Part 7 - Rain-Soaked Crossroads

He needed to talk to him.He needed to talk to him.He HAD to talk to him.The thought blazed in Ichigo's mind, unrelenting and all-consuming. His breath came in shallow gasps, his chest tight with something he couldn't name but couldn't ignore. Every step he took thundered against the pavement, cracks spidering beneath his feet as if the world itself was straining to keep up with him."Dad... please... you have to tell me it's not true." The words repeated in his head like a mantra, each repetition louder, more desperate, drowning out every other thought. His heart pounded in his chest, hammering against his ribs like a caged beast, the erratic rhythm almost painful.He tore through the streets at a breakneck pace, pushing himself harder, faster—thirty miles per hour, maybe more—but it wasn't fast enough. It felt like the world was collapsing in on him, each second stretching unbearably long, each step dragging him further from the answers he so desperately needed.His mind churned, fragments of Ryuken's words flashing in and out of his thoughts like jagged pieces of broken glass. "Your mother... was a Quincy of the highest caliber." "It wasn't her Reiatsu that mattered." "Do you think the truth ceases to exist simply because it was hidden from you?" The words clung to him, heavy and suffocating, like chains dragging him down into an abyss he couldn't escape."No, it can't be true... it can't." The denial came unbidden, fierce and sharp, but it rang hollow even in his own mind. His fists clenched as he ran, his nails digging into his palms, the sting grounding him for only a fleeting moment. A storm raged inside him, chaos and confusion he couldn't control. And yet, he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.The air felt thinner, colder. His surroundings blurred, distorted, and he didn't care. The faces of strangers flashed by him, expressions of shock or fear at the sheer force of his movement, but they meant nothing to him. All that mattered was reaching his house. Reaching his father.Somewhere, deep within, a voice whispered something he couldn't quite hear, something buried beneath the frantic pounding in his head. It clawed at the edges of his thoughts, faint and insidious, but Ichigo brushed it off, too consumed by the urgency driving him forward. His instincts screamed at him, louder than his thoughts, louder than the wind roaring past his ears."Dad... you have to explain... you have to tell me what's real."The panic clawed at him, relentless and suffocating. It twisted his chest into a vice grip, tightening with each step. His father's absence over the past year, his silence, his refusal to explain anything—it all felt heavier now, more unbearable, like a cruel puzzle that was missing the final piece.And yet, Ichigo couldn't fully grasp what he was running from—or toward. The need to know, to uncover the truth, burned with an intensity that outshone any semblance of rational thought, leaving him blind to reason and deaf to doubt. It was an all-consuming fire, searing away logic and replacing it with raw, unrelenting desperation.But it wasn't just the urgency—it was something deeper, something darker. The remnants of Kyra's hypnosis side effects still clung to him like a shadow, subtle but insidious, warping his thoughts without him realizing it. Each step he took, each frantic heartbeat, was fueled by a compulsion he couldn't fully understand, couldn't fully fight. It whispered in the back of his mind, amplifying his fear, his anger, his need for the turth.The familiar streets of Karakura blurred past him, his surroundings reduced to fleeting smears of light and shadow as Ichigo pushed himself harder, faster. His breaths came in sharp gasps, his chest burning, but he didn't care. He couldn't care. The world around him felt distant, irrelevant, drowned beneath the roar of his pounding heart and the relentless voice in his mind.You need to know. You need to know. You NEED to know.The steps to his house came into view, and his legs moved on instinct, the worn wooden boards of the porch creaking under the force of his landing. His hand shot out, gripping the doorknob so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The moment felt surreal—like standing on the edge of something he couldn't fully comprehend, a precipice that threatened to swallow him whole.He shoved the door open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall, the echo reverberating through the empty house. His voice broke the oppressive silence, rough and frantic."Dad!" Ichigo called out, his voice cracking, raw with urgency. "Where are you?! We need to talk!"There was no response. Only the faint hum of the refrigerator and the muffled sound of the wind outside answered him. His eyes darted around the room, scanning every corner as he stepped further inside.The living room was empty. The kitchen, too."Dad!" he shouted again, louder this time, his voice bouncing off the walls. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling with the effort to hold himself together. But cracks were forming in his composure, fissures that threatened to break him apart entirely.He stormed up the stairs, each step like a hammer pounding against his skull, his desperation mounting with every second. The door to his father's room was slightly ajar, and he burst through it without hesitation.Empty.The bed was neatly made, the room meticulously organized, as though no one had been there in days.Ichigo's breath hitched, panic clawing at his chest. He staggered back into the hallway, his vision blurring for a moment. The world felt tilted, unstable, as if the ground beneath him might give way at any moment.' He's not here... He's not here... Where is he? 'The remnants of Kyra's hypnosis whispered louder now, twisting his thoughts, feeding his fear. The rational part of him—the part that would have stopped to think, to plan—was drowned beneath the tide of unrelenting urgency. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of memory, fragments of suspicion.' Why isn't he here?! 'He stumbled back down the stairs, his movements erratic, his breathing ragged. His eyes darted toward the kitchen, the dining room, the hallway, searching for any sign of his father, for anything that might tell him where he'd gone.But there was nothing. Just the empty silence of a house that suddenly felt too big, too hollow.Ichigo gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms as frustration boiled over. He slammed a fist against the wall, the impact sending a jolt of pain up his arm, but he barely felt it. The physical sensation was a dull echo compared to the chaos roaring in his mind."Dammit!" he hissed through clenched teeth, his voice low and seething with anger. "Why are you never here when it matters?!"The words hung in the air, a bitter accusation aimed at someone who wasn't there to hear it. The desperation in his chest twisted into something darker, something sharper, as his thoughts spiraled further out of control.Ichigo sank to his knees in the middle of the living room, his hands gripping his hair as his breaths came in shallow gasps. He felt like he was drowning, the weight of everything—his mother, his father, the truth, the neglect—crushing him from all sides.And still, the whisper in his mind persisted, relentless and cruel.You need to know. You need to find him. You NEED to know.......The front door creaked open.Ichigo barely registered the sound at first, his mind too wrapped in the storm raging within him. But the shuffle of soft footsteps on the wooden floor made him glance up, his vision blurry from the chaos in his head."Ichigo?" a familiar voice called out, hesitant, laced with confusion—and something else. Fear.Yuzu stood in the doorway, her small figure framed by the fading light outside. Her usually gentle expression was twisted into a mix of anger and apprehension, her hands clutching a shopping bag tightly as if it were a shield. Her wide brown eyes darted around the room, taking in the scene—the mess of tension, the raw frustration etched across Ichigo's face, the faint tremor in his hands."What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice trembling but trying to be resolute. " You should be at the hos— "Ichigo stared at her, his chest heaving as he tried to ground himself. Seeing Yuzu there, he remembered what happened, how she almost died to a hollow and he was powerless to stop it something which was pushed to the back of his mind with his thoughs on his own near death experience and then the unconfirmed, definetly unconfirmed, truth on his mom. "Yuzu... Your okay..." His voice came out hoarse, cracked, as if it had been torn apart by the weight of his own emotions. He took a step toward her, to see if she's alright, to see her closer, to finally talk to her, but she immediately stepped back, her grip on the shopping bag tightening."Don't!" Yuzu's voice cut through the air like a whip, freezing Ichigo in place. She stepped back, her eyes wide and glistening, but it wasn't just fear that flickered in her gaze—it was anger. "Don't act like everything is okay, Ichigo. It's not! It hasn't been for a long time!"Her words hit him like a blow, cutting through the haze clouding his thoughts. He opened his mouth to speak, to explain, but she didn't let him."Do you even realize what it's like for us?" Yuzu continued, her voice rising, trembling with barely restrained emotion. "For me? For Karin? We're just... stuck here, living this weird, messed-up life that doesn't make any sense anymore! One day, we're normal kids, going to school, worrying