Immortal Mythos: Bound by Void-Chapter 24: Crossroads of Fire and Void

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The sky had darkened with storm clouds, even though no storm had been forecast. The mountain air was heavy as if the world itself held its breath.

Yuki stood silently, the energy from the clash still humming in his veins. Haru was gone—vanished into the shadows with nothing but a warning and a nod, leaving behind scorched ground and torn silence.

Nogitsune lingered a moment longer, arms crossed, his mask reflecting flickers of residual energy. His presence alone had ended the fight. His voice had calmed Haru. His aura had silenced Yuki.

And then, just like smoke, he was gone too.

The trees swayed gently as Ren and Himari appeared from the trees, both tense and breathless. Ren scanned the area immediately, his sharp senses on high alert. Himari's eyes, calm but deep, locked onto Yuki.

"Was that... Haru?" she asked softly.

Yuki nodded once, wiping the blood from his chin. "He said it was training. But it didn't feel like it."

A quiet rustle made them all turn. Aiko stepped into the clearing, her eyes wide with worry. The moment she saw Yuki—scuffed, trembling, but standing—her shoulders dropped in relief.

"You're okay..." she whispered, her voice nearly breaking.

Yuki gave a weak smirk. "You felt that, huh?"

"Everyone did," Ren said, stepping beside Yuki. "That surge... the void flared again."

"I tried to control it," Yuki said, "but it felt different this time. Like it wasn't just reacting—it was... listening."

They all fell into silence.

Then Aiko stepped closer, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she kept her voice steady.

"You keep doing this," she said quietly. "Throwing yourself into fights. Losing control. You act like you don't care what happens to you."

Yuki blinked. "Aiko—"

She looked up at him, a bittersweet smile on her face. "I just... I don't want to lose you, okay?"

Her voice cracked at the end, and she turned away before anyone could catch the tears forming in her eyes.

Himari watched silently, something unreadable passing through her gaze.

Ren crossed his arms, eyeing Yuki. "You've gotten stronger. But strength without reason is chaos."

Yuki nodded slowly. "Then I'll find a reason."

Aiko, still facing away, clenched her fists.

You've always been my reason... you just don't know it yet.

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That night, as the group settled into uneasy silence around a small fire near an old shrine, no one spoke much. Yuki sat a little away from the others, staring into the flames. Aiko had fallen asleep leaning against a tree, her expression soft but restless.

Himari, however, hadn't stopped watching the sky.

She could feel it.

Something shifting.

Later, when the moon was high and everyone else slept, she rose silently and slipped into the forest.

I need to know if what I felt was real, she thought.

She followed the pull in her chest, deeper into the woods, toward a place no ordinary human would ever find. A ring of stones lay buried under moss and roots, humming faintly with ancient energy. Himari placed her hand on one and whispered in an old tongue.

The space around her shimmered.

A mirror-like surface of energy formed in the air.

Within it, flashes of images appeared—spirits whispering, void echoes rippling, and then... a figure cloaked in black mist, eyes like hollow stars.

Himari recoiled slightly. "So it's waking..."

The dark figure pulsed, its presence alien and twisted—something ancient and forgotten. Not born of myth, but of something beyond.

She clenched her jaw. "Yuki doesn't know. Not yet. But we don't have much time."

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Meanwhile, deep in the void...

Nogitsune stood alone in a fractured realm of swirling shadows. Time moved differently here. The rift had cracked more than just space—it had echoed through the layers between dimensions.

He could hear it.

The thing Himari had seen?

He had known of it long before now.

"I was right," he muttered. "It's returning. And if Yuki can't control what he's becoming..."

He tightened his fist. For all his teasing, his cold lectures, and harsh sparring—he wanted Yuki alive. Strong. Ready.

Nogitsune reached toward the shadows, and from them came a soft whisper.

"You're preparing him for me, aren't you?" the voice teased.

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Nogitsune narrowed his eyes. "No. I'm preparing him for it. You're just part of the path."

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Elsewhere, back in the shrine clearing...

Ren's eyes snapped open. The wind had changed.

He looked toward the trees, as if sensing something far away. Himari hadn't returned yet. He frowned.

"Trouble's coming," he muttered.

Beside him, Aiko stirred slightly, murmuring something in her sleep. A single word escaped her lips—

"Yuki..."

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