Death Paradox 💥BAKUDEKU💥

Chapter 8

Part 1
The Fool

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Chapter 8

It's been a week since the fight.

Izuku couldn't stop thinking about it. Every time he crossed paths with Katsuki, the weight of their unresolved argument settled like a stone in his chest. They hadn't said a word since the fight, neither of them bothering to speak to the other, and certainly neither one apologizing. Every time they crossed paths, a thick, uncomfortable air surrounded them, and neither seemed willing to break the cold war that had settled in the aftermath of their confrontation.

Izuku was frustrated—no, he was furious. He hated that the argument had gotten so out of control, hated that they hadn't come up with a solution to the riddle yet, and most of all, hated that they were now wasting precious time. It had been a little over four weeks since all this began, and that meant they were past the halfway point to their imminent death. They needed to act fast, but with every day that passed without progress, the weight of the situation pressed heavier on Izuku's chest.

He still wasn't sleeping well. Every time he tried, his mind would race with thoughts of Fatebreaker, the Major Arcana, and the ticking clock they were now battling against. His dreams were plagued by fragments of memories from the parallel he'd been pulled from—the life he left behind—and the ever-present fear that he'd fail.

With a groggy sigh, Izuku pulled himself out of bed earlier than usual, the light outside just barely beginning to brighten. He padded down the stairs, his hand running through his messy green hair, and headed toward the kitchen. He rubbed at his eyes, exhausted—his body was heavy with the weight of too many sleepless nights, too many hours spent obsessing over the riddle and the looming deadline. His mind felt foggy, as though the exhaustion had sunk deep into his bones, making it harder to think clearly, to focus.

His stomach growled faintly, reminding him that he hadn't been eating much either. Maybe an energy bar and some water would help clear his mind before school started.

The kitchen was quiet, the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound breaking the stillness. Izuku reached for a glass in one of the cupboards, pouring himself some water as he fumbled around for an energy bar from the cabinet.

But just as he was about to take a sip, he felt a presence behind him.

Izuku's entire body stiffened, his heart sinking as he turned slowly to see who had entered the kitchen.

Katsuki.

He stood near the door, wearing his usual workout gear, his bag slung over one shoulder. Clearly, he was about to head out for his early morning run—something he did every day without fail. His face was set in a hard scowl, his usual fiery gaze locked ahead, and his posture was tense. The room seemed to shrink with the heavy tension that had filled the space between them over the past week.

For a brief second, neither of them moved, neither spoke. Katsuki's eyes flicked to Izuku for just a split second before he quickly looked away, his jaw tightening as he shifted the weight of his bag.

Izuku's grip on his glass tightened as he stood frozen, watching Katsuki rummage through the kitchen. His mind was a storm of conflicting emotions—anger, exhaustion, guilt—all swirling together and making it nearly impossible to focus. He hated the tension between them, the thick, uncomfortable silence that seemed to follow their every interaction now. It made his skin crawl, and deep down, he knew they couldn't keep going like this.

Should he just suck it up and apologize? Izuku's tired eyes trailing after Katsuki as the other boy grabbed a protein bar and stuffed it into his bag. Katsuki moved with an air of impatience, as though he was trying to get out of the kitchen as fast as possible, clearly wanting to avoid any kind of interaction.