(Izuku POV – ???)
'What's happening?!' I panic as the fractured world splinters apart like shattered glass, before reforming around me.
I blink, and suddenly I'm standing in a large living room and there are three people here.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with black hair, his scowl as deep as a ravine. A beautiful woman with snow-white hair and piercing ruby eyes. And…
A little boy. Slowly, nervously, he shuffles toward the woman, taking small hesitant steps with eyes full of worry, yet bursting with resolve.
'That's… Kata?' My chest tightens. He can't be more than two, maybe three years old. 'Then those must be his parents… are these his memories?'
"Mom?" His small voice wavers, shy but hopeful. He clutches at her leg, both to grab attention, and for added support.
I freeze. The way he says that single word makes me want to cry, because I already know what's coming.
The man doesn't so much as glance at him. And the woman… her expression chills me to my core.
There's no warmth, love, or motherly care. Only disgust, hatred, and revulsion, like his touch alone polluted her.
She kicks him off her leg with a sharp jerk, sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Ugh, just stay away from me, you pest!" She spits, furiously brushing at her clothes as though scrubbing away filth.
"Wait—what?!" My heart leaps into my throat as I rush forward, reaching for the boy. "How can you do that to him?!"
But my hands pass straight through him, unable to feel nor affect anything. No one even notices me.
Kata curls up on the floor, trembling from the blow, while his father just sits there in silence and indifference, like his own son doesn't even exist.
The woman storms out without a backward glance.
And Kata… he doesn't cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
Instead, he shakily climbs back to his feet and shuffles away to his room. There, in the corner, where no one can see, he curls up—knees to his chest as his body quivers—and finally lets his tears fall.
But I see them. I hear the muffled sobs that no one else cares about.
My stomach twists so hard it hurts. My throat feels raw. I want to scream, tell him everything will be fine, or even reach out and help… but all I can do is watch.
'Is this really his memory… or some kind of nightmare?'
Then, the world fractures again as the scene once again changes.
(All Might POV – ???)
"Useless."
"Pathetic."
"You better not be quirkless."
The words echo like poison through the air.
I watch as they're hurled again and again at a boy far too young to even understand why he deserves such cruelty. His father's voice is full of disdain, while his mother's eyes burn with hatred.
And Kata, fragile and desperate for kindness, flinches every time, shrinking under their contempt.
My fists clench until my knuckles ache. My teeth grind so hard I almost feel them turning to powder.
This… this is abuse. There's no other way to describe it, no matter what excuses might be used. And it's not just because his parents are cruel… it's because they thought he might be quirkless.
'This… isn't what I fight to protect…'
Day by day, the cruelty grows without any comfort, respite, or mercy. And when the boy's fever comes, and it seems his suffering might finally end when his quirk awakens… it only worsens.
I see him plagued by hallucinations. Shadows without form clawing at the edges of his young mind, extending towards him. I watch as he cries out for help, reaching out for anyone to help him.
And every time, he's pushed away. Struck. Ignored. Left to drown in fear alone.
I shake. Not from anger alone, but from the hollow ache of realization.
'As the Symbol of Peace, I inspire heroes. I protect the innocent…'
But here stands a "hero"—Kata's father—committing evils darker than any villain's, behind closed doors, going unpunished.
And I… never once thought to look.
'I race through the streets, stopping villains who threaten peace… but what about the children suffering silently? What about this boy?'
"I'm sorry, young Okada…" My voice cracks, heavy with shame. "I wasn't there. I failed you. I failed to protect what mattered most."
The words don't reach him. They can't. But I speak them anyway, because they weigh too much to stay inside.
The memory shudders, warps, and the walls melt away.
We're outside now. People bustle past on busy streets, but… everything looks muted. Dull and less colourful, as if joy itself has been leeched from the world.
Instinctively, I know. This isn't the world as it is, but rather the world as Kata remembers it. Lifeless, bleak, and devoid of the colour that makes it beautiful.
And then I see him. Young Kata, walking beside his mother, stopping before a television display.
On the screen—it's me. Smiling. Standing tall. Carrying survivors from a collapsing building.
"It's fine now. Why?" Booms my voice from the speakers.
""Because I am here!"" My image shouts, bright, radiant.
And Kata repeats the words in unison with me… but his voice is flat and empty. The words don't carry the hope I hoped to inspire… they don't even carry doubt. They're hollow, devoid of any emotion or expectation.
My heart sinks as I watch the hallucinations claw at him again, stronger than ever. He doesn't even flinch, seemingly ready to be embraced by the shadows and disappear. And yet, his mother's nails dig into his wrist as she drags him off, uncaring for his struggles.
I can only watch. Watch as the boy who clung to my image for hope was swallowed by despair instead.
Because the truth is undeniable.
In that moment, when he needed me most…
I'm the moment where he heard me yell that "I Am Here"…
'I wasn't there.'
(Izuku – ???)
The world around me fractures again—shards of reality breaking apart like glass. This time, though, nothing reforms. Instead, everything just fades away as the void returns.
I fall to my knees, my eyes squeezing shut as the weight of everything I've seen crushes me.
'Is this… what you went through, Kata?'
Images of him through my mind. His parents' abuse, the sneers and jeers of classmates, the hollow loneliness of having no one and nothing, to hold onto. Unlike me… he didn't have All Might to inspire him, no family supporting him, and no friends to stand with him… He had no one.
