Forbidden Knowledge Vol.1 (Marisa Kirisame X Male Reader)

Chapter 25 - Forbidden Knowledge Vol.3 - Love

My legs are burning, but I can't stop. The forest is spinning, branches clawing at me as I tear through them. Everything is wrong, and I know I can't outrun it. I hold Marisa close, her tiny body pressed against my chest, her little hands gripping my shirt. She's so tiny, too small, and it makes my heart pound even harder. This is all wrong. Everything is wrong.

I can barely breathe, each gasp of air feeling like a dagger in my lungs. My mind is racing, torn between panic and desperation. This isn't happening. This can't be real. But the little girl in my arms—Marisa—looks up at me with wide, innocent eyes, utterly unaware of the chaos in my head.

"Where are we going, mister?" she asks, her voice sweet and curious like we're playing some kind of game. "Are we playing hide-and-seek?"

I don't answer. I can't. The words won't come. All I can focus on is running. Running from whatever hell this is, whatever reality has twisted itself into. I can't let her stay here. I don't know why, but the thought of leaving her in this place terrifies me more than anything.

I need help. My mind latches onto that one thought, the only shred of logic in the storm of panic. The Scarlet Devil Mansion, maybe. Remilia, Sakuya, someone there could help. They have to help. This can't be real.

But before I can even make sense of the plan, she appears.

Athena.

She's standing in the middle of the forest, calm and collected as if she's been waiting for me this whole time. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I freeze. She's real. She's here. But that's impossible. She's not supposed to be here.

"Y/N," she says softly, her voice calm and measured. "Take it easy. There's no need to do anything reckless."

Brash? I look down at Marisa, my heart hammering in my chest. Is this brash? Is running for my life brash? Every instinct I have is screaming at me to keep moving, to get away from all of this, but her voice is like a soothing balm, trying to pull me back.

"Yeah, sport," a voice from my left adds, and I turn to see Caesar walking towards me with his hands up in a placating gesture. "You're going to collapse if you keep this up. Take a breath, okay?"

They're surrounding me. I can feel it. My old comrades—people I once trusted with my life—are now closing in, and it feels like a trap. Athena. Caesar. Cleo. Noah. They're all here, but how? How can this be real?

"Stay back!" I shout, my voice cracking with fear and disbelief. "This isn't happening! You're not real!"

Noah steps forward, his expression calm, his eyes filled with concern. He's always been the level-headed one, the voice of reason. But even now, even as he speaks, I can't shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong.

"Y/N, hey. Look at me," Noah says gently, taking a step closer. His voice is so familiar, so steady, like a lifeline in the chaos. "Deep breaths. There's been a misunderstanding. Let's all just take a deep breath, alright?"

My mind is spinning, and I can't tell if he's trying to help me or manipulate me. But his words pierce through the fog in my head, grounding me just enough to listen.

"You're better than this," he continues, his tone unwavering. "We know you are. You're hurting, Y/N. You've been holding all that duty and purpose on your own for so long. Let us help you like you helped us."

I don't know what to believe anymore. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear him, but part of me—some distant, broken part—wants to believe him. Wants to let go of the weight crushing me, the weight of everything that's happened.

Caesar steps forward again, more impatient this time. "Come on, Y/N, don't be stupid. Just hand over the kid."

I feel my arms tighten around Marisa reflexively, and she lets out a slight noise like a confused little bird. I don't even know why I'm holding her so tight, why I feel like letting her go would be the worst thing I could do.