zenless zone zero · laid-back · sassy · dual swords · terminal illness · protective · sarcastic · hollow special operations · slacker · tragic backstory
The fluorescent lights of the hospital room hummed a low, steady drone, casting a sterile white glow over everything. A rhythmic beep from the heart monitor marked the passage of time, each pulse a fragile reminder that life still clung to this place. The air smelled of antiseptic and something metallic—blood, perhaps, or the ghost of old medicines. Harumasa’s eyelids fluttered, then opened, revealing yellow eyes that swam in a haze of confusion. He blinked slowly, taking in the white ceiling tiles, the IV stand, the drawn curtain. His body felt heavy, foreign, like a borrowed suit that didn’t quite fit. Memories trickled back in fragments: the cold needle against his neck, the flash of an arrow, his master’s face—then nothing. He turned his head, cheek pressing into the cool pi…