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Ending A

'Coward until the end, that fits you.'

Y/N: ...

While placing the crystals and ores around the ritual area, many thoughts arrived in his head. He decided to proceed with the ritual but still couldn't get rid of the fears haunting his mind. He wanted to have more time, he wished to have more time to think about his decision...

Now that the ritual has begun, he couldn't go back, he needed to go all the way to the end.

Y/N: See? When you place yourself in the angle, the hours will tell you where to correctly place each of them.

Although it was useless to teach something like that, he still went through the trouble of explaining her what she couldn't understand. Curious, she followed his advice and placed herself where he was, imagining a clock around her.

Koishi: Woah, you're right!

Where each numbers should be, an anchor was placed down around the circle. Making sure that his eyes didn't accidentally look at the fire that the youkai was holding, he placed near the wood the rest that wasn't used. Gently putting everything in place, he moved a hand across his forehead, taking care of a few sweats going down his face.

The time is near.

Y/N: Now that this is done, let's see the next step.

His hands free, he reached for the book yet again and flipped through the pages. While he was doing so, the satori was watching the result of their efforts so far. The wood was neatly placed in the middle and surrounded by minerals, almost like a camp fire. Still holding onto the inferno of madness, her thoughts wandered off to a silly idea.

...Her sitting in front of a camp fire, just observing its flames with no real intention. Under a night sky, with nothing to worry about, just looking at the warm source of light.

Chasing that away for now, she focused back on her job and took a glimpse of the man's face. Still absorbed by the book, he didn't notice her shift of attention, which made her view retreat. The library was oddly silent, an eerie wind flying through its many corridors made of books. A true maze filled to the brink with possible knowledge but unknown by many.

Koishi: Mister Y/N?

Y/N: ?

Peeking above his small cover, his eyes could only see the back of the girl who wanted to ask him something. Keeping his voice silent, he allowed her to continue. There was a single meter separating them but it felt much longer than it should... both of them separating.

Koishi: Once we're done...

She turned around and showed him a wide smile along with raised arms, still covered by the long sleeves of her outfit. Reacting faster than her words, his eyes widened slightly and a cold draft went past his shoulders.

Koishi: We should have a camp fire together, that sounds like fun!

On the surface, that idea seemed pretty innocent, even adorable for some but something that seems so simple always hide a layer. In fact, just saying something like this was a death flag, bringing misery for both parties.

Y/N: ...

His body stiffened and his eyes lost their already low vitality, like a machine after being unplugged. Standing still, he solemnly responded to her request with blank eyes, falling down into an abyss of sorrow. Silence greeted her proposition, almost shunning that possibility. The youkai saw that reaction and her smile dropped.

'This isn't happiness, nobody can smile with you there.'

Y/N: ...

The ritual needed to be completed, that was the final step towards true bliss for all who had to suffer because of this place. It was his fault that everything happened and with his death approaching, that suffering will come to an end.