Stranded Beyond Worlds

Unspoken Bonds

The weeks that followed felt surreal to Izuku. Life resumed, just as chaotic as ever, but he found himself glancing over his shoulder more often, as though expecting to see a familiar face from that strange, otherworldly island. He told no one about the experience—not even All Might or his closest friends at U.A. It was something he couldn't fully explain, and deep down, he wasn't sure anyone would understand.

But it didn't take long for the past to catch up with him.

One evening, while on patrol in the outskirts of Musutafu, Izuku felt a presence lurking in the shadows. He tensed, readying himself, but he already had a strong guess who it was.

"Back so soon?" he called out, his voice calm but edged with anticipation.

From the shadows, Shigaraki emerged, his expression unreadable. He moved with a quiet confidence, his gaze steady as it locked onto Izuku. "Relax, I'm not here to fight," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just wanted to... talk."

Izuku's eyes narrowed. "Since when do we 'just talk'?"

Shigaraki shrugged, his lips curling into a slight smirk. "Don't get too comfortable, hero. Just wanted to check something." He took a step closer, his expression darkening. "That island... you saw it too, right? The way it twisted everything. Do you even understand what we experienced?"

Izuku paused, thinking back to the temple, the shifting jungle, and the trials they'd endured. He'd tried to make sense of it all, but the island felt like a fever dream—a place that operated by its own rules. "I know it wasn't normal," he admitted quietly. "It was like... the island had a mind of its own. Almost like it was testing us."

Shigaraki studied him, a rare intensity in his gaze. "And yet, here we are. Back to square one. Nothing changed." He scoffed, looking away. "Funny how things work."

Izuku felt a strange pang of agreement. Part of him had expected their return to change something, maybe even create an understanding between them. But the reality was harsher, and both of them knew it. They were still enemies, and the paths they'd chosen remained irreversibly different.

As Shigaraki turned to leave, Izuku spoke up. "Just because nothing changed between us doesn't mean what happened there wasn't real." He hesitated, then added, "I'll remember it. And... I'll remember that you saved my life, more than once."

Shigaraki stopped, his back to Izuku. For a moment, he was silent, then he chuckled. "Sentimental as always, hero." He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze sharp. "But don't expect mercy next time. You're just another obstacle in my way."

With that, he disappeared into the night, leaving Izuku alone with a mixture of relief and regret. He knew their paths would cross again—this brief truce wouldn't stop the inevitable conflict. But for now, he accepted it as it was: an unspoken bond forged in the heart of a strange, deadly world.

And he knew, deep down, that if he ever found himself in a similar situation, facing insurmountable odds with unlikely allies, he'd do whatever it took to survive.

Even if it meant trusting a villain.

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End