Sangetsu: Sins Of Silence

A hooded figure walked silently through the desolate streets of Umbra Nexus, his footsteps muted by the faint hum of a city trying to forget itself. The streetlights stood tall, casting shadows over an otherwise dim middle-class district.

Eventually, the boy came to a weathered fence. On the other side, a dark forest loomed, small and unassuming but drenched in an eerie quietness. He stood still, staring at the worn caution sign that hung crookedly from the fence. His hand hovered near the opening in the barrier, but his mind was elsewhere.

He flashed back—back to earlier that day.

The room was as dark as the hoodie he wore, the thick curtains drawn tight against the morning light. His face was hidden under messy, oversized hair, and his expression was empty as he sat motionless on the bed.

A loud bang against the door shattered the silence.

"ETSU! We're leaving in five minutes!" The sharp, impatient voice of a woman pierced the air.

Etsu stood, his movements robotic as he pulled on his oversized dark hoodie, its weight comforting. He said nothing. With his face obscured, he walked out of the room and slid silently into the back seat of the car.

"Okay, we're good to go," the woman said from the front, her tone clipped and businesslike.

For a moment, the car was filled only with the sound of the engine and the occasional rustle of paper. Then, the woman spoke again.

"I hear your grades have been dropping over the months. Why is that, Etsu?"

Etsu remained silent, his gaze fixed on the window. The blurred cityscape passed by, the trees and buildings blending into one another. His mind, however, was consumed by memories. He thought of three boys and a girl. He could feel their fists, their kicks. He could hear their mocking laughter. He could still feel the pain.

"In order to survive, we must kill," a voice whispered in his mind. "That's why we were given the ability to do so."

The woman's voice broke through his thoughts. "Ever since you went to your father's funeral, your grades have been dropping. Is it because of him? Do you miss your father?"

Etsu's eyes shifted toward her, but his expression remained blank.

"To me, he was just a golden ticket to wealth," she continued, her voice filled with disdain. "If it weren't for his death, we wouldn't be rich. So you should be grateful you still have me."

Her tone grew sharper as she added, "I'm guessing you still have his diary and research, don't you? If your grades keep falling, I'll burn them. All of it. Right in front of your useless eyes. Understand?"

Her lipstick shimmered under the sunlight streaming through the window, as if mocking him. Etsu didn't answer. He turned his gaze back to the window, his high school now coming into view.

The memories returned. The laughter. The beatings. The humiliation. The searing pain from every punch, every kick.

Yet, through it all, one thought lingered in his heart—a girl.

She was part of it, too. She treated him like dirt, like he was beneath her. Yet, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't stop loving her.

Back to the cold night present, Etsu's hand gripped the cold metal of the fence, pulling himself through the opening. The forest stretched out before him, dark and unwelcoming. He paused, listening to the quiet. Here, away from the city, away from the pain, it was almost peaceful.

But the emptiness was still there.

As he walked deeper into the woods, the memories began to fade, their grip loosening in the quiet of the night. His steps grew heavier, but his resolve remained.

This was the only place where he could feel even a sliver of peace. Where the weight of the world didn't crush him completely.