Kaito's body shook violently as he gasped for air. His skin was clammy, his breath unsteady, but his eyes—his real eyes—were back.
Renji and Aoi knelt beside him, their relief tinged with fear.
"Are you okay?" Aoi asked, her voice soft but urgent.
Kaito's fingers twitched. He lifted his gaze toward them, exhaustion heavy in his eyes. "…I think so."
But Renji wasn't convinced.
Aoi's grip on Kaito's wrist tightened. "You almost lost yourself, Kaito." Her voice shook. "You almost—"
She swallowed hard, unable to finish.
Renji exhaled sharply. "You don't remember what just happened, do you?"
Kaito hesitated. His brows furrowed, his expression clouding with uncertainty. "I remember… pain. And voices. And then…" He winced. "Something was pulling me away."
Renji and Aoi exchanged worried glances.
The spirals had tried to take him again.
And next time, they might not be able to stop it.
---
The Cost of Escaping the Spiral
Kaito attempted to sit up, but the moment he moved—he collapsed.
Renji caught him before he hit the ground.
Kaito let out a weak chuckle. "Guess I'm… still a little out of it."
Aoi's expression was grim. "Kaito, look at your arm."
He did.
And froze.
The spiral-shaped scar was still there. But now—it had deepened.
The lines were darker, more pronounced. The edges almost seemed to move.
Like the spiral was alive.
Kaito's throat went dry. "Why… why is it still there?"
Renji's hands tightened into fists. "Because whatever the spirals did to you—it's not over."
Aoi's voice wavered. "They didn't let you go completely."
Kaito's breath hitched. He stared at the mark on his arm, as if seeing himself for the first time.
He clenched his fists.
"…So I'm still connected to them."
Renji nodded grimly. "And as long as you are, they'll keep trying to pull you back."
Kaito let out a shaky breath. "Then we have to find a way to cut me off."
Aoi swallowed hard. "But how?"
Renji didn't have an answer.
But one thing was clear—
They were running out of time.
And the spirals weren't done with them yet.
---
The Whispering Wind
A sudden gust of cold wind rushed through the trees.
Renji stiffened. Aoi's breath caught.
The forest had gone silent.
Too silent.
Kaito slowly turned his head. "Did you hear that?"
Renji barely nodded.
Because in the wind—
There was a whisper.
A voice.
Faint, distant, but unmistakable.
> "…You cannot run… You belong to us…."
A shiver crawled down Aoi's spine. "Renji—"
But before she could finish, Kaito suddenly doubled over, clutching his head.
His body convulsed.
His breathing hitched.
And the spiral on his arm began to move.
The whispers in the wind grew louder.
And deep in the shadows of the trees—
Something was watching them.
---
End of Chapter 22
---
To Be Continue