The voices returned.
"...You shouldn't be here."
This time it wasn't a confused whisper, nor something lost in the darkness. It was clear. Feminine. Firm.
Yuji brought his hand to his forehead, his knees weakening for a moment.
"...This again...?"
The world around him seemed to recede, as if the sound of the night were being pushed away. The garden lanterns blurred, and for a brief second he felt as if he were in two places at once.
"This isn't your place!"
The voice didn't sound angry like Sukuna's, nor cruel. It was... severe, like someone reprimanding something out of place.
Yuji clenched his teeth.
"I didn't ask to come here!" he murmured. "If I could, I would have already gone back."
The air grew heavy. A chill ran down his spine, different from cursed energy, different from mana. Something ancient, crushing, like a sky about to fall.
"You carry sins that don't belong to this world."
Yuji clenched his fists.
"Even so…" his voice trembled, but he didn't back down. "...I won't pretend none of this happened."
There was a tense, almost suffocating silence.
Then the voice spoke again, closer, as if it were right behind him.
"If you continue down this path…"
Yuji took a deep breath, trying to stay upright.
I'm used to it by now.
For a moment, he felt as if someone was staring at him from afar. Not with hatred.
The feeling disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
The garden returned to normal. The wind blew again. The weight on his chest lessened.
Yuji stood still, panting, looking at his own hands.
"...Who are you?" he asked the void.
No answer came.
Only the unsettling certainty that, even far from Earth…
he was not beyond the reach of destiny. A silhouette began to form before him.
Tall. Delicate. White hair that seemed to move like mist in the wind. Her presence made the surrounding space lose definition, as if the world were slowly being erased.
"..." Yuji tried to speak, but no sound came out.
He couldn't see her face. Whenever he tried to focus, something distorted his vision, as if the very concept of that face was forbidden to him.
The woman tilted her head slightly.
There was no anger there. No compassion. Only absolute certainty.
"Don't insist..." she said, her voice echoing from all sides at once. "If you stay... you will suffer again."
Yuji's heart tightened.
For a moment, something changed in the air. Her white hair waved more intensely, as if that answer had touched something deep.
"...Then this is your mistake."
The world shattered.
---
Yuji opened his eyes suddenly, gasping for air.
"Hah—!"
The white ceiling came into focus. Simple. Elegant.
The guest bed of the mansion.
His heart was beating too fast, as if he had just escaped something invisible. A shiver ran through his entire body.
"...Again...?"
Before he could get up, low voices came through the door.
"He's awake, dear sister?" Rem whispered.
"Unfortunately, yes, dear sister..." Ram replied, in a bored tone. "People like him are usually difficult to get rid of."
"His face while he sleeps is quite suspicious."
"I agree. He seems like the type who brings trouble wherever he goes."
Yuji blinked a few times, confused.
That conversation... he had heard it before.
The tone. The words. Exactly the same.
A strange weight settled in his chest. "...Huh?"
He sat slowly on the bed, looking around. Everything was the same. Perfectly the same. The position of the chair, the curtain, the light coming through the window.
I have the impression... that this has already happened.
But the idea hadn't fully formed in his mind. Just that uncomfortable, sticky feeling of déjà vu, as if the world had taken a step back without warning.
On the other side of the door, the two continued whispering.
"If he causes trouble, I'll take care of it," said Ram.
Rem agreed, without much conviction.
Yuji brought his hand to his face, taking a deep breath.
"...I swear, if this is some kind of prank..." he murmured.
Without realizing it, he had returned to a previous point.
Yuji ran his hand through his hair, still feeling his heart beating a little faster than normal.
The feeling was strange…
It was like remembering something that never happened. In his mind, this was the second time he had woken up in that mansion, in that room that was too tidy for someone like him. Yet, his body insisted on saying otherwise.
He looked around once more. Nothing out of place. Nothing different.
"...Whatever," he murmured, exhaling slowly.
Yuji had never been good at explaining strange feelings. Since Sukuna, since the curses, he had learned that dwelling on things he couldn't understand only delayed what needed to be done.
If that feeling bothered him again… he would deal with it later.
He got out of bed, stretching his body. He was whole. Strong. As if he hadn't gone through anything more than ordinary tiredness. That, in itself, was already too strange, so he preferred not to think about it.
Yuji scratched the back of his neck, somewhat awkwardly.
"Good morning… I guess?"
Ram looked him up and down.
"I see you're still breathing. What a shame."
"Do you wake everyone up like that?" Yuji replied, already used to it.
Rem sighed.
"Mr. Roswaal asked me to let you know that when you're ready, you should report. And…" she hesitated, "…thank you for not causing trouble while you were sleeping."
"I tried to snore quietly," Yuji joked.
The sisters turned to leave.
Yuji followed them down the hallway, feeling that slight unease again in the back of his mind. As if each step had already been taken before.
But he ignored it.
Unbeknownst to him, that simple thought sealed the beginning of a cycle he couldn't yet see.
Yuji felt that strange sensation return again.
It wasn't fear. Nor total confusion.
It was like walking down a familiar path… even though he was absolutely certain he had never been there before.
Still, events continued, relentless, like gears that couldn't stop.
---
In the mansion's courtyard, Emilia found him.
"Ah… Yuji!" she said, a soft smile spreading across her face as she saw him. "Is that where you were? Are you feeling better now? I saw that Beatrice caused you trouble, didn't she?"
The question echoed strangely within him.
"I'm fine," he replied, after a second longer than usual. "Thanks for worrying."
She seemed relieved.
"I'm glad. Roswaal wants to talk to you. The two of us, actually."
Yuji nodded, following her down the mansion's wide hallway. Each step made his heart clench a little, as if something was out of sync, but he forced himself to ignore it.
"Stop daydreaming, Itadori. You're just tired."
---
The main hall seemed too large to be comfortable.
Roswaal was already waiting for them, leaning on his cane, with that exaggerated smile that made Yuji automatically think: this guy is trouble.
"Oh~ so this is the young hero." he said. "Tell me, boy, what do you intend to do now that you find yourself in strange lands?"
Yuji took a deep breath.
He needed a place. Food. Time.
And, above all… not to be alone.
"I need money, I want to work here," he said bluntly. "Anything." "I'm not demanding."
Ram, standing beside him, let out a weak sneeze.
Roswaal laughed, amused. "Very well~ If Lady Emilia trusts you, then I will trust you too… for now."
Emilia smiled slightly, relieved.
---
Shortly after, Yuji found himself walking through the mansion's corridors beside Ram.
"Pay attention..." she said, walking ahead. "The mansion is large." "If you get lost, don't blame me."
"Funny…" Yuji murmured, looking around. "I have the impression I've seen all this before."
Ram paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder. "Don't say strange things."
She opened a door, revealing one of the rooms.
Yuji felt an inexplicable shiver upon hearing this.
Library…
The name sounded heavy, even without him knowing why.
He scratched his head, forcing a smile.
Ram continued walking.
"Your work starts tomorrow." "Don't cause trouble."
Yuji followed behind her, still with that unsettling feeling hammering in the back of his mind.
Everything was happening…
exactly as it should.
And that was what bothered him most—even without him yet realizing why.
