(Sorry for the lackluster Chapter, a short one at that. I made this in a rush, and now that It's raining heavily I have to stop. I have other things to attend to and it's already night.
I promise to make up for this Short and bad chapter tomorrow since It's a Friday.)
My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light of the room. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor filled my ears, and the sterile scent of antiseptics stung my nose. A hospital.
My whole body ached. Every movement felt sluggish as I turned my head. Beside me, my father, Yuki, lay motionless, wrapped in layers of bandages and hooked up to various medical devices.
I swallowed hard and pushed myself up, ignoring the dull throbbing in my muscles. Shifting in my bed, I moved a little closer to him.
"You awake, old man?" My voice came out hoarse.
Nothing. His eyes stayed shut. He was still asleep. He needed proper rest to heal. After all, he had pushed his body to the limit. And considering he was already injured before the fight, it had only made things worse.
"Guess not," I muttered, shifting my gaze to the ceiling. It was night. The hospital halls were quieter now, with fewer people moving around.
Wasn't he a Hero? One that the public praised and loved? I wondered what would happen to his career after this.
I had already thought about it before. When we were spending the day together, a question had lingered in my mind—what happened to heroes who were critically injured beyond help?
I closed my eyes, letting my thoughts wander.
Then, footsteps echoed from the hallway. My eyes opened.
Clink. The door handle twisted, and the door creaked open. A familiar figure stepped inside.
Dressed in all black, wearing that same white scarf, his goggles resting on his forehead.
I stared at him. I guess they're close friends...
Shouta looked at me, meeting my gaze. "Hey, kiddo. You've been out for a while." He pulled up a chair next to me as I remained lying down.
"Three days. It's been three days, to be exact." My eyes drifted to my body, wrapped in bandages.
"You pushed yourself pretty hard back there. You should rest." I shifted my eyes towards him. "How's he doing?" I asked.
Shouta put up a faint smile that looked like it was covered in sadness. "Not God. We got ambushed on the way before getting any help. That's why your body looks worse unlike when you had fought the creature." He sighed.
"We're still searching about the creatures that fought us. They managed to escape us." His eyes shifted to my father. Yuki. "He pushed his body to it's limit. He was already injured prior to the fight. The sole reason for his Break was because his body was gravely injured from a previous fight. They wanted him to rest." He hesitated for a moment, gritting his teeth.
"Had they let him rest a bit sooner he wouldn't be in that state. The higher-upsdidn't care about him, nor that he was one of the few great hero that was representing our nation. Had he not been fooled into signing that contract.None of this would've happened.." Shouta was in anger. His face showed it. The way he spoke too.
Yet despite it all. He showed signs of sadness. Signs of pity, for my father.
For Yuki.
"..." I had no word in this but look at him. As he cried, holding his hands to his face. "Yuki..." I looked at the white ceiling. "I couldn't help. I'm useless." I let out.
I tried my best. Yet my best wasn't enough. I fought till I was tired and injured, but it was nothing.
But now that I think about it. I was barely helping. I had to push my father's body to its limit. Had I stalled a bit more longer. Maybe, just maybe he would be in a better condition.
"Hey.. Don't say to yourself." He dropped his hand to the sheets of the body. Tears still streaming down his face. "What matters is that you tried." He replied before sighing. "Get rest... And if reporters try to come in and interview you. It's your choice if you choose to talk. But I don't recommend it."
I nodded at his words, looking at him exit the room.
Looking at my body once more. I knew recovering would take a while. So I needed to take rest.
Yet, my body was yearning to fight. My body was yearning to practice. To Learn.
"Calm down. Calm down Sukuna.." I tried to calm myself down.
So much event happened in a singular day.
And I failed to protect my new Father too whilst at it. I looked at him with hope and determination in my eyes. "I need to get stronger."
I closed my eyes. Dreaming to be a powerful hero that saves people. Unlike from before.
Unlike the time I was a villain...
Darkness. My world was engulfed in darkness once more.
I see a figure that looks just like me.
I looked at the figure before me. He looked almost like me, but different—his spiky hair stood upright, wilder than mine. Black markings ran across his face—three lines under his eyes, a strange symbol on his forehead, and more streaks down his nose and jaw. There were probably more beneath his clothes.
He wore a karate gi with what seems to be like dark jacket underneath, and a thick coat around his neck. His stance was relaxed—no, lazy, like he didn't have a care in the world.
And yet, he sat atop a massive pile of skulls—two, no, three times taller than me—like it was his throne. His hand rested against his head, his expression bored, almost uninterested.
"And to think my guess was correct." His voice—deep, rough, and dripping with arrogance—sent a chill down my spine. "Hey Brat. Don't try to pull off stunts that you can't do." He told me. No, he commanded me. His voice, speaking like of a royalty.
I could only bow and agree. I can't escape my pass. I've been on this kind of situation too many times... Too many to count.