Immortal Mythos: Bound by Void

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Yuki's eyes fluttered open slowly.

Light filtered through the paper walls of the shrine. He blinked, trying to sit up—but his body refused. A dull ache rippled through his limbs, as if the void had wrung out every ounce of energy he had.

He exhaled shakily.

"Where...?"

"You're safe," a familiar voice said.

Ren stood in the doorway, arms folded. His usually sharp gaze was softened, just slightly.

"You pushed too far. Again."

Yuki looked down at his hands. The void energy—what once felt like a storm—was now a quiet hum beneath his skin.

"It's different now," he said. "I don't feel like I'm drowning."

Ren nodded. "You broke through the first threshold. But it came at a cost."

Yuki's breath hitched. "Aiko?"

"She's fine," Ren reassured, though his voice held weight. "But she saw something. Something that concerns us all."

Yuki sat upright slowly. "The red eyes… I saw them too. Just for a second. But they felt… old."

Ren didn't answer right away.

"You're not the only one searching for answers," he finally said, glancing out the window. "Himari's already moving."

---

Somewhere deeper in the forest…

Himari walked alone.

The trees whispered around her, sensing the energy she carried. Her steps were deliberate, her aura faint but precise. She wasn't tracking a person. She was following a feeling—a fracture left behind by the void.

She stopped at an old torii gate, half-buried in vines. Her eyes narrowed. This place wasn't on any map. It shouldn't exist.

She touched the base of the gate, her fingers pulsing with energy.

A flash—like static in the air.

She saw it again.

The red eyes.

But this time… they blinked.

It's awake now.

Himari clenched her jaw. "So it wasn't just Yuki's power bleeding into the void…"

She drew a small charm from her sleeve, whispering an incantation under her breath. The charm burst into light, revealing ancient symbols burned into the trees around her—warnings. Seals.

Something had been imprisoned here.

And now, it was stirring.

---

Back at the shrine, Yuki stood slowly, stepping toward the open window. The wind rustled gently, and for the first time, he didn't feel overwhelmed by it.

"I need to know what I am," he whispered. "Before something else decides for me."

Ren's voice behind him was low. "You're not ready yet."

"I'll never be ready," Yuki said, turning. "But that thing in the void? It's already waiting."

Ren frowned, but said nothing.

Outside, the wind shifted.

And somewhere far beyond the mountains, the red eyes opened fully.

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