𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐒 𐑺 ֗ ִ ˖ kimetsu no yaiba

𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘 ╱ farewell

     "Why? Sayuri... why did you let us die?" Michi Fukunaga's bleeding body latches onto the ankle of a now twelve-year-old Sayuri. Two hands bury themselves into the girl's shoulders, making her head whip back to see Tetsuya clutching her from behind,

     "You failed to protect us. How will you ever save anybody else?"

     "I was scared! I... I didn't know," Sayuri pleads her throat raw, repeating the same excuse over and over. It seemed these zombie parents of hers could read her mind. Michi begins to stand up, blood splashing onto the ground from her gaping wounds as the small red roped demon in the corner slowly makes its way towards the family, yellow eyes hungrily soaking in the scene. Sayuri's mother rips the young girl's haori to the side to jab at the red spider lily imprinted into her skin,

     "You led that demon to us, you knew and convinced yourself you didn't! You're-"

     "Leave me alone! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry!"

     Sayuri wakes up. Sweat drips from her forehead and she wipes it to check it for any trace of the blood from the dream. Her chest heaves out each breath as anxiety and shame tore through her heart and pierced a million little holes she'd have to restitch once again. Panicked blue eyes stare at shaky hands before taking in the surroundings that always made her calm back down. 

     Urokodaki's cottage was her new home, it had been for two months now. She could see the elder man sleeping soundly with Giyuu and Sabito a few feet away from him. Their bodies shifted ever so slightly and the hardly audible snoring was a clear indication of life, one that Sayuri was always relieved to notice. This wasn't enough to keep the dream away, even if she'd convinced herself every night that she fell asleep with a former hashira in the vicinity. Giyuu and Sabito were both strong as well, far more than Sayuri herself.

     "Sayuri! You need to sleep more, your eyes are all swollen and glazed!" Sabito fussed three weeks ago after keeping careful watch over his friend's declining state. Currently, he had sat across from her on the porch while Giyuu fetched ice to rest upon her forehead. She had just returned from trying to defeat her sensei whilst wielding a sword. To put it simply, Urokodaki returned an hour before she could limp back, and was completely unscathed. 

     "I'm getting more sleep than I used to," Sayuri offers a weak excuse to ease his worries, but it causes the opposite effect. Sabito shakes his head ignorantly,

     "It doesn't matter if it's gotten better than before. You need to bounce back at 100%, at least, if you want to still partake in Final Selection."