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The sky over the Fire Temple was tinted with the last hues of twilight as darkness began to settle over the peaks. Liu Kang stood still, his fingers gently holding a blue mask as he traced every inch of it. The mask had once belonged to Princess Kitana.
If someone placed her mask next to the one Liu Kang had, they would appear identical in design. But over the years of visiting Outworld, Liu Kang had noticed subtle differences.
These differences extended beyond just the mask. There were small changes in Kitana's personality too, differences shaped by circumstance. After all, the Kitana he had loved and the Kitana of this timeline had grown up in vastly different environments.
The mask in his hands was the last physical reminder of her the Kitana he loved. It was something that kept him grounded. He loved his role as Earthrealm’s sacred protector, but there were moments when he wished he’d had more time with his Kitana. Time to enjoy the simple pleasures the universe always seemed to deny them.
To Liu Kang, this mask wasn’t just a mask. It was a piece of her, a part of the Kitana who no longer existed in this newly reshaped timeline, sculpted by his own hands.
In this new era, he was a god, and this new Kitana addressed him as such. Though he didn’t want her to. He longed for the connection they once had. He could have easily intertwined their fates again, but when he rewove the sands of time, he had decided that free will must stand central. Despite the destinies he forged for each of them, he had left them the ability to choose, within the bounds he had set.
And yet, it seemed clear that Kitana wouldn’t choose him. Perhaps, she never would. And that… was something he had come to accept. He was content, or so he told himself, to watch her find happiness with her mother and her sister. But deep down, he knew that wasn't the whole truth.
Rubbing the mask's silver lining, Liu Kang sighed and stood up. It was time to move on. After all, there was no way his Kitana would ever return to him. He placed the mask back on its display and slumped down onto his bed, wondering if and when the void in his heart would ever be filled.
Far away in Outworld, Kitana stood in her private chambers, her gaze fixed on the reflection staring back at her in the mirror. Tension was heavy in the air; the Mortal Kombat tournament would begin within a few Earthrealm months. Kitana didn’t mind the tournament itself, but the thought of seeing Liu Kang again unsettled her.
There was something about him that made her feel… uneasy. Every time they met, every time they spoke, their conversations seemed ordinary on the surface. But Kitana could never shake the feeling that something was off. At first, she assumed it was simply his concern for Earthrealm, but that didn’t seem right. Despite Outworld's best efforts, Liu Kang always had a champion ready to maintain Earthrealm’s dominance in the tournament, much to General Shao’s frustration.
His last visit to Outworld had been... enlightening. It had been a diplomatic trip, but during their talks, Liu Kang—the Fire God—had looked at her with a strange sadness in his eyes. And the way he spoke to her… it was as if they had known each other long before they had ever met.
"I still feel you, even though you're not there..."
Sometimes, Kitana felt as though there was a bond between them that ran deeper than even she could comprehend. It was as though he understood her better than anyone, even more than she understood herself.
She frowned at her reflection, her fingers brushing lightly over her face where her battle mask should have been. She hadn’t worn it in some time. Battle wasn’t necessary unless there was a tournament or a diplomatic mission. To Kitana, the mask was a symbol of her royal status, her duty, and her loyalty to her people. Yet, there were moments when she felt as though something was missing.
These moments rarely came, but they always surfaced in conversation with Liu Kang. She felt a strange sense of déjà vu—a feeling she didn’t hate, but one that bugged her, its origin elusive. Why did the god make her feel like that?
The last time she had seen him, there had been a flicker of sorrow in his eyes. A nostalgia that seemed to fill the space between them. It was as though he was mourning her, even though she stood right in front of him.
But it made no sense. She was right here! She wasn’t gone. And yet, something in her told her that his sadness was justified. Perhaps she reminded him of someone else? But that did not explain why she felt so strange around him.
She shook her head. Liu Kang was a god. It was likely he carried burdens beyond her understanding. His role as protector of Earthrealm must be as heavy as her mother’s duty in ruling Outworld. Still, she couldn't shake the nagging thought that their connection was special something that couldn’t be put into words.
"Still got it in my head, even though you're gone…"
Kitana turned from the mirror, her brows furrowed in thought. The next tournament was approaching, and there was no time to dwell on such feelings. Yet, even as she prepared herself for battle, the desire to understand their strange connection lingered.
What exactly was the history they shared? Was there something more? Perhaps in another time, another life, she had worn that mask for more than just battle. Perhaps, somewhere, she had shared something deeper with the Fire God.