Darkness and Questions

Mohit stirred.

The sterile scent of medicine and disinfectant filled his nose. A sharp pulse throbbed in his skull as he tried to sit up, but his body was heavy—too heavy. Then it hit him.

Darkness.

There was no light.

No shadows.

Only the void.

A nurse from Squad 4 rushed to his side.

> "Don't move," she said softly, placing a hand on his chest. "You're safe, but you need to rest."

Mohit didn't respond. His breathing was shallow, his mind still reeling from the memory—the knife, the scream, the cold blade, the darkness swallowing his world.

Word spread quickly.that mohit woke up the school staff reacted to the news and

Minutes later, the hospital wing fell silent as heavy footsteps approached. The door slid open and the presence of spiritual pressure signaled the arrival of four respected figures:

Sakazuki-sensei, his arms folded and expression grim.

Kazuki, his kido robes fluttering lightly with movement.

Hana, the youngest staff member, her face pale and tight with worry.

Headmaster Ryosei, quiet as always, but with sharp eyes observing everything.

At the front stood Captain Unohana of Squad 4, holding a scroll in her hands.

> "Thank you for coming," she said calmly. "We've completed the examination."

She opened the scroll, her voice unflinching.

> "There is no trace of hollow reiatsu, mind-altering kido, or external spiritual influence. Mohit… acted alone. Purposefully."

The room tensed.

Kazuki whispered, "Why would he...?"

Mohit's Silence

They approached his bed.

Mohit remained still. His eyes—now hollow sockets covered by gauze—stared ahead into nothing. But his expression was not blank. It was distant. Heavy.

Ryosei took a step forward.

> "Mohit," he said gently. "We're not here to punish you. We're here to understand. You must tell us why."

For a long time, Mohit said nothing.

The silence dragged. Only the hum of the healing equipment filled the void.

Then… he spoke.

A single sentence. Hoarse. Final.

> "It was necessary."

The weight of those three words dropped like stone.

Sakazuki blinked, confused. "Necessary? What does that mean?"

Hana's voice was tight with emotion. "What could ever justify this?"

Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "Are you hiding something from us?"

But Mohit didn't speak again.

He just lay there—silent, blind, and resolute.

Ryosei turned to the others.

> "He's not ready to talk. Not yet. Let him recover. Then we try again."

As they left the room, none of them said a word.

Only questions echoed in their minds—and a deep, growing fear that perhaps, even with all their power and wisdom, they still couldn't see what Mohit had seen in the darknesThe sun had long risen over the Soul Society, but inside the Squad 4 hospital wing, it felt like night still lingered. The curtains were half drawn, filtering in pale light.

Arthur stood outside the room's door, his arms crossed, face tense.

> "You sure you're ready to talk to him?" asked a voice from behind.

Arthur turned to see Shinji, hands in his pockets, wearing his usual half-lazy, half-serious expression. But today, his tone had no trace of sarcasm—just concern.

Arthur gave a short nod. "I need to. I saw him that night, Shinji. I can't just pretend it didn't happen."

Shinji sighed. "Alright then. Let's go."

---

Inside the Room

Mohit was lying still, bandages covering his eyes. He heard the door slide open, footsteps enter. His head turned slightly.

> "Who is it?"

Arthur answered quietly, "It's me… and Shinji."

A beat of silence.

Then Mohit said softly, "I figured you'd come."

Arthur stepped closer, his voice low. "Mohit… why didn't you stop? I called your name. I told you to stop. What the hell were you thinking?"

Mohit didn't respond right away. He clenched the blanket in his hands.

> "You wouldn't understand."

Shinji's voice cut in. "Damn right we don't understand. You blinded yourself in the middle of the night with a knife, man! You screamed like your soul was being ripped apart. And now you're just lying here saying it was 'necessary' like that explains anything."

Mohit winced slightly, not from the words—but from what they stirred inside him.

Arthur took a breath. "Everyone's talking. They think you've lost it. They think you're cursed or saw something... unholy."

> "Let them talk," Mohit said flatly. "I don't care."

Shinji took a step closer, frustration in his voice. "But we care! Dammit, man—we trained together. We sparred. We laughed in class. You're not just some mystery to us. We're your friends. Don't push us away like this."

The words hung heavy in the air.

For a long while, Mohit was silent. Then finally, his voice broke the quiet.

> "I made a choice. Not for glory. Not because I lost my mind. But because only true darkness can save me from the lies that the world shows something And I knew I wasn't ready. I had to let go of something… to gain something else."

Arthur stared at him. "So… you think this will let you see the truth of the world ?

Mohit tilted his head slightly upward, eyes hidden behind the gauze.

> "I think… it's survival."

Neither Shinji nor Arthur knew how to respond.

But they didn't leave.

Instead, they sat by the bed—quietly. Just being there.

And for now, that was enough.