Last Breath in the Darkness

The forest was silent.

Too silent.

Shadows stretched between the trees, twisting like smoke.

The faint glow of the few remaining fairies barely lit the path, trembling in the cold air.

Akira frowned, eyes scanned the shadows,

“Rei should’ve been back by now,” he muttered.

Itsuki, hands shoved deep into his pockets, didn’t look up.

“He has the most fairies. He’s fine.” he replied calmly.

Akira’s shoulders stayed tense. His eyes never left the darkness.

Itsuki sighed quietly and went on.

“Besides, it’s Rei we’re talking about. Don’t worry. He always has something up his sleeve.”

Akira hesitated, then gave a small nod.

“Hm… you may be right.”

He tried to believe it.

Then—

A figure emerged from the black.

Holding a lantern.

Rei lantern.

Akira’s breath caught.

“That’s…”

Itsuki moved before he could finish.

A card flashed between his fingers.

A square barrier formed beneath Enma’s feet, snapping shut

around his legs.

Locked in place.

Enma glanced down at his feet.

“What the hell?”

Itsuki’s eyes blazed, dark and sharp.

“You,” he growled.

“Why do you have Rei’s lantern?”

Akira stepped forward, voice trembling.

“What did you do to him?”

Enma smirked, tilting his head, flames flickering along his sleeves.

“This magician? So arrogant… I taught him a lesson.”

Akira’s blade was at the fire mage’s throat, tension crackling in the air.

“Where is he?”

Enma shrugged, completely unconcerned.

“Who care? Without fairies … he’s probably dead by now.”

The air shifted violently.

Itsuki’s eyes darkened.

A second barrier surged around Enma.

His smile vanished.

He froze, then gasped.

No air.

He clawed at his throat, eyes wide, body jerking as panic set in.

Akira grabbed Itsuki’s arm.

“Stop!” he shouted.

“Don’t kill him!”

Itsuki turned slowly.

Eyes burning.

“Why?”

Akira hesitated for half a second.

“…Yet,” he added quickly.

“We need more information first.”

Itsuki stared at Enma.

“So… I can?”

Akira didn’t look away.

“Yes. But don’t kill him.”

Itsuki smiled.

“Good,” he murmured.

The pressure eased.

Enma collapsed to his knees, dragging in air, coughing violently.

Tears streamed down his face as he tried to breathe.

Itsuki crouched slightly, voice low… dangerous.

“…Where …is … Rei? he whispered

The air thickened again.

Enma choked, panic flooding his eyes.

“Stop! I—I will tell you”

His arm trembled as he pointed into the darkness.

“Th— that way…” he wheezed.

Akira ripped the lantern from his grasp.

Itsuki gently lifted the small unconscious fairy, cradling her carefully.

Then he turned toward the darkness, jaw clenched.

“Wait for us,” he muttered.

“Just hold on.” Akira whispered

And they ran.

Straight into the dark.

Toward their friend.

Behind them, Enma laughed weakly.

“Even if you save him,” he sneered, “That clown is finished.”

The forest was darker than ever.

Akira and Itsuki ran, the lantern swinging wildly.

Shadows stretched endlessly.

Every step felt heavier. The Darkness Zone seemed to swallow the path ahead.

“Where… where is he?” Akira muttered, breath ragged.

Itsuki’s jaw clenched. “How we will find him in this darkness?”

Then he felt the fairy in his hand stir.

“Rei…” she whispered.

Her tiny eyes opened. Weak.

Akira blinked.

“Oh… the fairy woke up. Maybe she knows where he is.”

They leaned closer, hope flickering.

“I… I don’t remember,” Lumi whispered. Weak.

Both sighed, a little disappointed.

“But… I can feel the medallion,” she added, voice trembling.

“If Rei still has it…”

They exchanged a quick glance. Eyes wide. Tension crackling.

“Can you… guide us?” they asked, almost at the same time.

Lumi nodded.

Her tiny glow pulsed.

Then she lifted slightly, hovering ahead, leading the way through the dark.

They both thought at the same time, hearts pounding:

“Rei… hold on. We’re coming.”

Somewhere, deep in the black, Rei’s body sagged.

I will die here…

No strength left. No hope. Nothing.

Then… a whisper. Fragile, yet clear.

Hold on… your friends are coming…

The voice came from the medallion.

Small. Gentle. But full of certainty.

Friends…

A spark of thought. Trembling. Faint.

They’re coming. I just have to… hold on…

A small light flickered in the dark.

Hope, fragile and warm.

For a brief moment… it felt real.

But doubt followed.

Cold. Heavy.

And the light started to drown.

But… what if it’s too late? 

Blind? 

Deaf?

Permanent… forever like this?

Panic surged.

His chest tightened.

I… I can’t…

…I’m sorry…

Tears ran down his cheeks, though he couldn’t feel them.

His heart… slowed, weaker with every beat.

Each pulse felt farther away.

He was fading.

Then… a sound.

Faint. Distant. Echoing.

“Rei… Rei!”

Real voices? Or his mind playing tricks? Impossible to tell.

And then… nothing.

The void claimed him completely.

And Rei let go.

Akira’s voice broke the silence.

“We found him!”

But relief vanished the instant Itsuki touched Rei.

