I've lost track of how long I've been running for.
Damn it. How did I even end up in this situation?
The thought keeps circling in the back of my mind. It never quite forms, as if something is physically stopping me from reaching the answer. All I know is that I have to keep moving.
The forest stretches endlessly ahead, dark and uneven. The ground shifts beneath my feet with every step. Roots twist out of the soil like traps, and loose leaves slide under my sandals. Branches hang low, forcing me to duck or take the hit. The air is damp and heavy with the smell of earth, mixed with a metallic tang I don't want to think about.
My breathing is rough and uneven.
Each inhale scrapes through my chest. Each exhale shakes as it leaves me. It doesn't match my pace, and it definitely doesn't feel controlled. It feels desperate.
Pain pulses through my side.
At first, it was just a dull ache. Now, every step sends a sharp jolt through my ribs, like something inside me is tearing wider. I press a hand against the heat without slowing down. My fingers come away wet.
Blood. I don't need to look twice.
"…how much longer…?"
The words barely make it past my lips. It's a useless question. Whatever answer there is, it's behind me.
A sound cuts through the forest. Leaves shift, not with the wind, but with intent. Something is moving through them. My body tenses. Don't look back. Just run. The thought is immediate, clear, and absolute.
So I listen.
I force my legs to move faster, even as they grow heavier with each step. My vision flickers at the edges. Dark spots appear and vanish in uneven bursts. I'm losing too much blood. The realization settles in with unsettling clarity. At this rate, I won't last much longer. No, I shouldn't think like that. Just keep moving.
Suddenly, my foot catches on a raised root.
I stumble. The world tilts as I lurch forward, barely managing to throw my hands out before slamming into a tree. The impact knocks the air from my lungs. Pain explodes through my ribs as something shifts in a way it definitely shouldn't.
A broken gasp escapes me. For a moment, everything spins. The trees blur together and the ground sways beneath me. I cling to the rough bark just to stay upright.
"…damn it…"
Even my own voice sounds distant. I stay there too long, trying to steady myself and force my body to move again. Then I notice it.
The silence.
The sound behind me is gone, or maybe it's just farther away. I can't tell anymore. Right now, I don't have the strength to care. Maybe I just don't want to think about what's behind me.
The tension drains out of me all at once. My legs give out and I slide down the trunk, hitting the ground harder than I expect. Even that feels muted.
Cold. That's the first thing I notice.
The warmth from the blood soaking my clothes is fading, replaced by a creeping chill that seeps into my limbs. This is bad. I press my hand against my side again, slower this time. Pain flares, but it feels distant now.
"…I'm… done for…"
The words come out quietly, almost detached. My breathing slows on its own. Each inhale is shallower than the last, as if my body is already starting to shut down. I tilt my head back against the tree and stare up through the canopy. Small gaps in the leaves reveal the night sky beyond, distant and uncaring.
Everything looks normal. Like nothing is wrong. My thoughts begin to drift, slipping out of focus along with my vision.
And then, something pushes in.
A blinding white light floods my mind, sharp and unnatural. Sound follows, layered and constant, completely out of place. Voices I've never heard. Moments I've never lived. The feeling of watching something unfold again and again.
Within it, a name rises.
Marcus.
A faint frown tugs at my face. That isn't my name, but it doesn't feel unfamiliar either. The fragments sharpen. A dim room. A glowing screen. Flickering images of swords, demons, and people fighting with everything they have.
Demon Slayer. The name settles heavily in my mind, bringing with it a quiet, incomplete understanding.
"…a past life…"
The words feel strange, like they don't belong in my mouth. And yet, they make sense. My chest tightens slightly.
"…you've got to be kidding me…"
Because if those memories are real, and if this really is that world, then the thing chasing me is a demon. Before I can process anything else, my vision fades to black.
Air rushes into my lungs.
I gasp and cough as pain crashes back into me all at once. My body hasn't recovered. If anything, it feels worse. For a moment, I just sit there, trying to breathe through it. Then I look around.
The same tree. The same forest. A weak sense of relief settles in.
"…still alive…"
It comes out more as disbelief than anything else. My head feels heavy, but clearer than before. The memories are still there, no longer chaotic, just present.
Marcus. My past life isn't something I can ignore anymore, but I can't deal with it right now either. Survival comes first.
Suddenly, something changes. Not around me, but inside me.
[Integration Complete]
The words appear without warning, clear and undeniable.
[Name: Kurogane Kurotsuki]
[State: Critical]
A weak breath escapes me.
"…yeah… I figured…"
[Dual Soul Convergence Confirmed]
I close my eyes for a brief moment.
"So it's real." Two lives, merged into one. "…fine."
I don't have the strength to question it. My breathing falters again, weaker this time. Darkness is creeping back into the edges of my vision.
Right, I'm still dying. That hasn't changed. I try to push myself up, but my arm trembles and barely supports my weight before giving out.
"…later…" The word slips out faintly. "I'll deal with it later."
That is if I survive of course.
Suddenly a soft sound reaches me and It's getting closer, leaves are shifting under something's weight. My entire body stills. Slowly, I turn my head toward the trees ahead. The darkness between them feels heavier now, as if something or someone is standing there.
Watching me.