Death Paradox 💥BAKUDEKU💥

The Emperor

Part 2

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Katsuki

Chapter 10

Katsuki woke with a start, his breath coming in ragged, frantic bursts as if he'd just been yanked from drowning. The rush of air filled his lungs, too sharp, too raw, like he hadn't tasted it in ages. His eyes shot open, wide, wild, darting in every direction but seeing nothing but the faint outline of a cavern around him.

What the hell—?

His chest heaved, the sound of his heart pounding in his ears louder than anything else. He could still feel the sensation of something slicing through him—right there, at his throat—the phantom pain so vivid it almost sent him scrambling for the wound. His hands jerked up instinctively, fingers brushing against his neck, seeking the jagged tear, the slick warmth of blood that should've been there.

But nothing. Just smooth skin.

Katsuki's breath hitched. His throat was fine. Unharmed.

"What the..."

He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the air to slow, but the pounding in his head wouldn't let up. Bits and pieces—fragments of memory—rushed at him. His neck had been slit. Clean. Quick. The kind of cut meant to finish someone off. He'd felt it, hadn't he? Felt it all slipping away, the light fading, immediate darkness creeping in.

Katsuki tried to steady his breath, hands still gripping his neck, feeling the smooth skin beneath his fingers. It didn't make sense. He should've been dead. No he did die.

His mind raced, piecing together the disjointed fragments. There had been...something. No, someone. Deku. That damn nerd. Always him.

The forest. The Beast's Forest.

Katsuki growled under his breath, memories flooding back with brutal clarity. He'd been pissed, beyond pissed. After that fight in Deku's room, he swore he was done with his mess. He'd said it clear as day—he didn't care. Didn't care about Deku's stress, his excuses, or the stupid riddle they were tangled in. It wasn't his problem. He'd meant every word, hadn't he?

But then the idiot had gotten caught, panicked and had run off. Bolted like the reckless fucking fool he was, right into the Beast's Forest. Alone.

Katsuki remembered when their eyes had met for the briefest of moments. Izuku hadn't looked at him like they were in it together. He hadn't even looked at him like he wanted help. No, he had looked at Katsuki like... like he knew. Like he understood that Katsuki wasn't part of this anymore. That he wasn't going to swoop in and save the day.

Izuku's gaze had been raw, exposed. A silent plea for something—anything—but it wasn't Katsuki's problem. And Izuku knew that. He knew it deep down.

But somehow... somehow, that had pissed Katsuki off more than anything.

Even now, as he lay in the darkness, the memory of Izuku's desperate, broken expression twisted something inside Katsuki's chest. He ground his teeth together, the anger boiling up again, just like it had in that hallway. How dare that damn nerd run off like that. How dare he look at Katsuki like that, like he was already lost and alone.

Katsuki had sworn he was done with Izuku's mess. He'd said it right to his face. "Not my problem." But when Izuku had looked at him with those haunted eyes, Katsuki felt like a caged animal desperate to tear free.

It had taken Katsuki four long, agonizing hours to slip out of the dorms. The entire school had been put on lockdown after Izuku's escape, alarms still occasionally blaring across the campus. Teachers and security personnel were patrolling every inch of U.A., their eyes sharp and their presence constant. Katsuki had been forced to wait—forced to stay put while his entire body buzzed with frustration.