Shadows of the Past

Haruki’s breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he stumbled through the ruined streets, his body barely holding itself together. Each step sent a jolt of agony through his ribs, his legs threatening to buckle beneath him, but he forced himself forward. He had to. He had no choice.

Behind him, the echoes of battle still raged. The clash of Kain’s blade against the abyssal force of Asvar reverberated through the night, a sound so unnatural that it made his skin crawl. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t.

His mind was a storm. Kisaragi had betrayed them. Everyone was dead. Natsuki, Aoi, Renji—gone. It was just him now. Him and the thing that had offered him everything he thought he wanted. And he had refused.

He had refused.

The thought hit him like a blow to the gut. He could have taken Asvar’s power. Could have stood his ground, turned the tide, ended this madness. But he hadn’t.

Because of Kain.

Because of a warning whispered through gritted teeth, a confession buried under layers of regret.

"You think you’re unstoppable… until one day, you wake up, and you’re not you anymore."

Haruki clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms hard enough to break skin. He wasn’t sure if it was the pain or the anger that kept him moving. Maybe both.

His legs finally gave out near an abandoned storefront. The glass windows were shattered, the neon sign above flickering weakly, as if gasping out its last breath. He staggered inside, collapsing onto the floor, the cool tiles a sharp contrast to the heat coursing through his battered body.

His fingers brushed against something wet. Blood. His.

His vision blurred. The world tilted sideways. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

And then—

Footsteps.

Slow. Measured.

Approaching.

His pulse spiked.

He forced himself upright, his body screaming in protest. His fingers fumbled for his weapon, but his katana was gone. He had lost it somewhere along the way. He was defenseless.

The footsteps stopped.

And then—

A voice. Low, familiar.

"Not dead yet, huh?"

Haruki froze. His breath caught in his throat.

Kain.

The man stood at the entrance of the ruined shop, his silhouette framed by the flickering light outside. His coat was torn, streaked with blood—some of it his, some of it not. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes…

His eyes were haunted.

Haruki exhaled shakily. "Guess not."

Kain stepped inside, his boots crunching against the debris-littered floor. He didn’t speak right away. Just watched. Studied. As if trying to decide something.

Haruki swallowed. His throat was dry. "Did you kill it?"

Kain exhaled through his nose. "No."

A beat of silence.

"You ran."

Haruki tensed. "You told me to."

Kain tilted his head slightly. "And you listened."

Something about the way he said it made Haruki’s stomach twist. Like it wasn’t a compliment. Like it wasn’t disappointment, either.

"Was I supposed to stay?" Haruki snapped, the exhaustion fraying his temper. "Was I supposed to throw myself at a god just to prove something to you?"

Kain didn’t answer.

Haruki’s fists clenched. "I made the right choice."

"Maybe." Kain glanced around the ruined shop, his gaze flicking over the remnants of whatever life had once existed here. "Or maybe you just postponed the inevitable."

Haruki forced himself to his feet, swaying slightly. "I don’t care. I’m still here."

Kain’s eyes darkened. "For now."

Another long silence stretched between them.

Haruki finally exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "Why are you here, Kain?"

Kain’s fingers twitched at his side. A flicker of hesitation. Something rare. Something unnatural.

And then—

"I had a sister once."

Haruki blinked.

The words had come out of nowhere, slipping through the cracks of whatever carefully guarded walls Kain had built around himself.

Haruki hesitated. "What?"

Kain’s gaze was distant, staring at something only he could see. "She was younger than me. Smart. Too smart for her own good." His jaw tightened. "She always wanted to help people. Thought she could change the world."

Haruki’s stomach twisted. He had never heard Kain talk about his past before. Not like this.

"What happened to her?" he asked cautiously.

Kain exhaled slowly, like he was steadying himself.

Then, finally—

"Asvar happened."

Haruki’s breath hitched.

Kain’s expression didn’t change, but his hands curled into fists. "She was dying. I was desperate. Asvar offered me a deal. Power. Enough to save her."

Haruki’s blood turned to ice.

"But it wasn’t enough, was it?" he whispered.

Kain’s silence was answer enough.

Haruki swallowed hard. "That’s why you told me not to take the deal."

Kain’s gaze met his.

And for the first time since they met, Haruki saw something raw in his expression.

Regret.

"Yes," Kain murmured. "Because it never ends the way you think it will."

Haruki inhaled shakily, his mind reeling.

Everything—Kain’s strength, his ruthlessness, his relentless pursuit of power—it all made sense now. He wasn’t trying to win. He was trying to undo.

Haruki looked away. "I don’t know what you expect me to do with that."

"Nothing," Kain said simply. "You asked why I was here. That’s why."

Haruki exhaled slowly, his mind racing.

And then—

A distant rumble.

The ground trembled beneath them, a deep, guttural sound rising from the earth itself. The air grew thick. Heavy. The temperature dropped.

Haruki’s heart slammed against his ribs.

Kain cursed under his breath. "It’s not over."

Haruki’s body was still weak, his wounds still fresh, but adrenaline surged through him, forcing him upright.

"What do we do?" he asked.

Kain didn’t answer immediately. He stared into the darkness beyond the ruined shop, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with something unreadable.

And then—

"We finish this," he said.

Haruki swallowed hard. "And if we can’t?"

Kain’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

"Then we die trying."

And as the shadows began to move outside, as the whisper of something ancient slithered through the air, Haruki realized—

One way or another, the end was coming.