The sound of gallops on the water has stopped unexpectedly, in front of Shiro, Keith, and Romelle. Men and women in all kinds of creatures, both human and daemon.
"Uh, guys, more daemons or whatever they are", Romelle said.
"I am going to try to think about these friendly or unfriendly people?" Shiro wondered, stood fixated on the folk, he'd never seen anything like this, the people were dressed up like rebels from the old Star Wars movies before... But then again, this is not his world.
"There's an entire army of them, riding space horses and packing weapons that will possibly try kill us, what do you expect". Keith explains to Shiro and Romelle.
"So they are unfriendly!" Romelle realizes. Cautiously, she turned around, and her mouth hung open at the unbelievable thing she saw.
One of the men shouted "Charge!"
The men aiming their steed towards them, "We got to get out of here" Shiro shouted.
They ran through the marsh, chased by the group who oddly all wearing orange, black and blue. they crashing through the underbrush and finally stumbled down into the water, deposited them into a safe spot among the long grass, at least for now, they had avoided the group of attackers.
Shiro brushed leaves off his outfit looked around. The group didn't focus their attention on them, luckily.
"Keep search for the perimeter, it's got to be around here somewhere", a man who had humanoid figures. He has a scruffy white beard and tapered elfish ears. He has pink markings located unearth his eyes, and a long scar on his left cheek. Dressed in a grey trenchcoat over a squared-off green shirt and bootleg pants. another physical appearance was two broad utility belts - one across his chest, and one on his waist. He accessorizes with a grey newsboy cap and fingerless gloves.
"Destroyer, where are you hiding?", a small cat-like creature shouted.
Suddenly, the dog-like creature mourns off her steed and said, "We're wasting our time. Whatever it is, it's long gone by now".
The man said, "We don't know that for sure, captain Olia".
"I know what I see, Lieutenant Ozar," Olia said. She pointed out, "You think our weapons handle this thing, the one that attacks that swamp village!"
"Sir, we found something. Two rebel men discovered something in the water!" Said one of the rebels.
Ozar and Olia curious about the object, Ozar stared at until it hit him... It was a collar, an unknown part of the monster that Shiro fought back unintentionally, with his new bound sword. They nodded to each other in agreement.
"This is definitely from the Bunyip!" Ozar said.
"If that's here, that means something must have happened to the Bunyip" Olia cried.
"The Galra must have gotten rid of it! From the moment we knew about it!" Ozar told her.
Shiro pressed his head over the edge of the long grass, with a great scent of curiosity, he spotted the forms of people surrounding the place where he wipeout the Bunyip, he couldn't make out any details but realizes there's any way to get back to Arus, it's them.
"Hey guys, I think we should team up with these people and find the way back home," Shiro told Keith and Romelle.
"Oh, Shiro. We shouldn't mix with these people unless they hang out cupcakes and rainbows". Keith asks, slapping his hand on his face, with exhaustion and anxiety slipping through the tight mask that he created.
"He's got a point, how do we know we can trust these people!" Romelle said.
"You're right we don't, but they know their way through the swamp," Shiro said as he took a powerful leap, from the underbrush, decided to call out them for help.
"Shiro", Keith admonishes.
"What is Shiro thinking, going towards them, he does he know this place is dangerous!" Romelle said, annoyance.
"And, yet he heading towards the danger!" Keith added.
Shiro arrived at the field and made his way toward the people within the Marsh, as he drew close to them, it became clear that they were not at all too friendly, to begin with, let alone trying to be.
A lot of them had guns, in the form of snipers and pistols, swords, axis and Spears. Not only been that their appearance, was not fully human, some of the members look like Gungan, Togruta, and Wookiees, while one of them had a mandrill's face in their appearance, but the humans have the same appearance that Shiro notice during his time on Earth. There were brown-haired, blonde-haired, both in women and men, many reminded Shiro somewhat of the Garrison or his regular life, their features and status were like the regular Caucasian, their oddness seemed they have been to have mud covering their faces, looking like they washing for an entire year or two, take that away, they'd be completely normal.
One of the men, seeing Shiro and asks. "Who are you, what is your business! Are you a Spy, boy?!"
"What, no, I'm not!" Shiro asks him.
Ozar scrambled up the bank to the causeway "where did you come from", he asked him.
