INDECISIVE • KNY

Eight

Time was never relevant to you whatsoever, it seemed to pass so quickly that you never took notice of it, not bothering to acknowledge that it existed as you spent your days with Kokushibo, hiding from the sun as the two of you took frequent naps, sharing meaningless conversations where you don't even know how it began.

you lived in the present and didn't ever bother with the past, saying it was was meaningless to dwell on as it would never change no matter how much you thought of it.

Time was nothingness, an empty void that sat on display whose only purpose of existence was to mock, to taunt, to destroy.

You stare at the bright and careless sky, clouds drifting away as you reach your hands out as if they would be ceased by your hand, fingers curling to form a loose dust as your hair spills around you in a halo. Your orbs reflect the north as you hold a damaged chisel, placing it near your chest as your coral-coloured huomongi crumples beneath your hand.

It's a blur of pictures, morphed together to form a single thought and you can still hear yourself scream in the distance as you attempt to convince yourself that the man who had threatened to harm you wasn't an entity of evil, that he was merely overwhelmed and his emotions flooded his senses like a tidal wave of wrath but no matter how much you close your eyes, you are only a measly child and fear is attracted to your helplessness, latching on to you like a parasite that feeds on your anguish.

The sickening crack of the mask between the man's fingers echoe in your ear, the shriek of his chisel before it collides against the wall beside you still makes your shoulders tremble, the desperate pounding of your chest that begs you to breathe as you feel his gaze on you is a thought you want to leave your mind. He had abruptly left you in the home, walking out swiftly after taking a hold of his sword that was settled near his futon.

After a day of his absence, you had wandered towards the nearest town with a few yen in hand to find some food, there was nothing that you could afford unfortunately and you were left wandering the area, occasionally stopping to observe the wonders you never truly appreciated till now. The six-eyed demon had always been the sole thing that your life revolved around, you had began thinking that the whole world was the house the two of you used to reside in.

As your eyes glaze over lush green trees, sunlight hitting your skin and people bustling around, the corners of your lips curve upwards in a wide smile as you ignore the hunger of you stomach. You had been staring at a piece of bread in interest when you heard a familiar voice, calling out your name excitedly alongside giggles.

Mizoroge Shiro was a classmate of yours, you were closest with her since she didn't demand anything from you, be it your time to play with you after classes or answers for homework that was due. You grinned as you saw her, waving at her excitedly before both of you embraced each other as she brushed her cheeks against yours with a content smile.

"I missed you, Tsugikuni-chan~"

She mused and you only expressed your agreement with her statement with a weak nod. You had taken Kokushibo's last name while he was still a human as you had pestered him to give you a last name given you had forgotten yours and other children in your school were hesitant to call you by your first name so soon. The indirect mention of the demon makes you visibly deflate and Mizoroge begins to become frantic, panicking if anything she had done or said had upset you.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong? What's wrong? Why are you upset? Where's your parents? Did you lose them?"

Bombarding you with questions, she begins to look around and figures that before she had arrived, you were gazing at the bread so as she releases a gasp, her hand covering her mouth as she hurriedly tells you to stay at your current spot before sprinting away, taking a sharp turn and you're rather confused but decide to follow her request, shifting your weight from one foot to another.