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

Chapter 38 - Broken Rules

Y/N's body lay limp in Marisa's arms, breaths faint and shallow as life flickered at the edges of his being. Marisa pulled him close, her fingers trembling as she held him, the warmth of her touch a stark contrast to the chilling stillness creeping over him.

Tears traced silent paths down her face as she rocked him back and forth, clinging desperately to the last fragile thread keeping him tethered to her. "N-No... This can't be happening. You can't leave me. Y/N, I need you. Please, don't go." Her voice cracked, the words a raw plea. She smoothed back his hair, fingers brushing through the fading warmth, her breaths coming faster as his grip slipped away.

Reimu finally approached, her face a reflection of Marisa's despair as she stood beside her friend, helpless. Around them, the Forbidden Tomes Y/N had accumulated flickered into view, their mystical energy pulsing weakly, signalling the unravelling of all he had achieved. Each one of these precious artefacts had brought Y/N closer to this moment—and now, it seemed, they would vanish along with him.

In that crushing silence, Marisa's gaze fixed on the floating Tomes, desperation sparking a wild, reckless idea. Her hands trembled as she turned to Reimu, her face urgent, fragile with hope. "Reimu, please! Get the other Forbidden Tomes! It might... it might just save him!"

Without hesitation, Reimu darted to the remains of the shrine. Amidst the rubble, three more Tomes lay scattered, the volumes Yukari had once possessed. She snatched them up, rushing back to Marisa, who was already positioning Y/N so that the Tomes lay in front of him.

Marisa's voice, fragile yet determined, cut through the heavy air as she called each one out. "Power." She pushed Volume One toward him, watching as its energy seeped into his chest, shimmering faintly before fading into his skin.

"Mortality." Volume Two dissolved next, leaving only a wisp of magic in its wake.

She continued, her words growing fainter as she struggled to keep her voice steady. "Love... Wealth... Purpose..." Each Tome slipped into Y/N, filling the void left by his fading strength, binding his spirit closer to the world once more.

"Truth... Joy... Future... Freedom..." As each volume vanished, their essence merged within him, restoring faint pulses of life to his weary form.

Only one remained—the first Tome. She held it, hands shaking as she looked down at Y/N, torn between the glimmer of hope and the risk of the unknown.

Volume Zero: Wishes.

She pressed it gently to his heart, whispering, "Here goes nothing."

From nearby rubble, Yukari's voice, broken but fierce, rang out in alarm. "Marisa, no! Don't do it!"

But it was too late. The final Tome had already dissolved, and the last surge of energy was flooding into Y/N. Everything was still.

Then, in a brilliant surge of light, Y/N's chest rose, and his eyes snapped open.

****

The cold floor felt like an anchor pulling me into reality as I blinked, struggling to take in my surroundings—Marisa's home. My head throbbed as I tried to recall how I'd gotten here. I pushed myself upright, my breath hitching. Her name slipped to my lips, but the moment I tried to call out, something held me back—a wordless dread clenching around my chest. She wasn't here. I couldn't explain how I knew, but the emptiness of the room only confirmed it.

In the far corner, a piece of paper caught my eye, tacked to the wall in a haphazard, almost desperate manner. The edges were yellowed, and the words scrawled across it harshly and heavily, as if whoever had written it couldn't control their hand. Slowly, I made my way over, peeling it off the wall. My hands trembled as I read the message: