Raishid Senpai knelt in the rubble of Ashna San's lair, his hands pressed against Mirasaurus's scorched scales. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the ash and blood that coated her hide. The once-grand mansion lay in ruins around them, its spires reduced to shattered stone, its gardens smoldering. But none of that mattered now.
"Mira… I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I didn't know… I didn't remember…"
Mirasaurus let out a weak rumble, her golden eyes softening as she nuzzled his palm. Her breath came in labored gasps, each exhale sending a trickle of blood pooling beneath her jaw.
Raishid Senpai's mind raced. Fragments of memories flooded back—nights under the stars with Mira, her laughter, the way she'd always tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. And then, the haze: Ashna San's violet eyes, her honeyed lies, the way his love for Mira had been siphoned away like poison from a wound.
"This is all my fault," he choked out, pressing his forehead to hers. "I let her control me… I hurt you…"
Mirasaurus growled softly, a sound that might have been a laugh in another life. You were never at fault, Raishid Senpai. It was never your choice.
But words failed her. Her vision darkened at the edges, and her massive body shuddered.
Raishid Senpai straightened suddenly, his tear-streaked face alight with desperation. "There has to be a way to save you! The curse—it's tied to Ashna San's magic, right? Now that she's gone, maybe… maybe…"
He trailed off, his eyes widening. An old tale surfaced in his mind—a story Mira had once told him, back when they'd shared secrets under the moonlight. "True love's kiss can break any curse," she'd said, laughing as though it were a joke.
But it wasn't a joke now.
"Mira," he said urgently, cradling her snout in his hands. "What if… what if a kiss can break the curse?"
Mirasaurus's eyes flickered with recognition. She managed a faint nod, her tail twitching weakly.
Raishid Senpai didn't hesitate.
He pressed his lips to the rough scales above her nostrils—a human and a dinosaur, a moment as absurd as it was sacred. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. The wind howled through the ruins, and the distant sea crashed against the cliffs.
Then, light.
A golden glow erupted from where their lips met, spreading across Mirasaurus's body like wildfire. Her scales dissolved into shimmering dust, her claws retracted, and her massive frame shrank, bones reshaping with audible cracks. Raishid Senpai staggered back, shielding his eyes as the light intensified, burning away the remnants of Ashna San's darkness.
When the glare faded, Mira lay before him—human, whole, and naked but for the golden light that clung to her skin like a second dawn.
"Mira…?" Raishid Senpai whispered, his voice trembling.
She stirred, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she sat up. Her skin, once marred by scales, was smooth and unmarked. Her eyes—still golden, still hers—met his, and she smiled.
"Raishid Senpai," she said softly, as though relearning the sound of his name.
He collapsed to his knees and pulled her into his arms, his tears soaking into her hair. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Mira cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs brushing away his tears. "It wasn't your fault," she murmured. "You were never yours to blame."
They stayed like that for hours, clinging to each other as the sun climbed higher. The ruins of Ashna San's mansion softened into wildflowers, the jagged stones blanketed by ivy. The sea breeze carried away the stench of blood and magic, leaving only salt and blooming jasmine.
Finally, Raishid Senpai broke the silence. "What now?"
Mira leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Now… we live."