Work Text:
An Unblurred Melody
By: Aviantei
[Twelve Shots of Summer: Another D8 11-I/12]
[Parameters: “Conclusions”]
[Kagerō Day 2021]
The memories rushed into his head, screaming, clamoring, exhausted, and Shintarō knew the date without even having to look at the clock.
August fifteenth.
The day had cycled by so many times, rehashed over and over again in his mind. That was his power, after all—being able to remember all the tragedies of this looping day, in the hope that the Mekakushi Dan would be able to break free. That Shintarō had woken up on this date once again was evidence that they’d failed last time, as they had the thousands of times beforehand.
Watching everyone die over and over had once tipped Shintarō into the depths of despair. There were entire timelines where he couldn’t take it anymore, and he just sat around, useless. But at some point, he had almost started to become numb to it all—or at least he could push through it without crumbling to pieces. Maybe he was colder now, maybe that wasn’t something to be proud about, but if it helped him get everyone out of this okay, helped them make the one successful timeline it would take to end it all, then Shintarō didn’t give a fuck.
“Master?” Ene’s voice called from his computer—Enomoto Takane, still unaware that Shintarō knew just who she was and why she was there. “You’re not feeling sick, are you? You’ve been awake for a while, but you haven’t even gotten on the internet or anything. Should I order medicine?”
No, he wasn’t sick. That didn’t mean he was okay, either. Well, rolling around in bed all day wasn’t going to save anyone, now was it?
Shintarō sat up, reaching for his track jacket and snatching his phone from its charger. “Enomoto,” he said, and Ene squawked, “I’m going outside today, so you come, too.”
After everything, Shintarō wasn’t sure if this time loop even had a way to resolve itself. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.
If there isn’t an ending, I’ll just make one myself.