Shiro registered the question with a deep sense of relief, they spoke in the same language, he almost felt like laughing, he wasn't as bad off as he thought.
"I was over there with my friends!" Shiro said.
"With your friends, huh," Ozar said.
"Yes" Shiro started to say and changed his mind on where he truly came from, but right now he, Keith, and Romelle need to start getting back to Arus, but he was doubted now that they know the way but they would find anything about him believable. As he stood there trying to think about what to say, the blue man pressed again.
"You're not from here, are you"
"To be close to the truth, No!" Shiro nodded.
"Is it gonna be me or are we gonna die!" Keith said.
"So dead!" Romelle told him, Being sarcastic.
The man's eyes widened as his gaze falls on the sword that Shiro held. "Where did you get this?"
"I found it over there," Shiro asks him, offers Ozar the sword.
"Ok," Ozar said as he takes the sword from his hand, with a doubtful look.
"So will you help us or not!" Shiro said.
Knowing the answer, the unbelievable things just kept coming. Ozar ordered the men to produced some straw rope and tied Shiro, Keith, Romelle and their newfound friend Stats up in an instant and then grabbed the unwanted visitors and tossed them on the space horses.
"Hey! What are you doing?! This isn't something to tie us up over!" Shiro said.
But no matter how Shiro and his friends shouted or resisted, they paid to them no mind and forcibly walked them off.
When they exited the rest of the swamp, roots spread before them, and soon after they arrived at a great giant tree with roots that spread for miles.
"We must tell Sokka immediately! Open the doorway, horngazel!" Olia ordered. Before throwing the object at her friend.
"Rodger, ribbit," a frog-like creature said as he caught the Horngazel to traced a fresh glowing semicircle on the wall at the Trunk and punched it, activating a portal.
"What's going on," Romelle said, tied up but in astonishment.
"I don't know," Shiro said, already feeling like he made the worst choice in his life or more truthfully after he'd considered all his opinions that didn't involve surviving the swamp, possibly getting killed by something that wanted to kill you, but what can you do, the choice made him.
"Well I think is a place that's gonna get us killed!" Keith added the salt to the wound, and truly believed that not at these people could help them back to Arus, even if it's going to be harder.
But unknown to him, Shiro was very good at challenges with patience and focus.
The group through the doorway, Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats. As they walk, the stairs light up, it looks like a blue crystal staircase. They's eyes picked up faint but warn, colors filtering just beyond the very large boulder in front of him. Shiro took a step and then another, moving past the giant Crystal and stepping into a ledge.
They arrived at a giant cavern just as soon that they got down, they face up to look at the center.
"No way..." Shiro thought, his eyes widened in awe.
Romelle and Keith stepped behind him and their jaw dropped too.
A massive city spread out before them, glittering like a constellation of underground stars. It's Crystalline towers and jewel-studded caves teemed with thousands and thousands of streams that go on for miles and miles. For a place this deep below the earth, this hidden from the sun, it seemed so incredibly alive to Shiro.
The world under the tree was another thing he'd only ever seen in a cartoon tv series. This is like something out of that show from Netflix... 'Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia'. It was a story set in a hidden world of trolls and a teenage boy that's about to save it.
From everything - from the simple caves of houses, bridges, and trading posts arranged around the rock. There are all kinds of minerals from the swamp and crystals everywhere that provide illumination. In the center was a giant Green crystal and people in shapes and sizes, some humans, some Daemons who tending caves, repairing them, watching the children, and washing clothing - seemed to be at home in this subterranean metropolis.
Shiro only looked away from everyone who was staring resentment at them. In his twenty-four years of life, this was the first time he'd received that attention from people.
And soon, the villagers had gathered around to check out all the hubbub.
"What are humans doing here?"
"They were in the swamp, I say?"
"They're wearing strange clothing"
"What if they're spies"
"Uh, excuse me!"
All the villagers turned to look at Shiro and his friends, who were sitting on a straw mat with their wrists and ankles tied up.
"Was the tying up essential?!" asked Shiro. "We're not going to hurt you, you know!"
"Could they be spies?" asked a middle-aged man.
"Sit here quietly until Sokka arrives!" The man shouted.
"Hey! Would you listen to us for a second?!" Shiro said but they ignored his protests and quickly left them.
