the way of the eclipse

maybe in the next life

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, the acrid scent of blood and the distant echoes of battle surrounding me like a suffocating fog. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat more desperate than the last. Time seemed to stretch and warp around me, turning seconds into agonizing hours as I fled through the chaos, the remnants of our once-hopeful world crumbling beneath my feet.

Blood—so much blood—painted the ground in gruesome strokes, a testament to the countless lives lost in this final stand against the Demon King. The air was thick with the sounds of clashing swords, desperate cries, and the unrelenting roar of demonic laughter. It was an apocalypse, a battlefield where hope had withered away.

Finally, I broke free from the suffocating ruins, stumbling into the open where the final confrontation was taking place. My breath caught in my throat as I witnessed the sheer destruction unfolding before me. Yuzu, her once radiant hair now dull and streaked with dirt and blood, fought valiantly among the carnage. She was fierce, determined, but the exhaustion was evident in her every movement. The sun, still hidden beneath the horizon, denied us the one weapon we needed most.

And then I saw it—a tentacle, with spikes on it hurtling toward Yuzu with deadly precision. My body moved on instinct, driven by a singular, overwhelming need to protect her. Without thinking, without hesitation, I threw myself in front of her. The impact was immediate and devastating. A searing pain tore through me as the tentacle sliced through my arm, severing it in one brutal strike. I barely had time to register Yuzu's scream—"TSUKI!"—before another slash opened my skull, the world tilting as my brain was exposed to the cool night air.

I hit the ground with a sickening thud, the force of the fall jarring my senses. I tried to move, but the pain was too much. If I moved, I would lose more blood. So I lay there, my body paralyzed by the agony, as the battle raged on around me. Time lost all meaning as I drifted in and out of consciousness, my vision fading in and out like a flickering candle.

When I finally stirred, the first rays of dawn were breaking through the darkness, painting the sky with hues of gold and pink. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my broken body, but it brought no comfort. Yuzu was suddenly there, cradling me in her arms, her tears falling like rain onto my bloodied face.

"Oh, Tsuki..." she sobbed, her voice breaking with grief. Her hands, trembling and cold, brushed the hair from my face, revealing the extent of my injuries. I tried to smile, to reassure her, but the pain was too great. I could feel my life slipping away with each shallow breath.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it out of this with you... and I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill that promise."

Yuzu's grip tightened on me, her tears flowing freely as she shook her head in denial. "TSUKUYOMI, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" she screamed, her voice filled with raw, uncontainable despair.

But it was too late. The black dots in my vision grew larger, swallowing the light, until there was nothing left but darkness. My last thought was of Yuzu, of the promise I had made to her, and the unbearable sadness of leaving her behind. And then... there was nothing.

---

When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the world of the living. The battlefield, the pain, Yuzu—they were all gone, replaced by an endless expanse of darkness. I stood alone in this void, the silence pressing in on me from all sides.

But then, something began to emerge from the darkness. On one side of me, not too far away, was a glowing area, a light that seemed to beckon me forward. On the other side, standing amidst the shadows, was Luna, my sister. Her presence was both comforting and sorrowful, a reminder of the bond we had shared in life.