It's not the voices of the dead and damned he's hearing.
It's his own voice.
There are no ghosts here. There never were.
Even when he still dreamed of water, those whispers and curses were all him.
He was only drowning because he'd tied an anchor to his own leg.
He doesn't need to exorcise these demons. He needs to make his peace with them.
Masamune is right here, he reminds himself. And at Masamune's nudge, he takes a step forward, closer to the water's edge.
In his mind, he lets himself sink.
This ocean has no bottom. It's darkness all the way down. He can't see the bodies, but he can feel them. They're clustered around him, holding on tight. ]
...I'm sorry.
[ You're sorry. You're so sorry. When are you going to stop being sorry? Don't you know where "sorry" is getting you?
Nowhere.
Nowhere.
Just the deepness. Just the darkness. Do you think we want to hear "sorry"?
Do you think they want to hear sorry? Isn't everyone who died tired of "sorry" by now?
Shouldn't I keep moving forward so I don't have to keep apologizing?
Isn't that what Masamune has done?
I don't need forgiveness or sympathy.
I just have to stop drowning myself. ]
I... have to stop letting myself drown.
[ Because. ]
Because I won't change. And... I will pull down others with me. Those who rely on me. I'm still... breathing. I can still swim.
no subject
Masamune is right.
He's absolutely right.
It's not the voices of the dead and damned he's hearing.
It's his own voice.
There are no ghosts here. There never were.
Even when he still dreamed of water, those whispers and curses were all him.
He was only drowning because he'd tied an anchor to his own leg.
He doesn't need to exorcise these demons. He needs to make his peace with them.
Masamune is right here, he reminds himself. And at Masamune's nudge, he takes a step forward, closer to the water's edge.
In his mind, he lets himself sink.
This ocean has no bottom. It's darkness all the way down. He can't see the bodies, but he can feel them. They're clustered around him, holding on tight. ]
...I'm sorry.
[ You're sorry. You're so sorry. When are you going to stop being sorry? Don't you know where "sorry" is getting you?
Nowhere.
Nowhere.
Just the deepness. Just the darkness. Do you think we want to hear "sorry"?
Do you think they want to hear sorry? Isn't everyone who died tired of "sorry" by now?
Shouldn't I keep moving forward so I don't have to keep apologizing?
Isn't that what Masamune has done?
I don't need forgiveness or sympathy.
I just have to stop drowning myself. ]
I... have to stop letting myself drown.
[ Because. ]
Because I won't change. And... I will pull down others with me. Those who rely on me. I'm still... breathing. I can still swim.
[ Masamune is here.
It's just him and Masamune here. ]