~✨Hard to Love, OURS to Take✨~🌚💅

Chapter 8: Separation

The days following the attack dragged on in agonizing silence. The safe house where Sukuna, Rei, and Renjiro stayed was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant sounds of the forest. Every ticking second felt heavy, weighed down by the fear and uncertainty that had settled over them like a dark cloud.

Sukuna had woken up first, his body aching and bruised, but it was the emotional toll that weighed on him the most. He was  still a child, but the events of that night had forced him to confront realities far beyond his years. When he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar room, dimly lit and silent, panic had gripped him.

“Where…where am I?” Sukuna had muttered, his voice cracking as he tried to sit up, only for pain to shoot through his body.

“Hey, take it easy,” Rei had said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder to ease him back down. “You’re safe, Sukuna. We’re in one of our safe houses.”

“But…where’s Arika? And Yuji? Are they okay?” Sukuna’s voice had risen, panic setting in as he looked around, hoping to see his siblings.

“They’re safe,” Renjiro had explained, his voice steady but laced with an underlying tension. “Maki, Yuta, and Arika are in another house. Yuji’s with us, but…” His words trailed off, and Sukuna’s heart sank at the unspoken implication.

Sukuna had wanted to get up, to run to Yuji’s side, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. The exhaustion, both physical and emotional, was too much. “Why…why did this happen?” he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes despite his efforts to hold them back. “We were supposed to be safe.”

“I don’t know,” Rei had admitted, his voice soft. “But we’ll figure it out. Right now, you need to rest.”

Sukuna had nodded reluctantly, his fists clenched in frustration. The fear, the anger, the helplessness—it was all too much. He felt like he was drowning in it, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep his head above water.

Days later, far away in the other safe house, Arika slowly woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked against the dim light. The room was unfamiliar, the bed too big, and her body felt heavy and sore.

“Aka-chan, don’t try to move too much,” Maki’s voice came from beside her. Maki sat by the bed, her usually fierce expression softened by concern. “You’re safe, but you’ve been through a lot.”

Arika tried to speak, but her throat was dry, her voice coming out as a raspy whisper. “Where…where’s everyone?”

Maki’s eyes darkened slightly, but she forced a reassuring smile. “They’re safe, Aka-chan. Sukuna, Yuji, and the others—they’re in another house. We’re going to get through this.”

“Are…they okay?” Arika asked, her voice trembling as she remembered the chaos of that night. The explosions, the gunfire, the panic—it all came rushing back.

Maki hesitated, her smile fading. “Sukuna woke up before you , but Yuji hasn’t woken up yet,” she said quietly. “But he’s strong, just like you. He’ll wake up soon, I’m sure of it.”

Arika’s heart sank. She wanted to cry, to scream, to do anything to make this nightmare end. But she was too weak, too tired. All she could do was lie there, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.

“I want to see them,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

“You will,” Maki promised, though her own uncertainty was clear. “But for now, rest. You need to get better first.”

As Arika drifted back into an uneasy sleep, Maki sat by her side, her own thoughts swirling. She knew they were far from safe, that the danger was still very real. But for now, all she could do was keep Arika safe and pray that they would all survive this.