Chapter: 41
Back in Renji home the night was quiet inside his small apartment.
The streets outside had already fallen silent, only the faint hum of a passing car or the rustle of leaves breaking the stillness.
Renji leaned against the doorway of his sister's room.
Lily was fast asleep, curled up under her blanket, her little face relaxed and peaceful, her tiny breaths rose and fell like the rhythm of a soft lullaby.
Renji smiled faintly.
"Ohh… what a long day," he whispered to himself, his voice tired but warm.
"Sleep well, Lily."
He turned off the light gently, closing the door halfway so a thin line of light from the hallway still touched her room.
Then he dragged himself into his own small bedroom.
The bed creaked loudly as he jumped onto it with no care, landing face-first into the pillow.
"Aaaah…" he groaned, his voice muffled in the sheets.
Another big day tomorrow I just need to get some sleep so I can looking for another job!
Finally, he shut his eyes, letting his heavy body sink into the mattress.
Sleep came quickly....too quickly.
But then…
Heat.
He could feel it before he even opened his eyes.
The air itself felt like fire, burning against his skin.
A horrible sound filled his ears—wood snapping, buildings breaking, screams echoing faintly like whispers from the grave.
Renji's eyes shot open.
The sight froze his breath.
Ahhh!! He screamed because his sight couldn't comprehend what he was seeing
A mountain of bodies.
Human bodies. Blood pouring out from everywhere..
Lifeless, broken, piled on top of each other as if they were nothing but trash.
The ground beneath him cracked, glowing red with lava, flames rising and painting the sky with fire.
"No no no no not again please not now please "
His heart thundered in his chest. His throat tightened.
"W…where am I?" Renji screamed, stumbling backward, his voice shaking with fear.
The smell of burnt flesh hit his nose, making him gag.
He spun around, his voice breaking as he shouted,
"CHOJI! LILY!!"
No answer.
Only the sound of fire and destruction.
Then… something moved above him.
Renji's eyes shot upward.
There high in the sky figures clashed again
Clang
Slash
Slash!!!
Collosal beings, shining with power, their forms too bright and huge and too terrifying to describe.
They struck with weapons that split the clouds, their battle shaking the heavens.
And then he saw it.
The same figure again that clash with this divine beings
A blurry figure in flames, moving faster, striking harder, overwhelming those godly beings with power no human should ever hold.
Renji's chest tightened. His breath caught.
"What… is this?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
"What's going on? Where… am I?"
The blurry figure's movements were wild and unstoppable, each swing of his arm made the gods tremble and each step left fire in its path.
Renji rubbed his eyes, but the image didn't change.
And then… he froze.
What's going on !!
Because that figure wasn't just anyone.
That's me !!!
It was him.
He could see himself fighting.
He could see his own face, his own body, moving like a monster against the heavens.
And around him, more bodies piled, more screams echoed.
"No… no no no…" Renji muttered, shaking his head.
"That… can't be me. That's not me!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow began to fall over him.
Renji looked up just in time to see a giant rock.. crashing down from the sky
The sound was deafening.
He screamed, his voice tearing out of his throat.
"NOOOOO!!"
And then....
AGHHHH!!
He shot up in his bed, gasping for air.
Gasp
Gasp
Gasp
Gasp
Cough cough cough cough
Sweat rolled down his face, his shirt stuck to his skin.
His chest rose and fell fast, each breath sharp like knives.
Renji grabbed his head, his fingers shaking.
"What… was that?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
"What did I just see… Was that me?"
But no matter how hard he tried to calm himself, the vision burned in his mind again and again and again and again
the dead bodies, the fire, the same collosal beings, and that blurry image was himself standing among it all.
But within the chaos surrounding Renji's nightmare a minter of affection began to crawl
As far away arisa lay in her own bed, her arm draped over her forehead.
Her room was dark, only the faint glow of the moonlight slipping through her curtains.
Her eyes stared at the ceiling, wide open.
She had tried to sleep, but no matter how much she closed her eyes, her thoughts spun in circles.
"Renji…" she whispered unconsciously.
The sound of his name in her own voice made her cheeks heat up.
"Why…" she muttered, pressing a pillow against her face. "Why am I thinking about him so much?"
She rolled over, hugging the pillow tight.
Her heart wouldn't calm down. Every time she remembered his smile, his gentle way of speaking about his sister and his friend… something inside her stirred.
Her hand gripped the pillow harder.
"This is stupid… he's just some normal guy… why am I.."
Her thoughts cut off as her chest tightened painfully.
She sat up suddenly, her hair falling over her face, and shouted at herself.
"What is going on with me!!"
Her voice echoed through the empty room, leaving her alone in silence as heer heart began racing more faster than ever before