Into the Darkness (A Demon Slayer Fanfiction)

Chapter 31: Shadows of the Past

Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim all the rights to 鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba | Demon Slayer; all rights are reserved to its respective creator, Koyoharu Gotōge. This is purely a work of fiction; names, characters, businesses, events, localities, and occurrences are all extrapolated from the author's writings and imagination or utilized in a fictitious manner. As such, any direct or indirect references to actual entities, dead or alive, or events do not, in any shape or form, resemble the opinions of the author.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"..." = Dialogue

'...' = Internal monologues

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A large crowd of people had congregated near the pier.

The sheer amount of people was almost disorientating; seldom could an individual even visually detect the port in the first place due to the aforementioned horde occluding their line of sight.

The incessant chatter and jabbering also prevented one from conversing with their neighbor at a standard volume.

Nevertheless, despite these inconveniences, there was a feeling of elation and excitement in the air.

For, soldiers and sailors previously deemed "Missing in Action (MIA)" from the relatively recent conflict against China were returning home.

And for a particular Tomioka family of two—Tsutako and Giyuu—they were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their father, a naval officer who had yet to return home four years later.

The younger brother's emotions were purely born out of curiosity as to what his acclaimed father was like, as he had neither seen nor ever met this esteemed man.

The elder sister, however, was awashed with a whirlwind of sentiments: she was excited, deathly nervous, and relieved all at once.

Finally, after years of waiting, her dear Papa was coming back home.

Tsutako, whose palm was gently gripping a four-year-old Giyuu's hand, was inching left and right whilst she raised her head at different angles—searching for her father.

"Is Papa going to be here?" a young Giyuu asked innocently.

Tsutako then looked down to her brother, "One hundred percent, he'll definitely be here!"

In spite of her purported optimism, Tsutako—deep inside—was afraid that it might all be for naught; her father might not show up. After all, not all MIA troops are guaranteed to be alive, much less return home safe and sound.

But she could not afford to lose hope. She had been waiting for so long, longer than one could possibly endure under similar circumstances.

Waiting for her family to be reunited, even if only partially.

She continued perusing the crowd, hoping to find the face of the man she always looked up to, always spoke highly of, and always loved.

But, alas, she had no luck.

The passage of time was ever so slowly in these critical moments, yet nearly an hour had gone by and she still hadn't found what she was looking for.