malereader x hells paradise

Chapter 24: Echoes of the Past

The air felt heavy as we moved deeper into the jungle. My instincts buzzed, a sixth sense telling me that something was off. This part of Shinsenkyo was different—older, almost sacred, with towering trees wrapped in vines so thick they resembled the bars of a cage. It was as if the forest itself held its breath, waiting for us to disturb its secrets.

Yuzuriha walked beside me, her usual smirk replaced by a wary expression as she scanned the surroundings. Behind us, Sagiri and Nurugai held their weapons ready, eyes darting around. Every step felt like a journey back in time, the forest alive with echoes of something ancient, powerful, and deadly.

“Y/N…” Yuzuriha’s voice was low, just a murmur, but her eyes held an unspoken warning. “Do you feel it too?”

I nodded. “Something’s watching us. It’s like we’re being... tested.”

The words tasted strange as they left my mouth, and yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that this place held memories—some of mine, some not. We continued forward, and soon, broken stone structures began to emerge from the undergrowth: remnants of walls, weathered statues with hollow eyes, inscriptions in languages I didn’t recognize. The jungle was hiding a graveyard of ancient lives.

Nurugai paused to inspect a moss-covered tablet, brushing dirt away to reveal symbols carved deep into the stone. “These people… they worshipped something here. It’s like they were guarding it.”

As we took in the haunting beauty of the ruins, a chilling whisper filled the air, like voices from the past clawing their way back into the world. The air grew colder, each of us feeling the weight of it, pressing down like a silent force. The whispers grew louder, as if they were wrapping around me, trying to pull me somewhere darker.

Then, in a flash, the world shifted.

One moment, I was standing with my group, and the next, I was alone, surrounded by shadows that moved like liquid, stretching and coiling around me. Memories that I thought I’d buried began to rise up, memories I never wanted to revisit.

I was back in the dark alleyways of my past, the smell of iron and fear filling my senses. I saw faces—faces of those I’d wronged, those I’d killed. A man’s accusing eyes stared into mine, his mouth opening to speak, yet no sound escaped. Only his hatred, his pain.

“Y/N!”

Sagiri’s voice broke through the fog, snapping me back. My heart was racing, and I could feel sweat dripping down my temples. I looked around to see the others had experienced the same. Yuzuriha was gripping her weapon tightly, her face pale, while Sagiri’s usually stoic expression showed a glimmer of fear. Even Nurugai looked shaken, her gaze distant.

“We need to move,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “This place is playing tricks on us.”

We began to walk again, but the visions wouldn’t fade. Every few steps, I’d catch glimpses of people I’d once known, people I’d lost. The jungle seemed determined to drag out every piece of darkness within me, exposing it, forcing me to confront it head-on. For so long, I’d prided myself on my control, on keeping my past hidden. But here, under the watchful gaze of these ancient ruins, that control slipped.

We stumbled upon a large open clearing, and at its center was a colossal stone statue—an image of a god, or perhaps a demon, with empty eyes staring into the void. It felt like it was looking straight into my soul, judging me. I took a step closer, feeling its pull, as if it could see every secret I carried, every sin.

“What do you think this place is?” Sagiri asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“A reminder,” I replied, almost to myself. “A reminder that no matter how far we try to run, our pasts are always waiting.”

The words felt heavier than I expected. The others looked at me, their expressions thoughtful. This wasn’t the time to unravel, not here, not in front of them. But somehow, the island was pushing us, testing us, laying our souls bare.

Then, the silence shattered. Shadows moved among the trees, figures emerging from the underbrush. They were warriors, dressed in ancient armor, their faces blank, almost lifeless. They didn’t speak, but their intent was clear: they weren’t here to let us go easily.

“Get ready!” I shouted, snapping back to reality.

The battle that followed was brutal. These phantoms fought with a relentless fury, their movements fast and mechanical, as if they’d done this a thousand times before. I dodged an overhead strike, countering with a swipe of my blade. The moment my weapon met their flesh, they disintegrated into black smoke, only for more to appear in their place.

Yuzuriha darted past me, her agility keeping her ahead of each blow, while Sagiri fought with her usual precision, each strike deadly and controlled. Nurugai was a force of her own, slashing through the phantoms with fierce determination. But no matter how many we felled, they kept coming.

“Fall back!” I called, realizing that brute force wouldn’t end this fight.

We retreated into the depths of the jungle, the phantoms fading as we moved farther from the clearing. I could feel my breath steadying, my mind sharpening again. The island had shown us something today—not just our pasts but our weaknesses.

As the jungle grew quieter, Yuzuriha glanced over at me, her usual smirk returning but tinged with a hint of concern.

“Seems like this place knows how to get under your skin, huh?”

I met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words, the truth in them. “Yeah,” I replied softly. “It’s a reminder that some battles don’t end when the fighting stops. They just… change.”

With the ruins fading into the shadows behind us, we continued on. The weight of Shinsenkyo’s secrets pressed down on us, but we were still moving, still breathing, still alive. And for now, that was enough.