Chapter 23 Part 1: Shadow Oath

The full moon cast its silvery glow over the forest, dappling the leaves with shadows. Kazuki slid open the door of his cabin and stepped outside, gazing up at the luminous orb in silent reverence.

Kazuki sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. He had to know the name of the god of darkness.

He wandered between the trees, their rough branches intertwining overhead, until he found a secluded area. A small stream flowed across the open space, reflecting the light of the moon. This place would do.

Kazuki settled onto the soft earth and closed his eyes, listening to the gentle whisper of the stream. But try as he might, he couldn't calm his rapidly moving thoughts.

Insects droned in the darkness, an continuous buzzing that grated on his frayed nerves. His leg began to twitch involuntarily. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Kazuki opened his eyes.

So much for solace.

With a sigh, he rose to his feet again. There was only one place silent enough for his purpose.

The waterfall thundered in the distance, its roar a constant, soothing rhythm. Kazuki picked his way along the rocky banks until he reached a large boulder overlooking the cascade.

At last, some peace. He sat cross-legged on the cold stone, hands resting on his knees, and let the thunder of the falls wash over him. His breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed, and his mind quieted.

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A deep calm descended upon him as he gazed into the veil of water, lit from within by the moon. Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, a name began to form: Tsukuyomi...

Kazuki's eyes snapped open. Pitch darkness surrounded him, dense and oppressive. He blinked hard, but could see nothing, not even his own hand in front of his face.

Panic rose in his chest as he groped blindly for something, anything familiar. But there was only the void.

"Help!" he cried out, his voice swallowed by the darkness. "Is anyone there?"

No response came. He was alone.

Kazuki's heart pounded as he struggled to remain calm. What was this place? How had he gotten here? He strained to remember sitting by the waterfall, meditating, but the memory seemed distant, hazy.

He tried to stand, but his feet found no purchase. There was no ground, no up or down. Only an abyss stretching endlessly in all directions.

Trapped. He was trapped.

"Let me out!" Kazuki screamed into the void. "I don't belong here!"

A laugh rang out, deep and sinister, echoing from every direction at once. "On the contrary," came a gravelly voice. "You have always belonged here. In the realm of shadows...with me."

A dark figure materialized before Kazuki, towering and menacing, wreathed in shadows. Cold terror gripped his heart at the sight of this entity, radiating malice.

The god had come for him at last.

Kazuki tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. He stared up at the sinister god as a single word escaped his lips, trembling with dread:

"T-Tsukuyomi..."