Chapter Text
Fire. That’s all there was. That’s all you could see. That’s all you could feel around you. The aftermath, a tragedy to some, a relief to most. Red, orange, yellow hues alike burned everywhere and all you could do was just stand there, unable to move, frozen in fear.
The building, the beloved workplace, no longer. Just a huge pile of rubble and ash. All you did was fall to your knees and stare incredulously at the flames.
And the burnt dead bodies that were clear as day to see in your peripheral. But one, one stuck out the most. That little vibrant green cardigan that was now almost completely blackened. It was unmistakable that the body was none other than your grandma.
Your grandmother was a sweet old lady. Perhaps too sweet. She was so kind to you, treated you like royalty, the ruler of your kingdom. She offered to conquer the world for you in exaggeration.
But that kindness only went so far. The nice, sweet old lady act stopped as soon as she stepped out the door, leaving you behind to watch the house. She was a bitter old bitch, a nasty lady with a bark and bite both so powerful you could never tell what was worse or better. Snapping at everyone, making them feel worthless for even breathing. Making sure she destroyed lives with her very words just for her own entertainment. What the hell happened to her to make her behave like this? And how long was it going on for?
But with you? It was so different. You were her light, her only reason to keep herself alive. Ever since your mother died about a few years ago and your father ran away with another slut you could pick up on the side of the street, leaving you to fend for yourself. She, the beast of a grandma, took you in and you could never be more grateful.
The majority of the villagers always told you to leave your grandmother since you’re old enough now, buy a place of your own, told you that she wasn’t all that she seemed, told you she was the big bad wolf in the form of a grandma. But you, the childish, naive grandchild blinded by unconditional love and endless words of praise never believed that she could be such a monster.
Too bad she’s dead, you’ll never really find out if what they said was true or not but you guess you’re grateful that you never found out. How would you be able to handle knowing that your grandmother was two completely different people. How could you handle knowing that she treated your friends and fellow villagers with such cruelty and maliciousness. It kinda made sense. No wonder your friends stopped coming over after a while. But they luckily enough never abandoned you. It was your grandma that was the problem, not you.
You mourned, of course you did. She was very special to you. For someone who was like sixty or seventy (you never kept track, you just wanted to cherish every moment with her) she was awfully active and healthy. It almost seemed unnatural. You didn’t think of giving her a funeral when her body was all charred and burnt to a crisp. It wouldn’t be fair to bury only ashes…would it?
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A lake, almost concealed that it could be mistaken for an abnormal sized pond. So beautiful, glistening in the moonlight every night outside your bedroom window. A pretty sight to see right before you sleep. You’ve seen it ever since you moved in with your grandma. So why have you never been down there. You finally make that decision and move one foot at a time until you’re running towards it.
You take solace in it, it’s a new grounding place, an anchor if you will. It’s been silent for a few months since she passed away. You never could move out of that house and you never dared to sell it for the extra money. Almost every night you’ve went down there to drown your sorrows, dipped your feet in, breathe the salty water that wafts through the air. You once went down in broad daylight but it just didn’t have the right atmosphere unless it was night time.
“Hey, Y/N!”
A random villager calls. They all know you, but you rarely remember them. Your memory is quite shit at times. What an idiot.
“Hey, umm…you?!” Well done, nice save.
“Back at the edge of the lake again I see. Watch yourself at night. There’s been known sightings of wild sea creatures deep inside it. One of my classmates told me he even spotted a shark!”
A great exaggeration. You weren’t that stupid. Only a few small fish were recorded, some bigger than most but nothing too abnormal. Although, hearing the word “shark” allowed a light giggle to pass through your lips. It reminded you of your friend, Eijiro Kirishima.
“Doubt it. I can take care of myself. I’m nineteen. But I do appreciate you looking out for me. Thank you. I was actually thinking recently about exploring the deeper parts..”
“That’s quite alright. I can’t say I fully support this but my uncle has some scuba and fishing gear.”
You stood up so fast that lighting got jealous.
“Really? You’d let me ask him?!”
“Yeah, we love you around here! You’ve been a great help to the whole village. Unlike your grandmother..”
You chose to ignore that.
“It would be a crime not to owe you something in return neither big nor small.”
You ran up to him, faces almost too close. Both hands clenched into fists, raised and stopped just above your collarbone and below your chin. You were too excited to care.
“Oh wow! Thank you so much!”
“No problem. Here, I actually have his business card and location. He may be family but I’m shit at directions.”