---
Yuji sank a little deeper into the hot bathwater, slowly exhaling.
The steam rose lazily, blurring his vision, while his muscles finally began to relax. Even so, his mind remained far away. Thoughts came and went, persistent déjà vu, that feeling of being trapped in something he didn't yet understand.
"...What a drag." he murmured, staring at the ceiling. "I hate feeling like this."
It was then that he heard footsteps.
Before he could react, the door opened with complete lack of ceremony.
"Oh Yuji-kun~" sounded the familiar voice. "It seems Ram and Rem left this wonderful place, don't you think?~"
Yuji turned His face… and froze.
Roswaal was there.
Naked. Completely.
As if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"..." Yuji blinked a few times, trying to process. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Roswaal tilted his head slightly, dramatically confused.
"Well, this is my bathtub~" he replied, as if explaining something obvious. "Therefore, everything here is my property."
He took a step forward, as if to enter as well.
"And you, being my servant… are also, technically, my property~"
Yuji's brain took exactly two seconds to completely shut down.
"THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!" he shouted, covering his body out of pure reflex, even knowing he was already in the water. "Get out of here!" "Now!"
Roswaal just laughed, finding it all extremely amusing.
"What a prudish young man~ Relax~"
Yuji felt a shiver run down his spine.
It wasn't shame.
It was pure disgust, automatic, almost instinctive.
"Dude…" he looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "You cross some very wrong lines, you know?"
Roswaal shrugged, still smiling.
"Very well, very well~ Don't be so dramatic. I'll leave you alone… for now."
Silence returned to the bathroom.
Yuji stood still for a few seconds, staring at the water.
"...Definitely," he murmured, burying his face in his hands, "that wasn't in the contract."
Even trying to calm down, the bad feeling wouldn't go away.
And, deep down, that strange impression started nagging at his mind again:
I think... this has happened before too.
But he wasn't sure.
And, for now, he preferred to pretend he hadn't noticed.
The water rippled slightly as Roswaal simply entered the bathtub, sitting on the other side as if it were a formal meeting.
Yuji froze again.
"...You really don't understand the concept of personal space, do you?" he grumbled, looking away.
Roswaal rested his elbow on the edge, smiling in his usual theatrical way.
"Oh~ You seemed bothered. I thought I'd keep you company. Baths are great for sincere conversations~"
Yuji let out a long, resigned sigh. Arguing there wouldn't do any good.
"If it's a conversation…" he said, staring at the water. "You asked about the sisters."
Roswaal nodded.
"Are you getting along well with Ram and Rem~?"
"More or less." Yuji scratched the back of his neck. "I hardly talked to Rem. She's… too polite. As for Ram…" he gave a crooked half-smile, "We talk a lot, even though she's always cursing me."
"Ooh~" Roswaal seemed amused. "And that doesn't bother you?"
"It does, of course." Yuji shrugged. "But I'm starting to realize when she's just teasing. It's not pure malice."
He was silent for a few seconds, then frowned.
"What really strikes me as odd… is something else."
Roswaal raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Hmmm~?"
"Ram is treated as if she's… something above everyone else." Yuji spoke carefully. "As if she's too precious. But Rem is the one who really does the hard work. She cooks, sews, cleans, takes care of everything… and yet it seems like nobody notices."
The water rippled as Yuji shifted, visibly bothered.
For a moment, Roswaal's smile lessened. It didn't disappear… but it became thinner.
"Interesting observation~" he said, in a sing-song tone. "You're more perceptive than you seem, Yuji-kun."
"I just find it strange…" Yuji replied directly. "I'm not saying Ram doesn't deserve respect. It just… seems unfair."
Roswaal closed his eyes for a moment, as if savoring the conversation.
"There's a reason for this..." he finally said. "Especially when it involves talent... and loss."
Yuji felt a slight weight on his chest upon hearing that.
"Yeah..." he murmured. "I know this sort of thing well."
Steam rose between them, creating a dense silence.
And, without knowing why, Yuji had the feeling that this conversation...
wasn't the first time either.
Yuji left the bathroom still distracted, running a hand through his wet hair, breathing deeply as if he had finally managed to organize his thoughts.
He took two steps into the hallway.
...
Ram was standing right in front of him, arms crossed, her expression blank for exactly half a second.
Then her gaze dropped.
And stayed.
"..." her eyebrow twitched. "Cover that ugly thing."
Yuji blinked.
Blinked again.
Looked down.
"...AH."
Absolute silence.
In a desperate movement, Yuji tried to turn around, slipped almost imperceptibly on the still-damp floor, and ended up standing there, unsure where to go.
"Hey, hey, calm down!" he said quickly, clearly nervous. "No need to be so offensive!"
Ram closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned her face away with clear aristocratic disgust.
"Besides being rude, it's indecent… who walks around the mansion like that?!"
"It was an accident!" Yuji retorted. "And don't speak ill of my buddy, he didn't do anything!"
The hallway fell silent.
Ram slowly turned her face back to him.
"...You just called that your 'buddy'?"
"I did." Yuji replied too seriously. "He's been through a lot with me."
The vein in Ram's forehead throbbed.
"...You really are pathetic, Yui-ji-kun," she said coldly. "Now grab a towel before I gouge your eyes out for visual pollution."
Yuji finally managed to grab the towel hanging nearby and hurriedly covered himself.
"There! Problem solved!" he said, relieved. "See? Crisis averted."
Ram looked him up and down, now only with disdain.
"Hmph. Still unpleasant… but at least now it's civilized."
She turned around.
As she walked away, Yuji scratched the back of his neck, letting out an awkward laugh.
"...Damn." he muttered to himself. "I almost became a statistic."
And, as he headed back to the room, he had that strange feeling again.
As if…
this scene had already happened before.
Yuji noticed the cut as Ram was walking away.
A long, bright red, superficial scratch on her arm… but too recent to go unnoticed.
"Hey." he called, without thinking much. "Your arm."
Ram stopped.
He looked at his own arm as if he had only just remembered it.
"It's nothing," he replied curtly. "I don't need the help of a reckless servant."
Yuji shrugged.
"Even so, I can heal. It's quick."
She turned her face away, clearly annoyed.
"I don't want to be touched by you."
"Okay, okay..." he said, too simply. "But I'll heal anyway."
"...What?"
Before Ram could completely move away, Yuji gently grasped her wrist. It wasn't rough, nor invasive, firm, like someone who had done it hundreds of times before.
Ram's eyes widened.
"You...!"
Yuji closed his own eyes, took a deep breath, and let the energy flow, the way he always did. The familiar sensation of gentle warmth ran through his hand.
The cut began to close before her eyes, the skin recomposing itself as if the injury were rewinding in time.
Ram remained silent.
The arm was intact.
"..." she pulled her arm back in a quick movement. "Tch."
"See?" Yuji smirked. "I told you it was quick."
He was about to crack a joke… but then the smile vanished.
A sharp pain shot through his arm.
…?!
Yuji brought his hand to his forearm.
There wasn't a cut there.
But he felt it in the same spot.
Not deep, but too clear to be his imagination.
"This…" he murmured, confused. "It wasn't supposed to work like this…"
Ram noticed the change in his tone and, despite herself, looked.