about homework, and the next...Her words hit him like a slap, snapping him further out of his haze. He stared at her, chest heaving, his hands trembling at his sides. "Yuzu... I— Wha—? ""You what?" she interrupted, her voice cracking. "You're sorry? You didn't mean for things to get like this? That doesn't fix anything, Ichigo! Do you even realize what it's like for us? For me and Karin?" She took a shaky breath, the anger in her voice barely holding back the emotion threatening to spill over."I don't even know what's happening anymore!" Yuzu's voice broke as it rose, trembling with anger and fear. Her fists clenched around the handles of the shopping bag as fragments of a buried memory began surfacing—flashes of fire, chains, and despair. Her body shook as her voice grew louder, her words spilling out like a dam that had finally burst. "Do you even understand what it was like for me?!"Her eyes glistened with tears as the images forced their way into her mind—the suffocating heat of that fiery realm, the heavy chains that had bound her wrists, and the twisted faces of monsters that loomed in the darkness. "I remember... I was taken. Kidnapped. Chained in a place that felt like... like hell itself!" Her voice cracked, but she didn't stop. She couldn't."I could barely move! I couldn't scream! All I could do was watch as those... things surrounded me, waiting to hurt me! To kill me! And you—you were there!" Her voice was trembling now, not just with anger, but with the terror that still haunted her. "You're always fighting them, always in the middle of it! But what about us, Ichigo? What about me and Karin?! Why do we keep getting dragged into this? "Yuzu's tears streaked down her face as she stared at her brother, her body trembling with the weight of her words. "Do you know what it felt like? To be trapped, to feel so... helpless? To think that I might die without ever understanding why this is happening to us?" Her breath hitched as her voice cracked, raw and unsteady. "And now—now it's not just those monsters. It's you, Ichigo. You keep pulling us into this nightmare, and we don't even know why!"Her eyes burned with a volatile mix of rage and desperation as she locked her gaze on him, her voice dropping but gaining a sharper edge with each word. "I thought it was over, Ichigo! I thought maybe—maybe—we could go back to being normal. But it never stops, does it?" Her voice cracked, but it only made her words hit harder. "Because of you, Karin and I almost died!"She screamed the last word, her entire body trembling under the weight of her fear and frustration. The raw emotion spilled over, her hands shaking as she clenched them into fists, trying to steady herself against the tide of feelings threatening to overwhelm her.Her voice lowered, trembling but no less cutting, each word digging deeper into Ichigo's chest. "I can't do this anymore. I don't want to live like this, Ichigo. I don't want to keep wondering when the next monster is going to show up, when the next nightmare is going to drag us into it. I don't want to keep feeling this helpless." Her breath hitched as her words faltered, but she pressed on, her emotions spilling over like a dam breaking."I just want to feel safe again." Her voice was barely above a whisper now, yet it carried a weight that threatened to crush Ichigo under its truth. Her trembling hands fell to her sides as she looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But I don't even know if that's possible anymore."She stood frozen for a moment, staring at him as if waiting for him to say something, to make everything better. But when the silence stretched too long, when no words came to undo the damage, Yuzu let out a small, broken sob. Then she turned and ran, her footsteps pounding against the floor as she fled from the room, from him.Her words lingered like shards of glass embedded in his soul, each one a reminder of his failure. Ichigo stood frozen, unable to do anything but let the storm of guilt and anguish swirl within him. The echoes of Yuzu's scream still rang in his ears, a relentless torment that refused to fade.When he finally came to, his body moved before his mind could catch up. "Yuzu!" he choked out, his voice hoarse and barely audible over the sound of the rain that had begun to pour outside. He stumbled toward the door, his legs unsteady, the weight of her pain pressing down on him like an invisible force.Flinging the door open, the cold rain hit him like a slap, soaking through his clothes in seconds. He squinted against the downpour, his eyes frantically searching the dimly lit streets. His heart raced as he caught sight of her silhouette disappearing down the road, her small figure blurred by the rain and the shadows cast by flickering streetlights."YUZU!" he shouted, his voice breaking as he pushed himself forward. The pavement beneath him was slick, his footsteps splashing through puddles as he sprinted after her. The rain came down harder, the cold biting into his skin, but he didn't care. All he could focus on was the shrinking outline of his sister ahead of him."Wait! Please!" His voice cracked with desperation, but Yuzu didn't stop. She kept running, her form illuminated briefly by the flash of a passing car's headlights before disappearing into the gloom again. The rain muffled everything else—the sound of his own labored breathing, the pounding of his heart, even the faint whispers in the back of his mind that told him he was failing her all over again.Ichigo's mind raced, the raw emotions crashing through him like waves. She was afraid. She was angry. And he had no idea how to fix it. All he knew was that he couldn't let her run—not now, not like this.As he pushed himself harder, his legs burning with exertion, he shouted again, his voice strained and desperate. "Yuzu! I—" The words caught in his throat, the rain swallowing the rest of his plea.Ahead, she stopped suddenly, her shoulders heaving as she stood under the weak glow of a streetlamp. Ichigo skidded to a halt a few feet away, his chest heaving, rainwater dripping from his hair into his eyes. He hesitated, his hands trembling at his sides, unsure of what to say or how to bridge the growing chasm between them."Yuzu..." His voice was soft now, almost drowned out by the rain. He took a cautious step toward her, his heart breaking at the sight of her small, trembling form. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."But she didn't turn to face him. Her voice, when it came, was quiet but laced with a rawness that cut deeper than any scream. "Why?" she asked, her words almost swallowed by the rain. "Why can't we just be normal, Ichigo? Why does it always have to be like this?"Ichigo's breath hitched, his throat tightening as he struggled to find an answer. But there was none. All he could do was stand there, drenched and silent, as the rain continued to fall around them.A moment of silence stretched between them, the only sound the relentless drum of rain against the pavement. Ichigo felt as though the weight of Yuzu's question had shattered something deep inside him, leaving him bare and speechless.Before he could even attempt a response, the faint clatter of wooden sandals broke through the rain's melody. The sound was jarring—out of place and unnervingly familiar. Ichigo turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as a figure emerged from the shadows."Kisuke Urahara," Ichigo growled, his voice laced with a mixture of confusion and frustration. "What the hell are you doing here?"Urahara stepped into the light of the streetlamp, his ever-present striped hat tilted forward just enough to partially obscure his eyes. A sly, unreadable smile curled on his lips, but his presence carried an undertone of gravity Ichigo hadn't seen in a long time."Well, well," Urahara said, his voice light but somehow managing to cut through the rain like a blade. "Fancy meeting the two of you out here on such a dreary night. I hope I'm not interrupting anything too... dramatic."Ichigo clenched his fists, his soaked clothes clinging to him as his frustration boiled over. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"Urahara tilted his head slightly, the brim of his striped hat casting shadows over his face. His gaze flicked briefly to Yuzu, who still hadn't turned to face them. Her trembling figure seemed even smaller under the weak glow of the streetlamp, the rain cascading off her hunched shoulders as if trying to protect her from the world—or drown her in it.For a fleeting moment, Urahara's ever-present smile faltered. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there—a crack in his usually carefree mask. Something about Yuzu's fragile state seemed to tug at him, but he quickly regained his composure, shifting his focus entirely back to Ichigo."I heard you were asking questions," Urahara said, his voice quieter now but still cutting through the rain with ease. There was a peculiar weight to his tone, an edge that Ichigo couldn't quite place. "Questions that could lead you down a very dangerous path. I thought it prudent to intervene before things spiral out of control. For everyone's sake."Ichigo's breath hitched, his amber eyes narrowing as the words sank in. His frustration and unease flared to life once more, the implications of Urahara's statement hitting him like a punch to the gut. Questions? Dangerous path? What the hell does he know?But before Ichigo could voice his growing anger, Urahara stepped closer—his movements calm and deliberate, unbothered by the tension crackling in the air. His gaze lingered on Yuzu, her slight frame shuddering against the cold and the weight of emotions she couldn't escape. Then, gently, almost tenderly, Urahara placed a hand on her shoulder."Rest now," he murmured softly, his tone so low it was barely audible over the rain.Before Ichigo could even process what was happening, Yuzu's knees buckled, her trembling body sagging as she collapsed into unconsciousness. Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm, a sharp cry catching in his throat. He lunged forward instinctively, but Urahara caught her effortlessly, cradling her small frame as though she weighed nothing."W-What are you doing?!" Ichigo demanded, his voice breaking with a mix of panic and anger. He skidded to a stop just short of grabbing Urahara by the arm, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms. "What did you do to her?!"Urahara didn't answer immediately. Instead, he shifted Yuzu gently, making sure her head rested against his shoulder in a way that shielded her from the rain. Then, with an almost maddening calm, he looked back at Ichigo, his sharp gray eyes meeting Ichigo's fiery gaze."I merely gave her some peace," Urahara said, his tone soft yet laden with meaning. "She's been through more than she should ever have to endure. A little rest will do her good."Ichigo's chest heaved, his emotions swirling into a chaotic storm—confusion, fear, anger, guilt. But above it all, one thought rang louder than the rest: Urahara knows something. The man's words, his presence, his unnerving calm—it all screamed that he was withholding truths Ichigo needed. Desperately."You... you know something," Ichigo said, his voice low, trembling with suppressed rage. "About my mother. About me. About all of this." His fists trembled at his sides, rainwater mixing with the blood from his clenched hands. "Tell me. Now."Urahara's expression didn't change, but there was something in his gaze—a flicker of acknowledgment, perhaps even pity. "Oh, Ichigo," he said, his voice carrying an almost paternal gentleness that only infuriated Ichigo further. "I know many things. But whether you're ready to hear them... well, that's a different matter entirely."Ichigo stepped forward, his entire body taut with barely contained frustration. "Don't mess with me, Urahara. You said I was asking dangerous questions. What the hell does that mean? What are you hiding?!"Urahara's smile returned, faint and enigmatic, a curve of his lips that offered no comfort—only questions. He adjusted his hat with a slow, deliberate motion, the brim casting shadows over his sharp gray eyes, shielding them from the relentless rain. "It means," he said, his tone calm yet unnervingly firm, "that the answers you seek will unravel everything you thought you knew. Once you have them, there's no going back."The words hit Ichigo like a blow to the chest, the weight of their meaning sinking into him like lead. His breath hitched, his mind spinning as though it were trying to grasp onto something solid in the chaos. He opened his mouth to speak, to demand more, but the words wouldn't come. They sat heavy in his throat, choked by the rising tide of confusion and fear.For a moment, he could do nothing but stare at Urahara, his amber eyes wide with a storm of emotions he couldn't name. His thoughts tumbled over one another in a frantic rush—questions, memories, doubts, all fighting for dominance. It was too much, and yet not enough. He needed clarity, needed the truth, but the man standing before him offered none, only that same infuriating calm.And all the while, Urahara stood there, Yuzu's unconscious form cradled effortlessly in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His gaze remained steady, unyielding, as though he were waiting for something. Waiting for Ichigo to connect the dots himself. Waiting for the storm inside him to finally break.But Ichigo didn't need Urahara to spell it out. The words, the tone, the carefully chosen silences—it was all there. His mind raced, filling in the gaps, drawing conclusions he wasn't ready to face. His fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as the realization clawed its way to the surface.It confirmed it. It practically screamed it."I'm..." His voice wavered, barely above a whisper as the words stumbled out of him, raw and trembling. "I'm a Quincy... aren't I?"The rain fell harder, drumming against the pavement, against his skin, against the silence that followed. It drowned out everything else, but Urahara's faint smile remained, a ghostly thing that neither confirmed nor denied. Yet his lack of denial was answer enough.Ichigo's breath hitched again, his chest tightening as the weight of the truth bore down on him. His hands trembled, his entire body rigid as if caught between fight and flight. "Say something!" he finally shouted, his voice cracking under the pressure. "Don't just stand there—say it!"Urahara tilted his head slightly, the shadows from his hat hiding his eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost too calm, like the eye of a hurricane. "You've already answered your own question, Kurosaki. You didn't need me to confirm it... Nor anyone else's." He shifted his weight slightly, adjusting Yuzu in his arms. "But yes... you are a Quincy. That much is undeniable."The finality in his words was like a second blow, stealing the breath from Ichigo's lungs. A part of him had known—had suspected—but hearing it spoken aloud was something else entirely. It wasn't just a theory anymore. It was real. Tangible. A truth he couldn't escape.But... what now?He was a Quincy. The word felt foreign, almost meaningless in the whirlwind of his thoughts. What did it even matter? Mugetsu had stripped him of everything—his Shinigami powers, his Hollow strength, Quincy's abilities he probably had. All of it is gone. Sacrificed. So what could he possibly do now?Ichigo's crimson eyes flicked from Urahara to Yuzu, her unconscious form cradled in the man's arms. The sight of her, fragile and drenched in rain, made his chest tighten. For a brief moment, a surge of protective instinct drove him to step toward them, his hand reaching out.But he froze.Yuzu's earlier expression flashed through his mind—the fear, the anger, the exhaustion etched into her face. The words she had screamed at him, raw and unfiltered, echoed in his ears.I don't want to live like this anymore.The weight of it all stopped him in his tracks. His hand fell to his side, trembling. Slowly, deliberately, he turned away, his soaked hair clinging to his face as the rain continued to fall around him.Urahara's eyes widened ever so slightly, his usual calm demeanor cracking for just a moment. "Huh?" The sound escaped him, low and uncertain, a rare glimpse of surprise. He hadn't expected this. Of all the reactions he had anticipated from Ichigo—anger, confusion, desperation—this wasn't one of them.Urahara tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes following Ichigo's silhouette as it faded into the relentless downpour. "Well... that's unexpected," he murmured, the faintest trace of genuine curiosity slipping into his usually composed tone. He had braced himself for a storm of questions, the sharp edge of Ichigo's anger, or even a desperate demand for answers he had carefully kept concealed. He'd even accounted for the flicker of hope—a fleeting, fragile thing—that he could regain his powers or gain new Quincy abilities, but that hope would inevitably be crushed under the weight of the truth.But walking away? This quiet, almost casual retreat? That was nowhere near the scenarios he had envisioned.Still, Urahara didn't move. He stood rooted to the spot, Yuzu cradled carefully in his arms, watching Ichigo leave like a man chasing something only he could see. Something intangible. Something that couldn't be caught.And then, Ichigo stopped.His figure was a blur through the curtain of rain, but the tension in his stance was unmistakable. Urahara's brows lifted, the faintest smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Ah, there it is," he muttered to himself. Ichigo will now final—Ichigo spoke, his voice was quiet, almost lost in the rain, but there was a weight to it that made Urahara straighten ever so slightly. "Has anyone... been looking for me?"The question hung in the air, strange and heavy, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. Urahara's smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of something more serious and once again surprised. His grip on Yuzu shifted as his mind raced, dissecting the meaning behind those words. What was Ichigo truly asking? The phrasing, the tone, the pause before he spoke—it all felt... off."What do you mean by that?" Urahara asked cautiously, his voice no longer playful but measured, his gaze narrowing under the brim of his hat.But Ichigo didn't turn around. He didn't clarify. He didn't explain. The silence that followed was louder than any reply.And in that silence, Urahara realized that Ichigo wasn't waiting for an answer.Because his question was an answer enough.The boy took a single step forward, his silhouette dissolving further into the curtain of rain. Urahara's gaze lingered, his usual smirk completely gone, replaced by an expression unreadable and cold. His mind raced, dissecting every word, every movement, every nuance of this brief exchange. And then, like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky, it hit him.A theory formed, sharp and clear, and with it came understanding—a realization so heavy it threatened to crush the breath out of him.Urahara's body tensed, his grip on Yuzu tightening as his instincts screamed at him to act. He took a step