“Again, thank you..um??”
“Shouji. Mezou Shouji.”
“Thank you, Shouji.”
“Don’t forget it this time.”
He winks and waves goodbye. You already forgot his name. It wasn’t that important to you. The goal was.
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You got the gear. Shouji, (you remember because of the card) put in a good word for you letting his uncle know it was you that would be swinging by. He was delighted that the village favourite was coming to visit his shop. Even if it was for a few minutes.
“Thank you sir! I’ll be sure to repay you once my shittyass job gives me more money.”
“Oh? So you have a foul mouth on you, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised. You did live with her after all. Don’t worry about paying it off. It’s on the house.”
Another one. Again, you chose to ignore it. You know how they all feel. You may still be nice, but it only went so far. After her death, you became numb to emotions to an extent. But you weren’t as cruel as she was…hopefully. You never took anyone’s shit, you stuck up for yourself. Even started a few fights which ended with you always winning. You started self defence and swore to protect everyone you ever cared about because of her. In conclusion, you were strong as fuck.
You left the shop. Your (h/l), (h/c) hair whipping with you as if you were in slow motion.
It was instantaneous, as soon as you got the gear you ran with all your might to the little cottage you lived in and put everything on. You finally realised that it was a stupid idea. You could’ve just put it all on when you were about to enter the deeps of the lake. Too late now.
Your best friend, Kyouka Jirou, called you. She spotted you running up with clothes she couldn’t make out because of the distance. Curious as ever, she bombarded you with questions.
“I saw you run, you never run.”
“What was that in your hands?”
“You looked happy. Are you ill?”
“Kaminari, get off. I’m on the phone here.”
You chuckled at the last one even though it wasn’t a question.
“I got diving and scuba gear from some guys’ family shop! I’m gonna go diving in the deep at the lake outside my window.”
“Oh? You mean Shouji’s uncle? His shop…the only shop the sells that stuff-”
“…yes him. Of course I remembered his name!”
“I never said you didn’t. But you walked into that one.”
The little “shit” you mumbled under your breath didn’t go unheard. It may be over the phone but for some reason her hearing and perceptiveness to sound was extremely hightened. It didn’t help in this situation.
“Don’t go diving too deep. You know people have recently spotted some weird animals there. I’m sure others have told you. But i’m telling you now too.”
“I’m well aware, thank you, Jirou. For always being there for me. I couldn’t of somehow gotten over my grans death if it wasn’t for you.”
You could feel her smile through the phone.
“Of course. I got your back, you got mine, right? The strength of the wolf is the pack, remember?”
“The strength of the wolf is the pack. I gotta get going. So much to explore!”
“Have fun, idiot.”
“I’m gonna let that one slide for now. God knows how many things I let slide today.”
She hung up. That was rude. Did she even hear that last sentence you said? Oh well. That was Jirou for you. She probably saw her girlfriend, Momo Yaoyorozu, outside her bedroom window. She’s crazy about her. You couldn’t be more happy for them both. But you wish Yaoyorozu would stop making you try all the different kinds of tea. The only one you like so far is peppermint tea.
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It was time. You got to the lake, brought a moderate sized flashlight with you. You didn’t exactly have night vision eyes. Though you wish the shopkeeper gave you night vision goggles…if he even had any.
You finally dove in. Head first instead of jumping in legs first.
You swam freely. Why the hell haven’t you ever swam in here sooner let alone explore the deeps of the lake. You were in quite far. You’re lucky you forget names more than directions. But it wasn’t always lucky sometimes.
You’re thankful that your other best friend (don’t tell Jirou), Tokoyami, is a bookworm. He gave you a book when you first decided to explore the cave and look at all the fish you could possibly see. All you saw so far were Koi fish. You even saw a lone clown fish.
You splashed around like a kid, laughing freely with the blissful knowledge that nobody was there, here with you, listening to you, talking with you.
Boy, were you wrong.
A splash or two, masked as if it was your own legs splashing. Another splash, more violent than the rest. But this one was off. This splash concurred when you were as still as a pencil in the water.
You were hesitant at first but curiosity got the better of you. If this was how you died then so be it. At least you would die in the place you love and see your mother and grandmother again.
You eventually turned your head. And there it was. An ash blonde tuft of hair just barely breaking the surface of the water. His eyes, so red, so violent that it chilled you to the bone. It was almost frightening if you weren’t so fuelled by the adrenaline coursing through your veins.
“OH WHAT THE FU-”