She saw the injury.
"…What did you do?" she asked, more serious than before.
Yuji took a deep breath, trying to understand.
"I healed you," he replied slowly. "But I felt like… I pulled the pain onto myself."
He frowned, staring at his own arm.
"The reversal technique shouldn't do that."
Silence.
Ram stared at the cut on his arm for a few seconds… then looked away.
He stood there, feeling the pain throb slightly, while an uncomfortable sensation grew deep in his chest.
This wasn't just strange.
It was wrong.
Ram narrowed her eyes, staring at Yuji's arm as if trying to disassemble it piece by piece with just her gaze.
"Was that water magic?" she asked coldly, directly.
"No," Yuji replied bluntly. "It's… Reverse Cursed Technique."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Ram immediately grimaced.
"What a horrible name."
"I know," he agreed quickly. "But it's not what it looks like. I didn't curse you or anything like that."
She crossed her arms.
"Cursed energy" doesn't exactly sound comforting."
Yuji scratched the back of his neck, somewhat awkwardly.
"The name is ugly, but the function isn't. Basically… it's energy that goes backward. It heals. It reverses damage. That's all."
Ram was silent for a few seconds, assessing. Finally, she turned her face away with a small "tch".
"Anyway…" she said. "You'll wait in your room."
"Huh? Why?"
She started to walk away down the hallway.
"I'm going to teach you something."
Yuji blinked.
"Teach me what?"
Ram paused for a moment, looked over her shoulder, and replied with a small, unfriendly smile.
"Something you clearly don't know: Reading and writing."
And she walked away, letting the sound of her footsteps echo down the hallway.
Yuji stood still for a few seconds.
"…Should I feel threatened or relieved?" he murmured.
Even so, he obeyed.
As he walked back to his room, that uneasy feeling resurfaced in the back of his mind.
---
It was already night when the mansion became truly silent.
Yuji sat on the edge of the guest room bed, his elbows resting on his knees, staring out the dark window. The wind gently rustled the curtains, and the castle seemed even larger in the silence.
What could she possibly want to teach me…? he thought, somewhat suspiciously.
A few seconds later, the door opened unceremoniously.
Knock.
Ram entered carrying several stacked books in her arms. She threw them all onto the table with a dry thump.
"Sit up straight." she said, pulling out a chair.
Yuji blinked, surprised.
"Books…?"
"Obviously," Ram replied. "Since you can't read or write. That's a problem."
He scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.
"Yes… indeed."
Ram raised an eyebrow. "Still, if you want to work in a noble mansion... You'll have to learn the basics."
She opened one of the books and turned it toward him, showing him symbols and words that Yuji definitely didn't recognize.
"I'll teach you the basics. Reading and writing. At least enough not to embarrass yourself... or die for signing something you shouldn't."
Yuji was silent for a moment.
That... was unexpected.
"...Why are you doing this?" he asked, without looking directly at her.
Ram paused for a moment, her fingers resting on the page.
"Don't misunderstand," she said dryly. "If you're going to stay here, I can't allow you to be a complete dead weight. I need Rem and me to have less to—... I mean, less for me to do."
"Why did you correct the sentence?!"
She shot him a sharp look.
"And also..." she continued, looking away. "It would be annoying to have to explain everything twice."
Yuji chuckled softly.
"Heh… thanks, then."
Ram slammed the book shut.
"Don't thank me yet," he said. "Let's begin.
This here is the basic alphabet of Lugnica."
She pointed to the first symbol.
"Repeat."
Yuji leaned forward, concentrating as if he were about to enter a serious fight.
"...Okay. Let's go."
As he tried to memorize the symbols, something inside him quieted down.
Just... learning.
And, strangely,
it hurt less in his chest than anything else. It was quite comforting, actually.
On the morning of the third day, sunlight streamed softly through the bedroom window, spreading a tranquil warmth that Yuji hadn't yet gotten used to feeling.
He sat at the table, quietly repeating some words Ram had taught him the night before, running his finger over the letters as if he wanted to engrave them on his skin.
"...It's still strange," he murmured. "But I can understand it."
He had really learned a lot in a short time.
The door opened carefully.
Rem entered carrying the red hooded sweatshirt, now completely sewn up. The tears were gone, the stitches were firm and well-done, almost as if it had never been damaged.
"Itadori-san," she said, extending the blouse. "Here it is."
Yuji stood up quickly.
"Ah, thanks a lot!" He took the garment, examining it. "It's perfect. Seriously, thank you for fixing it."
Rem inclined her head slightly.
"It was nothing. But…" she hesitated for a moment. "Rem found something inside her blouse while sewing."
She opened her hand.
There was an amulet stained dark red, held together by a worn thread.
The instant Yuji saw it, his chest tightened.
The world seemed to give a small jolt.
"...Ah."
It wasn't a clear memory. No vivid image came.
It was a certainty.
A deep, heavy déjà vu, as if something he had always known had only now been confirmed.
Yuji carefully picked up the amulet, his fingers trembling slightly.
"This is…" he swallowed hard, "mine."
Rem observed his face attentively.
"Is it something important?"
Yuji closed his hand around the amulet.
He didn't need to think.
He didn't need to search his memory.
Deep down, somewhere that still hurt, he knew.
"It is," he answered softly. "It was…" "Someone very important gave it to me."
Her thumb ran over the stained fabric, almost tenderly.
Choso…
He couldn't remember exactly when he received it.
Before he died?
Or maybe…
before it all ended.
Yuji took a deep breath and forced a weak smile.
"Thank you for keeping this for me, Rem."
She nodded silently, but her blue eyes showed something different from her usual neutrality.
"I'm glad Rem was able to help in some way."
He placed the amulet inside his shirt, against his chest.
His heart still ached.
But, for some reason, it ached a little less.
Before Rem closed the door, Yuji noticed something he had missed until then.
He looked around the room.
"Hey…" he called, almost without thinking, "Now that I've noticed… there are only Emilia and Roswaal's clothes here, right?"
Rem stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned. "The face."
"Yes," he replied casually.
Yuji frowned.
"Well, what about you and Ram?" "Don't you wear any other kind of clothes besides maid's clothes?"
Rem seemed to consider the question for a moment, as if it were a strange question to ask.
"It's not necessary," she said calmly. "Besides… nobody would want to see someone like me wearing other kinds of clothes."
There was a short silence.
Yuji squeezed the amulet under his shirt without realizing it.
"I would," he said simply. "I'm sure you must have at least one day off, a more refreshing outfit wouldn't kill anyone, right?" Yuji said with a smile on his face.
Rem remained motionless.
For a very brief second, her eyes moved, as if something had been forcibly pulled from within her, a minimal, almost imperceptible reaction.
But her face returned to normal soon after.
"...I understand," she replied, without apparent emotion.
She opened the door.
"Have a good day, Itadori-san."
Rem left and closed the door with Careful.
Yuji stood still, staring at the closed door.
"Did I say something stupid…?" he murmured, scratching the back of his neck.
But, on the other side of the door, in the silent hallway of the mansion, Rem took a few steps before stopping.
For a moment, she placed her hand on her chest.
Her heart was beating… a little faster than normal.
She didn't understand why.
