The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter L

Y/N's POV

In his room, Y/N sat in quiet contemplation, his eye reflecting memories and emotions. The only light came from a small lamp on the bedside table, casting long shadows across the walls. He was hunched over, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, staring blankly at the floor.

His mind was a battlefield of haunting flashbacks. He could almost hear the threats he carried out and the cries of pain from his days as a debt collector, a life filled with violence and remorse. Then, the memories shifted to his brutal fight with Daki and Gyutaro – the clash, the fury, the rage and the pain. It was as if he could still feel the rush of the battle, the adrenaline, and the fear.

Every time he closed his eye, vivid images assaulted him. He saw Daki's twisted smile, Gyutaro's hateful glare. The sounds of their mocking laughter rang in his ears, a lingering reminder of the demons he had faced. He could almost feel the grip of Daki's hand, the pain that had been inflicted upon him.

With a scoff of frustration, Y/N stood up. His movements were slow, weighed down by the mental exhaustion that plagued him. He needed a moment to clear his head, to wash away the ghostly memories of the entertainment district.

In the bathroom, he leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on his face. The water felt like a temporary relief, a brief escape. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror. His face was paler than usual, dark bags under his eye due to the sleepless nights that had become all too common.

His mind unavoidably drifted back to Daki and Gyutaro. They had, in a twisted way, reminded him of the beast he could never become, a path he refused to walk down. Yet, they had also inflicted deep wounds, both physical and mental, that were far from healed.

He washed his hands, staring into the mirror once more. "I survived," he muttered to himself, a hollow affirmation. The reflection staring back at him was a man changed by his experiences, marked by battles both external and internal.

...Mostly internal now.

Shaking his head, he turned off the tap and walked out of the bathroom. The fight with Daki and Gyutaro had ended, but the battle within himself was far from over. 

In the bathroom, Y/N's gaze was fixed on his reflection, his mind a storm of memories and hallucinations. "If only they knew the soured face, hollow disgusting piece of shit you are, they would leave you in a blink. You can carry that Sabito mask all you like, but we both know this mirror can't hide how hideous you really are," he whispered to himself, his voice laced with self-loathing.

As he stared into the mirror, a chilling vision appeared behind him - Gyutaro, sneering at him. Y/N turned around in terror but found the room empty. 

When he faced the mirror again, it was Akaza's reflection that met him, his fist lunging towards the glass.

In a surge of terror and rage, Y/N's fist collided with the mirror, shattering it into pieces. The sound of breaking glass filled the room, echoing his scream. The sharp pain in his knuckles snapped him back to reality. He closed his eye, whispering to himself, "When I open my eye... no one will be there... no one..."

He opened his eye to an empty, silent room. The shattered mirror lay before him.

Scolding himself for losing control, Y/N tried to compose and remind himself of the people waiting to see him.

 He started to relieve himself, but as he...aimed, he felt a pain. It was as if Daki was there, gripping him tightly. He yelled out, "Fucking let go!"

But when he looked, there was no one there. The pain, whether physical or psychological, was there. He didn't know if the agony was a result of actual injury or a manifestation of the mental scars left by her.