Shinichi slowly opened his eyes.
What came into view was not the dark and oppressive Infinity Castle, but a patch of warm, gentle sunlight.
He was seated upright in a spacious, brightly lit sitting room, dressed in a neat blue-green hunting robe.
The fabric was soft, carrying a faint scent of soapberry, and even the tatami beneath him gave off the light, fresh smell of straw.
He blinked somewhat blankly, then lowered his gaze to the low tea table before him. On it sat a round teapot, steam curling softly from its spout.
The fragrance of wisteria flower tea filled the air, clear and soothing.
"This place… is?" Shinichi murmured softly.
Suddenly, he felt as though his mind were in complete chaos. He tried hard to recall something, only to find that his memories were as blurred as if shrouded in fog.
"What was I thinking about just now? Infinity Castle? Me, Infinity Castle, battle?"
At that moment, a burst of silver-bell laughter came from outside in the courtyard.
Shinichi lifted his head, his gaze passing through the open wooden doors of the sitting room and falling into the courtyard.
Under the sunlight, two children were playing with a black Shiba Inu.
The boy looked about five or six years old, with short black hair and a pair of bright violet eyes sparkling with light.
He grinned, revealing two little canine teeth.
The girl was slightly younger, with the same black hair tied into two small braids that bounced as she ran.
Her violet eyes curved into crescents, adorable beyond words.
As for the black Shiba Inu, it was round and plump, running all over the yard while being chased by the two children.
Every now and then it would turn back and bark twice, its tail wagging like a windmill.
"Renji! Rina! Don't run so fast—you might fall! And stop hiding Maru-ni's food bowl all the time. Mommy will get angry."
A gentle female voice sounded.
Shinichi looked toward the voice, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
There stood Shinobu Kocho, wearing a simple, elegant purple kimono, tied at the waist with a pale pink sash.
Her black hair, tinged with a hint of purple, was loosely pinned up behind her head.
Carrying a tray of delicate sweets, she walked over from the direction of the kitchen.
On her face was a smile Shinichi had never seen before—a tender smile belonging to a wife, to a mother.
"Mommy! Mommy!" The little girl spotted Shinobu and immediately abandoned the Shiba Inu and her brother, running into the sitting room on her short little legs.
"Rina wants cake!"
"Rina, you little glutton!" The little boy ran in after her.
Though he sounded like he was criticizing his sister, his eyes were fixed the whole time on the plate of sweets.
"I want some too!"
Shinobu crouched down, placed the sweets on the tea table, and gently tapped both children on the noses.
"Go wash your hands first. Whoever doesn't wash their hands doesn't get any, okay?"
"Okaaay~" the two children answered in unison, then dashed off toward the water jar in one corner of the courtyard.
Shinobu stood up, turned to look at Shinichi, and tenderness filled her violet eyes.
"Shinichi, you're up early today."
She walked over to him, sat down across from him, and picked up the teapot to pour him a cup of steaming wisteria tea.
"Did you have a nightmare? You don't look too well."
Shinichi looked at her, his throat suddenly dry.
In his mind, all kinds of vague yet vivid memories were tangled together like a knotted mass—demons, the Demon Slayer Corps, the Hashira, Nichirin blades, Infinity Castle…
"Shinobu…" Shinichi began, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse. "I…"
"What's wrong?" Shinobu tilted her head slightly, a trace of worry flashing through her violet eyes.
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
At that moment, the two little ones came running back after washing their hands and threw themselves onto Shinichi from either side.
"Daddy!" The little girl hugged one of Shinichi's arms, tilting up her little face, her violet eyes full of dependence.
"Rina wants to go look at flowers by the river today. Will Daddy take Rina there?"
"No!" The little boy, unwilling to lose, immediately hugged Shinichi's other arm. "Daddy promised he'd teach me to recognize medicinal herbs today!"
Shinichi's whole body stiffened.
'Daddy?'
These two children… were calling him Daddy?
He looked down at them—at their black hair, their violet eyes, the innocent smiles on their faces.
These were his children.