After midday, while wandering aimlessly through the mansion, Yuji ended up stopping in front of one of the hallway doors.
"I haven't opened this one yet…" he murmured.
Without thinking much, he turned the doorknob.
In the next instant, the world changed.
The endless hallway disappeared, replaced by an absurdly large space. Giant bookshelves rose as far as the eye could see, packed with old books, some floating lightly in the air. The smell of old paper and magic was so strong you could almost smell it on your tongue.
"…Damn it." escaped Yuji. "That never ceases to amaze me..."
In the center of the library, seated at a small table with her legs dangling, was the blonde-haired girl.
Beatrice.
She leafed through a thick book with a bored expression. The moment Yuji entered, her blue eyes slowly lifted… and narrowed.
"...You again, I suppose."
The atmosphere around her grew heavy, as if the library itself had fallen into a bad mood.
"You entered without permission, indeed," she said, closing the book with a dry thump.
Yuji raised his hands defensively.
"It was unintentional, I swear. These doors here do what they want."
Beatrice stared at him for a few seconds, assessing every detail of him: the scars, the overly relaxed posture, the strange presence he carried.
"Hmph. Your body is still… unpleasant, I suppose," she commented. "The mana flows wrong, and yet you walk around as if nothing's wrong."
"Thanks for the compliment," Yuji replied ironically.
She clicked her tongue.
"It wasn't a compliment," she said, jumping out of her chair. "If you came here to cause trouble, I can kick you out in a second."
Yuji shrugged.
"Relax, brat. I just got lost."
At that same instant, a book flew off the shelf and hit him hard on the forehead.
"DON'T call me that, I suppose!"
Yuji put his hand to his forehead, laughing slightly.
"Okay, okay… sorry."
Beatrice took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Then, she narrowed her eyes again.
"…You feel it, don't you?" she asked suddenly. "This library shouldn't answer you."
Yuji blinked.
"Feel what?"
She moved closer, placing her small hand on his chest without warning.
The instant she touched him, Yuji felt something being pulled from inside him—not pain, but a sudden draining sensation, like the first time, but not as intense.
His legs gave way. "Hey—! You did that again?!"
"Just checking, I suppose," Beatrice replied coldly.
Yuji fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"...I hope this isn't frequent..."
"You exude a strange energy..." she said, without looking away.
The library fell into absolute silence.
Beatrice stared at him for a few more seconds... and then frowned.
"...Strange," she murmured. "You're neither a spirit nor an ordinary human, and yet..."
Yuji forced a tired smile.
"That's something, isn't it?..."
Beatrice turned her face away, clearly annoyed.
"Leave," she said. "Before I change my mind."
Yuji stood up slowly, still a little dizzy. She put her hand to her chest.
Yuji rested his hand on the nearest bookshelf, still feeling his body somewhat empty, as if he had just run for miles. "Hey…" he broke the silence. "Tell me something. Is it common for people to be able to steal energy from others?"
Beatrice, who had already turned her back, stopped mid-study. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if deciding whether it was worth answering.
"No," she said dryly. "Much less in the way you're thinking, I suppose."
She turned around, pointing her small finger at him.
"Only me and big brother can drain mana directly. Not even Roswaal can do it properly, actually."
Yuji swallowed hard.
"Not even him…?"
"Not even him," he confirmed. "The most he does is manipulate and convert. Stealing is another thing."
Yuji let out a low laugh, more nervous than funny.
"So… I almost died, huh?"
Beatrice frowned.
"Hmph. Maybe," she replied. "You were dangerously close to the limit. If I had pulled any further, your body would have simply stopped, I suppose."
Yuji ran a hand through his hair, thoughtfully.
"How wonderful…" he murmured. "Good thing curiosity didn't kill the cat this time."
He looked up, serious for a moment.
"Where I come from, there are people who could handle this kind of thing much better. A friend of mine, for example…" he smiled slightly. "For him it would be easier. With his innate technique active, it becomes literally infinite." He spoke while remembering Hakari and how bizarrely unusual his cursed energy was.
Beatrice's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Infinite…?" she repeated, incredulous. "That doesn't exist, I suppose." "If his mana production were infinite, his body would already be in pieces."
"It exists." Yuji replied without hesitation. "Maybe he's the exception to the rule, but it's impressive."
Beatrice was silent for a few seconds. For the first time, she didn't seem annoyed, she seemed intrigued.
"...You really come from an absurd place, I suppose," she murmured. "Humans shouldn't talk like that so naturally."
She looked away.
"Anyway, learn this: don't come in here again without permission. Next time, I might not stop."
Yuji nodded, no joke this time.
"You can count on it." "I learned quickly."
As he turned to leave, Beatrice spoke once more, almost in a whisper:
"Even so…" she hesitated. "You survived because you're not empty inside."
Yuji paused for a moment, but didn't answer. He simply opened the door.
On the other side, the endless corridor welcomed him again.
And, as he walked away from the library, a heavy certainty formed in his mind:
If Beatrice had pulled a little harder…
he would have died right there.
And that, strangely, didn't scare him as much as it should have.
Yuji returned to his room, his head still full after the conversation with Beatrice. He sat on the bed, spread out the books and papers Ram had left, and took a deep breath.
"Okay… slowly…" he murmured to himself.
He began to write, letter by letter, with exaggerated care. Some words came out crooked, others he needed to erase and rewrite, but, unlike at the beginning, now he could already recognize what he was reading. It wasn't fast, nor beautiful, but it made sense.
That was already a huge advance.
Hours passed without him noticing.
The door opened unceremoniously.
"Hm."
Yuji looked up and saw Ram leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, observing in silence. That in itself was strange. No immediate acidic comment. No sigh of contempt. "Ah…" Yuji scratched the back of his neck. "I wasn't sleeping this time, I swear."
Ram didn't answer. She walked to the table, picked up one of the sheets, and carefully examined it. Her eyes scanned the lines, the mistakes, the corrections.
"...You learned faster than I expected," she finally said.
Yuji blinked, surprised.
"Wait. Was that a compliment?"
Ram glanced sideways.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Yui-j." but her tone was… normal. "You still write like someone who got hit on the head."
"Fair enough." he chuckled softly. "I can't deny it."
She put the sheet back on the table.
"But you're trying," she continued. "Most people would give up or complain. You haven't done either."
Yuji shrugged.
"Thanks…" he said simply. "It kind of becomes a habit."
Ram stared at him for a few seconds longer than usual. There was no disdain there. No mockery. Just analysis.
Yuji smiled, small, sincere.
Ram walked to the window and looked out.
"Keep practicing. Tomorrow we'll advance further," Ram said. "If you make a mistake, I'll correct it. If you insist on the mistake… I'll give up."
"Aggressive but efficient educational method," Yuji replied.
Yuji looked at her for a few seconds… and then returned to his books, a discreet smile on his face.
For the first time since arriving at the mansion, he felt he was truly staying there.
Yuji turned another page of the children's book, his eyes following the words more easily than before. The simple, almost naive illustrations told stories of heroes, monsters, and promises made never to be broken.
He paused for a moment.
"...Funny," he murmured.
Ram, who was sitting nearby, organizing other books, raised an eyebrow.
"What is it now?"