forward, ready to follow, to stop Ichigo before the storm within him could spiral out of control. He understood now why Ichigo had reacted this way—why his question had carried such weight, why his retreat felt like a silent scream.But then he noticed something.And didn't notice something else.Urahara's gaze dropped to the ground where Ichigo had stood moments ago. Another footprint, deep and defined, pressed into the rain-slicked earth.He looked at the ground where Ichigo stayed, being filled in by the rain, in the concrete there was a footprint deep enough for anyone to see, deeper than the one at Misaki's graveyard.But more interesting, the boy's Reiatsu, which has increased from his near-death experience, once again is disappearing, making him completely undetectable, and with how unpredictably he was replying, Urahara could not guess where Ichigo would go."Interesting," he muttered again, his voice almost lost to the rain, he took a look at Yuzu, and decided to take her to her house.He will need to call Isshin to confirm his suspicion, as well as to talk to Ichigo's group.And then to find Yoruichi to find the boy...If she's available...Dammit, why is it happening now ?Urahara felt a faint movement in his arms, the slight shifting of the small figure cradled against him. Yuzu stirred, instinctively burrowing deeper into his chest, her tiny body seeking refuge from the cold rain that poured relentlessly from the heavens. The tremor was so subtle that most would have missed it, but not Urahara.His eyes softened just slightly, the calculating sharpness momentarily giving way to something more human. Without a word, he adjusted his stance, angling his body to shield her more effectively from the rain. His free hand deftly repositioned the umbrella, its fabric stretching further over them both as he tilted it just enough to keep her dry.The rain pattered against the umbrella, a steady rhythm that seemed almost deafening in the tense silence. Urahara glanced down at Yuzu, her face peaceful in her unconscious state, though her brows knit faintly as if caught in some distant nightmare. His lips pressed into a thin line.'Wonder how much Ichigo hates the rain right now, ' he mused, his thoughts drifting to the boy's retreating silhouette. The rain wasn't just a nuisance—it carried a weight for Ichigo, a reminder of things lost, of pain and regret.Urahara's mind wandered further, back to the conversations about his sword before and after Ichigo's desperate invasion of Soul Society. He remembered the look in the boy's eyes then—burning with defiance, but shadowed by doubt—when they had discussed his Zanpakuto."So, this is Zangetsu, huh?" he'd said, the casual curiosity masking a deeper intent. Urahara had studied the blade in Ichigo's hands, noting the raw, untamed energy that pulsed through it, a reflection of its wielder. Back then, Ichigo was still learning, still uncovering the layers of himself buried beneath the surface.And then there was the rain. The spirit of Zangetsu, born of Ichigo's turmoil, had revealed its connection to rain—a reflection of Ichigo's heart, his struggles, and his fear. Urahara recalled the moment Ichigo had admitted it, almost reluctantly: "When it rains... it feels like I'm drowning. Zangetsu told me the rain is my weakness, my hesitation."Now, as Urahara stared into the downpour surrounding him, he couldn't help but wonder if Ichigo felt that same drowning sensation now—if the weight of everything, the revelations, the guilt, and the fear, was pulling him under once more.......Ichigo could only stare at the woman sitting beside him, trying—and failing—to get comfortable in the cramped airplane seat. She sat with an air of defiance, her black hair framing her sharp features. Around her neck hung a familiar X-shaped cross, swaying slightly as the plane vibrated with activity.Kyra Ginjo was currently arguing with her phone, her sharp voice drawing stares from the surrounding passengers."ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! I GET IT!" Kyra barked, holding the phone away from her ear momentarily as though the person on the other end might somehow hear the collective groans from the flight attendants. One of them approached cautiously, motioning for her to hang up.Kyra waved her off with a dismissive hand, yelling one final retort into the phone. "AND NEXT TIME, DON'T SAY YOU'LL GET ME A TICKET IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH, YOU DAMN BRAT!"Snapping the phone shut with an audible click, Kyra stuffed it into her oversized bag and let out an annoyed huff, leaning back in her seat like she hadn't just yelled loud enough for half the plane to hear. The flight attendant gave her a stern look, which Kyra ignored with the ease of someone well-practiced at brushing off authority.Ichigo looked away, pretending to be more interested in the rain streaking across the airplane window. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept focusing back on—How the hell did I get stuck on a plane with her?It had all happened so fast. After grabbing what little he could carry from home—money, clothes, a few essentials—he'd bolted from the house, not wanting to risk running into Karin after Yuzu had already laid bare her pain and fear. That confrontation had been bad enough. He couldn't stomach the idea of facing Karin's judgment too.The airport had been the first escape route that came to mind. Get out. Leave everything behind. But when he'd checked the ticket prices for the soonest flight out, his heart had sunk. He'd scraped together a decent amount of cash over the past year, thanks to odd jobs and favors—helping the soccer team, running errands for clubs, even dealing with the occasional troublemaker for local gangs—but it wasn't enough for a last-minute flight.That's when she showed up.Kyra Ginjo had appeared like a storm, strolling up beside him with her usual smirk and dropping cash onto the counter without a second thought. "Guess I'm stuck babysitting," she'd teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "Don't worry, though. You can pay me back by not sulking like a kicked puppy the whole way there."And now here they were, crammed into side-by-side airplane seats. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably, his mind spinning with questions he couldn't bring himself to ask. Kyra was leaning back in her seat, her arms crossed lazily as she drummed her fingers against her elbow, her eyes half-closed as if she didn't have a care in the world.The cross around her neck gleamed faintly in the dim cabin light, catching Ichigo's eye like a magnet. He couldn't help but stare, his thoughts drifting to the cross Ryuken had given him. His fingers twitched, tempted to pull it out of his pocket. The weight of it felt heavier now, like it carried more than just history—it carried answers he still wasn't sure he wanted.Just as his hand moved toward his pocket, Kyra's voice broke the silence."You're staring, kid," she said, her tone sharp enough to cut through the monotonous hum of the engines. She turned her head slightly, her dark eyes glinting with amusement as her smirk curled wider. "What's the matter? Nervous about flying, or nervous about me?"Ichigo tensed, his scowl deepening. He snapped his gaze back to the window, pretending the rain streaking across the glass was more interesting than the infuriating woman beside him. "Neither," he muttered, his voice low."Sure, sure," Kyra drawled, leaning back in her seat with an air of exaggerated nonchalance. Her smirk didn't fade, and if anything, it grew sharper. "So what's got you so tense then, huh? Why ya here, kid? "Her question hit harder than he cared to admit. Ichigo didn't answer right away, his jaw tightening as he kept his eyes fixed on the window. He wasn't about to spill his thoughts to her. But Kyra didn't need him to speak. She could see it all in the way his shoulders stiffened, in the way his fists clenched faintly against his knees, specifically near his pocket.She tilted her head, her gaze dropping briefly to his pocket, as if sensing the small, weighty object hidden there. "You've got that look," she said after a moment, her voice quieter now but no less biting. "The one people get when they're carrying something heavy—and I don't mean your damn luggage."Ichigo's grip on the armrest tightened, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Why do you care?" he shot back, his voice sharper than he intended.Kyra shrugged, unfazed. "Call it curiosity. Or boredom." She shifted in her seat, the X-shaped cross around her neck swaying slightly as she leaned back. Her smirk widened, sharp and teasing, as her dark eyes glinted with amusement. "Or maybe I just like watching you squirm. Either way, you're a terrible liar, Kurosaki. And don't forget—you owe me."Ichigo's glare deepened, his amber eyes burning with barely contained frustration. "I didn't ask for your help," he growled through gritted teeth.Kyra tilted her head, her grin growing sharper, more smug. "Then you shouldn't have accepted it," she shot back, her tone dripping with playful condescension. "You're the one who jumped on this plane, kid. Don't act like I twisted your arm."Ichigo muttered something under his breath, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. His scowl only deepened when Kyra chuckled, clearly enjoying his discomfort."Still," she continued, her voice carrying that same maddeningly casual tone, "if you're planning to run away—and let's be real, that's exactly what you're doing—I'd recommend ditching the badge."Ichigo froze, his eyes snapping to hers. "What?" he