boketto || t. kamado

thirty-nine

TW; Heavy depictions of gore, trauma, death, abuse, and overall a terrible time. Just very sad and rough.

"Why did you wake up?"

The demon on the car ahead asked Tanjiro, as he braced himself on top of the train car in the strong wind. Trees and scenery whisked past in a flurry but he was too focused on the demon ahead of him to care.

Black, pink-tipped hair with blue accents on the longer pieces and a tidy tuxedo. Awfully well-dressed for a demon. The creature asked, "Didn't I show you a sweet dream? I could've shown you a dream where your family was being slaughtered. Would you have liked that one better?"

Tanjiro just watched them carefully, hand on his sword and ready to pounce. But the demon just kept monologuing, "No, of course not. Too distressing, right?"

The young boy was unamused, shifting his stance.

"All right, next..." The demon continued, uncaring and calm about the situation but daring to say, "Why don't I show you a dream where your father comes back to life?"

It made Tanjiro's blood boil. Just the mere thought of it and the fact that this demon was using everyone's memories and ideals against them. He was leading them all into false senses of happiness and comfort, just to kill them in the end. What a cruel fate. And an awful smell he had.

He drew his sword, and angrily shouted, "Don't you dare intrude on my soul! I won't let you get away with this!"

The demon just seemed to smile, cruel and uncaring. He tilted his head to the side and gestured his arms out in a wide movement, before monologuing, "My favorite part is giving people nightmares before I devour them. The look on their face is beautiful. Have you ever seen someone with that kind of face?"

Tanjiro bared his teeth, gritting them and already preparing his first breathing technique; Tenth Form - Constant Flux.

The demon said, "I'd love to see it on that girl. Shall we try?"

Tanjiro launched himself forward before he could even think - only anger was present in his mind as he gave the first slash of his sword against the creature.

"Tanjiro," I called gently as I glanced into the kitchen. He glanced back towards me at my voice, having been making tea with Nezuko on the other side of the table. Her pale eyes flickered up towards me and she gave a gentle smile - both siblings were just unnaturally kind, weren't they?

I asked him, "Have you seen my book? I haven't been able to find it."

He hummed, hand on his chin in thought before offering, "Have you asked Ahmya? I know she's been reading your books lately."

A low hum was my answer, and he gave a chuckle as I disappeared and went searching around the house once again. After the troubles of the day, all I wanted was to sit with my book and enjoy the mindless words, basking myself in its story and plot. I was trying not to think too much about the boy that I swear burst into flames or the weird memory gap I held. Everything was so calm and peaceful, and I didn't want my own paranoia to ruin that. Especially when I had worked so hard to have this peace.

I called my sister's name in the abode but was met with silence. Each step of mine echoed in the halls as I made my rounds, peeking into any room I could think she might be in. But there was nothing. And when I returned back to the kitchen, Nezuko and Tanjiro had seemingly disappeared as well.

My brow furrowed and I glanced out of the nearest window. The sky was dark - oddly so, without any stars or moon. It made everything nearly pitch black outside of my home.