Blind, But Determined

Itsuki’s eyes fluttered open.

Clink.

Cold cuffs bit his wrists. He jerked upright, tugging at them as pain shot through his arms.

“What… what is this?!” he barked

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, grounding him.

“Breathe, kid.” Sarutobi voice cut through the panic. “You’ll only make it worse for your friend.”

The fire in Itsuki’s chest hit a wall of ice. He sank back, stomach twisting, and swallowed hard.

“Rei… is he okay?” he whispered

Sarutobi, nodded slowly.

“You can go. But don’t lose it again, got it? Stay calm.”

“I will” he said, his voice cracking.

Click. Clack.

As soon the pressure vanished, he lunged forward, pulling the curtain aside.

Rei lay on the bed, his body jerking in violent, rhythmic pulses, like something inside him was trying to claw its way out.

Four exorcists stood over him :

On one side, Akira, his father, and a doctor. Light flowed from their palms, sinking into Rei, steady and warm.

On the other, a blind monk. His throat rumbled with a low chant, pulling the shadows right out of the boy.

Enshin was there too.

His forehead pressed against his interlaced fingers, whispering prayers so fast they sounded like a swarm of bees.

Itsuki’s chest tightened.

“What are they doing? It looks like torture… it’s horrible,” he whispered, knuckles white around the bedrail.

“They’re clearing the darkness from inside him,” Sarutobi explained. “It’s the only way to save him.”

Itsuki’s jaw tightened, fists clenching.

“Can I help?” he asked, voice trembling, tense.

Sarutobi smiled faintly and let his hand rest on Itsuki’s hair.

“You’ve done enough. Let the pros handle it… trust us.”

Tch.

Trust wasn’t something Itsuki gave easily. Especially not to exorcists. But this time, he had no choice.

Suddenly, the light vanished from the exorcists’ hands.

Itsuki’s voice spiked.

"Why’d you stop?!"

“Relax,” Captain Tenshin said calmly. “We neutralized most of it.”

“Most?” Itsuki echoed, tight.

“His eyes took serious damage,” Akira said, voice low. “For now… we wait. There’s nothing else we can do.”

Itsuki’s stomach dropped.

"His eyes… you mean h-he’s blind? Forever?"

Silence.

Then the doctor explained.

“It’s too early to tell. We’ll know when he wakes. Other effects may appear too. Hearing. Thinking. Even magic.”

Heat surged back up, sharp and jagged.

“Control yourself,” Sarutobi warned, eyes narrowing. “Or I’ll lock you up for good.”

Itsuki exhaled slowly, forcing the heat down.

"I’m fine. Just please , let me stay."

His gaze stayed fixed on Rei’s unmoving body.

"What do we do now?"

Sarutobi leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

“The hardest part,” he said quietly. “We wait.”

After a moment, Rei’s body jerked violently. Still trapped in the darkness, he screamed before his eyes even opened.

“No… No! Please someone help me!”

Everyone rushed to him, voices crashing down, trying to pull him back.

"Rei! Hey, Rei! Everything fine“

He heard them. But they felt far away, like voices echoing from the bottom of a deep well.

Then he finally opened his eyes.

But nothing except black.

Doubt crept in. Were those voices real… or just another illusion?

His hands clawed at the air, grasping for something, anything to prove he wasn’t still trapped in the Zone.

Then he caught something. A sleeve.

He grabbed it and didn’t let go, his fingers digging in, tearing the fabric.

Arms wrapped around him. Firm. Steady. Like a shield against the darkness.

"It’s okay… it’s over," Enshin murmured "You’re in the infirmary. You’re safe."

Rei froze.

The warmth of Enshin’s chest, the smell of cigarette, the thump-thump of a real heart…

Though blind, every other sense told him the same thing. He was out. Alive. Safe.

“I-I’m safe… really…?”

And then the dam broke. Tears spilled freely down his cheeks.

"Thank you… god, thank you… I’m sorry… Enshin … I’m so sorry…"

Enshin didn’t let go. His hands tapped Rei’s back, steady and rhythmic.

