❝𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙘𝙚.❞
╰┈➤ IN WHICH the Flame Pillar promised to stay by your side because his warmth is what keeps you alive, until the day your curse turns your heart into ice.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Pre-C...
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There was a time when the Demon Slayer Corps was composed of ten Pillars. Ten of the strongest Hashira in the Corps' history. It was, therefore, considered as the Golden Age of the Corps. They were so close to defeating the progenitor of Demons. They were so close to ending it all.
Until all but one of the ten Pillars betrayed the Corps and sold them off to that man.
The last Ice Pillar, the Hashira who betrayed her kin, who sold away the location of the Corps that resulted in the killing of almost all the members of the Corps, was a member of your Clan.
Since then, the Setsuko Family who developed the Ice Breathing Technique and whose members were all Ice Pillars, had forbidden its members from using the Technique ever again. They stopped teaching their sons and daughters anything related to sword-wielding and had excluded themselves from ever joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
Even as hundreds of years had come to pass, and your family was no longer seen as a traitor, your family will forever carry the guilt of bearing the woman who betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps.
"It's a curse," a man spoke. He's sitting beside the young Oyakata-sama as they look ahead at the garden where flowers are in full bloom. "All the daughters born to our Family had never reached past the age of majority."
"I have heard of it," the young boy said, the head of the Ubuyashiki Family, who, at the young age of 4 became the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps and carried a burden so heavy that mere words can hardly describe it.
"My family as well, had been cursed with an incurable illness. Perhaps it was due to our negligence. Our families had birthed them. The progenitor of demons and the one who betrayed the family."
Much like the curse that had struck the Ubuyashiki Family for generations, the Setsuko Family as well had been stricken by a curse. As if the gods had unleashed their wraths that these Families shall carry to the next generation.
"All of the women from our family were born during winter. And they died during winter. Their hearts have turned into ice."
It was a torturous death but somehow also very peaceful. For those who died had met their ends while it was snowing, their bodies numb from cold and only awaiting the time where their hearts would stop beating.
But as peaceful as it was, it was also very lonely. The coldness without an ounce of warmth even in the end.
"I am sorry, Ubuyashiki-sama."
The man's voice broke, and the young boy watched as the man put both his hands on the floor before bowing his head so low that it should be unacceptable for a man to prostrate himself to a boy who could be his son.
"I truly am...sorry."
"Setsuko-san, lift your head," the young boy stated. "That child is watching."
"Father?" you slowly asked, eyes big and blinking in curiosity and confusion as to why your father, the head of the Setsuko Family, is bowing his head like that in front of a boy who is only three years older than you.
Upon hearing your voice, the man flinched, his eyes wide and his shoulders tensed until Kagaya put his hand on his shoulder and it instinctively relaxed before the man slowly lifted his head and Kagaya lowered his hand as the man sat up before he looked at you.
"Y/n, come," he said, urging for you to come as you did. When you got there, you settled to sit in front of your father, staring at the boy. "Y/n, this is Ubuyashiki Kagaya-sama."
"Onii-chan?" you asked, tilting your head to the side as your hair cascaded down.
"No, we call him Ubuyashiki-sama."
"Onii-chan!"
"Y/n!" your father said, raising his voice to reprimand you, he was going to scold you more until you two heard a soft laughter coming from the boy.
"It's alright, Setsuko-san. Let this child call me as she pleases."
"Onii-chan," you said, offering him a closed-eyed smile.
To think that a young girl like you never felt the warmth of the sun since you were born, to think that all your life you have already been cuddled by cold. And yet, you still managed to make that smile that made Kagaya feel the warmth in his chest.
"Y/n, my child," the young boy started and you opened your eyes to look at him. "From now on, you will be sent to a household abundant with warmth. The Flame Pillar's household where you will meet his eldest son."
You were seven when you left your household and were sent to another household, the household of the Flame Hashira. The Rengoku Family had always had a close bond with the Setsuko Family, even after that woman betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps.
And perhaps because of that close connection, the gods had given the Rengoku Family a certain amount of warmth to share with the Family that was cursed to suffer an eternal coldness from the betrayal of one of their kin.
The Rengoku Family were all born with a certain amount of warmth that they utilized to provide just a sliver of heat to the young women whose curse will turn their hearts to ice.
And in that household abundant with warmth, as Kagaya told you, you grew alongside him.
The boy who promised to stay by your side, who would keep you warm throughout the four seasons of the year. So even when it's summer, spring, autumn or winter, you will never have to worry about your heart turning into ice.
He will stay by your side with his flame that will keep you alive, for without him, you would literally die.
