find solace (belong) [KNY/BNHA]

[13] questionable encounters (with the blue-eyed team)

After Charlotte had passed out from the attack, she had actually woken up a while later and dragged herself towards the front entrance.

If Nezuko lay with Rokuta on the icy ground, it meant that everyone else was already dead, bodies stiffening and retaining their positions due to rigour mortis.

In the end, it was clear that she had failed.

The two bodies lying on top of the bloody snow were proof of that.

Feeling as if she was about to cry, either from the immeasurable amount of pain or the guilt of not being able to save everyone despite knowing it would happen. She clutched her left stomach area and pressed tightly, frowning and grunting. I have to heal this up.

It was weird because Charlotte didn't remember the second attack being so excruciating.

The burning sensation of the injury stitching itself back together was enough to make her squint her eyes shut, and before she knew it, she had fallen unconscious again.

At least on the bright side, I know that I don't need to worry about dying. She thought dryly, her sight clouded and blurred.

I wonder if it will scar.

.

.

.

And here she was, lying against the wall of the house whose residents she failed to save. Tanjirou's heart-wrenching cries had awoken her, and she couldn't bring herself to intrude on the vulnerable moment. After all, if she had arrived earlier, the Kamados would have had a higher chance of escaping Muzan's pursuit.

She wanted to make a sound, any sound, to let the boy know that he wasn't the only living soul on that mountain. But her throat wouldn't listen to her and her mouth wouldn't move.

A small part of her mind told her that even if they escaped the house before Muzan arrived, the most powerful demon could still probably find them in the midst of all the wind and snow.

She let air into her lungs, inhaling to let out a pathetic wheeze, she sounded as if she'd been held in a chokehold for the past two hours. To be quite fair, with all the slashes on her body and her body being sapped of its energy, Charlotte wasn't able to confirm if she had blood seeping from her neck since her whole body was tingling, searing pain intensified through her quirk attempting to heal the wounds.

But sure enough, the small noise that Charlotte had forced out was more than enough to get Tanjirou's attention. She could feel his eyes burning into her with the heat of a thousand suns, trying to put together the situation. There was a moment of heavy silence before Tanjirou's started to screech indecipherable to Charlotte.

She winced at the sudden and loud exclamations. My ears are ringing.

Charlotte couldn't say that she didn't expect it though. She'd be more concerned if someone didn't scream their head off at a suspicious person right next to the house where you had just found your whole family bloodily beaten and killed. Tanjirou's immediate reaction was justifiable.

Everything burns. She let out a small whimper.

Charlotte struggled to turn and lift her head to face Tanjiro's general direction. Her bloodstained veil made it even more difficult to see Tanjirou's expressions, in addition to her watery eyes.

"Sorry..." Charlotte murmured quietly. If it wasn't for the fact that the moment Charlotte turned her head, Tanjirou stopped yelling for a split second, the apology would have gone unheard.

It took a single word to make Tanjirou fall silent, face still contorted in fury.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save your family," the figure in grey whispered, and Tanjirou reeled back, utterly caught off-guard. They were apologising?