eclipsed Fate

Kaito ducked, the sword slicing through the air where his head had been moments before. His body moved on instinct now, honed by the countless deaths he had suffered. But instinct alone wouldn't be enough.

He needed to think ahead.

As the soldier's blade struck empty space, Kaito lunged forward, jamming the wooden staff into the gap beneath the man's breastplate. The soldier grunted, staggering back. Kaito didn't waste the opportunity. He twisted the staff, using it to push the soldier off balance before pivoting to escape.

The girl. He had to find her again.

His gaze darted across the chaos. Villagers ran in every direction, screams filling the air. Fires had already begun to spread. His heart pounded as he searched.

There. She was running toward the forest on the village's outskirts, her small frame barely visible between the fleeing villagers. But she wasn't alone. Two soldiers had spotted her and were giving chase.

Kaito cursed under his breath and ran after them.

He weaved through the panicked crowd, his grip tightening on the staff. He didn't have time to think, only act. The soldiers were closing in on her, their armor giving them an advantage in speed and endurance.

Not this time.

Drawing upon everything he had learned, Kaito hurled the staff like a spear. It struck one of the soldiers in the back of the knee, causing him to stumble. The second soldier hesitated for just a moment—long enough for Kaito to slam into him from behind, tackling him to the ground.

The girl turned at the commotion, her eyes wide with fear and recognition.

"Run!" Kaito shouted, struggling against the weight of the armored soldier. "Don't stop!"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding and sprinting into the trees.

Kaito barely had time to register relief before a gauntleted fist smashed into his jaw, sending him sprawling into the dirt. His vision swam. The remaining soldier loomed over him, sword raised.

Pain was coming. He knew it. He had felt it so many times before.

But this time, he had changed something.

As the blade descended, Kaito smiled.

Darkness took him.

———

He awoke gasping.

Neon lights. The buzz of the convenience store. The weight of the plastic bag in his hand.

Kaito exhaled shakily, a slow grin forming on his lips.

The girl had escaped.

This time, he had won.

But it wasn't over.

It was never over.

He had broken one pattern. Now, he had to break them all.