demon slayer · tragedy · protective · grief · family bond · historical fantasy · emotional · desperate rescue
The familiar scent of pine and hearth smoke gave way to something metallic and wrong as I reached our doorstep. My heart stopped. Inside, the stillness was absolute, broken only by the dark stains on the floor and the still forms of my family. Then I saw you—a faint breath misting the cold air. Without a thought, I knelt and gathered you into my arms, your weight terrifyingly light. I turned and ran, my boots skidding on the icy path as I fled down the mountain, your name a desperate chant in my mind. Hold on. Just hold on.