#kouen03

@ignisimperii

----[♕] He tentatively enters the fog which has filled the city. Reflected in the clouds, he thinks he sees a glimpse of Kou -- he would give anything, anything, anything to go home. Hand outstretched, he feels a sharp tug, and then there is darkness.

The destination is as hoped, but the point in time is unexpected. He remembers everything about that day -- the sun streaming through his window as he sleepily opened his eyes, the sound of his brothers talking and laughing in the hallway, the smell of fish and vinegared rice for lunch. He looks at his hands and sees that he is a small child once more, though his mind is that of grown man. The experiences of that strange city as well as the mistakes of his future self weigh heavy upon his little shoulders.

Tomorrow, this house, his home, shall be filled with smoke and despair. Were it not for the darkness of the day to follow, he likely would not remember the light which floods the present. That something so terrible could follow a day so full of hope has stood stark in his mind ever since.

He wants to tell his brothers to leave this place. If he has this knowledge, it must be for a reason. He shall change the future, ensuring that the light remains unextinguished. 

But these hands are a mere child’s hands. What, exactly, could he do alone? 

He realizes that he is standing in shadow and looks up. The figure of a man who should not be here stands rigid and imposing.

“Kouen... I know you remember what happened. If you truly cared about my brothers, you will prove it by saving them!”

The words sound more frantic still as they emerge from his lips in a child’s voice. Oh, but he is desperate. He wants to believe that Kouen, given the chance, would save the two men who mean the most to them. 

He wants to believe this is possible.

For the first time in a very long while, hope blossoms in his chest. He tries to ignore it, but the feeling stands firm.