There was no ground this time
Only a fall that didn't end
Shigure drifted in darkness but not the peaceful kind
This void was alive
It whispered his name like a lullaby sung by broken throats
Each syllable tugged at something inside him
Old pain buried deep
Mistakes he'd forced into silence
Then something pulled
Hard
A chain snapped tight around his ankle
Yanked him midair and slammed him against nothing
He hung there
Suspended in void
Dangling like a forgotten marionette
The chain pulsed with light
Each link etched with a memory
Not images
But sensations
Fear
Guilt
Loneliness
Relief
He heard laughter
His own
Not joyful
Mocking
"You always thought you were the hero" came a voice from below
Another chain shot out
Wrapped around his wrist
Then another
And another
Until he was bound midair
Arms wide
Legs trembling
Heart exposed
The void below shifted
And from it rose a figure
It looked like him
But younger
Smiling
Confident
"You remember me" it said
Shigure clenched his teeth
"Yes"
The figure stepped closer
"You buried me to survive"
"Because you were weak" Shigure hissed
"No" it said calmly "Because I was innocent"
More chains appeared
Each one singing his name in different voices
A woman's whisper
A child's giggle
A dying man's curse
They wrapped tighter
But he didn't fight
The younger version of himself stood directly in front now
"You used to dream" it said
Shigure looked away
"You wanted to save everyone"
"I was stupid"
"You were kind"
"I was wrong"
"You were human"
Shigure laughed bitterly
"I'm not anymore"
The younger self tilted his head
"No...but you could be"
The chains started to glow
Each link burning brighter
The voices grew louder
Not just calling his name
But calling him back
Back to the battlefield
Back to the mistakes
Back to the people he failed
One final chain burst forth
Not from below
But from within
It stabbed straight through his chest
And instead of pain
He felt warmth
A memory surfaced
One he hadn't seen in years
A day beneath the sakura trees
Her hand in his
Laughing about nothing
No death
No regret
Just life
Real
Beautiful
Stupid life
Shigure screamed
Not in agony
But in defiance
The chains shattered
Light exploded in every direction
And he fell again
But this time
He aimed for the surface