𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨.. [𝙠𝙣𝙮 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 ]

3.0

"Wouldn't it be amazing if we could deliver hope to everyone around the world ?"

In the dimly lit woods of the mountain, you found yourself standing in the heart of a moonlit forest. The trees loomed tall and ancient, their branches stretching toward the night sky like gnarled fingers. You were enveloped in a sense of eerie familiarity, as if you were seeing the world through someone else's eyes.

Your small, fragile hand reached up to touch a bandage wrapped around your head, and a distant pain throbbed beneath it. You could feel the weight of a head injury, a dull ache that seemed to belong to this other self you were inhabiting.

'Where am I?'

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal glow upon the surroundings. It was a source of comfort and guidance, just as your father had always told you. His words echoed in your mind, a soothing lullaby of protection, but they felt like distant echoes, barely reaching your consciousness.

In the distance, a tall and intimidating figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. His presence seemed to command the very essence of the night, but a mysterious fog obscured his features. You felt your heart race, but your emotions were distant, as if you were observing this scene from afar, caught between the realm of dreams and reality.

With a quivering voice, the other self-approached the mysterious man and stammered, "Mister, I'm lost... Can you help me find my mother and father? I want to go home."

The man turned his piercing gaze toward her, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. His voice, when he spoke, was oddly gentle, like a whisper in the night. Yet oddly, you didn't hear his words as his mouth moved, like he was muted.

You blinked, as if experiencing the moment through a haze of memories and nodded with wide eyes.

The man's expression softened ever so slightly, and a sense of amusement passed between them, as if he found the situation intriguing.

"Let's see how many more years you're able to live, Little One."

There it is again, the same words you heard in your mind. You didn't know this scene and the fog around your consciousness grew thicker.

'What do you mean?'

Your consciousness could only wonder as you felt yourself fading away from this dream-like memory, leaving behind a sense of longing and a lingering question in your heart, lost in the mysterious depths of the night.

'Just who are you, Mister?'

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.

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—BUTTERFLY MANSION—

My name is Kazuki, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, serving as a Kakushi in the clean-up crew. You might recognize me from the numerous encounters I've had with a particular girl. During the Hashira meeting, I was assigned to her, along with my co-member, Goto, who looked after her brother. I thought that meeting would be the last of our interactions, but to my dismay, it wasn't.