SHINYA | 深夜 • KNY various x Reincarnated!Reader

ACT II • Yūgen VII

This chapter contains material of a highly sensitive nature, including:

Graphic Death; Extreme Violence; Sexual Violence; Sexual Assault; Torture

That may be triggering for some individuals.

Heading back to the clearing, an invisible thread twists around your throat.

A foreign feeling welling deep in your chest tightens its hold over you as you embrace the darkness, returning like an old friend. The wind is silent. Your steps echo on the wood, marking each one like a funeral procession, only drawing closer and closer.

You can do it. You have to do it. One way or another, this is your opportunity.

You'll never find another chance like this again.

As you finally step into the clearing, you are greeted by the sight of Hyō in the process of cleaning up, his back to the trees behind him, and a smile on his face that is deprived of his Hyottoko mask. A tender expression that was almost childlike in its simplicity, except—when he notices the tension on your face—the smile changes to a slight frown.

"[Name]-san?" He calls out to you, "I thought you were going to sleep?"

Just behind him stands the doll, and you cannot be more grateful that it is standing motionless and silent, staring down at the ground with its back toward you. Seeing the so familiar silhouette alone brings already forth so much pain. Memories of despair flood into your mind. No matter how hard you try to chase the feelings of loss, grief, and regret, they claw at you until you are frozen like a statue.

Fingernails almost pierce the skin of your palms, but the pain is welcomed more than that aching sensation within the chest cavity as it beats rapidly. Like a film stuck on a loop, you can't let go of a life once known.

"I couldn't. I mean, not anymore," A lie easily slips past your tongue. "It's nothing. I just have trouble falling asleep sometimes." You explain as a hand reaches up and rubs the back of your neck, attempting to shake off any feelings of guilt for deceiving him.

His face scrunches up into that of concentration as if to think of a way to cheer you up. After some time, Hyō speaks, "Is it Haganezuka-san again? If you want, I can show you his weak points—"

"Don't worry. It's not him this time." A giggle, barely held back behind the palm of your hand, escapes from you. "But I am always happy to hear about his weaknesses."

His enthusiasm for the topic is a welcomed distraction for what is soon to follow, a pleasant distraction as he starts to rant on and on about all the things that have the blacksmith annoyed or ticked off in one way or another. As time slowly passes on, the boy doesn't notice when the smile slips from your face, and the only thing you can think about is what needs to be done.

"So then there's the fact that he—" Hyō continues his one-sided rant before you interrupt with your voice devoid of the former lightheartedness, and the boy instantly ceases talking to look over at you in confusion.

"Say, where's Akio? I haven't seen him since I left a few hours ago." You begin, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other as you glance around the clearing, trying not to linger with your gaze on the doll, "I thought he would still be here."

However, as Hyō doesn't notice anything wrong with the question, he shrugs his shoulders in response, stating, "He left when the sun went down, saying something about life being too short or whatever. Honestly, I don't know. He's probably frustrated because his attempts at training with the doll were, well, ridiculous, to say at least."