asked sharply, his voice low but edged with alarm.Kyra shrugged again, one hand lazily gesturing toward his pocket where his Substitute Shinigami badge was tucked away. "You're still carrying it, aren't you?" she said, her tone light but her words deliberate. "That little thing's practically a beacon. Might as well paint a target on your back while you're at it."Ichigo's expression twisted with a flicker of pain as his hand shifted toward his other pocket. Kyra, lounging casually in her seat, raised her eyebrow as she felt that some small object— which she thought was actually the badge— was producing Reishi from his left pocket instead of right, it was small but being so close to it, made her notice it.She shrugged, leaning back and crossing her legs as though it didn't matter. "Whatever it is, it's your business," she murmured to herself, her smirk returning. "Unless it decides to explode. Then it becomes my business. ' It was a flimsy excuse, even to her own ears, but it was enough to justify her attention. She told herself she didn't care—really, she didn't.She was just about to press him—just a little prod to see what he'd do—when Ichigo's hand finally moved. His fingers dipped into his pocket, and before she could even blink, he pulled out a familiar object.Her smirk froze.The combat pass gleamed faintly in the cabin's light, its surface battered and worn from use, but unmistakable. Kyra's sharp eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of it, every muscle in her body tensing as if on instinct."Kid," she started, her voice low, cautious, a sudden edge cutting through her usual casual tone. But before she could say another word, Ichigo's grip tightened, and without hesitation, he crushed the pass in his hands.A sharp crack echoed through the cabin, impossibly loud over the hum of the engines and the low murmur of passengers....Kyra blinked, her mind racing to process what had just happened. Her smirk dropped entirely as the faint pulse of spiritual energy burst out from the shattered pass, fleeting but strong enough to make her stomach twist."Well, shit," she muttered under her breath, leaning forward slightly as her sharp gaze locked onto the crumbling fragments in Ichigo's hands. "You really don't do things halfway, do you?"Her voice was calm, but her mind was anything but. She had no idea what crushing the pass might unleash—she'd seen plenty of reckless moves in her time, but this? This was on another level."You know," Kyra drawled, her voice low and cutting as she leaned forward, her sharp eyes glinting with both amusement and disbelief. "You practically just sent up a flare announcing to Soul Society that you've gone rogue. If they find out—and trust me, they will—they won't take this lightly."Her gaze flicked to the crumbled remains of the combat pass in Ichigo's hand, a faint pulse of residual energy still lingering in the air like a ghost. She tilted her head, her signature smirk creeping back onto her face, though it was tinged with something sharper, more dangerous."I mean, I tweaked it a bit," she continued casually, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Just enough to make sure they couldn't notice me or pin down our exact location. But this?" She gestured at the destroyed pass, her eyebrows raised in mock amazement. "Damn, kid. Crushing it with brute strength? I didn't even think that was possible. Impressive—stupid, but impressive."Her tone shifted, growing darker as she rested her elbow on the armrest and leaned in, her eyes boring into Ichigo's. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts only get you so far before someone comes along to cut them out. Do you even know what you've just done?"She paused, letting the weight of her words hang in the air, before her smirk returned, sharp as a blade. "Or are you just running blind and hoping for the best, Kurosaki?"...No response.Kyra's smirk faltered at the complete lack of reaction from him. For a moment, it felt like she'd been flung back in time to when he'd been under that unnerving hypnosis—vacant eyes, unresponsive. But now, he wasn't even giving her the courtesy of looking hypnotized; it was like he'd folded in on himself completely.With an exasperated sigh, she leaned back, folding her arms over her chest. Damn kid.She couldn't help the flicker of guilt that gnawed at her gut. A small part of her knew that, while she hadn't outright told him to crush the badge, she'd lit the fuse by mentioning Soul Society. Now that it was in pieces, there would be a manhunt for sure. Breaking a Substitute Shinigami's badge was tantamount to painting a massive target on his back—and Soul Society wasn't exactly known for their mercy.Still, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of grudging respect toward him. He actually did it—destroyed his last lifeline to those pompous reapers. If nothing else, it meant he had guts. Or maybe he was just reckless to the point of insanity. Either way, it was enough to make her decision.She propped her elbow on the armrest, resting her chin in her palm as she studied his hunched form. With his shoulders sagging, his hair clinging to his forehead, he looked like someone who'd run out of options."Listen, kid," she said finally, her tone edged with reluctant sympathy. "You just pissed off Soul Society and I know they're gonna come for your head—and I doubt they'll ask nicely. "He still didn't respond, his silence somehow louder than any argument could be.Kyra let out a long breath, rolling her eyes at the situation. One last time, she told herself. I'll help him one last time. She couldn't quite say why—maybe because she understood what it meant to defy Soul Society, or maybe because she just couldn't stand seeing him look so damn defeated, especially when the cause is those assholes."All right," she said, her smirk returning, though it was tempered by something softer. "I'll make you a deal. Come lie low with my group for a bit. You're half-dead on your feet already, there's no way you healed from that hollow already, and trust me, you don't want to face the captains when you're like this."She arched an eyebrow, daring him to speak. When he remained silent, she snorted. "It's either that, or go out in a blaze of stupidity. Your call."Kyra waited, her gaze fixed on him, the cabin lights reflecting off the X-shaped cross at her throat. She told herself she didn't care which option he chose—really, she didn't. But a treacherous little voice in the back of her mind whispered otherwise.Still, she kept her expression neutral as she wrapped up her offer. "Anyway... the choice is yours, Kurosaki. Take it or leave it. But I'd prefer not watching a kid I actually like dyi—""Stop calling me kid, and I'll do whatever the hell you want," Ichigo interrupted, his voice rough and edged with annoyance.Kyra blinked once, then broke into a low chuckle. "Yeah, no," she said with casual finality, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm the one handing out favors here, kid, not the other way around. I'll call you 'kid' as long as I damn well please."She met his crimson glare without so much as a flinch, her smirk broadening at the flicker of frustration in his gaze. There was something almost exhilarating about provoking him—and yet, that nagging voice in the back of her mind refused to quiet. She was dangerously close to caring, and in her line of work, caring was a risk she rarely afforded herself.Eh, she thought, dismissing the momentary pang. He'll probably vanish in a week anyway.Still..."What exactly do you have in your left pocket?" she asked, her voice dropping a notch, all teasing gone from her tone.She saw it immediately—Ichigo's entire body seized up, his eyes widening as though she'd just wrenched the ground out from under him. His reaction was instantaneous and stark, as if some primal warning bell had gone off inside his head.For a brief second, Kyra wondered if the kid was still under the effects of her hypnosis. She had only meant to push him a little, not shut him down entirely. But the alarm flaring in his eyes told her this went beyond her meddling.Kyra's smirk vanished the instant Ichigo froze, his entire frame rigid in the cramped airplane seat. She eased forward, speaking low but firm. "Oi, I was just asking a question. No need to freak out on me again, kid."Silence—thick and heavy—filled the space between them, louder than the airplane's engines roaring in the background. In that moment, Kyra reminded herself why she usually avoided caring. It never came cheap, never ended neatly. But here she was, pushing him anyway.Why am I doing this? she asked herself, exasperated. But deep down, she knew exactly why."Still," she continued, letting her voice soften, "you owe me, kid. And I want to know what that Reiatsu-infused object is." As she spoke, she tightened the mental grip of her hypnosis—just a small twist of spiritual influence, not enough to raise alarms, but enough to loosen his hold on whatever secret he was clutching. Repeated use on the same person made them less aware of her intrusion... usually.Ichigo sucked in a harsh, ragged breath, as though he were fighting to keep himself from unraveling completely. Under the harsh overhead lighting, he looked drained—equal parts exhaustion and a grief that he seemed to keep buried deep. His eyes flicked to Kyra's face, then down to the worn carpet beneath his feet. Finally, the tension melted from his posture, and his hand eased its grip on the armrest.Kyra watched him closely, the hum of the airplane engines seeming to grow louder in the absence of conversation. Exhaustion