𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐥 ✦ 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥

𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋: 𝖡𝗂𝗀 𝖡𝗋𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋

(First two days of school were rough 🫠)

To b/n, to become stricken with mara was to drown.

Drowning in one's own memories of suffering, little droplets of pain building up behind a wall of glass that will inevitable crack and break under the weight of it all.

His father had drowned right in front of him.
B/n had watched as that glass wall broke.
He watched as his father was submerged.

He watched his father's final struggles, his fight to remain above the raging tide, fighting, fighting, fighting.

As soon as he was dragged under, b/n's mother was there. B/n watched it all happen. In his last moments, b/n's father did emerge from the waves just long enough to entrust his sword to the young boy.

And then he was gone.

That day, water behind the glass wall slowly began to trickle in. No cracks yet, but the darkness that would engulf him too someday had begun to grow.

Everyday during normal everyday things, b/n was constantly aware of it. Perhaps it was the weight of the sword he chose to carry with him, or the memories that it brought back.

It didn't matter if that sword was the source of the growing darkness, he would keep it close. He'd never let it go.

He'd always have it with him.

That way, his father would always be by his side.
He... he would be there, right?
He was there. M/n had promised.

He would always be there.

"You're still training, seriously? You realize we've got classes in the morning, right?" a Foxian boy inquired as he sat nearby, watching b/n practice swinging his sword.

The h/c haired boy didn't reply, focused on what he was doing. He didn't seem to hear a word of what his friend had said to him.

"Leave him, he'll go home when he's ready."

As b/n's friends left, he let out a puff of breath as he finally lowered his sword. His muscles felt like they were on fire....

"What are you trying to do, dislocate your shoulder?"

B/n blinked, then glanced back up at his father who was lounging near a tree. The man yawned before getting to his feet, wandering over to his son.

"Relax a bit, but don't loosen up too much. When you're swinging your sword, you need control." the man hummed, b/n immediately making adjustments, "Don't let its weight control you. Manage it, consider it... an extra limb."

"Extra limb? But..." b/n mumbled and his father grinned, laughing quietly as he shook his head.

"Think of it like being a little toddler again! You've just gotta get used to it. For now, focus on what I told you."

B/n nodded, returning to his original task of simply swinging his sword. Over and over, occasionally getting corrections.

"How do you feel about 1000, hm?"

"1000?! But I've gotta go home to make sure-!"

B/n turned to look at his father, only to find that there was nobody there. Right... he was alone, wasn't he?

He looked back at his sword, his expression solemn.
It was a moment before he smiled a bit.
"You know what? Let's make it 2000."

B/n's favorite part of the day was training, definitely training! Being alone with nothing but himself and the sword made the growing pressure behind the glass wall slowly ease up.