Beyond the heavens, diamond-bright snowflakes drifted from the sky.
Yuu Kamado stretched out his palm and caught one fragile flake; the heat of his body melted it in an instant, leaving only a chill.
"The memories of my past life are surfacing. When I count carefully, I've already lived in this world sixteen years. "
"I still remember the planet I was reborn from— birds that soared above the clouds, aircraft carriers that prowled the seas. With something called 'technology, ' people could reach the heavens or plumb the earth's depths. "
"But this place feels like Japan from an earlier century. Progress is uneven; most regions totter like infants learning to walk, and life is bitter. "
"Only… where, exactly, have I landed? "
Yuu sighed. In those sixteen years he had asked everyone he met, yet learned nothing. The eastern nation he once knew had left no trace.
The customs here resembled the Japan printed in his memories, yet countless details felt off.
Hair and eye color, for instance—people bore every hue imaginable, all natural. Yuu himself had crimson hair and eyes the color of fresh blood.
At first he'd thought he'd merely slipped through time. Now he knew he'd fallen through space itself; the world he knew no longer existed.
"Big brother Yuu, what are you thinking about? "
A gentle, clear voice—like a winter campfire that could warm a person's heart—sounded beside him.
He turned. There stood a boy with deep-red hair and matching eyes, a faint scar on his forehead and a dangling earring at his left ear—his younger brother, Tanjiro Kamado. In Yuu's own right ear hung an identical charm, a family heirloom their father, Tanjuro Kamado, had given each of them.
Yuu and Tanjiro looked eight-tenths alike, though Tanjiro's face and eyes were rounder, almost adorable, while Yuu stood a head taller, cheeks leaner, gaze sharp as a blade whenever he grew serious.
In this world his name was Yuu Kamado, yet the old one still flickered through his mind.
In that previous life he had been Lin Chi, but the name had already begun to fade.
The past was wind. Now he was Yuu Kamado.
"It's you, Tanjiro. I was thinking—this winter's so cold we should sell more charcoal, enough to buy you and the little ones new clothes. "
The Kamado family lived high on the mountain. Their father, frail since birth, had died young. Now the household held their mother, Kie; three younger brothers, Takeo, Shigeru, and Rokuta; and two sisters, Nezuko and Hanako.
As eldest son, Yuu had shouldered the family burden early. He'd taken up his father's trade, selling charcoal to survive, and Tanjiro—sensible beyond his years—had begun accompanying him down the mountain several seasons ago.
Tanjiro smiled. "You're always so kind, big brother. But don't come today—let me go alone. "
"You've looked exhausted lately. Don't push yourself. I can manage. "
This kid really isn't ordinary.
Recently Yuu had been haunted by a nightmare he could never quite recall—only the ache, the pain, the endless despair and rage. Even while awake a nameless dread clung to him, souring his mood, though he'd hidden it from everyone.
Good news only—that was his rule. He didn't want them worried.
Yet Tanjiro had seen straight through him. Not surprising; the boy constantly amazed him.
"How did you know? "
Tanjiro scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "I smelled it. You're giving off the scent of unease. I figured you must be tired. "
He could scent my anxiety? Tanjiro's nose had always been uncanny, sharper than any hound's. He claimed every shift of emotion carried its own distinct odor—easy for him to read.
Easy for him, maybe. To Yuu it felt almost inhuman.
He ruffled Tanjiro's hair.
"You're right—I'm just a little worn out. I'll leave it to you this time. "
He had no intention of describing the dream, and Tanjiro, for all his gentle appearance, possessed a stubborn core. To spare him worry—and because his own body did feel off—Yuu let his brother go alone.
When Yuu had been sick before, Tanjiro had made the trip solo without mishap. He was quick, clever, and sure-footed; Yuu trusted him.
Hoisting a bamboo basket filled with charcoal, Tanjiro balanced dozens of pounds on his small frame and started down the slope.
People in this world might live harshly, but their bodies were resilient.
"Tanjiro, be careful! We'll wait right here for you! "
"Come back safe, big brother! "
The younger children waved while their mother called out her own farewell.
Yuu stepped forward, patting each small head.
"Nezuko, Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta—don't worry. Tanjiro's amazing. "
At that, Tanjiro's face flushed.
"Yuu's the amazing one. Don't fret—I'll be back soon. Go inside; the wind's cold. You'll catch a chill. "
With that he descended, leaving a line of footprints that the falling snow slowly erased.
Nezuko and the little ones hurried indoors; small and frail, they couldn't risk the winter air. Their mother, coughing softly, remained outside, gaze fixed on Tanjiro's vanishing back.
Yuu took her arm. "Mother, let's go in. Tanjiro's made this trip plenty of times. He'll be fine. "
Kie smiled gently. "You and Tanjiro are both so mature—hardly children at all. I shouldn't worry… yet what mother can stop herself? I'm sorry you've had such a hard life with me. "
In his previous existence Yuu had been utterly alone, hardened by a world that had slammed every door and window and set a rabid dog on him for good measure. He'd fought the beast with bloodied hands and forced his way through.
Those memories of pain still gnawed at him; he feared waking one day to find everything gone.
But in this life, Mother Kie, departed Father Tanjuro, and these bright little siblings had wrapped him in warmth he never wanted to lose. He clung to it, desperate to preserve every moment.
He guided Kie toward their small wooden house, steadfast against the wind and snow.
"Being your son is the happiest thing I've ever known. "
"You always know just what to say. "
"Only to you, Mother. "
A few light words saw her safely inside. As he crossed the threshold, Yuu glanced back toward the mountain path.
"Come home safe, Tanjiro. "
For reasons he couldn't name, the moment Tanjiro disappeared from view, the premonition of disaster swelling in Yuu's chest grew heavier than ever.