Ayanokouji Kiyotaka The Demon Slayer

『Realization』

“Freedom is not the absence of chains, but the ability to break them.”- Unknown.

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Have you ever heard of Lucid Dreaming?

It refers to a state of consciousness during the rapid eye movement phase of sleep where the dreamer attains self-awareness and cognitive control over the dream narrative, effectively permitting volitional manipulation of the dream's content and direction.

In simple terms, it's when someone knows he or she is dreaming and, consequently, controls the dream.

Right now, I concluded that I was in a similar state, as it was the only logical conclusion left that made sense using the process of elimination. That helped explain why I couldn't remember where I was to a certain degree. Because normally, you can't tell when exactly you fell asleep. It also explained how I was teleported here without my knowledge.

However, while it was the most logical conclusion, it was also incomplete. I couldn't put my finger on the specific reason, but, I didn't fully accept it as the truth.

Even though this would not be the first time I experienced lucid dreams, it was slightly different from usual: It was excessively real.

The coldness of the forest that embraced my skin, my almost numbing body, the highly detailed textures of the trees, the depth of the snow, the beating of my heart, the strong smell of blood, and my inability to control the dream─My suspicions continued to grow exponentially. I had to admit, coincidences can't be as freaky.

This may not be a dream.

The pain testing method was useless, as contrary to the common belief, it was possible to experience pain in dreams.

Walking down the snowy path, the odor was getting stronger with each step. After a few minutes of walking in silence, I arrived at the source of the metallic smell.

Concealing my presence to the best of my ability, I hid behind a tree and took a glance at the scene in front of me.

The moon's light revealed an old traditional Japanese-style house painted with the color red. Outside the structure stood a man who seemed to be in his 20s, he wore a gray hat that didn't permit further remarks from this distance due to the lack of illumination. His choice of clothes─a black costume and classical brown shoes─was rather odd considering the weather. But what stood out the most was the blood on his hand and the two figures lying on the snow-covered ground before him.

“At least one experiment is a success.”

A cold voice echoed in the area. It was almost the same as my father's cold, disinterested tone. Even though there were two bodies at his feet, he didn't seem to be all that concerned. Turning to the other side, he swiftly left the crime scene.

Confirming his departure, I went to the 2 human bodies on the ground. One was already dead, and the girl was barely breathing. Entering the house, I spotted another 4 bodies inside. One glimpse was enough to notify me that they had already passed away. Dragging their dead bodies outdoors, I put the family members except for the mentioned girl side by side on the wooden platform.

There was nothing else I could do. The morning was near, I should simply wait for the remaining family member to arrive─as I found spare clothes that didn't seem to fit any of the ones outside.

I could carry the solely alive individual here to a doctor, but I didn't even know where I was. It was reasonable to stay until someone who already knows the area remarkably well arrives. In the meantime, I could only do the basics of first aid depending on what was available: a few bandages.

Anyway, I still couldn't picture the motive behind this massacre. If I took his words into account, he didn't want them dead: he wanted them in a similar state to the young girl lying over there, whom he called a “Success.” However, I failed to see anything out of the ordinary.

Was there a need for such a complicated affair in a dream? If this was indeed one in the first place.

I treated the girl's wounds using a clean towel before putting some bandages over. It was right then that I noticed another strange detail.

The injuries were by no means deadly.

It wasn't just her, all of them were in the same situation. It led me to question the reason behind their death. Adding to that the fact that the man's right hand was the only part of his body that was covered in blood, another question rose.

How did he inflict these injuries with only his hands?

My mind started counting all the possible scenarios, yet, there were no answers. It was simply impossible and it went against everything I have learnt before.

The only explanation would be that this was really, just a dream.