Beyond the Veil | Yuji

8

┏━°⌜ 呪術廻戦 ⌟°━┓
CHAPTER 8
CHOCOLATE
┗━°⌜ 呪術廻戦 ⌟°━┛

Shock is the only thing I can feel right now. My surroundings are blurry and indistinct as I struggle to process everything. The sterile smell of antiseptic fills my nostrils, and the beeping of a heart monitor is the only sound breaking the silence. My body aches all over, every movement a painful reminder of the fight. But it's not the physical pain that's overwhelming me—it's the emotional shock.

Imagine waking up after fainting only to find out there was a war and you didn't know about it because no one bothered to tell you.

Nanami sits in front of me, his usually stoic face etched with a sadness as he recounts the declaration of war from Geto.

My mind struggles to catch up with his words. "A war?" I echo, disbelief lacing my voice. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Nanami's expression darkens slightly. "We didn't want to burden you with additional worries. The situation was dire, and we needed every available sorcerer here."

Anger and worry churn inside me, a tumultuous storm. "So that's why everyone was occupied," I mutter, more to myself than to Nanami. My fists clench in the sheets, the betrayal and fear threatening to overwhelm me. "Why didn't you tell me?" I demand, louder this time. "I had a right to know."

Nanami's gaze softens, and he reaches out to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We were trying to protect you, Rei. The higher ups wanted you to fight a high-level curse. Adding the stress of knowing about the war might have put you in more danger."

I shake my head, tears of frustration welling up in my eyes. "I could have helped. I should have been here."

Nanami sighs, his expression pained. "I know how you feel, but you need to understand that we were making decisions in the heat of the moment. We couldn't risk losing you too."

I look down, my anger simmering into a painful ache in my chest. "And Megumi?" I ask quietly. "Did he know?"

Nanami shakes his head. "He found out after you returned from the mission. He was as surprised as you are now."

The pieces start to fit together, and a deep sense of helplessness settles over me. I should have been here, fighting alongside the people I know. Instead, I was battling a curse, oblivious to the larger war raging around me.

Nanami leans forward, his expression earnest. "Rei, you helped more than you realize. Because of you, people are safe now. Your mission was crucial. You and Megumi saved lives yesterday."

I nod slowly, understanding his words but still feeling the weight of my absence. "Thank you," I say softly.

He gives me a small, reassuring smile. "We'll get through this, Rei. Just like we got through everything else. Together."

As he leaves the room, I lie still in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. The room is quiet, save for the occasional beep of the heart monitor. The door creaks open, and Shoko walks in, clipboard in hand. She gives me a once-over, her eyes sharp and assessing.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, her voice calm and professional as she starts the routine checkup.

I force a smile, not wanting to worry her. "I'm fine," I reply, the lie slipping out easily.

She narrows her eyes, clearly not buying it. "You don't have to lie to me, Reina," she says, setting the clipboard aside and crossing her arms.

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "I really am fine," I insist, though my body aches with every movement.