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━━━ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ━━━
Akaza led me through the wondrous city, the two of us meandering our way through the crowd of the main street. As we passed through the glory before us, I made sure to put a decent amount of effort into the tattooed demon who held my hand—instead of the city.
It almost hurt, in a way, to look at it.
And even more so, I felt as though I didn't truly belong here. Like a fraud—an impersonator—of someone who did belong. It felt like those around me knew that I secretly did not have permission to be here. As if they could see through my disguise.
I could see Kumiko in the crowd as well. She would have fit in so effortlessly with the people around... The thought only caused me to think of a life in which she were allowed to live here: healthy, happy.
It was all I ever wanted for her. She was everything. And as I walked through the city that reminded me of Kumiko, I envisioned a life where she could be free.
But I... I would not be part of it. Simply because, I wasn't like her, and so didn't belong here the way she did. I wasn't a kind and gentle soul. My smile couldn't light up the room the way hers would without a doubt.
Laughing, cheering, music... this place came alive at night. The centre of the city acting like the life source—the heart of it all.
Part of me wished that I could belong. That I could be like my sister. Perhaps that was why... I did everything for her. Because to me, she was beyond anything I believed I could be capable of. And maybe it was the reason I so desperately wanted to save her. I suppose that... part of me is so envious of her soul, that I would do absolutely anything to be like her, but to also save her, cherish her.
And so, instead of observing the magical surroundings, I closed off my mind, blocking everything out. Instead, I tried to focus on Akaza—where he was leading me.
But it was hard to even do that.
Because even he... even he seemed to fit in. A demon, filing through a crowd of humans without even the slightest hint of malice coming from the air around him. He was so at ease, so focused. Yet here I was, panicking about what I couldn't have, what I couldn't be.
Would it even be possible? To become someone like her? Or even someone like Akaza?
I didn't have an answer, and what scared me most... was that I never would. So I decided to ignore it, to craft my attention into the one thing I came here to do.
