Risa//Rebirth
Risa//Rebirth
In-universe date: Era Nova, September--October, Year 2
Real-world date: 20 August 2026
Author: Seras
My memory around this time gets foggy, and I only remember who Risa was in fragments.
The same day that I broke out of the cocoon, she asked me to describe my dream to her. She went down to the basement and looked through stacks of books until she found one covered in strange symbols.
After a few moments, she said,
"Seras. You can be Seras. It means both falling and drowning, and for the life of me I can't figure out which one you are."
"What does that mean?"
She fluttered small wings behind her, almost concealed behind her shoulders. They were pale grey, with black spots across them from left to right.
"It mean's that we're one of the same. You're an Icari, Seras, and so am I. My name means burning. To be an Icari means that you've died."
After that, my memories get stranger. I didn't even remember my reaction to what she said, just the weeks following.
Risa seemed more like a presence than a person. She existed in the darkest corners of every room, slinking away when I tried to speak to her.
It was around this time that I grew wings, just like her.
Early in the morning, I felt my back explode in red hot agony. Before I could even scream, she was there. It was then that I could properly see her wings, inky black and tattered.
When the bleeding stopped, she was curled up in the corner of the room, hiding her wings again.
When she spoke, her voice was only a hoarse whisper.
"I don't know how to stop it, Seras."