The thought strangles me. A broken sob tears from my throat, and soon I can't stop them. I press my palms against my face, but the tears slip through anyway.
"Midoriya?"
A familiar, firm, even when quiet voice echoes through the void. My head snaps up as I search for its source through blurry eyes.
"A-All Might?!" My voice cracks. "You're here too?"
Terrified it's just another memory, I reach for him, and my fingers don't pass through him. He's real.
"It's really you!" I cry, throwing myself forward, clutching onto him as the tears pour out.
"Yes… it's me." All Might says softly. But there's no smile, no booming laughter… just a tired sorrow that makes it seem as though he's aged many more years since we've been here.
Blinking hard, I wipe my eyes and study him. He looks so… defeated. And I know why.
"...You saw it too, didn't you?" I whisper.
He doesn't answer with words. Just a small, grave nod.
Before either of us can say more—
"You guys shouldn't be here."
A small, almost sing-song voice interrupts.
Both of us turn our heads toward it.
"…Eri?" We ask at the same time.
She's standing there on the void, apple juice box in one hand, straw poking out at an angle. Her little head tilts, blinking owlishly at us.
"Hmm…" She hums, tapping her chin like she's thinking very hard. "I'm not Eri… exactly."
My brows furrow. "Huh?"
"I guess you could call me…" She brightens suddenly, puffing her chest out. "Kata's spiritual anchor!" She pats herself proudly, a smug little grin on her face.
For the first time since I got here, I almost laugh. Even All Might's lips twitch faintly.
Eri notices, puffs out her cheeks, and plants her hands on her hips. "It's true! I'm here to keep Kata's mind safe and secure! And you two are trespassing."
"Safe and secure…?" I echo, trying to catch up.
"Yes! This is Kata's mind. Well, technically…" She waves her little hands in a wobbly circle, trying to form an invisible shape. "…we're almost outside of it. Near the edge."
"The edge?" All Might asks, frowning.
"Uh-huh." She gestures again, this time making a big round shape. "Think of the mind like a big bouncy ball! All the important stuff—memories, feelings, the 'origin'—that's the air inside. The really, really important parts are in the very middle. That's what the origin is. Everything close to the core affects him the most."
I nod slowly, trying to picture it. "So then… where are we now?"
She claps her hands once, cheerful. "Outside the ball! Kata didn't want his childhood memories touching him anymore, so he shoved them out to the edge. That's why I didn't notice you guys right away."
Her cheer falters, and she glances down, looking guilty. "…Sorry. I should've caught you sooner."
"N-no! Don't blame yourself!" I wave my hands frantically. "We didn't mean to intrude. We're just… trying to find a way out."
That perks her back up. She nods with a serious little frown. "Okay. Don't worry. Kata noticed you when I did, and he's already pulling you out. You'll be leaving soon."
Relief floods me, and I let the tension fade from my muscles. "Good… I thought we were going to be stuck here forever."
All Might sighs, rubbing his forehead. "But how did this even happen in the first place…?"
Eri tilts her head, sucking on her juice straw before answering. "Kata doesn't know either. But… it looks like OFA reacted to his quirk, and—poof!—you slipped in by accident."
I pale. "…What if we'd ended up somewhere else?"
Before she can answer, the floor rumbles. Light begins to tear us apart at the seams, our bodies breaking into motes of glowing dust.
"W-wait, hold on!" I try to shout, but the words dissolve before they leave me.
We don't even get to say goodbye.
(Eri POV – ???)
I watch quietly as Izuku and All Might vanish, scattering into little sparks of light until they're gone.
"…That wouldn't have happened." I murmur to the empty room, answering Izuku's last question anyway. "If they'd gone anywhere important, which is literally anywhere else, they would've been caught before reaching it."
My little hands tighten around the juice box. 'At worst, they might've been erased by Kata's subconscious reflexes…'
I puff out my cheeks, shake the thought away, and sip noisily from the straw.
"Oh well! All's well that ends well!" I say to no one, giving a satisfied little nod.
As I, too, fade back into the depths of Kata's mind, I remind myself with a serious look:
'If it's possible for people to slip through like that… then I'll just have to protect those memories even harder. Even the ones about… them.'
A shadow crosses my face at the thought. But then I take another sip of juice, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and march off to continue patrolling.
Because no matter what—
I'm Kata's anchor…
And I won't let him be hurt again.
**************
A/N: Hello Everyone. Sorry this took so long🤣. But how are you all doing? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So yeah, this is the chapter. It takes a lot from the first 5 chapters, and overall slightly expands on them a bit, when looked at from an outward POV. In those chapters, Kata seemed more optimistic and contemplative, and from the outside, it looks like he's kinda sad. And depressed.
And beyond that, Let me know how you actually thought of the chapter (please)? I think it ended quite well. I do take feedback into consideration, and tried to explain why and how this all happened. So his actual memories, were always safe.
The shadows in this case are the hallucinations without the actual information, so All Might and Deku just saw shadows.
As for other things, I don't think there's much. Eri isn't actually Eri. She's kind of a mix between how Kata views Eri, and her own purpose (protecting Kata), and is one and the same as him, so they're always aware of what each knows in a weird quantum entanglement way.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But that's all from me.Hope you enjoyed the chapters and please let me know what you think for this one🤣. I wish you all a good night.😁