Yuji slowly closed the book.
"These children's stories… remind me of my homeland," he said. "The place I came from."
Ram turned her face to him, attentive.
"I thought you said it was a distant place," she commented.
"Yes. Very distant." Yuji smiled slightly. "There were stories like that there too. Including one very similar to this one."
He lightly tapped the book cover.
"The one about the Red Demon and the Blue Demon."
Ram blinked.
"...I've never heard of it," she said. "What kind of story is it?"
Yuji was silent for a moment, as if organizing his memory.
"From what I remember, it was about two demons," he began. "The Red Demon was strong, loud, kind of an idiot… always running ahead without thinking. Everyone in the human village was afraid of him… The Blue Demon, on the other hand, was the opposite. Calm, intelligent, she did the hard work without complaining. Almost no one noticed him, because the Red Demon drew all the attention."
Ram said nothing. He just listened.
"The Red Demon wanted to be friends with the people in the village but didn't know how, so one day, the Blue Demon had an idea." Yuji lowered his voice slightly. "The Blue Demon said he was going to cause a commotion in the village and the Red Demon would appear to stop him, so everyone in the village would adore him, and sure enough… the Red Demon realized that his friend the Blue Demon had left. Without thinking twice.
He took a deep breath.
"The Red Demon stayed." Even though he could have left, even knowing it would hurt… he didn't go after his friend."
Ram closed the book he was holding with a dry tap.
"And the ending?" he asked.
Yuji smiled melancholically.
"It wasn't a typical happy ending," he said. "Red got what he wanted, but he was never the same again. But he realized that… the most important person was always there." Even when no one else stayed."
Silence fell over the room.
Ram looked away, crossing his arms.
"Hmph," he grumbled. "Children's stories are often exaggerated."
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. "But sometimes they tell truths that adults pretend not to see."
Ram didn't answer immediately.
After a few seconds, he spoke in a lower tone:
"...That Red Demon was an idiot."
Yuji blinked.
"Actually, everyone was... The people from the village and the Blue Demon too."
Yuji asked. "Why?"
"The Red Demon enveloped the Blue Demon in his own desires..." she paused. "It hurts."
Yuji looked at her with a calm smile.
"That's right," he said. "But it also means she was never alone."
Ram remained silent, her eyes fixed on some distant point.
"...Tell another story sometime," she said finally. "If it's short."
And, for the first time, Ram didn't seem bothered to hear about a world she didn't know.
Ram crossed her arms, glancing sideways at Yuji.
"So..." she said, with a slightly provocative air, "if you had to choose, which demon would you befriend?"
Yuji answered without thinking for a second:
"Both."
Ram frowned.
"Hmph..." said Ram. "Trying to stay in the middle usually backfires. You might end up regretting it."
Yuji shrugged calmly.
"Maybe," he replied. "But I don't care. If I like both people, I don't see why I should choose just one."
Ram was silent for a moment, observing his face, as if trying to decide if it was naiveté or stubbornness.
She then changed her tone, as if it were just casual curiosity:
"And of all the stories you've read…" Ram asked, looking directly at him. "Which one did you like the most?"
Yuji slowly closed the book, his eyes still fixed on the pages.
"I read the story of the Dragon," he said. "Now I understand where the name Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica came from. The dragon that made a pact with the king… to protect the kingdom."
Ram's eyes widened slightly, genuinely surprised this time.
"Hmph… so you've reached that part," she commented. "It's not just a story. It's real."
Yuji looked up.
"Real…?"
"The Sacred Dragon exists," Ram continued, in a serious tone. "They say he lives beyond the Great Waterfall. No one knows his true motives, nor what he really wants. But the pact still stands… at least that's what the kingdom believes."
This left Yuji silent for a few seconds.
"Wait…" he frowned. "What exactly is this Great Waterfall?"
Ram looked away for a moment, as if choosing her words.
"It's the end of the known world," she finally said. "A colossal waterfall that surrounds the entire continent. The water falls endlessly, and no one knows what lies beyond it. No ordinary person ever returns from there."
She looked at Yuji again, with that subtle, unfriendly smile.
"That's why the Dragon being 'behind' it says a lot."
Yuji remained silent after the explanation. His eyes wandered to the window, where the sky was beginning to change color, tinged with the orange hues of the late afternoon.
The end of the known world…
If there was a physical limit to that world, then perhaps there was an answer there too. A portal, a rupture, anything that explained how he ended up there or how he could return.
"Behind the Great Waterfall…" he murmured, almost to himself.
Ram was already turning to leave when she stopped at the door.
"Ah," she said, without looking back. "Don't tell Rem that story about the demons."
Yuji blinked, surprised by the sudden request.
"Huh? Why?"
Ram turned her face just enough to look at him sideways. Her smile was thin, laden with something difficult to read.
She left, closing the door with a soft click.
Yuji stood there, alone again.
The book in his hands felt heavier now.
Yuji carefully turned the page.
The title wasn't fully written, as if the book itself was avoiding giving it form. The letters seemed older than the others, crooked, almost… uncomfortable.
The Witch of Envy.
Or rather: the being that could not be named.
A shiver ran down his spine instantly.
"...What the hell is this..." he murmured.
Each line he read made the air in the room seem heavier. The story spoke of an existence that had loved too much, desired too much, and therefore consumed everything around it. A sealed being, feared, hated… but never forgotten. The text avoided describing it directly, using strange turns of phrase, as if looking at it in words was dangerous.
Yuji's heart began to beat faster.
It wasn't just fear.
It was familiarity.
His head throbbed slightly.
"You shouldn't be here."
Yuji closed the book abruptly, breathless.
"No…" he put his hand to his chest. "I've never heard of this before. Never." But his body disagreed. The sensation was the same as that persistent déjà vu, as if something inside him recognized that story even before his mind accepted it.
He looked at his own hand.
For a moment, just a moment, he thought he felt warmth there. As if someone were still holding him.
Yuji swallowed hard and pushed the book away.
"Witch of Envy, huh…" he tried to laugh, unsuccessfully. "What a terribly frightening name."
The room fell silent again.
But, deep in his mind, something seemed… attentive.
As if it had noticed that he, too, was beginning to remember.
A while later, with the sun still high in the sky, Rem appeared at Yuji's bedroom door, already ready to leave.
"Rem is going to the village to do some shopping," she said in the third person, in her usual calm tone.
Yuji looked up from his book and thought for a second.
"Can I go along?"
Rem blinked, surprised. She didn't seem used to receiving this kind of request.
"...If Lord Roswaal allowed Yuji to work here, then accompanying Rem isn't a problem."
"Good," he smiled. "Being stuck in the mansion all day would drive me crazy."
They walked along the dirt path leading to the village. The weather was peaceful, the wind gently rustled the trees, and the distant sounds of people began to appear as they approached.
Yuji walked with his hands behind his head, relaxed, while observing Rem out of the corner of his eye.
She was... serious. Too serious, even.
Straight posture, precise steps, attentive gaze on everything around her. She always seemed on duty, even outside the mansion.
"Do you always talk like that?" Yuji asked suddenly.
"Like what?" Rem turned her face to him.
"In the third person..." he laughed. "It's kind of funny."
Rem was silent for a few seconds.
