The Void of Souls

Chapter Seven: Between Two Worlds

Kazuya floated in the void—not between life and death, but between consciousness and unconsciousness. He couldn't tell whether he was awake or lost in an endless dream, but he was certain of one thing: he had reached the ultimate breaking point. His mind was in chaos, with thoughts racing to fill the emptiness surrounding him. Yet, despite the darkness engulfing him, a strange new sensation began to creep in: peace.

Nothing was stable here. No rules, no boundaries, not even existence itself. Everything drifted aimlessly, as though time and space had simply unraveled. He felt as if his body had dissolved, becoming one with the infinite emptiness. Was he meant to fade into this void?

Amid the ambiguity, a voice emerged—distant, yet oddly close. It came from an unseen place but resonated deeply within him. The voice carried wisdom, tinged with sorrow, sounding like Saika, or perhaps Yuki. Or maybe, it was his own voice.

"You've reached the point of no return," the voice said, echoing through the depths of his mind like it was shaking his very core. "The void you see before you is what you've been seeking your entire life. It is not just emptiness—it is the truth."

"The truth?" Kazuya whispered, a heavy weight pressing on his heart. "The truth I've been running from?"

"Yes," the voice replied, seemingly both distant and near. "Everything you've avoided is the truth you refuse to live. Your souls, your choices, your bloodshed—they are all part of this void."

A strange sensation washed over Kazuya, as though the ground beneath him had turned into a thick, viscous liquid. He felt like he was sinking further into his own mind, unable to escape. There was no single answer to ease his turmoil, and even the words leaving his lips failed to express the depth of what he felt.

But he knew this stage was the end of the beginning.

"Then... why can't I escape? Why can't I go back to where I was?" Kazuya asked, a new emotion stirring in his chest. It felt like guilt or perhaps helplessness. Had he made some fatal mistake? Was he destined to remain trapped in this emptiness forever?

Suddenly, a dark figure materialized before him. At first, it was a blur, but slowly, it began to take shape: it was Kazuya. Or rather, a distorted version of him. The figure was made of shadows, emitting an eerie, ghostly glow, as though his very soul had split from his body. This was his other side—the part of himself he had rejected all along.

"Do you know who you are?" the voice asked again, now sharper, more cutting.

Kazuya couldn't answer. Was this really him? Or was it a twisted reflection of something he had failed to recognize?

"Yes, this is you," the shadowy figure said. "This is the part of you you've refused to see. The part you've buried deep within yourself. You've been too afraid to face the truth of your existence."

In that moment, Kazuya realized this was the end. There was no more running. He had to confront himself. He had to acknowledge everything he had done—the souls he had taken, the pain he had caused in others' lives. But could he do it? Did he have the strength to bear such a heavy burden?

"If you think you can escape, you're wrong," the shadow said, stepping closer to him. "You are now halfway through, and there is no turning back. This is the truth you've always tried to flee from."

Before Kazuya could respond, the shadowy figure began to fade, like mist dissolving into the wind. Yet the emptiness within him only deepened.

Darkness consumed the space, and the void swallowed everything around him. Still, Kazuya stood there. There was nothing left now but himself.

"I can't run anymore," Kazuya finally said, whispering words that resonated within his soul. "The void is a part of me."

Suddenly, the space trembled violently. Everything began to collapse, the ground cracking further as if existence itself was unraveling. Was this the end? Or was it the beginning of something new?

As the shadows closed in around him, Kazuya felt something entirely different—a sensation unlike anything he had known before. It felt like light, a glimmer of hope breaking into the void.

Was this light hope?

Or was it the void itself?