"Easy now. Just breathe. You’re safe. You’re safe"

Rei’s sobs gradually slowed, his grip on Enshin’s coat loosened.

Silence.

Then the scratch of a pen broke it.

"My name is Dr. Halden," a calm voice said from his left.

“Can you hear me clearly?”

“Yes,” Rei replied without hesitation.

“Good. Can I make a quick check-up?”

Rei gave a stiff nod.

Air brushed past his face, moving slow from right to left.

Then a weighty silence pressed in.

Rei’s chest hammered, each beat loud in his ears. Something’s wrong… my eyes, right? Am I… blind for good? He swallowed, too afraid to ask, and waited for the doctor to finish.

The doctor checked his vitals: hiss of the blood pressure cuff, cold touch of the stethoscope.

He tapped Rei’s knee lightly. The reflex responded.

Click.

The doctor stepped back, his shoes squeaking on the floor.Everyone held their breath, waiting.

Rei broke the silence.

"So, what’s the verdict?" Rei asked, his voice eerily level. " Please, be honest."

The doctor exhaled slowly.

"Physically, you’re a miracle. Your vitals are stabilizing"

A pause.

“But the miasma hit your optic nerves. It cauterized the connection.”

The words sank into him like stones into water.

“Is it permanent?” Rei’s voice trembled.

“We can’t say,” the doctor admitted. “Darkness corruption is unstable. It might fade with time… or it might not.”

“I see,” Rei whispered.

The irony of the words bit at him.

From his left, Akira’s voice trembled.

“I’m sorry. It was my role. I should’ve protected you.”

A breath later, another voice. Low. Broken.

“I’ll find that bastard and rip his heart out,” Itsuki whispered, barely audible.

But Rei heard it. His other senses were sharp now. Too sharp.

“Akira… it was my choice,” Rei said softly. “I went without you. So please, don’t blame yourself.”

He turned his head to the left.

“And Itsuki,” he added, voice firm, “don’t do anything stupid.”

No answer. Just a faint sound of teeth grinding.

Silence.

Then the doctor spoke.

“He needs rest. Everyone out. Now.”

Rei heard footsteps

“Doctor… when is the next trial?” he asked.

The room was silent for a heartbeat after his question. Then Enshin break it, his tone incredulous.

"The tournament? Rei, you can barely sit upright. Focus on your recovery!"

“Why not? The doctor said I’m fine.” Rei countered, hands still trembling.

Itsuki snapped, his voice rough with frustration.

“Except you’re blind.”

Rei didn't look at him, he couldn't, but he turned his head in his direction.

“So what?” he replied, voice steady "Kaitsuki is still here, he’ll be my eyes.”

Silence.

Rei continued, fingers curling into the bedsheets

"If I quit now, then everything I did out there, all that pain, it becomes a waste. I need to continue."

Akira stepped forward, soft as ever.

“Rei, listen. I’ll win the tournament. That healing potion? It’s yours. Just stay put, okay?”

"Yeah, me too," Itsuki growled. "Quit being stubborn… just rest."

Rei gave a small, tired smile. Lucky to have such friends but his mind was made up.

"I appreciate it. Truly. But I passed the tests. I earned my spot on that field. I'm not letting a little darkness take that away from me."

Silence fell again.

No one argued. They all knew that tone. When Rei was like this, he was like a mountain, unmovable.

Sarutobi pushed off the wall and walked toward the bed, his heavy boots echoing.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," he said, stopping inches from Rei. "But guts don't win matches. Results do."

Rei tilted his chin up, staring into the nothingness.

“and how do I prove I can still fight?”

“The next trial is tomorrow, 1:00 PM,” Sarutobi explained.

"Show up an hour early. I’ll put you through a test . Pass, you continue. Fail, you pack up and go home. Deal?"

Rei didn't hesitate.

"Deal. I’ll be there. And I’ll win!"

Sarutobi nodded, a grim smirk touching his lips.

“We’ll see, kid. Until then rest up.”

Rei raised his hands, staring at the place where his palms should be.

Tomorrow, he thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Tomorrow would decide his fate.