Reincarnation

› three: in the shadows.

❝a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.❞

── chinese proverb

———

You hummed in satisfaction, cupping the warm green tea in your hands as you watch the sun slowly reveal itself to the world; spreading her golden rays of light. Everything around her was bathed in crimson and the color of a blush, the clouds above decorated with a hint of sky blue and wisps of silver.

You sipped on your tea, the bittersweet taste dancing on your tongue before you swallowed, warming you up from the inside to protect you from the chilly morning breeze.

“Thanks for the tea, Grandmother Shiori.” You told her, placing your hand over hers, as she was sitting beside you while sipping on her own tea.

She smiled gently at you, eyes twinkling. “You know you don’t need to thank me, (Name). I think of you as one my own.”

“I know. But it’s a habit, after everything you’ve done for me and for the sake of my grandmother, Yumi.” You smiled back, placing your empty cup of tea back into the tray.

You brushed off your new haori—it was plain black with silver trimmings along the hem of your sleeves, along with a full moon with two crescent moons parallel to each other on the back, colored silver as well—and your Demon Slayer Corps uniform from any dust, adjusting the sheath of your katana the rested on the side of your hip.

Shiori watched you as you strapped your quiver onto your back, slinging the bow across your body as she fed some nuts to your crow, Kemuri.

“Alright, I should get going now,” You sighed, patting yourself to make sure you had all of your things on you. “Come on, Kemuri. Lead the way.”

Kemuri cawed in response, fluttering her wings before she hovered above you, flying east of the village.

“Good luck. Make it back safely.” Shiori said, voice laced with a hint of worry as she waved her hand at you.

You turned your head as you walked, a small smile forming on your lips as you waved back. You turned your head back to your crow, entering the forest as she guided you to the village that needed help.

∞

It was around noon.

You have been walking for quite a while now, only stopping twice to eat or to use the restroom. Kemuri, a couple times, said that you were almost there—

You got a feeling that she was just lying to encourage you.

“Kemuri,” You called out to her, taking out a strawberry from one of your pouches that held food, “eat this.”

You threw it towards her, which she caught with ease. She happily ate away, her flying now slowed down a bit.

However, what caught your attention was the faint sound of chatter in the distance—and lots of it. That, to you, meant that you had finally arrived at the village.

You sprinted towards the noise, the sight of houses, shops, and crowds of people meeting your vision. You smiled to yourself, increasing your speed.

“I’m finally here. What a walk.” You mumbled to yourself, entering the village. Your eyes scanned the place, taking each and every detail of the village—in case you needed it in the future.

What caught your eye, though, was the all-too-familiar sight of a boar head, shirtless man, and hakama with animal hide on it. He was seated at a restaurant, his boar head beside him, scarfing down his food.