The Shadow Hashira - Tengen X Reader X Sanemi

55

-Tengen's POV-

The morning sun had barely climbed above the horizon, casting a sharp, golden light over the arena, yet Y/N was nowhere to be seen. My eyes scanned the crowd again, sweeping over every face in the sea of Hashira and Corps members gathered for the third trial, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I tried to keep my expression neutral, to hide the tension that had been tightening in my chest since I woke up to find her side of the estate empty. She was always early. Always there. Until today.

I hadn't seen her since that day, hadn't spoken a word to her since I asked her that question and watched her leave with something like confusion—maybe even regret—clouding her eyes. Since then, I'd tried to push it from my mind, reasoning with myself that she needed time, that I'd pushed too hard. But as the moments ticked by, as the trial was about to start, my confidence faltered. Where was she?

I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my arms crossed and my gaze steady, but inside, worry gnawed at me, sharp and insistent. This trial wasn't just another test of skill—it was the third, the last before the final trial. It was the last chance for everyone to prove themselves before the final competition. And she wasn't here.

I swept the crowd once more, my gaze landing on Sanemi. He was standing near the edge of the arena, arms crossed, his usual hard expression masking something else, something I couldn't quite read. Our eyes met, and for a brief moment, we held each other's gaze, a silent question passing between us. His jaw clenched, his gaze shifting slightly, almost like he was as uneasy as I was, though he wouldn't dare show it.

What had happened between them? I'd been trying to ignore it, to convince myself that whatever tension I'd felt from them was just a rivalry, just the way they'd been paired for training. But Sanemi's expression held something else—a darkness, an intensity that went beyond rivalry, and it made my pulse quicken with a strange mixture of irritation and concern. Was he hiding something? Did he know something I didn't?

I felt a flare of possessiveness rise in me, that same, infuriating protectiveness that made me want to be by her side, to remind her that she wasn't alone, that whatever battles she faced, she didn't have to fight them by herself. But she wasn't here.

Master began to address the crowd, his calm voice washing over us, but my mind was elsewhere. Each word, each moment that passed without her felt like a weight pressing down on me. And when he mentioned her name, something in me snapped. My gaze flicked to Sanemi again, and this time, I didn't look away.

I approached him, my footsteps quick and deliberate, my heart pounding in my chest. He noticed, and as I drew near, his gaze sharpened, his posture stiffening. He knew why I was coming.

"Where is she?" I demanded, my voice low but tense. "You were with her last."

Sanemi's eyes flashed, a brief, unguarded moment that betrayed something—a flicker of worry, maybe even guilt. But he held his ground, his voice as sharp as ever. "Why would I know where she is?" he replied, a sneer twisting his expression. "She's not my responsibility."

I clenched my jaw, my frustration boiling over. "Don't play coy, Sanemi. If you know anything, now's the time to say it."

He held my gaze, and for a moment, something softened, something raw and almost vulnerable flickering in his eyes before his mask slipped back into place. "Maybe she's dealing with something you wouldn't understand," he muttered, his tone bitter, almost defensive. "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think."

The words stung, a reminder of the uncertainty, the questions that had been plaguing me since that night. Maybe he was right—maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought. But that didn't matter. All that mattered now was finding her, making sure she was safe.