"Graduations Shiro, you just got us killed...?" Keith pouted and attempted to undo the ropes that bound his hands and feet, but it was no use.
Shiro couldn't help but gulp nervously. Everything he's witness was base on fantasy. But seriously... what is this place? Had he gotten mixed up in some on-location on Altea? Did they mistake him and his friends for one of the Galra? No, that can't be it. The Galra that should have been around for a Base or looking around to shoot on site were absent, nor was there any of them. But in that case, what WAS this?
Looking at the Crystal, he realized that option was true, teleportation...? That term suddenly crossed his mind. That thing that came up a lot in comics and movies. Where a person jumps through time and space suddenly finds themselves in another world.
So, they'd teleport to this swamp...?
"No way! That sort of thing doesn't happen in real life, but it is" Shiro thought, however, aside from that, there weren't any terms he could think of to explain the current situation here...
"Look!" exclaimed a young man. "Here comes lord Sokka!"
"Lord Sokka!..." Shiro whispered as a tall body was clothed in long blue robes that conceal much of his body, usually exposing only his hands.
The rest of his face, around his mouth, was covered by a White plague doctor mask, and in his hand, she carried a staff. He must have lost an eye, as a black eyepatch covered his grey face, while the remaining yellow eye with no visible pupil, shone with a sharp light.
"Who are you? Why were you in the swamp?" he inquired in a low and carrying voice as he approached them.
"We don't know, We just arrived here!" Shiro repeatedly.
"We doubt it, They were the only people near the Bunyip!" Ozar whispered.
"Hmm..." Sokka hummed before his good eye suddenly went wide. "Wait a moment..." he then gently cupped Shiro's chin. "Let me see your face for a moment, boy."
"Uhh..." Shiro muttered, nervously as Sokka turned his head to the left, then to the right, and then said something ridiculous. "You do not look like Galra?"
"Of course not, we're nothing like them!" Romelle was indignant. If he was asking her to look intelligent, it meant that she thought her current face didn't look intelligent.
"We're not working for them, we are just trying to find our way home" Shiro explains.
"Are you sure about that..." the man's voice was shaking slightly, and show up the sword that Shiro discovered.
"You say found the samurai sword, my men are wondering that you found it or stole it" Sokka mused. "Perhaps it is my old age, playing tricks on me...but perhaps, You look like someone that came from the past."
"Huh...?, I didn't steal it, I just found it on the field," Shiro told him.
Since Shiro didn't understand, Sokka explained it to him in a plain tone. "This sword belonging to a samurai who protected the planet. They bore strong magical power which I could never compare... this is the last of the remnant of their legacy. Now I'll ask you again, who are you!"
"My name is Shiro. That Keith, Romelle, and the blue one is Stats? And as I already told we trying finding our way home" Shiro answers back.
"I see, Be at ease, villagers," said Sokka. "This man and his friends are no threat. I sense no malice or dark aura from her. They are but mortals, just like the rest of us."
"Are you certain of that, Lord Sokka?" asked Olia.
"Absolutely," Sokka replied. "Untie them."
Though hesitant, the rebels did as they were told and untied Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats who sighed in relief as Shiro rubbed his wrists and ankles, then turned to before bowing his head in gratitude.
"Now, with that of the way, come to my sanctuary," Sokka said.
Shiro and the others were brought to a workshop, away from his friends, located at the foot of the Crystal, Well, it's not like it was that place, in particular, that was small since all the houses in the village pretty much looked like that.
Since the only thing providing warmth was a fire pit, the inside of the workshop was still cold. The chill night air easily entered through the gaps in the wall. The man began to stir the contents of a pot over the fire. It seemed to be some kind of porridge.
Looking at it, come to think of it, Shiro hadn't eaten anything since breakfast at Arus. But today, back on Earth, Shiro was going to eat a breakfast burrito or cereal, and sometimes for lunch, Shiro would go for a hamburger or eat some commissary from the Garrison.
And yet, for reasons he couldn't understand, here he was, cold and hungry. Just thinking about it made him truly miss home.
When he snapped back to the present, the man was holding out a bowl of porridge. "Why do you not eat?, It's not poisonous".
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking about something!" He said as he took the bowl. He didn't know if it was made of millet or what, but it was warm and tasted good. His chilled body warmed from the inside, and his spirits rebounded.
