The Last Bargain

Chapter XVIII: Cast Out

The world spun violently as Zento and Shin were flung from the chamber, tumbling through a vortex of light and shadow. It felt as if they were caught in a storm, buffeted by invisible winds that tore at their clothes and stung their skin. Zento tried to find his footing, to brace himself against the chaotic force, but there was nothing to hold onto, nothing solid or real.

He could hear Shin shouting, his voice lost in the roaring noise that filled their ears. "Raito! Raito!" But there was no response—only the cold, empty echo of their own cries.

Then, with a sudden jolt, they were thrust out of the void and hit solid ground, hard. The impact knocked the breath from Zento's lungs, and he rolled over, gasping, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The light and noise faded, replaced by an eerie stillness.

He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, wincing as pain shot through his side. They were back outside the temple, at the foot of the mountain. The sky overhead was dark, the sun hidden behind thick clouds, casting long shadows over the rocky terrain.

Zento blinked, disoriented. "What... what just happened?" he muttered, his voice raw.

Shin groaned beside him, struggling to his feet. His face was pale, his eyes wide with shock and anger. "We were... kicked out," he said, disbelief thick in his voice. "Yomi just... threw us out of their domain."

Zento clenched his fists, the realization settling in. "Raito... he chose to side with them," he said, his voice trembling with frustration. "He chose to go with Yomi."

Shin shook his head, his expression a mix of fury and hurt. "I can't believe it," he muttered. "After everything we've been through, he... he just turned on us."

Zento felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, but beneath it was a deep sense of betrayal and confusion. "He's not thinking straight," he said, trying to steady his voice. "Yomi got to him, preyed on his doubts... he's not himself."

Shin's hands were shaking, and he turned to Zento, his eyes burning with intensity. "Not himself? He made a choice, Zento! He turned his back on us! On everything we've been fighting for!"

Zento took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil inside him. "I know, Shin... I know. But we can't just give up on him. He's our friend... our ally. He's been through so much—losing his father, seeing nothing but lies his whole life. Yomi used that against him."

Shin let out a frustrated growl and kicked a loose rock, sending it skittering down the mountainside. "So what do we do now?" he asked, his voice taut with emotion. "Just wait here and hope he comes back to his senses?"

Zento looked up at the temple, now distant and unreachable. The thought of leaving Raito behind gnawed at him like a festering wound. "We can't go back," he admitted, frustration clear in his voice. "Yomi made sure of that. But we can't just stand here doing nothing. We need to figure out what's happening inside that temple, what Yomi's real plan is."

Shin nodded slowly, though his eyes were still clouded with anger. "And how do we do that, exactly? We're cut off. We've lost our way in... and we've lost Raito."

Zento closed his eyes for a moment, thinking hard. "We start by regrouping. We need to find out more about the gods, about their motives. Maybe there's someone, somewhere, who knows more... some record or story we haven't heard yet."

Shin sighed, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing. "You're right," he said, though his voice still held a note of bitterness. "We can't just sit here. We have to find a way to help him... to get him back."

Zento nodded. "We need to find others who have dealt with the gods, who might have information we don't. Other clans, maybe... or those outside the clans who have knowledge of the old ways."

Shin's face hardened. "But what if he doesn't want to be saved?" he asked quietly. "What if... he's convinced that Yomi is right?"

Zento hesitated. The thought had crossed his mind too, the fear that Raito might be too far gone, too wrapped up in his own pain and bitterness to ever come back. But he pushed that fear aside. "Then we find a way to show him he's wrong," he said firmly. "We find a way to prove that humanity isn't just a mistake. That there's more to us than what Yomi sees."

Shin nodded, but his expression remained troubled. "And if we can't?" he asked softly.

Zento looked him in the eyes, his voice steady and determined. "Then we keep trying," he replied. "No matter what."

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their new mission settling over them like a heavy cloak. The wind blew cold across the mountain, and Zento could feel the chill seeping into his bones. He turned his gaze back toward the temple, now a distant shadow against the stormy sky.

"Raito's strong," Zento said quietly, almost to himself. "He's one of the strongest people I know. He'll make it through... and we'll be there for him when he does."

Shin took a deep breath, his shoulders straightening. "You're right," he said, a spark of determination returning to his eyes. "We'll find a way. We'll find someone who knows more... and we'll bring him back."

Zento nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. "Let's start by heading down the mountain," he said. "There are people out there who can help us... people who know more about the gods than we do. We'll find them, and we'll get answers."

Shin agreed, and together they began to make their way down the mountain, their steps steady and purposeful. The path ahead was uncertain, filled with new dangers and unknowns, but they were resolved to face it.

They had lost Raito, but they had not lost hope. And they would do whatever it took to bring their friend back from the brink, to show him that there was still a future worth believing in.