radiated from him, and there was a grief in his eyes so deep that it made something in her chest tighten—a pang of recognition she normally would have dismissed."It's... probably my mom's," he finally said, voice so low she had to lean in just to catch it. "I'm not even sure, really. It's... a cross."A long silence stretched out, the overhead lights throwing harsh shadows across Ichigo's features. He seemed on the verge of collapsing under the weight of memories he couldn't quite articulate. Kyra didn't rush him, though. She simply waited, letting the moment settle."A cross, huh?" she echoed softly, glancing down at her own X-shaped cross. The metal caught the faint cabin light, sending a muted gleam back at her. She tried not to notice the parallels—how she, too, had inherited her cross in a way she couldn't quite bring herself to talk about.She felt her mental hold on him slip, not sure if she'd done it on purpose or if her own introspection had caused her to let go. Maybe it was both. Either way, she found she didn't mind. For just a second, she was content to let him hold onto whatever secret that cross contained."Are you sure it's hers?" she asked at last, her voice gentler than usual.Ichigo's shoulders lifted in a tired shrug. "It... belonged to her, I think." He paused, the lines of tension deepening across his face. "Someone who was... a friend of hers gave it to me."The memories clearly weighed on him. His jaw tensed, and for a beat, his eyes flickered with an emotion Kyra couldn't quite place—something between confusion and longing, maybe she could have deciphered it if she hadn't been seeing a reflection of herself.Kyra tried to keep her expression neutral, but the parallels weighed on her more than she'd ever admit. Her own mother, her own cross—it all intertwined with Ichigo's story in a way that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She shifted in her seat, forcing her gaze away from the cross in Ichigo's hand to meet his eyes, half hidden behind a sheen of exhaustion."Look," she began softly, her voice carrying an intensity that belied her casual tone, "you don't owe me any explanations. I'm not your therapist or your best friend, and I sure as hell know better than to pry into your family drama." She hesitated, pressing her lips into a thin line. Caring had never been her strong suit. "But I'm curious—who exactly was your mother?"Ichigo's grip on the cross tightened. He turned it over in his hands, the cabin's harsh lights reflecting off its dull metal surface. Outside the window, the black sky stretched on forever, the stars and distant plane lights barely piercing the darkness.Kyra sighed inwardly, cursing herself for asking questions she wasn't sure she wanted answered. But she couldn't ignore the lingering pulse of Reiatsu that radiated from that cross—something almost wrong, as though it carried an echo of power that wasn't supposed to be there."That thing..." She leaned in a bit closer, squinting like she was trying to see past the mundane metal and into the swirling energy inside with her Reikaku. "The Reiatsu I feel from it... it's definitely not normal. In fact"—her eyes narrowed—"it's almost... hollow-like."Ichigo's jaw clenched at that, and a fleeting look of pain crossed his face. His shoulders tightened, and for a moment, she feared he'd shut down again, like he had so many times before. But he didn't. Instead, he swallowed hard, never lifting his gaze from the cross in his hands."She was... complicated," he said at last, his voice hoarse, as though dredging up the words from some locked-away corner of his mind. "I didn't really know her as well as I thought. Not until... recently."Kyra watched him, forcing herself to stay quiet and let him speak at his own pace. She knew a thing or two about mothers who left legacies you didn't ask for. The parallels kept piling up, whether she liked it or not."She died protecting me," Ichigo continued, his tone hollow. "All my life, I thought she was just... normal. Then I found out she wasn't. Found out about her powers... found out—"He broke off, and Kyra recognized that look in his eyes: the raw sting of grief. No wonder he looks half-dead on his feet, she thought. He'd been carrying this weight for who-knew-how-long, with nowhere to put it down.Kyra inhaled slowly, wishing she could shrug off her own unsettled thoughts. But something about Ichigo—maybe the way guilt and anger churned behind his tired gaze—pulled at her. "Look, I'm not trying to tear open old wounds," she murmured, her tone softer than usual. "But if that cross is laced with twisted Reiatsu, you need to be extremely careful. Hollows aren't the only things drawn to strong spiritual energy. And if I'm going to help you, I at least need to know what kind of history your mom had in the real world—the true world most people never see."Ichigo stared at her, his hand tightening around the cross. She watched his throat bob in a slow swallow, as though he were waging an internal war with himself over what to say. For a moment, she thought he would clam up. But then he let out a trembling breath, bracing himself."She was..." His voice trembled, barely audible above the plane's engines. "She was a Quincy."Ichigo's confession hung in the air like a thunderclap, leaving Kyra momentarily speechless. It took her a few seconds to clamp down on her own shock, wrestle it into submission, and force a neutral mask back onto her face. But behind that mask, her thoughts were racing at breakneck speed, fitting together pieces she hadn't even realized were missing."You're..." She trailed off, glancing between Ichigo's face and the cross he clung to so desperately. Something inside her twisted—the old swirl of reluctance and curiosity she tried so hard to tamp down. No wonder the energy is so strange.Ichigo nodded, exhaling shakily, as if finally confessing some terrible secret. "Yeah," he said, his tone rough, still managing a thread of defiance beneath the exhaustion. "I—found out... recently. About her. About me. I'm—" He couldn't even bring himself to say it in the first person. "I have Quincy blood. Or had, I guess. I don't really know anymore."Kyra forced her shock down, locking it away behind a quick breath. Of all the revelations she'd expected, this was not high on the list. She pressed her lips into a grim line. "Well..." she said, voice low..." Then I definitely can't let you be a kid, sorry. " She pulled out her phone, flipping it open with a practiced motion. At first, it looked like she intended to dial—her fingers hovered over the buttons—then she paused, as though catching herself in the middle of a bad idea. Closing the phone with a snap, she turned her attention back to Ichigo, or rather, to the rain-streaked window beyond him."How the hell are you able to leave Karakura Town if you're a Quincy?" she asked suddenly, turning to meet his gaze again.Ichigo blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Huh?"Kyra let out a long, exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You don't even know about the barriers Soul Society has around spiritual hotspots, do you?" she said, her voice tinged with something between pity and irritation. "They've got wards, kid—strong ones. Especially around places like Karakura Town, where all the weird stuff happens. Normally, a Shinigami, and maybe some other being are able to slip out with some effort, but a Quincy? That's a different story."Ichigo gains a surprised look on his face, as he had never heard of anything like that.Kyra paused, her eyes narrowing as her mind worked through the details. "Wait. You were a Substitute Shinigami, weren't you?" She asked rhetorically while she tapped a finger against her chin. "Maybe the wards recognized you as a Shinigami and overlooked the Quincy side... Unlikely with how thorough they usually are... But that's the only thing which comes to mind, of course your low Reiatsu output probably helped, with you being unnoticed, what ever technique you used definitely helping you right now, good job kid " She couldn't help but comment.Ichigo's gaze dropped to his lap, where his grip on the cross had turned his knuckles white. His teeth clenched in silent frustration, and for a moment, Kyra thought he might lash out. Instead, he drew in a shaky breath."It's not like I planned to sneak out or anything," he muttered, voice low. "I just... needed to leave."Kyra arched a brow, nodding slowly as she surveyed Ichigo, taking in his tense posture and the lingering shadows beneath his eyes. Yeah, kid. Running on pure desperation—that much is obvious, she mused. Rain still misted the oval window beside them, refracting the cabin's faint lights. A few rows away, a flight attendant moved quietly, checking overhead compartments for the umpteenth time. Most of the other passengers were either dozing or hunched over phones and in-flight entertainment screens.A moment later, Kyra unlocked her phone and glanced at the screen, debating whether to call her employer. She quickly dismissed the idea—he was likely knee-deep in a squabble with Soul Society anyway. No sense interrupting that particular circus. Snapping the phone shut again, she slipped it back into her jacket pocket."So," she said, her tone more direct than usual, "how was life as a Substitute Shinigami?" She didn't bother with her usual snark—there was no point right now. Her curiosity had finally outweighed her amusement at his predicament.Ichigo blinked, caught off guard by her question. He'd been half-lost in thought, one hand absently gripping the cross he still refused to let go of. "You want... the whole