"Now with that out of the way", Sokka recalled. "Why are you here!"
"We already told you, we are searching our way home!" Romelle gaped at him, still out of sorts.
Sokka was still not convinced in any way, "just got to be more to it than that, I know why you're here and I think you know it too".
Shiro checked himself from impulsively reaffirming his account, which was how he'd been through a lot, dealing with Mistress Centipeetle and Sendak has left him to answer such a question. "I don't know what I'm needed for but a man named Ulaz tells me about you."
"Ulaz", the man said "I haven't heard that name for a very long time"
"So you knew something about him!" Shiro eyed him skeptically.
"Well, yes But that was a long time ago!" Sokka said, exhaled, and told truth. "Well, it's great to meet you".
Shiro nodded. "Thank you, Lord Sokka."
"Just 'Sokka' is fine," Sokka smiled. "Balto is not a place to be traveled lightly"
"Balto" Shiro ask, he and the others got the location that they were in now.
"Now tell me, young Shiro, what brings you and your friends out this far?" Sokka questioned
Shiro nodded back, continue eating his food, "I don't know to be honest the only thing how we got here, is this", he reaches out to his pocket and got out the quintessence Crystal.
Sokka stares in disbelief by the site, "So it is true, the crystal has indeed come back, I knew something troubling had happened when I when I felt the energy."
Sokka took a small breath as he stirred the fire with the tongs.
"What do you mean by 'troubling'?!" Shiro answered, pummeled the floor with visible irritation.
Beside him, Sokka was feeling quite uncomfortable. he knew that it was just the beginning, an inkling of just what happened. After he'd picked up the tongs, he rose and walked over to a bulky, old-fashioned chest and started rummaging through it, All sorts of intriguing items were removed and shoved around, only to be placed back in the bin. A few of them Shiro started to recognize.
As Sokka was intent on something important, he forbore inquiring about any of the other tantalizing flotsam.
"I knew this sword meant for you", Sokka was saying, "a few nights ago, this sword started to glow, I never realized it at the time".
Shiro and the others nodded, they finished the last morsel of food, after that, Keith noticed that he was watching him with interest.
"Here it is," Sokka said, excited.
"The sword of the samurai or rather Takashi's sword", Keith said.
"So you recognize it, not as clumsy or random as a gun, but it will do none less". Sokka said.
Shiro removes the sword from its sheath, examined the handle, then tentatively touched, seeing his reflection.
"An elegant weapon for a more civilized age, they are called Nichirin Blades", Sokka explains.
Shiro looked at the sword at all as it changes color, from a light silver color to a platinum gray color, almost like the sword from his dreams.
"For over a thousand generations, the samurai were the guardians of peace and justice in the planet Altea before the dark times, the Galra empire". Sokka added.
After hearing only a portion of Sokka's story, Shiro began to wonder just what was so 'troubling'.
"When did it all go bad". Shiro said.
"It all started when lord Alfor, the last ruler of the planet Altea and the father of Priestess Allura, confront Emperor Zarkon!" Sokka confirmed.
"Zarkon?!" Shiro's eyes widened, but he had a feeling it was more out of being proven right than out of surprise.
"Zarkon..." Sokka continued in a monotone, "Zarkon was seeking power from the start, so he set his sights on the quintessence Crystal, he sent many of his armies to retrieve it from his daughter"
"Until she died... and the Crystal was born in me", Shiro thought as he remembered Coran and Allura's words echoed heavily in his heart. He hadn't even thought of what might happen as a result of the quintessence Crystal coming back into this world. Sendak had attacked them so fiercely while having only a single shard embedded in it. Even though it had already lost costume in his life.
And now the crystal is back with that kind of power. Even if were to fall into the hands of an evil Daemon or a wicked-hearted human... The world would be struck with an indescribable disaster.
"Is this... my fault? Could have I done such an unthinkable thing!" Shiro nibbled on her lip. "But back then, it was the only thing I could have done. If I hadn't, Sendak would have".
Sokka examined the crystal in Shiro's palm for a while before closing his fist.
"I know that you are thinking about it! it was the only thing I could have done, the magic of the world is complicated and unexpected" he said, slowly lifted his head and looked at Shiro with a comforting eye.
After all, Shiro had been through- from his arrival four or whatever number of days ago to his traumatic surgery to get a new arm, the comment got him interested.
