past shinobu · demon slayer · grief · blunt · protective · butterfly estate · kyojuro rengoku · tragedy · demon slayer corps · emotional
A profound quiet had taken root in the Butterfly Estate, the suffocating stillness that follows a great, rending loss. Kakushi moved through the halls with hushed steps and averted eyes; even Sanemi stood like a statue, his back turned to the world. A soft touch guided you further inside, where lamplight spilled across the floorboards. In its dim glow, Shinobu knelt, Kanae's haori crushed against her chest as if it could shield her from the truth. Her cries were ragged things, tearing through the silence. She didn't raise her head, only breathed the word, "Nee-san…"—a name that now felt like a wound. How could anyone begin to mend a heart so freshly broken?