story?" he asked, eyes flicking from the cross to her face.Kyra shrugged, leaning back in her seat. "Give me the important bits. I'm trying to piece together how you ended up a quasi-Quincy-Shinigami-Human and apparently managed to tick off everyone in Soul Society along the way, with the way your acting right now "Ichigo let out a short, humorless laugh, the sound hollow enough to match the turbulence rattling the plane. "That's... yeah, I guess that about sums it up. Mostly." He inhaled slowly, letting the steady drone of the engines lull him into a fragile moment of calm. A pang of reluctance pulsed through him—some part of him still resisted the idea of spilling it all. But the lingering effect of Kyra's hypnosis, subtle as it was, nudged him onward. More than that, though, it felt strangely good to talk to a living person who hadn't heard or known all this before."It started when I got these powers from Rukia Kuchiki. She was wounded by a Hollow in my house—my family got dragged into it. She had no choice but to transfer her Shinigami powers to me, at least temporarily." He paused, noticing the faint arch of Kyra's brow. "Turns out it wasn't so temporary." before diving into his explanation.Kyra simply nodded, offering him silent permission to continue. The cabin lights gleamed off her X-shaped cross as she shifted her posture, her gaze unwavering.Ichigo let out a long, tired exhale. "So, I became a Substitute Shinigami in Karakura Town, taking out Hollows, helping Plus souls move on. Y'know—standard stuff. Except it didn't stay standard for very long. Soul Society labeled me a criminal over Rukia's powers, my ignorance of their rules, all of that." He shrugged, as if downplaying the enormity of having invaded an entire spiritual dimension. "I ended up rescuing her from an execution and clashing with a bunch of captains—""Wait, wait, wait..." Kyra cut in, lifting a hand to halt his explanation. "How long have you been a Shinigami, exactly?" She narrowed her eyes, leaning a bit closer in the cramped airplane seat. There was a skeptical edge to her voice—like she was aware he was skimming past details. And he was.Ichigo paused, giving her a wary look. "It... hasn't been that long. Less than a year now ? " His fingers tightened on the cross, betraying his lingering discomfort about unloading all this on a stranger.Kyra clicked her tongue, crossing her arms. "Less than a year. In that time, you managed to wreck Soul Society's trust, bust someone out of death row, and pick fights with captains. You're skipping the best parts."He huffed, glancing sideways at her. "Yeah, well, it's not like I can sum it up neatly. Everything happened in one insane blur. One day I'm just a high school kid who can see ghosts—" He paused, mouth twisting. "The next, I'm knee-deep in Shinigami politics, Hueco Mundo, Vizards, Arrancars, you name it."Kyra tapped a finger on the armrest, her expression thoughtful, she will ask about the Vizars and Arrancars latter. "And what's that like? Your first time in Soul Society and you fought captains, and survived I'm having a hard time believing that "He stared at her for a beat, as if weighing how much to reveal. Then he shook his head, exhaling. "It was—uh—like plunging headfirst into a warzone when I got into the Seireitei. Soul Society tried to execute Rukia, so I broke in with a few friends. We basically fought whoever got in our way. Kenpachi, Byakuya, Shunsui..." He trailed off, the memories flickering behind his tired eyes. "And then, not a month later, I was going toe-to-toe with Espadas in Hueco Mundo."Kyra rapped her knuckles on the armrest, catching his attention, as her gaze studied on him. "All right. You said Soul Society tried to execute some Shinigami named Rukia, but in the end, they let you walk? After you invaded their home turf, fought captains, broke all their laws... How'd you manage not to get executed yourself? Are they that sloppy, or did you sweet-talk your way out?"He let out a humorless chuckle. "No sweet-talking—trust me. There was just... a lot more going on behind the scenes than we realized. Turned out Aizen—one of the captains—was betraying Soul Society. Once that came to light, She became the bigger threat, and what I did was overshadowed by the fact I helped uncover his treachery."Kyra's brow furrowed. "So you got a free pass because someone else was more of a menace? Typical Soul Society," she remarked, her tone dripping with cynicism. "They only cut you slack when it suits them. Guess it worked out in your favor, huh?"Ichigo shrugged, running his thumb over the cross again. "I guess. They still eyed me like some criminal for a while, but once Aizen's schemes came to light, they... tolerated me. For the most part." The sigh that followed seemed to carry the weight of a thousand battles. She noticed his hand drift to the cross at his hip—an absent gesture that spoke volumes about where his mind really lingered."And then, Espadas in Hueco Mundo," Kyra said, arching a brow. "Let me guess—bigger, badder Hollows?"He nodded. "Arrancars, actually. Hollows that ripped off their masks and gained Shinigami-like powers. The Espadas were the top ten—each ridiculously powerful. Their leader was Aizen—the same girl—" He caught himself, eyes flicking guiltily to Kyra's face. "Anyway, the one who nearly crushed Soul Society."Kyra let out a low, impressed whistle despite herself. "So you went and invaded their domain too?""Had to," Ichigo said simply. There was no bragging in his tone—just the starkness of necessity. "They kidnapped a friend—Orihime—and threatened Karakura Town. Couldn't sit around. So me and a few allies broke into Hueco Mundo, fought our way through the Espadas, tried to stop Aizen's plans. Eventually, it led to a final confrontation in fake Karakura Town, and..." He hesitated, gaze growing distant. "I used Mugetsu. And lost every bit of my power."Something in Kyra's chest tightened. He lost everything, she thought, remembering her own abrupt loss of strength, the helplessness that came with it. She didn't usually let empathy slip through, but the parallels were too obvious to ignore.She tapped the armrest in a thoughtful staccato. "You keep mentioning Mugetsu like it was a doomsday button. What exactly is it?"His jaw tensed, as though he were bracing for a blow. "Let's just say... it was my Bankai's final move, a technique that burns away the user's powers completely. 'Doomsday' is a good word for it."Kyra studied him - keeping in mind that he said Bankai which he somehow learned in less than a year - noting the edge in his voice whenever he mentioned it—like speaking of Mugetsu brought back the sting of what he'd lost."Did Soul Society help you after that?" she asked, letting her tone soften. She knew what it was like to lose your abilities, only for them to be treated like a commodity by Soul Society.Ichigo let out a short, bitter laugh. "They restored my powers for a bit—kind of. But it was barely anything, lost them pretty quickly. And if you're not useful to Soul Society, they toss you aside. They got Central 46 back up and running, then just... disappeared. Last time I heard from them was maybe three months ago, when they needed a favor. Something about sinners escaping Hell."Kyra felt a tug of exasperation bubble up inside her. Typical Soul Society, she thought. Always there to ask for help when it suits them—but never to actually fix the damage they cause.She arched a brow, forcing a wry smile. "Don't tell me you actually went to Hell for them."Ichigo tried to laugh, but it came out strangled. The humor died in his throat, and he glanced away, clearly unwilling to elaborate.Kyra winced. "So you did." A bitter huff escaped her. "You're just a magnet for every sort of spiritual mess, aren't you?"Ichigo didn't respond right away, his gaze dropping to the cross again—always the cross. She guessed it brought him some measure of comfort, or maybe a reminder of what he'd lost.She shifted in her seat, folding her arms in a bid for her usual aloofness. "Let me guess," she said, her tone clipped, "they handed you some half-baked power boost, pointed at Hell's gates, and said 'Go get 'em, kid.' You did the dirty work, and then they ghosted you again."He barked out a short, humorless laugh. " Ye they did say something similiar but I didn't listen, barely had any powers left and I'm not suicidal... " Kyra snorted, making a show of skeptical amusement. Ichigo shot her a sharp glare, then went on, voice grim. "Then my younger sisters got dragged into Hell, and..." His gaze flickered, the weight of that memory hollowing out his voice. "Guess it turned into the same story all over again."She exhaled, a hiss of breath through her teeth as she nodded. "So you had no choice but to step in. Damn. That's rough."Ichigo gave a ghost of a shrug, looking oddly resigned. "Yeah. Didn't have many options."Kyra drummed her fingertips against the armrest, mulling over the tangled story Ichigo had laid out. ' Something about this doesn't add up, she mused. No way Soul Society would just ignore his family. ' She knew from personal experience they had a habit of planting eyes where no one expected.Her gaze flicked toward him again, the edges of her smirk fading to something subtler—something threaded with caution. ' They never hesitate to keep tabs on a potential threat, ' she thought. 'They sure as hell didn't hesitate with mine. ' A prickle of memory stirred, a reminder of the surveillance she'd discovered too late, back when she first realized how deeply Soul Society liked to dig its claws into the living world.She let out a low hum, her stare traveling from Ichigo's hand, curled tightly around his mother's cross, to the distant reflection in the window. Night stretched on outside, endless and dark. 