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ₛᵢᵣₑₙ ｡✧∘˚˳°
A/N: [ SPOILER MANGA AHEAD]
"Hey. Wake up."
The voice stirred you from unconsciousness, and you groaned in protest, reluctant to rise. Tiny hands nudged you persistently, urging you to wake up. Your vision was still blurred, and as you tried to focus, all you could make out was darkness, an endless void stretching in every direction—except for one small figure beside you.
"Huh?" The word escaped your lips before you could fully process it, the coldness of your surroundings seeping into your bones despite the oppressive blackness. You squinted, forcing your eyes open wider, trying to bring clarity to the indistinct shape beside you.
"Thank goodness you're awake. I thought you were dead," the small figure said with a tiny voice, her words tinged with palpable relief. You blinked again, and as if by magic, the darkness that had enveloped you began to dissipate.
Suddenly, you were no longer in that pitch-black void. Your surroundings transformed in an instant, and you found yourself sitting upright on a rocky road, surrounded by a dense, verdant forest. The scene was almost surreal in its contrast to the battlefield you had left behind.
The air was fresh, carrying with it the earthy scent of leaves rustling gently in the wind. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the ground where you sat. 'I'm not on the battlefield?' you thought, your mind is struggling to reconcile the stark change in environment.
"Onee-san, are you okay?" The small voice drew your attention back to the figure beside you. It was a young girl, her eyes wide with concern as she looked up at you, her presence oddly reassuring in this unfamiliar setting.
You blinked in confusion, feeling an unusual lightness in your body. "I'm fine," you murmured, still trying to make sense of your surroundings. "Where am I?"
The small girl beside you, sitting on her toes, gazed at you with a mix of concern and curiosity. "This road leads to the village," she replied softly.
"Village?" you echoed, the word sounding foreign in your mouth as she nodded in confirmation. It was then that you noticed her appearance—her kimono was patched and dirty, especially around the hem. Her toes, exposed and calloused, suggested a life of hardship. Her white bobbed hair was disheveled, and her face bore the signs of neglect. She was clearly unkempt, her small frame bearing the signs of someone who had been left to fend for themselves. But what struck you most were her crystal blue, upturned eyes that looked strikingly similar to someone you knew.
Concerned, you asked gently, "Where are your parents?"
She stared at you for a moment, her gaze searching, before dropping her eyes to the ground, her expression turning sorrowful. "I... I don't have..." she whimpered, her voice trembling as she spoke.