"Rem believes that this isn't funny."
"See?" Yuji pointed at her, laughing even harder. "Again."
She looked away, slightly confused.
"...Does it bother Yuji?"
"Nah." He shrugged. "Actually, it's kind of cute."
Rem stopped walking for a moment.
"Cute...?"
She seemed to freeze, as if that word wasn't in her vocabulary. After a brief second, she continued walking, a little faster.
Rem simply fulfills her duties as a maid.
Yuji noticed.
She always brought everything to "duty." As if she couldn't exist outside of it.
The village soon revealed itself: wooden stalls, merchants calling out to customers, children running around. Some villagers looked curiously at Yuji; a new face always caught their attention.
Rem began to mentally list what she needed to buy, speaking in a low voice.
Yuji observed everything with genuine interest.
"You come here often, right?"
"Yes. Rem usually comes alone."
"Always alone?" he asked casually. "Doesn't Ram come with you?"
"...Always alone."
Yuji scratched the back of his neck.
---
And so they walked through the village. Yuji quickly became the target of the children; some tugged at his clothes, others circled around, curious.
"Hey, hey, calm down!" Yuji laughed, crouching down. "I'm not some rare Pokémon."
The children giggled, one of them pointing at his pink hair as if it were the most incredible thing in the world. Yuji made faces, pretended to fight them, and in a few minutes had won everyone over.
Rem watched from afar, holding the shopping bags. That scene was… strange to her.
Yuji always had a dangerous look. But the children adored him.
After some time, Rem finished shopping and called the children to move away. Yuji said goodbye to them with an exaggerated wave.
That's when Rem noticed.
Near one of the houses, there was a small dog, with its head partially shaved, probably because of some skin disease. It growled softly, suspiciously.
"What a strange little animal…" Yuji murmured.
Before Rem could react, the dog lunged and bit her hand.
"Ah!" she recoiled, dropping one of the bags.
The dog ran away immediately.
Yuji approached immediately.
"Rem, are you alright?!"
She held her hand, blood trickling between her fingers.
"It's just a small wound," she said, her voice firm. "Rem doesn't need help."
Yuji frowned.
"I can heal that quickly."
"It's not necessary," she replied, looking away. "Rem can handle it."
Yuji was silent for a second, looking at the wound… and then at her.
"You always say that…" he said, more quietly. "You helped me… I'd like to help you too."
Rem didn't answer.
The atmosphere was awkward for a few moments, until Yuji sighed.
"Okay. If you say so… I respect that…"
They gathered their groceries and made their way back to the mansion. But Yuji couldn't get that scene out of his head.
Rem, even though she said everything was fine, kept her injured hand hidden against her body, as if it were something she simply didn't have the right to feel.
As they left the village and walked along the dirt road, Rem cast one last glance back. Some children were still waving at Yuji, laughing and whispering amongst themselves.
"You seem… popular with children," she commented neutrally.
Yuji scratched the back of his neck, somewhat awkwardly.
"Ah, I've always gotten along well with them. Children don't complicate things, you know? If you treat them right, they reciprocate."
Rem glanced at him sideways.
"Precisely for that reason," she said. "You're an easy target."
"Hey!" Yuji feigned indignation. "That sounded kind of mean."
She didn't respond immediately. They continued walking for a few steps, until Yuji laughed to himself.
"Now that I think about it… I'd like to see how Ram would handle this. I bet the kids would run away in five seconds."
Rem stopped walking.
"Don't talk about Ram like that," she said seriously.
Yuji blinked, surprised.
"Huh?"
"Ram is amazing," Rem continued, confidently. "She's strong, intelligent, and special. The kids just wouldn't realize it right away."
Yuji observed her determined manner, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
"I see… you really admire her, don't you?"
Rem started walking again, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Of course." "Rem exists to support Ram."
Yuji was silent for a few seconds… and then thought that, in that way, maybe no one had ever told Rem that she was also amazing.
But he kept that to himself for now.
Rem slowed her pace slightly, walking beside him.
"How are… your studies going?" she asked, without looking directly at him.
Yuji smiled slightly.
"They're going well. Ram teaches very well. She's a bit harsh with the swearing, but she explains everything perfectly."
Rem gave a small nod, satisfied.
"That's obvious." "Ram is excellent at everything she does."
Yuji chuckled softly, but didn't retort. Instead, he remained thoughtful for a few moments as he observed the path ahead.
He found it… admirable. The bond Rem had with her sister was strong, almost absolute. It wasn't just affection or respect, it was devotion. Perhaps even too much. Still, there was something beautiful in that unwavering loyalty, as if the whole world could crumble and Rem would still be there, steadfast, supporting Ram without hesitation.
"You two are very close, aren't you?" he commented, in a calmer tone.
Rem gripped the bag tighter.
"We always have been. Always have been."
There was something in her voice. Not pride… but need.
Yuji realized this. And, for the first time since arriving in that world, he felt that this mansion hid much more than just long corridors and strange doors.
Yuji scratched the back of his neck, somewhat awkwardly.
"Yeah… my brother was exactly like that with me." He always stood in front of me, as if to protect me from everything. He called me something like 'Demon God' or 'War God'. "I never took it very seriously."
Rem's eyes widened slightly.
"What an impressive name…" she said, genuinely surprised.
Rem stopped walking for a few seconds. Yuji turned to her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Rem stared at him.
"If he called you that…
then he probably admired you a lot."
She said this with a sincere, gentle smile, one of those that had no ulterior motives.
And that's when Yuji froze for a moment.
That smile… it was the same. Exactly like in the dream he had when he arrived in that world. The same strange warmth in his chest, the same feeling of something too familiar to be a coincidence.
Before he could think better, the words escaped him.
"You… You should smile more."
Rem stopped walking.
She blinked a few times, clearly caught off guard.
"Rem is going to tell Miss Emilia about this…" she replied, looking away, but without seeming to. Annoyed.
The smile didn't disappear. On the contrary, it became even softer.
"Oh, come on!" "A compliment never hurt anyone!"
Yuji felt his heart clench slightly, without knowing exactly why. He only knew that that scene, the dirt road, the sunset, Rem by his side smiling like that, seemed important.
As if he had already lived it before.
And, once again, the uncomfortable feeling whispered in the back of his mind:
This wasn't the first time.
---
On the fourth day, Yuji woke up different from the others.
His body felt light, without pain, without that strange feeling of exhaustion, as if everything was finally in its place. 100% healed. He stretched, satisfied, and left the room with a rare cheerfulness.
But the atmosphere in the mansion was… strange.
Right in the hallway, he saw Emilia.
She was standing there, her hands clasped in front of her body, her gaze distant and worried. It wasn't the kind of expression she usually had. That made Yuji frown. "Hey, Emilia… did something happen?"
She seemed to hear, but didn't answer.
"Emilia?"
She finally looked up at him, and there was something there that tightened Yuji's chest—anxiety, maybe even fear. Without saying a word, Emilia took a step forward and gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.
"Hey, wait—"
Before she could finish, she was already walking, pulling him through the mansion's corridors.
Yuji didn't resist. He just followed, feeling that uneasy sensation in the back of his mind growing again. Each step felt heavy, even with his body in perfect condition.
