𓆩♡𓆪 brought to you by : 𝙢𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 and co.

•

•

•

// kira's POV //

ʚɞ

I kept running. The forest blurred around me, the sound of my hurried breaths mingling with the wind whipping through the trees. I hadn't stopped since I left Mai. His words repeated in my mind like a cursed echo.

Lady Y/n is sick. She doesn't have much time.

No. It couldn't be real. It wouldn't be real. Whatever was happening to her, I was going to fix it. I didn't know how yet, but I had to.

She was the reason I smiled every morning, the reason I had a place to call home. She believed in me when no one else did. The thought of losing her—it was unbearable.

I winced as pain shot through my legs. My feet were cramping, screaming for rest, but I ignored it. I had to keep moving.

The sky darkened above me, heavy clouds rolling in.

"Great," I muttered under my breath as the first droplets of rain began to fall. The trail was turning slick, and the growing storm wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

Up ahead, I spotted a small, abandoned hut tucked off the path.

"I guess I'll stay here until the rain dies down," I murmured, stepping inside.

The wind howled outside, rattling the flimsy walls. Thunder roared, shaking the ground beneath me. I sank to the floor, my head dropping into my hands.

I felt something wet roll down my face. At first, I thought it was a leak in the roof. But when I touched my cheek, I realized it was tears.

I hadn't stopped long enough to process everything. The weight of it all crushed me like a boulder. Lady Y/n was dying, and I was out here—alone, scared, and powerless.

"Damn it!" I screamed, my voice cracking as it mixed with the storm outside.

Lightning illuminated the room, casting jagged shadows on the walls. My cries echoed into the darkness, raw and unrelenting.

"Why are you crying, child?"

The voice was soft but clear, cutting through the storm. My body stiffened. I wasn't alone.

"Go away," I snapped, not turning around.

"I can't do that."

The voice came closer, and I jumped to my feet, moving forward to escape. But before I could, a figure appeared in front of me, as if out of thin air.

"Don't move," the man said, his tone cold and commanding. "I'm being kind by not killing you where you stand."

My breath hitched as I took in his appearance. His skin was pale, unnaturally so, and his eyes burned crimson. There was an aura about him—powerful, suffocating, and utterly terrifying.

"Now, calm down," he continued. "Tell me why you were screaming."

"It's none of your business," I said, trying to steady my voice.

"Oh, but it is," he replied, a sly smile curling his lips. "I can help you."

I froze. How did he know I needed help? I hadn't said anything about Lady Y/n. But something in his tone sent a shiver down my spine—and yet, a flicker of hope ignited in my chest.

"I am Muzan," he said, his voice smooth and deliberate. "Leader of the Twelve Kizuki."

The name rang a bell. Lady Y/n had mentioned it once, but I couldn't remember the details.

"You've heard of me," Muzan said, as if reading my mind. "Good. That will save us some time. Now, let's get to the point: I can help your precious Lady Y/n."

My heart raced. How did he know about her?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to mask my fear.

He chuckled darkly, the sound sending chills down my spine. "Come now, don't you want to save her?"

He stepped closer, his crimson eyes locking onto mine. And for a moment—a fleeting, inexplicable moment—I wasn't afraid.

"I... I do," I admitted. "But how? I'm just a kid. I don't know how to help her."

Muzan reached out, his hand brushing against my neck. I flinched, expecting him to strike, but he merely tilted his head, studying me.

"Don't fight it," he said softly. "Follow my lead, and you can save her. You can prove your parents wrong. You can become unstoppable."

His words ignited something deep inside me—anger. Anger at my parents for abandoning me. Anger at Lady Y/n's illness for threatening to take her away. Anger at the universe for stacking the odds against me at every turn.

If this man, this Muzan, could help me change that...

"What do I have to do?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging outside—and within me.

Muzan's smile widened. "Good," he said. "You've made the right choice."

// word count : 747 //

this chapter has been edited from the previous one