※ The flame that sparked beside the dawn ※ Demon slayer x Male Reader

「Moving on with a heavy heart」

After putting away my futon, I yawn and stretch my stiff body, hearing some pops. The birds outside were just starting to sing their morning songs, like every morning. It's like the horrendous events of the day before never happened. I remember whenever I used to get mad at Hana, I'd repeat a certain prayer to God.

"Dear God, make me a bird." "So I can fly far, far away from here," is what I would say.

Of course, I'd always make up with my sister and then beg God to let me stay, but I guess those prayers are getting answered now. I'm spreading my wings and flying away from my nest for the first time. I'm going to be alone and dependent on myself, and that scares me. I still wish to be babied by my sister. I still wish to be taken care of. But you don't always get what you want. Life is cruel, and I learned that the hard way.

...

I had tossed out all of our meat before going back inside to wash my hands. After that, I had a simple breakfast consisting of a bunch of cheese and bread. I was going to be leaving soon, therefore, all of our preserved meat and cheese would rot, so why not eat as much of it as possible now? Even if we did have a refrigerator, it would still rot eventually. Next, I grabbed my basket that I used to collect things with, and filled it to the brim with healthy and non-perishable foods. I also grabbed a spare box that was lying around, and put everything else that was left in the pantry and shelves in it. Hana had a lot of labeled jars of spices and other herbs for cooking, or whatever she needed them for. It would be wasteful to leave all of this stuff here. Plus some of this stuff could be harmful for whatever animals may wonder in here when it's deserted! That's why I decided that, even though I've never been to town, I'd leave this out somewhere for somebody to take and hopefully make good use of.

...

By the time I reached for my (f/c) haori and threw it over my shoulders, everything was packed. Packing up didn't take too long; it had only been about 30 minutes since I'd woken up. The sky was gradually getting more and more blue with every passing second, but some of the brighter stars were still visible. I'd say another 5 minutes or so until the sun peeks over the horizon. It was still very early in the morning, so like I promised Rengoku, I'm going to get an early start towards Mt. Adora. I hoisted my food-filled basket over my shoulders and grabbed the box. I open the front door and start to make my descent down the mountain. I can only get about 15 steps out before I get slammed with a wave of emotions. I was about to leave the house I basically grew up in. I was about to leave my deceased sister's final resting place. I was about to leave behind so many memories. It hurt a lot. More than I can accurately describe. I just stare at the house in front of me, not wanting to move.

'What am I doing?' I think to myself, 'Why am I just standing here, staring?'

My body refuses to move, no matter how hard I try to will it to!

'No, those questions are useless; I know the answers, and they're obvious,' I mentally chastised myself.

I slowly raise both of my hands up to my face and slap my cheeks.

'Moron! If I can't even leave my home, how can I expect myself to become a demon slayer?' I scream inside my head, 'Much less exterminate all the demons.'

Just as I finished that thought, the first bit of sun stretched over the horizon. It's certainly blinding at first, but give it a few seconds, and you'll realize how beautifully it makes the snow glimmer. You'll notice how it makes your back feel the slightest bit warm. It's silly, but it's like the sun is patting you on the back. As if it's wishing you luck, telling you things will be okay, and that you have to move on. Well, maybe it's not like that for everyone, but it sure was to me at that moment. I suppose the new light of the new day reminded me that the night won't last forever, just like this pain I'm feeling right now. I need to move on, and that's just a fact. And the first step to moving on is taking another step away from home. So, with a deep breath of the crisp, freezing morning air, I turn my back on home and walk. I tread my feet through the snow, crunching with each step.