◇prologue◇

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Sometimes you must descend into deep blackness, instead of being surrounded by brilliant white, to realize you are truly trapped. This realization can strip you of so much and change you forever. Often, it’s dark and leads to a seemingly pointless end. It doesn’t matter whether you are strong or weak, at the end of your path, you cannot escape your fate.

But what remains when you fight against something that, in reality, doesn’t even exist? Something that has no solution? Because deep down, you know that as a person, you can never find this solution. What will you do?

The answer is simple. You're looking for someone who isn't cursed, someone who can find the solution.

♡♡♡

"What are you doing on the ground?" The voice cuts through the silence, and I hate how it startles me

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"What are you doing on the ground?" The voice cuts through the silence, and I hate how it startles me. I don’t even know how long I've been here, staring into nothing. Hours? Minutes? I’ve lost track.

"What does it look like?" I respond, my voice dripping with forced nonchalance. "I’m admiring the ground. Figured it deserves some attention too."

A chuckle. Light, mocking, almost affectionate. "Is that so?" His face appears in my line of sight, his eyebrow quirking up in that way that drives me crazy. "Liar. You’re just too lazy to get up."

This bastard.

"Are you testing my patience right now?" I snap, feeling my irritation bubble up. "You’re so annoying."

"So, you really are in a bad mood. Did something happen?"

Something? Everything happened. But I can’t say that. The words stick in my throat, turning into a bitter murmur. "No. Nothing happened."

But he’s still looking at me with that familiar gaze, the one that sees too much, knows too much. It cuts right through the walls I keep trying to put up, walls that are now crumbling faster than I can rebuild them.

"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you." Slowly, I sit up, feeling the weight of my own exhaustion pressing down on me. Meeting his eyes, I try to hold onto a shred of calm, but I know he can see the cracks beneath.

"Mikey" I say, my voice steady. "I’m leaving you." The silence that follows is thick and unbreakable.

---

But what happens when the one meant to save you from your fate decides to leave? The answer, once again, is simple.

Your meaningless end will turn into a living hell.

The Insanity of Tokyo's Shadows | Manjiro SanoWhere stories live. Discover now