𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆-Tododeku (FantasyAU)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 4

Old Nightmares
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The world still flew past them unwaveringly, the golden rays seeping through the branches of the trees in sharp streaks of light. The birds continued their daily activities, taking a few flaps of their wings until they were somewhere else, unlike the small mammals maneuvering through the grass in search of essential materials.

He found it almost comical, that life can still process as if nothing has changed even when witnessing such a grotesque scene, observing death in all its edges. Not like he was doing the same, simply watching on from his spot on the sturdy bark.

The man was a mere walking shadow of his former self, with sunken eyes, and protruding cheekbones that one could mistake him for a corpse. It didn't help with the constant reminder of blood finding its way through his lips whenever he did as much as hold a conversation. He was positioned on the top of an overgrown root of a tree which offered well-needed support for his worn-out self.

"Toshinori, are you certain about this?" A concerned voice questioned from behind him, the blonde man not needing to turn around to already see the expression of disapproval from his close friend. He knew better than even if his friend was worried, he'd still have that infamous scowl on his face.

"Without question, Mirai, I of all people would know," He uttered softly, his voice impressively still as his eyes glued to the scene only mere feet away. Even taking a small whiff of it made him scrunch his nose in disgust, feeling goosebumps shiver up his spine.

It was a message, a warning, he knew far too well about. It was an animal, or at least the remnants of multiple, meticulously scattered along the opened field to form a radial design, the body parts filtered in dried blood and joined by the few scavengers gnawing at the decaying meat. It served as nothing but to mock Toshinori, proving what he had already suspected.

The pungent smell protruding from the display was what caught his attention, after all, it was unexpected while patrolling the barrier's exterior before coming across the scene. He may have grown, but not even amnesia would make him forget the true menace behind this criminal act.

"But, surely it must be something else, you've said it yourself—You—You killed him once and for all!" Sasaki argued defensively, he was appalled his friend would even think of such an option especially after what it cost him already. They've worked endlessly to stop that monster, vanquish him from the realms after generations of attempts and failure, only to realize it wasn't enough.

Sasaki still remembers the day which has left his comrade scarred for the rest of his life, the day he sacrificed everything to quell the beast but now, was all of it for nothing? He was sure it was some sick game for the universe to laugh at once it got boring.

"Answer me this, is your vision still the same as it was before?" He questioned, eyes barely leaving the scene before him, his voice stern enough that even made Sasaki shiver slightly. Hesitantly, he moved his hand forward and timidly rested it on his friend's shoulder, almost wanting to just pretend he used his foresight, but even he was curious.

His eyes shut, inhaling a single breath of the air as if his last before he felt himself be pulled into the abyss that was his core. Almost instantly, his body was washed over with a frost aligned with the peak of winter, his eyes warily opening to make sense of his blurred surroundings.

Sasaki always felt sick to his stomach whenever he witnessed the same torturous nightmare, even more so when he understood that it was already predestined. The rubble of a kingdom he grew fond of, rocks and stone littering the once calmed forests as his eyes scanned over the crushed and ruined homes.