The Sorcerer Killer's Third Chance (JJK x Re:ZERO)

Beneath the Surface

"...!"

Toji shot upright, his breath hitching in his throat as a sharp gasp escaped his lips, the sound echoing softly in the confines of the room. His body was drenched in sweat, the fabric of his robe clinging uncomfortably to his skin. His hand moved instinctively to his left arm, gripping it tightly, then to his neck, fingers trembling as they brushed over smooth, unbroken skin. No blood. No gaping wounds.

I'm back...

The thought was both a relief and a grim reminder. His chest heaved as the ghost of pain from his previous death lingered, sharp and raw in his memory. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, grounding himself, before opening them again to take in his surroundings.

That's when he noticed them—the twins.

Ram and Rem stood near the wall, their hands tightly clasped together. The faint flicker of fear in their eyes was quickly masked as they composed themselves, but their posture betrayed them. They looked like small animals caught in the shadow of a predator, huddled together for protection. Toji could only imagine how it must've looked: a man who had been unconscious moments ago suddenly jolting awake with a scream.

For once, Toji hesitated. His mouth opened slightly, searching for something to say, but the words didn't come. What could he even tell them? That he had a nightmare? That he'd just relived his own gruesome death? No, they wouldn't understand.

Instead, he forced his voice into something more steady, though the effort showed in the tightness of his tone. "What? Never seen someone have a bad dream?"

Ram's crimson eyes narrowed ever so slightly, regaining their usual sharpness. "Sir, we were only concerned—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Toji interrupted, waving a dismissive hand before she could finish. "No need to make a big deal out of it. I'm fine."

"You bolted up like you'd seen a ghost and looked half-dead moments ago," Ram quipped, her tone as sharp as ever despite the lingering unease in her posture. "Forgive me if I don't entirely believe you, sir."

Rem, on the other hand, was quieter. Her wide blue eyes flitted from Toji's face to his hand still gripping his arm, as if she was piecing something together. "Sir, are you... certain you're alright?" she asked softly, her concern less barbed than her sister's.

"I said I'm fine." Toji's voice dropped an octave, firm and unyielding. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, the familiar weight of the room settling around him. He moved deliberately, brushing past them as though their concerns were little more than a nuisance.

His mind raced beneath the surface, though. The memory of chains rattling, the cold bite of pain, and his own desperate act to end it all—it was still too fresh, too vivid. But he couldn't let that show. Not now.

"Don't you two have chores to do or something?" he muttered over his shoulder, already stepping toward the door. "I'm not some helpless invalid. Go bother someone else."

The twins exchanged a glance, Ram's expression skeptical, Rem's more cautious. Without another word, they stepped aside, though their gazes lingered as Toji left the room.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Toji exhaled slowly, his shoulders tensing and relaxing in quick succession. He was back, sure, but the question that loomed over him wasn't about where or even when.

It was why.

⟡

A chill... and chains.

Those were the two pieces of the puzzle that gnawed at Toji's mind as he walked, his steps slow and deliberate. His memory replayed the scene of his death with agonizing clarity, the sharp edge of the cold that had invaded his body, the rattle of metal that signaled his end.