SHINYA | 深夜 • demon slayer x reincarnated! f.reader

Act II Part III: Yūgen

You wake up drenched in sweat and shaking all over, gasping for air like you ran miles. Your breathing calms down a bit, and you look around to confirm you're safe, that you're alone, and that I was once again just one of your endless nightmares.

As much as you try to push them aside, however, the image of yourself lying broken against the tree still lingers in your mind, your throat constricts with sorrow as you remember the pain, and the terror you felt as you lay there bleeding, helpless. You shudder involuntarily remembering the sensation of warm blood trickling down your chest, staining your clothes red.

The ghost pain that shoots through your arm again, will there ever be a time when you will forget it? You can't help but wonder, why now you started dreaming of this wrenched night again. It's been a long time since you last had those kinds of dreams, and it scares you, terrifies you, and it makes you question yourself.

There are so many emotions swirling inside your heart that you don't know which ones to follow and focus on. You can hardly bear it and you shake your head furiously, trying to dispel the memory of your nightmare or memory? You don't know, you just try to regain your sense of reality.

In some twisted way, it was better than the other ones, the others where you always recall all the wonderful memories, the happy moments spent together with your loved ones, your friends, and your comrades alike. Those times when you laughed, smiled, cried, fought, argued, and played with each other.

But you have come to realize lately, that every loss, big or small, leaves a scar on your soul. Not even death can erase that wound, leaving behind its ugly scars, that's why you prefer the ones with you lying against the tree, just waiting for the end.

It doesn't matter, it shouldn't matter.

You wipe tears from your eyes as you struggle to sit up and rub your throbbing temple, hoping that by doing so you can ease the ache. You stumble to your feet, barely able to put weight on your leg, but you manage nonetheless. Yes, in a few moments, the sensation will be gone again, just like always.

And today, you have to be strong. Today you can't be distracted by your fickle feelings or your unending grief. So let us pray, that you don't break. Let us hope, that you can stay strong throughout it all. For you cannot afford to fall apart.

No time to dwell on the past, or on what unholy conversation you had with Tsukihiko days ago, these are problems for another day.

The festival begins today, meaning the first step in your plan starts today.

Right now, the sun has risen higher, and you need to get ready. You slip into your kimono and tie up the obi, you brush your hair until it shines, putting extra effort into getting it neat and tidy.

There was no particular reason as to why, but you just feel like it, yes, once in a while you actually care about your appearance. Huh, never would you have thought to dress up for stealing, but here you are. Well, it's actually for the festival, but who cares, you are pretty, you feel pretty and ultimately it makes you feel better about yourself.

"[Name]." You hear someone call out, and you spin around, finding Tsukihiko standing outside of your room. The sliding doors are still closed, and so you let your face constrict into a disgusted expression.

Ever since that conversation, he has been even more annoying than before. Every time he speaks,  every time he looks at you, you can see him planning out how high your value on the marriage market must be, probably. You don't care, or you wish you didn't.  It was hard to not care when he quite frankly is not discreet about it.