A Demon's Journey: Love Beyond Time

Chapitre 3: Changing Fate

The nights in the Sengoku Jidai were long, stretching into endless darkness broken only by the occasional howl of a distant demon. Yet, as she walked alongside Sesshomaru through the quiet forest, the world around them felt oddly peaceful. The tension that had once buzzed between them seemed to settle, replaced by something more tangible, something more... familiar.

Sesshomaru had said little since that night on the cliff, but his presence was steady, constant. He was no longer a fleeting shadow in her periphery, but a force that had begun to anchor itself in her new reality. And yet, she couldn't allow herself to grow comfortable, not when so much was still at stake.

They stopped near the edge of a large clearing. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the landscape. She could sense the presence of a powerful demon nearby, but it didn't concern her. What concerned her was Sesshomaru, the way he seemed to linger on the outskirts of her mind, a constant, unshakable presence.

What am I doing? She clenched her fists at her sides, the heat of her power simmering just below the surface. This wasn't supposed to happen.

She had come here with a purpose—to change the course of history, to prevent the tragedies that were about to unfold. She had her plan, her mission, and Sesshomaru had never been a part of it. But now... now he was becoming more than just an unintended variable.

He was becoming important.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watching as he stood with his usual regal posture, his golden eyes scanning the clearing as though he were waiting for something—someone.

"I never asked," she said suddenly, her voice breaking the quiet of the night. "Why do you follow me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes shifted toward her, his expression unreadable. For a long moment, he said nothing, as though weighing the weight of her question. Then, his lips parted, his voice smooth and deliberate.

"I do not follow," he corrected, his gaze unwavering. "I observe."

She couldn't help but smirk at his reply, though it did little to answer her real question. "Fine," she conceded, folding her arms across her chest. "Why do you observe me, then?"

Sesshomaru's silence was palpable, the air between them thick with unspoken words. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and calm. "Because you are unlike any demon I have encountered."

Her breath hitched at the unexpected compliment—or whatever passed for one from him. Unlike any demon? She had thought herself adept at blending in, at hiding her true nature. Yet, Sesshomaru had seen through her from the start.

"You're curious," she said, her tone more teasing than accusatory. "About what I am."

Sesshomaru's gaze flickered, a barely perceptible change, but it was there. "Curiosity is a weakness," he replied coldly, though the faintest edge of something else—something uncertain—crept into his voice.

"Is it?" she countered, stepping closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. She could feel the pull between them again, that strange, magnetic force that had drawn them together from the start. "Or are you just afraid of what you might find?"

In an instant, Sesshomaru's golden eyes darkened, his expression hardening into something more dangerous. He moved so quickly that she barely had time to react before he was standing inches away from her, his tall figure casting a shadow over her.

"You think you can provoke me?" His voice was a low growl, filled with quiet menace. His hand hovered near his sword, but he didn't draw it. Instead, he leaned in closer, his breath cool against her skin. "Do not mistake your survival thus far for strength. You are still fragile."

Her heart raced, but not from fear. She met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I've survived because I'm not afraid of you," she whispered, her voice steady despite the pounding of her pulse.

Sesshomaru's eyes bore into hers, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles—dangerous, predatory. "You should be."

She swallowed hard, her thoughts swirling in chaos. I should be scared. I should be running from him, not standing here challenging him. But she didn't move. There was something about him, something she couldn't define, that kept her rooted in place, even as her instincts screamed at her to flee.

Sesshomaru's hand finally moved, but instead of reaching for his sword, his claws brushed lightly against her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. His touch was cold, almost icy, but it sent a shock of heat through her entire body.

"You are reckless," he murmured, his eyes softening ever so slightly as he studied her face. "But perhaps that is why I find you... intriguing."

Her breath caught in her throat. Intriguing? Sesshomaru, the cold, distant demon lord, found her intriguing? She wasn't sure whether to laugh or to step away, but something in his gaze held her in place. There was a flicker of vulnerability there, hidden beneath layers of icy indifference, and for the first time, she saw him not as the untouchable warrior he presented to the world, but as something more.

"You think I'm reckless?" she whispered, her voice shaking with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "You're the one playing with fire."

His hand withdrew, and the coldness returned to his eyes. "Fire can be controlled," he said calmly, stepping back and returning to his usual stoic demeanor. "If one is strong enough."

She frowned, a challenge rising in her chest. "You think you can control me?"

Sesshomaru's expression didn't change, but there was a glint in his eyes that made her heart race. "I do not seek control," he replied, his voice as smooth as ever. "I seek power. And you, demon, have yet to realize yours."

The weight of his words struck her, and she felt her heart clench. Power? Yes, she had power—Nezuko's demonic strength, her fire, her resilience. But there was something more, something Sesshomaru had seen in her that she hadn't yet uncovered.

She felt it too, a stirring inside her that wasn't just from this world. It was from her, the part of her that wasn't bound to the rules of this place. She was not like the others. She had the knowledge of both worlds—the history, the future, the destiny she was trying to reshape. And maybe, just maybe, she could do it.

"I'll figure it out," she said, more to herself than to him. Her voice was soft, but filled with quiet resolve. "I'll find my power."

Sesshomaru's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned away, his silver hair catching the moonlight as he began to walk back toward the forest.

"When you do," he said over his shoulder, his voice barely audible, "we will see if you are truly worthy."

She watched him disappear into the shadows, her thoughts swirling in the night air. Worthy? What did that mean? What was he waiting for?

As she stood there, alone in the clearing, the flames within her flickered softly, casting a warm glow in the darkness.

He's right, she realized. I haven't even begun to unlock what I'm truly capable of.

But she would. She had to. Because the future of this world—and maybe her own—depended on it. And as much as she tried to deny it, part of her knew that when the time came, Sesshomaru would be there. Not as an enemy, not as an ally, but as something far more dangerous.

And I'll be ready for him.