Catharsis (Various!BNHA x Esper!Reader)

Prologue

        Was breathing... always this hard?

The weight on your chest was heavy; your agonizingly slow but deep gasps and hefty pants being the only audible sign you were alive. Your ragged breaths-- a sign of struggle. A struggle to have your lungs try to fill itself with craved oxygen-- as if you were suffocating from the very air you so much needed.

No, you realized. You were not suffocating from the dust-filled atmosphere-- something else.

You then inhaled deeply, in hopes that this time, you can finally satisfy your lungs with the oxygen it sought.

You weren't prepared for the action to be so excruciatingly painful.

Gaping your mouth open like a fish out of water, it was by your body's impulse to greedily suck in air with a gasp in hopes to gather enough oxygen to refresh your head and alleviate the pain, but failed as soon as an unidentified substance blocked your airway, interrupting your attempt to stay alive, causing your weak coughing fit.

Drowning.

You were drowning.

By instinct, your heavy eyelids instantly shot wide open in unadulterated panic, your eyes darting around, already in search for the familiar substance of water you were submerged in. However, you only found yourself confused when you saw no such body of water capable of even drenching you, much less drown you. In fact, there was no water around you at all.

Just dust and debris and structures which you think is what's left of buildings.

And blood.

You tried tilting your head, but as soon as you tried to move any part of your body, you felt like dying.

Maybe... Maybe that's the state you're currently in.

On your deathbed.

Your senses were numb, barely functional, but functional nonetheless. It was even by a miracle that your vision was performing well, albeit blurry, enough for your brain to process the images you see to be intelligible. After your hazy recollection, it was then you realized that your tongue tasted bitterly salty. An iron taste.

Ah, you understand now.

You were drowning in your own blood; the substance oozing continuously at an alarming rate from both your mouth and your torso-- a rebar impaling you, pinning you in place.

With your lack of breath, you can't even call for help.

You wonder how you're even conscious with the current agony you feel. You want to empty your stomach's contents, not caring if it would mix with your blood and spill on your injury; cry and wail at the dark sky for how the heavens even thought of subjecting a fifteen-year old in such suffering.

And yet, you didn't. Not only because you didn't have the energy to do so, but also because you think that you have no right to complain. Perhaps...

You deserved this.

This was not just a mindless torture; this was a punishment.

Your punishment.

Although, you have to wonder: would anyone lament your death? Lament you?

Hah, Taida-kun always did say you were delusional. Even as a playful jest, you always took his remarks to heart.

This was just you in denial.

Of course no one would grieve for a murderer. That's why...

You accept your death.

Once reaching that conclusion, you let your eyes droop.

You always hear people say that when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. You're here to testify that that's not true. At least, not wholly. The only memories that would replay within your head correlates to the last people you saw within the day before you die-- all the memories you had with them involved.

You only had two important highlights.

You remember blonde hair and turquoise eyes; the eye-catching red, white, yellow and blue costume now stained with blood from his injuries-- All Might. Hah, you didn't think you'd ever see him personally, especially not when you're about to die. You guess that even the heavens took mercy and granted your wish of seeing your inspiration to be a hero student in person before you could succumb to your punishment.

Raven hair and onyx eyes; his usual dark clothing now matted with dust and dirt-- Taida-kun. Pfft, he always did detest that nickname. No matter how much he whines and complains, the name you had given him just sticks. Work smart; not hard-- his usual response whenever you would nitpick on his lazy habits. While he was not exactly the ideal best friend, he was all you had.

And now, he no longer has you.

Exhaling your last breath, you finally succumb to the inviting embrace of death, mentally preparing yourself to feel the eternal scorching burning sensation afterwards-- hell; a place for sinners; murderers. That's where you're going. You just know it.

And you accept it too.

And then, a voice.

To repay.

Revive into what you could have been and what you have been.

Given something considered to be a blessing for the evil; a curse for the good.

You will live a second life.

Will; not could.

It was clear that they weren't giving you a choice. As if they were to decide for you.

A debt has to be repaid.

I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE MY LIFE!, you retaliated.

A debt has to be repaid.

NO!

You can't continue living. You can't live seeing those looks on their faces after what you've done.

A debt has to be repaid.

It was then you were given the second chance you didn't want-- couldn't decline. A second chance in life that they somehow were capable of giving. Almost anyone would kill for that; just not you. To think they would gift this to you...

All because of their supposed debt to you that has to be repaid.

You have no idea what the chorus of voices were talking about. Perhaps, that may be just you, hallucinating voices you've never heard before in your life, doing their job to soothe you-- fool you into thinking that you won't die. A defense mechanism of some sort.

You almost laughed bitterly to yourself, wondering how you came to be in such a predicament; how everything ended for you to be here now.

And then you remembered what started this all.

~*~*~

Prologue is finally done. Now, for the actual chapters :'D