'They're watching, all right, ' she told herself. ' They always do. 'They let the plane's engine noise fill the pause, neither rushing to break it. Outside, the night was nearly absolute, clouds obscuring any trace of moon or stars. The overhead lights in the cabin had been dimmed, casting everything in a muted glow.Finally, Kyra spoke, her tone softening despite her best efforts. "Your sisters—they're all right now?"Ichigo hesitated, then nodded. "They're safe," he said quietly. "At least, as safe as they can be in Karakura Town without me there.""That's something, at least," she said, her voice dropping into a murmur.She looked away, contemplating for a beat before shrugging. "We both saw how little Soul Society values a person once their usefulness is in question. Both ended up with crosses we never wanted, powers we didn't exactly choose, and a long record of fighting battles for people who barely look twice at us after the dust settles."The bitterness in her tone was mirrored in the flicker of understanding that crossed Ichigo's face. "Guess so," he said, quiet.Kyra cleared her throat, trying to push past the unexpected intimacy of the moment. "So, you saved your sisters from Hell—somehow—and that's when you finally decided to skip town?"Ichigo nodded. "Yeah... You could say that. ""Smart," she muttered. "Well, if you really want to keep them safe that is... How is it ? " She asked having done something similiarKyra's question seemed to sink in, hanging in the pressurized hush of the cabin like an echo that wouldn't quite fade. Ichigo shifted, gaze flicking down to the cross in his hand before settling on the uneven reflection of his own face in the window. For a moment, he said nothing. The roar of the plane's engines filled the space instead—steady and droning, as relentless as his heartbeat.Slowly, he drew a breath, shoulders tensing under the weight of the conversation. "Honestly," he murmured, each word coming out soft and low, "it's... scary. Leaving them behind, not knowing if Soul Society might decide to interfere again, or if another Hollow might show up..." He trailed off, knuckles whitening around the cross.His jaw tightened, frustration flashing in his eyes. "Yuzu—she—she's terrified." Memories of her tear-streaked face, her voice cracking with accusation, rattled in the back of his mind. "But if I stay, they just get pulled in deeper. I know that by now. Hell arc, Hueco Mundo, Sinners, Quincies. All of it. Every time I tried to protect them, things just got worse."Kyra tapped her finger on the armrest. Noticing the slight tremor in his voice. Still, she didn't push. Not yet.Outside the window, darkness enveloped the plane in an eerie stillness. No stars, no moon—just an endless void that pressed in on the thin shell of light in the cabin. Somehow, it made the conversation feel more fragile, as though they floated in a bubble of uncertain truths.Kyra tapped a slow rhythm on the armrest, picking up on the unsteady pitch in his words but choosing not to pry—yet. Beyond the window, darkness swallowed the sky, starless and moonless, an endless void pressing against the narrow shell of the plane. The quiet hum in the cabin made it feel like they were suspended in some fragile bubble of temporary truths.Kyra studied him with a faint, wry curve to her lips—though something behind her eyes didn't quite match the smirk. "Yeah," she said softly, almost as if she wanted to say more. "I know that feeling all too well."A tense quiet threatened to smother them, but before it could, she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat, forcing the conversation into a different lane."So," she began briskly, "tell me about Hueco Mundo and Hell. People say one's a desolate sandpit and the other's, well... literal hell. But how exactly did they look to you?"Ichigo blinked, visibly taken aback by the sudden shift in topic. Outside, the plane droned on through an endless expanse of darkness, its cabin lights casting ghostly reflections across the window.He dragged a hand through his hair, still damp from the relentless rain that had chased him onto this plane. "Hueco Mundo..." He hesitated, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "That place was—yeah, mostly sand. An endless night sky, white dunes stretching out forever. I remember how empty it felt, but also oppressive, like the silence itself wanted to swallow you whole."Kyra cocked her head, fingers idly tapping on the armrest. She noticed how his hand strayed to the cross at his side again, unconsciously seeking its weight. "And the Hollows? The Arrancars?"Ichigo's gaze shifted, memories flickering behind his eyes. "They were strong—inhumanly so. But it wasn't just their power. It was their desperation, I guess. Their entire world felt like it was built on survival of the fittest. No wonder some of them tore off their masks to evolve. Fighting them was... exhausting." He paused, remembering Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, and how he almost— HAH!— died fighting them, before his hollow saved him against them, but comparing them to... he swallowing hard. "But it was nothing compared to going to Hell."Kyra's lips pressed into a thin line. "Figured you'd say that. So how'd that differ?"A tremor flickered across Ichigo's face, as if recalling something he'd rather keep buried. "Hell was... raw," he managed finally, his voice tight. "Dark and fiery, yeah, but it wasn't just the flames. It was more like a prison, something built to break its captives piece by piece. "He stopped himself, stifling the wave of guilt that rose at the thought of Yuzu, of Karin, and the nightmares they'd endured. "I got forced into it. And when I got there, everything just felt wrong, like I was trespassing somewhere no living, hell — literally — no Soul being was meant to stand."Kyra frowned, the lines around her eyes deepening. She didn't push for more details, but the tension in her shoulders told him she understood something of what he was saying. Kyra leaned back slightly, her brows furrowing as she processed his words. The edge of her smirk softened, replaced by something quieter, almost contemplative. " Well I guess that's Hell to you. " she murmured, her voice laced with curiosity and unease. "Sounds like the kind of place that sticks with you, whether you want it to or not."Ichigo nodded slowly, his hand tightening around the cross again, as if grounding himself. "It's not something you can forget. The chains, the screams, the way the place felt alive, like it was watching you, waiting for you to slip up so it could pull you deeper." He paused, swallowing hard. "It wasn't just the place. It was... the people—or whatever was left of them. They weren't like Hollows. They were twisted, broken, and angry.Kyra tilted her head, her sharp gaze narrowing. "And you? Did you get out clean? Or did that place leave its mark on you too?"Ichigo's eyes darkened, his jaw clenching as he looked away. "I'm here, aren't I?" he said bitterly, his voice barely above a whisper. The cabin fell silent again, the droning engines filling the void between them. Kyra watched him for a moment longer, her own thoughts stirring. She could see it—the way his shoulders slumped under an invisible weight, the way his hand kept drifting to that cross like it was the only thing tethering him to the present.Finally, she let out a sigh, breaking the tension with a faint chuckle. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure most people would've lost their minds after going through all that. You? You're still standing. That's gotta count for something."Ichigo's lips twitched, but the gesture didn't quite form into a smile. "Yeah, well... I don't feel like I'm standing most days."Kyra shook her head, a wry grin creeping back onto her face. "You're standing, kid. Stumbling, maybe, but standing. And that's more than some people manage after dealing with Soul Society's bullshit, Hueco Mundo, and literal Hell." Her tone softened slightly as she added, "Just don't let the guilt eat you alive. It's not gonna fix anything... After all I need you alive and breathing."Ichigo glanced at her, his expression unreadable, but he gave a small nod, his grip on the cross loosening just a fraction, as he was about to ask what she meant by that.Kyra let herself stretch a bit, pumping her chest forward, and when she was done her grin sharpened again. "Anyway, if you're done brooding, I've got a more important question for you." She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "What's the in-flight meal gonna be? Because I swear, if it's another dry sandwich, I might just jump out of this plane."The abrupt shift caught Ichigo — Who's face was red from her stretching — off guard, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he let out a faint, surprised laugh. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make Kyra's grin widen in satisfaction."See? Not all doom and gloom," she said, leaning back in her seat with a smug look. "Now, let's survive this flight, and then we'll figure out what comes next. "Ichigo hesitated for a moment, then nodded again, a flicker of red still dusting his face."Yeah... "......To be continued ! So, the next chapter is you could say half way finished XD, ngl this chapter was kinda 20 K, almost 30 K long, before I decided to split it, to focus on some parts seperatly, So ye hear... See ya soon!Join my shitty discord if you want - https://discord.gg/7SwQYNR9z3