"Magic". Shiro whispered.
"Well, magic is what gives a samurai, his power. It is an energy that belongs to the daemons, created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds us all together".
"Eh...?" His words were so unexpected that Shiro forgot to be confused. "...I see," he said.
"In any case," Sokka began, "you should get some rest for the night if you and your friends can."
"What, we can't stay here" Romelle was stunned. "We're got to go home. It's late for me as it is".
But Sokka might have said, "But no one can survive the swamp overnight, You must stay with us within the heartstone tree".
"Look, we can't get involved! I've got more important things! It's not that I like the Galra empire, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now." Keith said.
It seemed earnest in his desire to look for the Crystal. Well, that made sense. His original desire was to take it for himself, after all, to Romelle at least.
"Look who's talking now, at least I don't go around abandoning people!" She said.
SMASH! Keith angrily threw a fist into the table, causing it to shatter a bit while Romelle yelped and hid behind Shiro.
"I already told you I don't care about the Galra empire!" Keith barked.
"Keith!" Shiro shouted! "Patience", causing Keith to faceplant into the floor.
"Sorry for that, we are grateful to stay for the night", Shiro said, had just been thinking about getting home as quickly as possible.
Today he'd gone to that well to see whether or not there was a way home, If he hadn't been abducted by those soldiers, he would have jumped in the well. Yes, he could have been relaxing at home right about now and he would have been thinking, wow, what a crazy thing happened to anybody.
"Learn about the ways of the samurai, Shiro", Sokka pleading him.
"What..." Shiro said. "Learn the ways of the samurai, protect the crystal. That's a pretty tall order".
Are you kidding me?!" Keith questioned. "Him?! trained as a samurai?! I'd rather eat manure! And besides, last I checked, I'm one of those 'evil spirits' you're referring to, aren't I?!"
"For now, neither of you have a choice," said Sokka. "I'm afraid this is the only way."
"...But...I-I'm just trying to get home!" Shiro said. "I never intended for any of this to happen! I mean I have a life at home! I mean I've been gone for almost four days, now!"
Meaning It would probably involve traveling all over the place, he had no idea how long that would take. Not to mention more terrifying daemons were bound to appear and put him in more awful situations, he'd be stuck in this world forever... unable to return home, to his world...
"Oh, cry me a river," Keith said before he turned away.
"You could show just a little sympathy, you jerk!" Romelle barked...before she sighed and dropped to her knees, then looked over too, Sokka who looked at her in concern.
"Sokka, I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain. You've been so nice to me and I'm so grateful to us! It's just that". Shiro said
"Of course, You must do what you feel is right!". Sokka said resigned, "follow me".
Puzzled, tired, and exhausted, Shiro and the others did as they were told to do. The man who guards the door allowed them to leave and close the door even if he'd wanted to get rid of them, he respected Sokka's decision.
With that, Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats follow Sokka, walked between caves bustling with thousand of daemons, humans of all shapes and sizes. Radiant lights from gemstones reflected their neon colors across everybody around, Shiro smiled, feeling amazed at the massive Heartstone that towered under the tree, filling its subterranean residents— him included—with precious life energy.
Sokka bowed his head so that his head wouldn't scratch against the entrance, as they had countless times before, carving twin grooves into the stone archway. Inside were rooms for guests with stairs to the top.
"This is where you'll be staying, women on the right and men on the left". Sokka told them.
"Why, if it isn't Sokka, our great leader", said a man, clapping all of his hands together in delight. "To what do we owe this most prestigious of honors, sir?" another man said, walking next to.
"That's quite all right, Lian," said Sokka. "For I come in search of warm conversation and deliver."
"I must say, that seems quite unlike you, sir," said Lian. "Er, no offense, right Liem."
"It's true," Liem mumbled, lowering his head meekly. "We never truly, this kind of visit unless dealing with refugees of the war.
Sokka sat down beside the pair at the large reading table covered with numerous open volumes and sighed. "For that, I apologize, my friends. I have been distracted of late. The burdens of war weigh heavily on my mind. But now I'm here introduce you to some friends".
The two men, Lian and Liem traded a look of amazement as Sokka introduced Shiro and his friends. "Oh Hello, who are you?" The two asked with a grin.
