Seishiro's eyes fluttered open.
Bright, sterile light stabbed into his vision. His head throbbed, each pulse sending sharp pain radiating through his skull. He tried to sit up, only to be met with the aching weight of his own body. Every muscle protested, and the faint tang of blood and antiseptic lingered in the air.
"Calm… calm now, Seishiro," a gentle, yet commanding voice urged.
Blinking against the light, he realized he was lying on a narrow bed in a quiet room. Kneeling beside him was Captain Unohana, her hands glowing faintly as they drifted over the bruises and lacerations that marred his torso and arms. Her serene gaze held both curiosity and concern, and it pierced right through him as if she could see everything he had endured.
At the doorway, Renji and Rukia peered in, their faces etched with worry.
"You were screaming something fierce," Renji said, his arms crossed but his voice tense. "And holding your head like… like it was going to explode."
Seishiro groaned softly, pressing his fingers against his temples. "I… had a bad dream." His voice was hoarse, strained from hours of screaming. "I… tried to talk to my Zanpakutō."
Renji and Rukia exchanged glances, disbelief written across their features.
"You… talked to your Zanpakutō?" Rukia asked slowly, her brow furrowed. "Mine haven't even spoken to me yet."
Seishiro let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow in the quiet room. "Yeah… mine did. And they weren't… happy with me."
Renji's eyes widened. "Wait… they? Plural?"
Seishiro's gaze fell to the bed, to the Zanpakutō lying across it. "They. That's what I call them. My Zanpakutō… it's not just one spirit. And today… in my inner world, they made sure I knew exactly how dangerous they are."
Rukia tilted her head, her tone cautious but curious. "What… happened?"
He swallowed hard, trying to make sense of the memory. The images of bisected bridges, burning pain, and relentless attacks flashed in his mind. His hands trembled slightly as he spoke.
"They destroyed me. Completely. I… I don't even know how I survived. Every time I thought I could move, they were faster. Every time I thought I had control, they took it from me. I was… helpless. I couldn't fight back. Couldn't even… defend myself. And yet, somehow, I'm here."
Renji ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. "Damn… that's… insane."
Seishiro let out a shallow laugh, bitter but almost resigned. "Insane barely covers it. And they're alive. Not just alive… aware. Watching. Testing. Waiting. They… they don't forgive mistakes, not one of them."
Rukia's eyes softened slightly. "You survived. That's… important. That's what matters."
Seishiro nodded slowly, though his body still trembled from the lingering effects of the inner-world trauma. "I know. But it's more than that. I can feel them, even now. They're… waiting. And they made sure I understand… I'm not the one in control here."
Renji muttered, half impressed, half uneasy. "So your sword's already terrifying and alive, while ours are still… silent. Lucky me, I guess."
Seishiro's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. "Lucky… yeah. But for me… this was a lesson. One I won't forget. And they'll make sure I never do."
Captain Unohana's hands pressed lightly to his shoulders, grounding him. "You survived, Seishiro. Your body will heal. Your mind… will follow."
He nodded slowly, closing his eyes for a moment, letting the pain and exhaustion sink into him. "I know. And I think… I'm only just beginning to understand what it means to have them. To be… tested by them."
Renji and Rukia exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the depth of what Seishiro had just endured. The screams, the pain, the sensation of being completely overwhelmed — it was unlike anything they had experienced.
Seishiro let out a long, shaky breath, tracing a finger over the hilt of his Zanpakutō. Even silent, even unseen, even restrained to the inner world… they had left their mark. And he would never forget it.
"Next time," he whispered under his breath, a quiet vow to himself, "I will survive. I will endure. I will not break."
The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of life and the distant murmur of the Fourth Division. For the first time since awakening in the Academy, Seishiro felt a flicker of something else alongside the pain — determination.
________________________________________
Thanks for dropping by and reading by novel and feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts and criticisims on the story,
One Again Thank You