His and Shinobu's children.
That realization struck his mind like lightning. Immediately afterward, even more memories came rushing in like a tide.
His name was Moriki Shinichi, and he was an apothecary.
His parents had died when he was young, and he had been taken in by the elders of the Kocho family, growing up alongside Shinobu Kocho as childhood sweethearts.
When they became adults, he and Shinobu married and inherited the Kocho family's medicine shop.
He worked diligently making remedies and saving lives, while Shinobu stayed at home caring for the family, occasionally helping him process medicinal herbs as well.
After many years of marriage, they had the fruits of their love: a son and a daughter.
Their son was named Moriki Renji, their daughter Moriki Rina, and they also had a black Shiba Inu named Maru-ni.
A family of five, living a peaceful and happy life.
No demons. No Demon Slayer Corps. No Nichirin blades. None of that bloodshed and death.
All of that must have been some strange, absurd dream.
Shinichi's hand trembled slightly. He picked up the cup of wisteria tea before him, intending to take a sip to calm himself.
Through the rising steam, he saw his own fingers.
They were a pair of clean, slender hands carrying a faint medicinal scent, with no calluses worn by gripping a sword, and no scars left by battle.
These hands had never held a blade.
"Daddy?" The little girl tugged at his arm. "Daddy, why aren't you saying anything? Was Rina naughty and made Daddy angry?"
"No." Shinichi set down the teacup and reached out to pat the little girl's head.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly into a gentle smile. "Daddy was just… thinking about something."
He looked toward Shinobu.
Shinobu was smiling at them, her eyes full of happiness.
"Shinobu," Shinichi said.
"Mhm?"
"I… had a very frightening dream." Shinichi's voice was very soft. "In the dream, there were man-eating demons, and swordsmen wielding blades to kill demons, and many, many more…"
Shinobu's smile remained unchanged, though an almost imperceptible ripple passed through her eyes.
"Is that so? Don't worry—dreams are the opposite of reality. Here, you have me, Renji, Rina, and Maru-ni… We'll always be together, won't we?"
Shinichi looked at her, smiled, and nodded.
"Yes. We'll always be together."
He picked up the teacup again and brought it once more toward his lips.
The fragrance of wisteria lingered at the tip of his nose. The warm tea was just about to enter his mouth.
But at that moment—
Shinichi's fingers trembled, almost imperceptibly.
The tea in the cup rippled softly.
Shinichi's gaze fell on his trembling fingers.
Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind: a blood-soaked hand, gripping tightly a Nichirin blade glowing with blue-green light.
He froze.
"Shinichi?" Shinobu's voice sounded beside him. "What's wrong? Why is your hand shaking?"
Shinichi raised his head and looked at the gentle, beautiful woman before him—looked at her violet eyes, looked at the concern on her face.
"It's nothing." Shinichi smiled faintly and gently set the teacup back on the table. "Maybe I just didn't sleep well last night."
He reached out and took Shinobu's hand into his own.
"Shinobu," Shinichi said softly, "I just feel that, being able to be with you like this right now… I'm truly happy."
A faint blush rose to Shinobu's face, and she said with mock reproach, "Honestly, saying things like that in front of the children…"
"Daddy and Mommy, so embarrassing!" The little boy covered his eyes, but peeked through his fingers.
"Embarrassing!" the little girl chimed in as well.
Shinichi smiled—a smile warm and effortless.
He released Shinobu's hand and lifted the two children up, one on each side.
"Come on. Daddy will take you to the river to see the flowers first, and then I'll teach you to recognize medicinal herbs."
"Yay! Daddy's the best!" the two children cheered.
Shinobu stood up and watched the backs of her husband and children, the corners of her lips rising slightly.
Then she followed after them.
In the sitting room, the fragrance of wisteria tea gradually faded away.
The sunlight remained warm.
The Shiba Inu lay beneath the eaves, squinting lazily, its tail swishing lightly once.
Everything was so beautiful.
Only, the cup of wisteria tea that Shinichi had first picked up remained untouched the entire time.