"I'm glad you asked!" said Sokka, his face brightened. "This is Shiro, his friends, Keith, Romelle, and!"
"Stats!"
"Stats, his name is stats," Shiro told him.
"Well, we are grateful to show up more people, especially refugees were trying to get away from the empire!"
Sokka's grin spread or showing it, to Lian and Liem as the comment was corrected. "Yes, and they are here to stay for the night"
Lian continued. "Of course sir".
"Very good" Sokka closed his eyes, exhaled, and turn to Shiro. "Lian and Liem are going to take very good care of you, I must go!".
Shiro began. "Thank you, Sokka for everything!"
"Of course, it's the least I can do, especially for Ulaz, I own to him!" Sokka told him.
Keith interrupted. "Yeah sure, you keep telling yourself that."
"Keith", Romelle asked, sarcastically. "Oh I'm sorry, there are still struggling in you",
"Not everything for the faint of heart, those were still struggling to find themselves" Sokka explain to Keith and Romelle.
Keith thought for a moment before he forced a weak smile at his face and said, "yeah whatever, I should probably get some rest".
"Very well then, I'll leave you to it", Sokka then clapped Lian and Liem on their shoulders and left, before they could ask anything else.
"Ok, let me show you to your room", Lian said. They walked up the stairs with Liem taking Romelle and Stats away to their room on the right while Shiro and Keith go to the left side, together with Lian.
Upon arriving there, Shiro and Keith's room we have consisted of a wooden chair in the middle of the room as its color was sandstone, small nightstands, and larger platforms, each of them having a red cloth attached to them, looking at it, it was a bedroom.
The lone beds were nice, utmost purely functional, and it's the most comfortable thing his back has been on in ages, minus his time in Arus. With a clap of his hands, Lian Introduced the women, the white-haired woman at the head of the three wore the kind outfit that Shiro had seen in an old historical drama in London of 18 and the 90s.
The old woman said to the two who had many her and Lian "you can leave now, I'll handle it from here", they deposited the articles they were carrying on the bed, bowing deeply exited the room, after they had gone, the old woman placed lamps on the stands, they resembled a Jasper of sorts, next to it she put a small bowl and pitcher, filling the bowl with water.
"Well, you'd better washed up", the old woman said before leaving Shiro and Keith to deal with their own devices.
Shiro examined it, slowly he washed his face, hands, and wrist, his filthy, blackened hands soon regained their normal color.
At this point, Shiro had started to tolerate his newfound purple limb, ever since losing his arm to Mistress Centipeetle, he's been living with the moment, over and over he's been living with the fact that he might be grounded forever, he's already got a life-threatening disease on his back, he doesn't need this but overtime his body was able to do things, things that he was never expecting, like killing a monster with a sword, now his body was hard and stiff.
As best he could, he continued scrubbing his hands, the water soaked into the fine lacerations, after that his eyes droop the moment he lies flat, but he fights between his body's desire to fall straight to sleep, and his mind wanting to savor the moment where he feels safe.
But later that night, Shiro found himself lying awake on his bed while Keith remained asleep nearby.
"Keith, are you still up?" asked Shiro.
"No I can go a few nights without sleeping, unlike you people, but Yeah?" said Keith. "Why do you ask!"
"Oh, nothing I just wanted to talk to someone!" Shiro told him.
"To talk to you about what!" Keith said.
"I don't know when I'm trying to be nice to people!" Shiro said.
A pause came from Keith. "There's nothing to say, you know everything about me now." He explains, annoyed as he down the bed, back turned.
"No I don't, it takes a lot of time to know a person," Shiro told him.
"Well, one thing to knows about me, and that is to get the crystal from you," Keith said.
"What you truly want, is gain more power" Shiro, "If I was you I try to not get power and tired to find the way back home!"
Suddenly, Keith bolts upright take off from the bed and, heads straight for the door. "...You want to go home, huh?" he murmured before he looked up at the distance. "...I sure wish...I had a home to go back to...but I have left in this world is no one, only me, you don't have to worry about me".
Silence fills the room suddenly, Keith turn around and see Shiro already fast asleep, Keith frowns "seriously!" but Shiro's words setting like a heavy stone in his gut. "Maybe could you be right."
He says this, he turns over, back at the bed, then again. The refuge of sleep he nearly succumbed to only moments ago now seems far out of reach, way out of span.