His brows frowned, eyes darkening.

“His pulse… it’s barely there…”

A shiver ran through him.

Without hesitation, Itsuki drew his card, ace of hearts.

A glowing heart bloomed around Rei.

It wrapped him like a protective cocoon.

The light stretched outward.

Fragile. Insistent. Fighting the darkness.

Itsuki lifted Rei into his arms.

“Hold on… don’t you dare give up now.”

The fairy hovered just ahead, light flickering, guiding the way through the black.

Akira ran beside them, breath ragged, heart hammering.

“Rei… stay with us. Please… just a little longer.”

Step by step, they moved through the oppressive black.

Every second counted.

Every root threatened to trip them.

The darkness pressed close, suffocating, relentless.

The forest seemed endless, but they could not stop.

Could not slow.

Rei’s life depended on it.

The exit was somewhere ahead, invisible yet, but closer with every trembling step.

“The crystal… it’s there,” the fairy shouted.

They ran faster, hearts hammering.

“Hold on… almost there,” Itsuki muttered, gripping Rei tighter.

The crystal flared.

The air screamed.

Light burst open before them.

Akira blinked.

“We… we’re back, to the starting point?” he breathed.

Cold wind. Open sky.

The mountain.

Sarutobi stood at the front with two other Examiners.

Every candidate was already there, safe. Waiting them.

All the other candidates were already there, safe. Waiting.

They were the last.

“Please… someone help us!” Akira cried.

All of them turned at once.

Then they saw Rei.

“Please ... ” Akira shouted. “Someone help us!”

People rushed forward.

Gasps broke out.

“What happened?”

“Is he alive?”

“Those marks—!”

Black veins crawled across Rei’s skin.

From his neck. His arms. His chest.

Like shadows trapped under his flesh.

Akira froze when he saw them.

“…Rei…”

Itsuki pulled him closer.

Too close. Too protective.

The Examiners rushed forward, alarm spreading across their faces.

“What happened?” Sarutobi demanded, eyes wide.

Itsuki didn’t answer.

He glared, jaw tight, a storm barely contained in his gaze.

Akira stepped in, forcing himself to breathe.

“He… he lost his fairies for a moment,” he said.

Sarutobi stiffened.

“How long?”

Akira lowered his head, eyes falling to the ground.

“We… we don’t know.”

Itsuki’s grip tightened.

“Enough talking,” he growled.

“Do something.”

A healer pushed through the crowd, staff already glowing.

“I can heal him! Let me try”

She slammed the end of her staff into the ground.

Light spread in a wide circle.

Warm. Strong.

Rei’s breathing steadied.

Color slowly returned to his face.

A murmur spread behind them.

Relief. Hope. Soft voices rising in the background.

Akira’s eyes lit up.

“He’s breathing better,” he said, almost breathless. “It’s working…”

For the first time, Itsuki let himself relax.

But then he leaned closer.

His soft smile faded.

“But why isn’t he waking up?”

No answer.

Sarutobi stepped forward, hand reaching toward Rei’s face.

Itsuki reacted instantly.

His arm shot out.

The exorcist’s hand was knocked away.

Then he pulled Rei closer, turning his body to block him.

“Don’t touch him,” he growled, grip tight, body trembling with barely restrained rage.

“I won’t hurt him,” Sarutobi said calmly. “I just need to check his eyes, please”

A long second passed.

Itsuki’s jaw trembled.

Then, slowly, he allowed it.

Sarutobi opened Rei’s eyelids.

Black.

Completely black.

The mountain went silent.

Sarutobi swallowed.

“…It’s too late.”

The words barely left his mouth.

Itsuki froze.

“…Too late?”

His voice was low. Strained.

“What do you mean… too late?”

Sarutobi hesitated.

“He was exposed to the Darkness Zone without protection,” he said.

“The corruption went too deep.”

“Even if he wakes up—”

He stopped.

Couldn’t finish the sentence.

Akira stepped forward, fists clenched.

“There has to be something,” he said.

“I use light. I can fight darkness. I—”

But Itsuki wasn’t listening anymore.

The world around him faded.

Sound drowned.

A pressure exploded outward.

Killing intent.

Raw. Violent.

Several candidates stumbled back.

“He’s—!” 

“Watch out!”

Akira grabbed his arm.

“Itsuki. Calm down.”

Itsuki turned slowly.

Eyes burning.

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” he growled, teeth clenched

“You useless exorcists … I should—”

Before he never finished , a sharp strike hit the back of his neck.

Itsuki’s body went limp.

Akira caught him before he fell.

“What—?!”

“Why would you—?!”

One of the observers lowered his hand.

“If I didn’t,” he said quietly, “he would’ve killed someone.”

Akira clenched his teeth.

“…We’re just worried for our friend.”

No one answered.

Sarutobi stepped forward again.

This time, no one stopped him.

“Let’s move,” he said. “Infirmary. Now.”

He lifted Rei carefully.

Another observer hoisted Itsuki onto his back.

The crystal began to glow once more.

Wind howled around them.

Rei lay unmoving.

Itsuki unconscious.

The black marks still there.

The light flickered.

And then—

They vanished.

Leaving the mountain behind.

And Rei’s fate uncertain.