumori was standing tall in front of his mirror.

He’d been on his way home, but had turned back.

The Wolf Queen had her back to him. She pretended not to have heard.

But Rion wasn’t about to give up so easily.

‘Mio-chan. Say something.’

‘Go home.’ The Wolf Queen did not turn round. ‘I told you to go back. If you don’t go now, you’ll never be able to get home.’

She felt something would be destroyed if she looked round, so she gritted her teeth and stared at the grandfather clock at the top of the staircase.

Rion had no intention of going back.

‘I had my suspicions from the very first day.’

30 March.

‘The day the castle is due to close is the anniversary of your passing.’

HIS OLDER SISTER MIO HAD said, If I’m not here any more, I’ll hope for one single wish for you, Rion. I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with so much.

He remembered her gentleness.

I want the same as you – to walk to school together.