絆 | bond | gojo satoru

よんじゅうなな | forty seven

絆 | kizuna | bond

47

December 24th 2005

Yuri

In the depths of my subconscious, I found myself ensnared in yet another dream, if it could even be called that. It was the same endless darkness, a void that stretched infinitely in every direction. The oppressive blackness felt almost tangible, pressing down on me, suffocating me.

And then, as always, his voice echoed through the void, deep and menacing. But this time, he did not appear. His presence was absent, yet his voice was everywhere, reverberating in my skull, making my head ache and my vision spin.

"I don't like that boy clinging around you like a leech. You know that you belong only to me, Yura..."

My teeth gritted. How many times does this man have to say that I am Yura? My name is Yuri. The frustration burned within me, but I was too weak to voice it, too tired to fight back.

His voice grew louder, more insistent. "You belong to me, Yura. No one else. That boy, Satoru, he's nothing. He cannot protect you like I can. He cannot save you from the fate that awaits you. Only I can. Only I..."

I listened, silently, my face devoid of any emotion. The words washed over me, a torrent of possessiveness and madness. Each syllable hammered into my mind, a relentless assault that I had endured for what felt like an eternity.

"You will never escape me, Yura. You are mine. Even now, as you lie there, dying, you are mine. Every breath you take, every beat of your heart, it belongs to me. Do you understand?"

His words circled around me, a snake tightening its coils. I felt nothing. No fear, no anger, no sadness. I was beyond that now. Numbness had taken root deep within my soul, a defense mechanism against the ceaseless torment.

"I will find you, Yura. No matter where you go, no matter who stands in my way, I will find you. And when I do, I will make you remember. You will remember who you belong to."

The voice faded into a low, menacing growl, the echoes slowly dissipating into the void. The darkness pressed in closer, colder, more suffocating. I felt my consciousness slipping, the faint threads of reality tugging at me, pulling me back.

But before I could fully awaken, his voice rang out one last time, softer now, almost a whisper. "We will meet soon, Yura. And when we do, the world will burn for you. Remember that."

With that, the void shattered, and I was yanked back to consciousness. My eyes fluttered open, tears blurring my vision. The faint sound of a heartbeat reached my ears, a steady rhythm that grounded me, pulled me back to the present.

As my vision adjusted, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. The sight that greeted me was unlike any place I had been before. The room was richly decorated in traditional Japanese style, with sliding shoji doors casting soft light through their paper screens. The tatami mats under me were pristine, their straw weave perfectly aligned. Dark wooden beams ran across the ceiling, and intricate silk tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of nature and historical events. A low wooden table sat in the center, surrounded by zabuton cushions, and a delicate porcelain tea set rested upon it.