They stopped in front of a specific door.
The door to the room where Rem slept.
Emilia slowly let go of his hand and stared at the light wood, breathing deeply, as if preparing for something.
Yuji swallowed hard.
And then, they reached the door.
The The sound came even before Yuji understood the scene.
A stifled… broken… cry from Ram.
As soon as the door opened completely, the air in the room seemed heavy. Rem lay on the bed, too still. Too pale. The white sheet contrasted cruelly with her skin, and that made Yuji's stomach churn.
Roswaal leaned against the window, serious as rarely seen, his usual smile completely absent. Beatrice remained close to the bed, clutching her book tightly, her eyes downcast, and that, in itself, was already too wrong.
Yuji didn't understand.
"Wh… what happened…?"
No one answered.
Ram was beside the bed, bent over, her shoulders trembling as she tried to hold back tears, failing miserably. Seeing that was enough for Yuji to take a few steps forward without thinking.
"Hey, Ram… can I—"
He approached the bed and reached out his hand, instinctively wanting to touch Rem, check her condition, heal her.
The slap came quickly.
Dry. Strong.
"—DON'T TOUCH HER!"
Ram's hand trembled in the air after the blow, her eyes red, full of hatred and pain.
"Don't touch her with those filthy fingers…" her voice faltered at the end, breaking into a sob, "...not with those hands."
Yuji stood still, his hand still half-raised, his face in shock.
"Ram… I…"
"NO!" she screamed, turning her face away, tears falling uncontrollably. "You don't know anything! Nothing!"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Beatrice clutched the book to her chest, her teeth clenched, as if holding back from saying something. Roswaal looked away from Yuji, finally speaking, his voice lower than usual:
"It's too late, my dear guest…"
That made Yuji's heart plummet.
"...too late for what?"
No one answered immediately.
Yuji looked at Rem again.
And then he realized.
There was no visible breathing.
There wasn't that slight movement in her chest that he was sure he'd seen before.
A chilling sensation ran down his spine.
"No..."
He murmured, almost in denial, "This... this isn't right. I've been here. I've seen this before..."
His head began to ache.
The voices returned, closer, clearer than ever.
You shouldn't be here.
Again.
Again you failed.
Yuji put his hand to his forehead, his knees almost giving way, while Ram collapsed beside the bed, holding her sister's cold hand.
And, for the first time since arriving in that world, Yuji was absolutely certain of one thing:
Something very wrong had happened.
Roswaal was the first to break the heavy silence of the room.
"She died during the night…" she said, her voice strangely neutral, "...from extreme weakness. Her body simply couldn't take it."
The words hit Yuji like a punch to the chest.
"That doesn't make sense…" he replied immediately, his voice firm, almost irritated. "I was with her yesterday afternoon. We went to the village. Rem was fine. She walked, talked, went shopping… she didn't seem weak."
Ram gripped the sheets tightly, her fingers white, but said nothing. She just trembled.
Emilia stepped forward, her face contorted with guilt and confusion.
"Yuji…" she spoke carefully, "Did you notice anything strange? Anything… tiredness, pain, different behavior?"
He shook his head slowly.
"No. Nothing." He closed his eyes for a moment. "She even smiled. She spoke to me normally… This doesn't make sense…"
Beatrice finally looked up, her blue eyes narrowed, serious.
"Indeed, I suppose so. Her condition doesn't suggest a natural death, at all."
Roswaal let out a slight sigh.
"Still, the symptoms point to total mana exhaustion. As if something had… drained it all."
Yuji's heart raced.
Drained?
The word echoed in his mind.
The conversation with Beatrice in the library. The feeling of almost dying when his mana was sucked away. The blood amulet sewn onto his shirt. The strange pain he felt when healing Ram's arm, as if the injury had been transferred to him.
The pieces didn't fit… but something was very wrong.
"…this wasn't just any illness." Yuji said softly, but with conviction. "Someone… or something did this to her."
Ram suddenly raised her face, her eyes filled with fury.
"And you think you know anything now?!" she snarled.
Yuji stared at her, without flinching.
"I think this death shouldn't have happened."
Deep in his mind, that female voice whispered again, closer, almost satisfied:
Again.
Yuji lowered his gaze to his own left hand.
Two fingers were missing.
Old scars crisscrossed his skin like marks of something that never truly healed.
"...yeah," he murmured. "They're disgusting, really."
Ram frowned, confused, still with tears welling in her eyes.
Yuji slowly raised his hand, without approaching.
"But maybe... just maybe... I can try something. I promise nothing. I don't even know if it will work." He took a deep breath. "I'll only do it if you allow it."
For a moment, the hatred was still there in her eyes.
But then... she gave in.
Anger dissolved into exhaustion.
The pride that always sustained Ram broke, even if only for a second.
She pressed her lips together, her shoulders trembling.
"Help Ram..."
She wanted help.
"Save Rem!..."
Ram closed her eyes.
And nodded.
Yuji took a deep breath before acting.
"I'll try using reverse cursed technique..." he said in a low voice. "...but not just to heal the body."
He hesitated a little, choosing his words carefully. "I have something called 'soul touch'. If the body and soul are still connected, even weakly... it's possible to pull life back. It's like realigning the two."
Beatrice's eyes widened slightly.
Roswaal smiled, too interested for the situation, but held back any questions.
Yuji approached the bed.
Carefully, he held Rem's cold hand.
The instant of contact, something was wrong.
He felt it.
"That's what I thought…there's a curse here."
The dark energy was concentrated exactly on the hand where she had been bitten by the dog in the village. It wasn't strong at first glance, but it was persistent… parasitic.
Yuji clenched his teeth.
"So that's what it was… I should have healed her then."
He closed his eyes, concentrated, and the cursed energy began to reverse within him, flowing hot and heavy through his palm.
He began to heal.
The moment the energy began to flow, something ripped through Yuji's mind.
It wasn't an ordinary vision.
It was memories… Memories of a life he didn't live.
Broken scenes, superimposed, like a cracked mirror.
Children from the village.
Laughter.
Then… silence. He remembered searching for them.
Finding them fallen in the forest, their small bodies marked by a curse identical to the one now clinging to Rem's hand.
He remembered trying to heal them.
Kneeling on the ground, desperate, using reverse cursed energy one after another, forcing his own body beyond its limit.
He remembered the pain, not physical, but something crushing his existence from within.
And then…
A death too quick.
A mistake.
An ending that shouldn't exist.
Yuji felt a shiver run down his spine.
"...ah..." he thought, without opening his eyes. "So that's how it was." Yuji thought.
It was as if he had lived it. But at the same time, he hadn't.
A failed loop.
A discarded future.
A path that ended before it solidified.
His heart raced, but his hands didn't tremble. On the contrary.
The energy adjusted itself, as if it now knew exactly where not to go wrong.
The curse reacted, trying to cling deeper into Rem's soul, just as it had done with the children in that memory that never happened.
Yuji felt the resistance.
And he also felt something new.
An invisible pressure…
As if the world were watching to see if, this time, he would die again.
"Not this time…" he thought.
The reverse cursed energy intensified, now mixed with the touch of the soul, advancing with surgical precision against the root of the curse.
