seraph of the end: I am Raiden

Yū's Perspective

The cold wind nipped at Yū's face, but he barely felt it. His mind was numb, the events of the past few hours still crashing over him like an unrelenting wave. The world outside the vampire base was unfamiliar, terrifying, and harsh. It was nothing like the safety they had once known before the darkness took over. And now, with the taste of freedom still bitter on his tongue, Yū couldn't shake the crushing weight of the one thing that seemed to follow him everywhere: the loss of Raiden.

He stared ahead, his eyes unfocused, trying to block out the memory of the last moments before they fled. Raiden had been there, fighting. Fighting with everything he had, as he always did. The explosions of magic, the flashes of steel, the sound of vampires falling... and Raiden, in the center of it all, moving like a storm, cutting through them without hesitation.

But that wasn't what haunted Yū. No, it was the last image that stayed with him—the bloodied, torn figure of Raiden, shielding Akane with his own body as Ferid's cruel laughter echoed in the air. Yū had been so focused on getting the others to safety, on running, that he didn't see the exact moment Raiden fell. But he felt it—the sudden absence. The gap in the air where Raiden's presence should have been, that comforting, reliable force of nature that had always been there, by his side, protecting them all.

Yū's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms until it hurt, but the pain didn't make him feel better. Nothing did. Not the wind, not the cold night air, not even the fact that they had escaped. Not when Raiden... he might be dead. His mind couldn't accept it, but the emptiness inside him was telling him otherwise.

"We need to keep moving," Akane's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

Yū nodded, but the ache in his chest didn't go away. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. He could hear the same pain in her voice, the same heaviness that weighed them all down. He can't be gone. He can't be... But he didn't say it out loud. There was no point. The truth was clear, even if they didn't want to face it. They had lost him.

Akane's Perspective

Akane felt like she was walking through a fog, her body moving on autopilot while her mind reeled from the chaos that had consumed their world. Each step felt heavier than the last, the ground beneath her feet rough and unforgiving. The weight of the children she had to protect, the faces of those she had left behind, all of it was too much to bear. But there was something even more crushing, something that made it all seem impossible to endure: the thought that Raiden might be dead.

She wanted to scream, to shatter the numbness that surrounded her, but no sound escaped her throat. Every part of her felt hollow. The memory of Raiden's sacrifice was burned into her mind—the way he had thrown himself in front of her, his left arm taking the brunt of the blow meant for her. The horror in his eyes as he pushed her away, urging her to go. Why didn't I stay with him? The thought haunted her. She could still feel the weight of his arm, the tension in the air as she tore herself away, as she ran with the others.

But there was no getting away from the truth. Raiden had protected her, but he had also been left behind. The pain of that realization struck her heart like a blade. She couldn't shake the image of his bloodied form, his face twisted in pain but still, somehow, determined to ensure they had a chance.

"Raiden... no," she whispered, too softly for anyone to hear.

Mika, walking a few steps ahead, glanced back at her with his usual serious expression. She could see the same storm brewing in his eyes. They had all lost something precious that night. The thought that they had left him behind... Akane couldn't stand it. But they couldn't turn back. They had to keep moving.

Mika's voice broke through the silence, firm and steady as always. "We'll keep going. We'll survive. For him."

And Akane knew he was right. But surviving felt like an insult to Raiden's memory. Why was he the one to fall? She couldn't reconcile it. Why did I survive while he died?

Her steps faltered for a moment, but she forced herself to continue, the cold air stinging her eyes, though she could not tell if it was the wind or the tears threatening to fall.

Mika's Perspective

Mika had always prided himself on being strong. He had to be. Not just for himself, but for everyone else. His life had always been about survival—surviving in the world of vampires, surviving the loss of his family, surviving the torment of the cursed existence he had been given. But now, in this moment, as he led the children away from the base, his resolve faltered.

The image of Raiden's face, that last flash of determination in his eyes, wouldn't leave him. We lost him. Mika hadn't realized until they had escaped how much Raiden had meant to him. They had been through so much together—the battles, the losses, the shared moments of silence in the midst of chaos. And now, Raiden was gone.

Mika's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, and his eyes narrowed as he forced himself to look ahead. There was no time for weakness. They couldn't afford to stop, to grieve. The children needed him. Akane needed him. Yū needed him. They all needed someone to lead them forward.

But in his heart, the burden of Raiden's loss weighed heavily. Every step they took felt like an uphill battle. The faces of the children who had been rescued from the vampire base—innocent faces, fragile and broken by the horrors they had endured—reminded him of what was at stake. The hope that they might have a future. That they might survive in this shattered world.

Yet, the emptiness in Mika's chest remained, a reminder that he wasn't alone in this pain. Raiden's gone, he thought, his voice silent in his mind. But I'll keep going. I have to.

They had all lost so much. But Mika knew one thing for certain: no matter what, he would survive. For Raiden, for the children, for the ones they had left behind. He would survive, even if it killed him.

As the group continued their journey through the dark, unfamiliar world, the shadows of the past clung to them like an anchor. The hope of escape, of freedom, felt hollow. Raiden had been their strength, their protector. But now, with him lost to the chaos, they had only each other to rely on.

And in the silence of the night, they couldn't help but wonder if it had all been in vain. Would they ever find peace again? Would Raiden's sacrifice mean something more than just the end of their shared dream? Or was it a reminder of just how fleeting life was, how little control they had over their fate?

The answer, like everything else, was uncertain. But the road ahead was all they had left. And they would walk it together.