Iris | T. Giyuu

-001.

❝ I'd like to know you, but I don't
want to.❞

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Eight years had passed since that day, but it was as if the memories were etched into Y/n's mind, impossible to forget. She sat next to a waterfall she'd found deep in the forest, her knees pulled to her chest, eyes gazing at the dark colors of the night sky. The stars shining brightly, surrounded by a dark blue and black hue, reminding her of something she tried to suppress every day—his eyes.

Giyuu's eyes. Those deep blue eyes that once filled her world with a strange sense of calm. She closed her eyes and leaned back against a tree, letting her mind wander, unwillingly, to the day that had changed everything.

It had been the day of the Final Selection. A day meant to test the strength and courage of those who wished to become Demon Slayers. Y/n had gone in with her two best friends, Giyuu and Sabito, ready to face whatever horrors waited for them on that mountain. The three of them had trained relentlessly under their master, each step closer to the Selection bringing more intense determination and, secretly, fear.

But together, they felt invincible. Sabito was always smiling, his optimism contagious, while Giyuu was silent and brooding, his presence calming. And Y/n... well, Y/n had found happiness in their company, in their shared journey.

Yet, nothing could have prepared them for what that night would bring.

The demons on the mountain were unlike anything they had faced before. Merciless and filled with hatred for the humans who dared challenge them. Y/n could still remember the sound of claws scraping against stone, the weight of exhaustion pulling at her limbs, and the scent of blood in the air—Sabito's blood.

It happened so fast. One moment Sabito had been fighting beside them, and the next, the demon killed him. Y/n had screamed, rushing toward him with her blade drawn, but it was too late. Sabito was gone, his life ended in an instant. Her world had slowed to a painful crawl, Giyuu's cry echoing in her ears as she watched the demon laugh evilly, tearing away everything they had fought for.

In the chaos, something snapped in Y/n. A surge of adrenaline took over her senses, and before she knew it, she was running. She didn't know where, didn't care. The only thing that mattered was escaping. Surviving.

Somewhere in the haze, she remembered looking back, only to see Giyuu still fighting, blood trailing down his face. And then... nothing. Darkness consumed her as a demon struck her down, and everything went black.

When she woke up, it was morning, the mountain scarily quiet. The Final Selection was over. Y/n dragged herself through the forest, her body aching, her heart shattered. She searched for Giyuu, but there was no sign of him anywhere. She called out for him, her voice desperate, but there was no answer.

That's when the thought struck her: He's dead.

Giyuu was dead, just like Sabito. She was the only one left, and the weight of that realization crushed her. The world spun, and in a moment of grief, she ran. She ran and didn't stop until her legs gave out.

Y/n couldn't face the world without Giyuu. She couldn't return to their master and explain how they had all failed. She couldn't bear the thought of living with the knowledge that everyone she cared about was gone. So she disappeared, hiding herself away in the mountains, far from the pain, far from the memories that haunted her every step.

Now, eight years later, the pain hadn't gone away. If anything, it had only grown stronger. She missed him. She missed them both. Sabito's smile, the way he always knew how to lighten the mood. And Giyuu... oh, Giyuu.

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back tears as the memory of his eyes came back once again. His eyes, so deep and sorrowful, yet filled with an unspoken warmth. Y/n had always found comfort in them, a sense of security that no one else could provide.

She wished she could see them one last time. Just once more.

The night was growing colder, the silence more oppressive. Y/n pulled her haori tighter around her shoulders, her breath visible in the cool air. She hadn't seen a soul in days, and some, she wondered if she even existed to anyone anymore. Perhaps the world had forgotten her, just as she had tried to forget it.

But forgetting Giyuu was impossible. He was always there, just out of reach, haunting her dreams, her thoughts, her very being. Sometimes she imagined what life would have been like if things had gone differently. If she had found him alive that day. If they had both survived.

They could have fought together, side by side. Maybe even laughed, though Giyuu wasn't much for laughter. They could have kept Sabito's memory alive, honoring him with every demon they slayed.

But now there was only
emptiness.

The wind rustled the trees, and Y/n stood, wiping at her eyes. She didn't cry often. She had promised herself that tears were for the weak, and she had to be strong, for Giyuu's sake. But tonight, the sadness felt unbearable, the weight of eight long years pressing down on her heart.

As she turned to head back inside, a small part of her—buried deep—wondered if Giyuu could have survived. It was a foolish thought, one she had entertained before. If he had lived, surely he would have come looking for her, wouldn't he?

Still, Y/n couldn't help but remember those eyes once more—his eyes—and how much she missed them.

But no. He was gone....

except, he wasn't.