Even in silence, even without saying anything to anyone in the room, Yuji was sure of one thing:
He had already failed here once.
And he wouldn't fail again.
Yuji took a deep breath, keeping his hand firmly on Rem's.
"I… managed to hold her soul." "Now all that's left is the body," he said in a low voice, more serious than usual.
The instant he tried to reverse it, something went wrong.
A brutal chill ran through his body, starting in his arm and spreading like liquid ice through his veins. His teeth chattered involuntarily. The sensation wasn't ordinary pain; it was absolute weakness, as if every cell were giving up on functioning.
It was like a violent flu.
No… worse.
It was exactly what Rem had felt.
Yuji gasped, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Gh…" he forced a breath. "So… that was it…?"
His legs almost gave way, but he didn't let go of her hand.
His body was mimicking Rem's state, absorbing the condition that killed her. The curse, even though ripped from her soul, left a cruel "echo" in her body, and now that echo was being reflected in him.
Emilia brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Y-Yuji…! Stop!" she stepped forward, clearly terrified. "Your body… you're trembling!"
Beatrice frowned, realizing what was happening.
"He's pulling the physical burden onto himself, in fact… that's insane, I suppose."
Roswaal wasn't smiling. For the first time, he seemed genuinely tense.
Ram noticed before anyone else.
The way Yuji clenched his teeth. The way he accepted that pain without complaining.
"…idiot," she murmured, her voice faltering. "You're feeling everything she felt, aren't you?"
Yuji offered a crooked half-smile, even while trembling.
"Yeah…" he replied with difficulty. "But that means… she doesn't have to feel anymore."
The cold intensified. His vision blurred for a second, but he forced the reverse cursed techinique to continue, pushing against his own body, stabilizing himself at the limit.
Emilia clutched her chest, almost crying.
"Please… don't die…" she whispered.
Yuji heard.
And, even with his body screaming to stop, he thought only one thing: "If I've already died here once… then I can endure a little longer."
The energy continued to flow.
Now, not only healing, but transferring destiny.
Yuji frowned, his mind working even as his body trembled.
This doesn't make sense…
He was immune to curses. He always had been. Ordinary cursed energy simply didn't attach to him, it drained away like water. So why was that pain there? Why did that weight seem so… inevitable?
That's when he realized.
That wasn't just cursed energy.
Something different intertwined with the reverse cursed technique, a deeper, silent, almost inevitable force. It didn't attack the body directly. It wasn't poison, nor an ordinary spell.
It was destiny. Yuji's eyes widened slightly.
"...ah." he murmured, almost laughing humorlessly. "I understand now."
He wasn't supposed to feel any pain.
But he wasn't being attacked.
He was switching places.
The reversal wasn't just healing Rem; the reversed cursed technique was pulling towards Yuji everything that should have killed her. The weakness, the collapse, the end that was already "decided." As if the world were accepting the cure... as long as someone paid the price in an equivalent way.
And Yuji, without realizing it, offered himself as a substitute.
"That's why I died... I wasn't necessarily killed by the curse. I was killed because I traded my life for another... Feeling what she felt, figuratively and literally..." Yuji thought.
The cold ceased to be merely physical. It became something heavier, more absolute. His heart beat slower once more.
Ram felt it first.
It wasn't magic.
It was instinct.
"Yuji…" she whispered, her body rigid. "What are you doing…?"
He turned his face slightly, his smile tired but calm.
"R-Ram… You and your sister… You're incredible people… And I don't want to see someone I care about… suffer!"
Yuji's voice came out weak, faltering between breaths. The cold had already consumed almost everything, but he still forced his eyes open.
He looked at Ram.
"Ram…" his voice trembled, but not his will. "A brother's love… is impossible to break."
The words weren't just consolation.
They were a law.
The reversed cursed technique finally dissipated, like a flame that goes out after fulfilling its purpose. The air in the room became heavy, too silent.
At that same instant, Yuji's body lost its strength. "Yuji—!"
He fell forward.
Emilia caught him before he hit the ground, her arms trembling as she pulled him against her chest. The impact was light, but the despair was not. Tears began to fall without her being able to stop them.
"No… no… please…" her voice broke completely. "You can't do this… you can't just leave…"
Yuji's body was cold. Heavy. Inert.
Ram's eyes widened.
"…Rem?"
She turned abruptly.
Rem was breathing.
Weak, but real. Her chest rose and fell, and the color had returned to her face as if it had never left. Destiny had been forcibly ripped from her.
Ram fell to her knees beside the bed, her hands trembling as she held Rem's.
"Rem… Rem…" her voice came out in sobs. "Idiot… you came back… you really came back…"
But the relief lasted only a second.
When Ram looked again at Yuji, in Emilia's arms, something inside her broke.
"Hey…" Ram stood up too quickly, going to him. "Get up. This isn't funny at all."
She gripped his clothes tightly.
"You said you were going to help. You didn't say you were going to die in her place!"
No answer.
Roswaal closed his eyes, serious for the first time.
Beatrice turned her face away, her fists clenched, biting her lip hard.
Emilia rested her forehead against Yuji's, now openly crying.
"You're so cruel…" Beatrice whispered. "You saved her… and left everyone here…"
Yuji stared at the ceiling.
White. Silent. Too familiar.
Air entered his lungs without any difficulty, and that, in itself, was already wrong. His body didn't ache. There was no cold. There wasn't that feeling of something being ripped from inside him.
"...Huh?"
He put his hand to his chest. His heart was beating strong. Alive.
Yuji blinked a few times, as if the world were about to crumble at any moment. Slowly, he sat up in bed and looked around.
The room.
The same room.
The same faint smell of wood, the same discreet creaking of the floorboards when he moved. Then his eyes went to the window.
The sunlight.
Morning.
Yuji felt a shiver run down his spine.
"No..." he murmured. "This doesn't make sense..."
The memory came like a dry blow.
And then... nothing.
Yuji ran a hand over his face, laughing softly, without any humor.
"Ah... I understand..."
He didn't know why he had been cursed like that. He didn't know who, or how. But one thing was clear: that was not mercy.
It was punishment.
"Going back in time to save someone…" he sighed. "What a petty world."
But then he stopped.
That wasn't new either.
Yuji closed his eyes, and other memories surfaced, older, heavier.
Sukuna. He had already ripped out his heart once…
Then, Yuta. He pretended to be his executioner, killed him, and then revived him. The serious look. The silent apology. The blade piercing his chest at a moment that needed to happen…
He had died once.
More than once.
Yuji opened his eyes again and stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah…" he said softly. "I've been through worse."
But something was different this time.
It wasn't just death.
It wasn't just a return.
It was as if the world had marked him.
As if someone or something had said:
"Since you like carrying the fate of others so much… then carry this too." Yuji got out of bed.
His body was whole. No new wounds. No new scars. Only the old ones remained.
But deep in his chest, there was a strange feeling. An invisible weight. As if a thread were tied to the future… and pulling.
"Four days ago…" he murmured. "So there's still time to change."
He clenched his fist, his gaze now serious, unlike the boy who had woken up wounded in that castle.
"But this time…" he said, with a dangerous calm.
"I'm not going to die in anyone's place."
End of Chapter 4