Burning Bright | Keigo Takami x Male Reader

Chapter 16

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It was pouring down rain as (M/N) stomped his way down the street towards his house. The street lights being the only thing illuminating his path in the dark. He took big breaths to try and rid himself of the tightening around his chest. His senses were overloaded as he replayed what had happened in his head. He couldn't age. The only way he could die was by being killed. Otherwise he would have to spend eternity shackled to this oath that now made him feel sick.

Being a Star Guardian.

He was sad, and lost, and furious. Furious at the First Star for not telling him this when he took the oath. Furious at Nemuri, Kyoka, and Denki, for hiding the truth from him. And he was furious at Keigo, who was the root of both those problems. (M/N) only took the oath because Keigo incentivised him to, painting it with shine. The others didn't tell (M/N) about this because Keigo told them not to. Keigo lied to his face, when he asked only for the truth.

Thunder filled (M/N)'s ears as he dragged himself through his front door using the spare key under the doormat. He stood there, dripping wet as his parents stared back at him in surprise. They were sitting at the dinner table, mid feast.

"(M/N)? What are you doing here? I thought you were spending the night at Keigo's," his mother said.

"Did you walk all the way home through that storm?" His father chimed in.

(M/N) looked at them. His parents. He would have to watch them die. And live on forever. The thought alone nearly made him throw up and he quickly made his way to his room, muttering quietly to them along the way. "It doesn't matter."

He collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

What have I done?

~

The next 2 months flew by. (M/N) basically shut down. He only did the bare minimum. Getting up, going to school, coming back home, going to sleep. It all blurred together in a meaningless cycle. He avoided the others like the plague. They mostly left him alone, anyway. Just a passing comment here or there.

"I'm sorry."

"(M/N) please, talk to us."

"I didn't mean for this to happen."

(M/N) didn't care. They filled his head with dreams. Told him to join them. It would be the journey of a lifetime. Except they forgot to mention the part where his lifetime never ends. Unless he gets killed in the fight. His parents would die, but he wouldn't. The world he knew would move on. Every person he had ever known would fade away and he would become like that Outer Guardian they met. A lost traveller who had no home and no family. It was either that or suicide.

Speaking of his parents, they became increasingly worried about him with each passing day. He didn't talk to them much, mostly spending his time in his room or in the forest. They told him they loved him. It was okay to be sad, but he needed to let them in again. They didn't understand, he assumed they thought he had a falling out with Keigo. But even then it wouldn't justify his behaviour. He couldn't very well tell them he would have to watch them die as he was dragged by a chain around the universe.

One night, (M/N) got up to go to the bathroom. He opened the door and was surprised to find himself not in his own hallway, but an unfamiliar one with patterns of green and purple splotches all over the walls. The floors had tiles alternating between black and white. He turned around but the door to his room was gone, just an empty corridor.

Am I dreaming? (M/N) instantly connected the colours to the checkerboard monster. Maybe it was finally done waiting.

He walked down the corridor and stumbled upon more openings. He chose at random which ones to go down, and he very quickly began to think he was stuck in a maze. Every single turn he took made him feel like he was going in circles. It was all the same, down to the tiniest detail on the walls. (M/N) sighed and crouched down, shielding his head in his arms. He was so sick of it all. Why was this happening to him? What did he do to deserve this?