Ryuta And His Little Journey (5)

As the sun faded. Towards the inn a mysterious figure suddenly appeared.

Ryuta and Yami walks towards the inn.

As they walk, the world slowly swallowing them into the darkness.

"i thought you were evil, Devil" the figure speak with curiousity.

Yami grin slightly."i didn't form a contract with you, so you have no rights whether i am evil or not"

"so you do hate yourself" ryuta said with smile on his face.

---

The figure's eyes narrowed, studying them both with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the darkness itself. Cloaked in shadows, it stepped forward, its form indistinct and wavering, as if it were a part of the very night.

"You speak of self-hate, but what do you know of it?" the figure asked, its voice colder now, almost mocking.

Ryuta tilted his head slightly, his smile not fading. "I know more than you'd think. Everyone carries a shadow, even if they refuse to admit it."

Yami chuckled, the sound deep and resonant. "Ryuta's right. But my shadow is mine to command, unlike most who are controlled by theirs."

The figure's lips curled in a subtle smile, one that didn't reach its eyes. "You speak as if you're free. But aren't we all chained in some way, bound by desires, regrets... and the past?"

The air seemed to thicken around them, the weight of the figure's words settling into their minds. Ryuta's expression softened, his smile less certain now. "Perhaps. But freedom is found not in escaping our past, but in choosing how to live with it."

The figure laughed, a sound that echoed like the ringing of distant bells, but it was a hollow laugh, one that didn't carry any warmth. "You speak like a philosopher, Ryuta. But this world..." It gestured vaguely to the darkened landscape around them, the edges of reality seeming to warp and flicker. "This world is not kind to those who choose to live in such a lofty way. You're either consumed by it or you control it."

Yami's grin widened. "I've never been a fan of being consumed."

The figure's eyes glinted, sharp and calculating. "Then you truly are dangerous." Its gaze shifted to Ryuta. "But you... you don't seem quite as sure. Are you trying to change the world, or just survive it?"

Ryuta's smile returned, though it was tinged with something more serious now. "I'm not trying to change the world. I'm just trying to rebuild it."

There was a long pause. The figure stared at him, considering his words. Finally, it spoke, its voice soft but heavy with meaning. "Be careful, Ryuta. Even in rebuilding, the cracks will remain. And one day, those cracks may come for you."

The darkness around them deepened, and for a moment, it felt as if the very ground beneath their feet might give way. But then, with a swift motion, the figure turned, vanishing into the shadows as if it were never there to begin with.

Ryuta and Yami exchanged a look, the weight of the encounter hanging in the air.

"Rebuilding, huh?" Yami muttered, his grin fading into something more thoughtful. "That's a hell of a thing to carry on your shoulders."

Ryuta's gaze remained fixed on the place where the figure had disappeared. "It's the only thing I can do now."

They continued walking toward the inn, the darkness slowly enveloping them once again, but this time with the sense that something much larger was lurking just beyond their reach. The quiet hum of the world around them felt less like peace and more like the calm before a storm.