Whirlwind - Demon Slayer x reader

The Hunted

Darkness...

That's all there was, surrounding and suffocating every fiber of your being. You tried to open your eyes, but you soon realized that it was in vain. Your mind ordered your limbs to move, but it was if they were frozen in time, even your breathing was shallow and ragged.

Your perpetual state of inactivity continued. It was frustrating, to say the least. Again and again, you would try to do something, but all your attempts were utterly useless. That is until your eyes fluttered open.

It was sudden and completely unexpected, but you welcomed your newfound sight with open arms. The first thing that you took into account was your surroundings. You were lying down in a very comfortable futon. It felt as though you were resting on a cloud. You were surrounded by very bland and ordinary walls. Nothing was in the room other than you. It was utterly empty, not a single piece of furniture or decoration in sight.

So why did it feel so nostalgic?

The realization came upon you as fast as a flash of lighting. This was your room. The one that you had practically grown up in. The room where your mother and father used to sing you to sleep. The room where your brother would comfort you if you were ever feeling anxious. The room where you cried for the first time because of your mother's condition. Everything about the space reminded you of home. So why did it feel so wrong?

The air was heavy and unfamiliar, and the overall feeling was completely devoid of any sort of happiness. It had everything that it needed to be your room, and yet it lacked everything at the same time. It all felt so fake and yet you were so elated to be there. It was though your heart was overpowering your brain and any common sense that you still had.

All the questions that were attempting to cloud your mind were unseeingly pushed out of the way, and replaced with a burning determination to move. Once again, you had no idea where this feeling came from, but it was so overwhelming that you couldn't even think of denying it.

Slowly, but surely, you began to command your body. You started with your fingers, feeling a weird sense of joy every time they twitched in the slightest way. It was grueling work, but the foreign sense of determination still pulsed through your veins, urging you to continue.

Soon enough you were able to move your entire body. It still felt as though your bones were made of lead, but it was still possible. Slowly, you sat up from your futon, which took a great deal of mental strength and went about your usual morning routine.

This consisted of you rolling up your futon and placing it in the corner, running your fingers through your tangled hair, and picking out, and putting on a kimono. It took a couple of minutes of struggling, but you finally managed it. The kimono taking up a good several minutes of your time. You really did hate the things.

You opened the shoji with a smile on your face, what you saw, however, only made your smile grow wider. There, in all her shimmering glory, was your mother. She was simply standing there with a beaming smile on her face, and arms wide open as if waiting for you to come to jump into a hug.

You didn't think about how she shouldn't be there, standing, much less smiling. Just like how you never questioned how you were in your house, which you knew you were several miles away from. None of it crossed your mind as strange. Everything seemed to make sense, even though some part of you was screaming to leave immediately.

You reached your mother's embrace with a 'hmph' as you charged into her. You could feel her arms gently yet strongly wrap around your figure. You nuzzled your head into her and closed your eyes.