もののけ | monster | soshiro hoshina (Kaiju No. 8)

じゅうに | twelve

もののけ | kaiju | monster

12

3 weeks later...

Soshiro

WHERE AM I? EVERYTHING IS DARK. It's an endless sea of darkness stretching around me, swallowing any trace of light. I turn frantically, searching for anything—a sign, a clue—but there's nothing. Panic tightens my chest as I realize I have no idea where I am or what's happening. Suddenly, a dripping sound pierces the silence. I look down, and my eyes widen in horror. My hands are covered in blood, fresh and dripping.

I breathe heavily, my mind racing. How did this happen? Whose blood is this? I hear a voice then, soft but unmistakable. "Soshiro..."

It's Kiyomi's...

My heart skips a beat, and I spin around, calling out her name. "Kiyomi? Where are you?!"

But there's no one. Just the darkness, pressing in from all sides. Whispers begin to echo, surrounding me. They're faint at first, but they grow louder, more insistent. "It's all your fault, Soshiro. Your fault..."

The words cut through me like a knife, relentless and cruel. They repeat over and over, like a broken record. I clamp my hands over my ears, desperate to block out the sound, but it's no use. The whispers are inside my head, and they won't stop.

"Your fault...It's all your fault..."

"No!" I scream, my voice raw with anguish. "I'm sorry, Kiyomi! I'm so sorry!"

But the darkness offers no mercy. The whispers continue, their tone harsh and accusing. I sink to my knees, the weight of guilt and despair crushing me. I see her face in my mind, her eyes full of life and warmth, now gone forever.

"Yes, it's my fault," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. "I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry, Kiyomi..."

The blood on my hands feels hotter, heavier, as if her life is draining away from me again and again. The whispers swell, a chorus of condemnation.

"You failed her, Soshiro. You let her die..."

I can't escape it. Every time I close my eyes, I see her lying there, lifeless. Her hand, once so warm and loving, now cold and still. I clutch my head, trying to drown out the voices, but they only grow louder.

The pain is unbearable. I want to tear my ears off, to stop hearing her voice twisted into this torment. But even in this endless darkness, I know the truth. I failed her. I wasn't strong enough. The blood on my hands is a testament to my failure.

"Forgive me," I plead, my voice breaking. "Forgive me, Kiyomi..."

But there's no answer. Only the whispers, the darkness, and the suffocating guilt. I'm trapped in this nightmare, a prisoner of my own mind. The weight of my failure presses down on me, crushing my spirit.