Jin finds himself standing in the dark abyss yet again.
"Alright, Aya, I want to know what you did."
"Jin? What the hell are you doing here?"
Jin turns around to find Mori and Aya standing in front of one another.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mori. Am I interrupting something here?"
Jin chuckles a little.
"Be careful, Aya, he's only 16."
Jin smiles and laughs before patting Mori on the back.
Jin's hand makes contact with Mori's back. A look of shock crossed over Jin and Mori.
"Why are you two so shocked? This is Jin's consciousness, not he."
Aya says a small cross on her face.
"Well, Jin, I must say I didn't think I would see you in the abyss."
"Don't be a fool, Mori, I'll haunt you even if you're the one dead."
"That sounds creepy."
"Shut up, Mori."
Jin turns to Aya.
"So what is it you did? I saw war and people dying in reverse before being awakened. What was that?"
Aya makes a wide smile and a small exhale, leaving her.
"I told you the truth of the war, Jin."
"Mori grabs Jin's shoulder.
"Let me guess, Jin, you couldn't hear her."
"Bingo."
"Hey Jin, it's time to wake up."
Jin sits up, Sylph sitting right in front of him, a wide smile on her face with her hands in her lap.
"Seems like I didn't get much time."
"Well, maybe you can sleep once we get to a hotel."
Jin looks out the window and sees the night sky. The stars twinkle and sparkle, and the night is bright, forming a web amongst the stars.
"What a beautiful sky. Truly beautiful."
Sylph peers out the window.
"It is beautiful, Jin."
"Where I'm from, many people see the stars as signs of hope and guidance. Even our sailors used them as a guide through the sea."
"Whoa! That's cool. Do you know how they did it?"
"I have no idea how they did, my friend's dad was a sailor and told us that the brightest star is the North Star and to always follow it north."
"Was it always in the North?"
"No, not really. It was only visible to the Northern Hemisphere of the world. But if you could see it, you always knew where the north was."
"Were you some kind of astrologer in your free time?"
"Nope, I learned it in school and from my friend's dad."
The carriage stops. The coachman opens the door, and Sylph hops out.
Was it truly smart to take her with me?
Jin steps out of the carriage, and the coachman immediately hands a key to Jin.
"My dear sir, please don't do anything reckless with her."
"You don't have anything to worry about, I'm just a seventeen-year-old looking for answers."
Jin looks at the key, seeing the number 8 written on a small tab.
Jin walks into the hotel, seeing all the numbered doors along the walls of long, stretching halls.
Jin finds door number 8 and opens it.
Jin finds Sylph lying on the bed, passed out, with a dim light on in the corner.
"I guess you were tired."
Jin places down the jin katana in the corner and sits on the bed.
Jin droops his head, putting his hands in his lap.
I don't belong in this world, nor my own.
Jin lies down beside Sylph.
"Excuse my intrusion, Sylph."
I hate what I was; maybe this is a chance to be better.
Jin closes his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.
Jin instantly finds himself in an empty white abyss. The world looks set to go on for an eternity.
"Well, that's interesting."
Jin begins to walk forward, every step echoing endlessly.
"Kuroryu Jin… a Devil in living skin."
Jin whips around, nothing but the infinite abyss staring back at him.
"What was that?"
"HOW DARE YOU WORK AGAINST ME, BOY!"
Jin spins around again.
"Dad?"
Hundreds of thousands of voices start screaming into Jin's ears.
Jin screams in agony, his ears ringing.
His right ear drips blood, the scream continues, and just grows louder and louder.
Jin puts his hands to his face, continuing to yell out in agony.
"MAKE IT STOP!"Jin yells out.
Suddenly, all the screaming stops, and thousands of people are standing around him.
"W-who are all of you?"
In unison, they all speak to him.
"We are the people you destroyed and murdered."
Jin stands up, rubbing his right ear.
"Well then, looks like you all have questions."
Suddenly, the entire crowd parts before him. A woman in white robes walking forward.
"Do you remember me, Kuroryu Jin?"
"I have an idea."
"I am Makainsu Tori, Mori's ex-girlfriend that you killed."
"That's right, you were that stupid chick who cheated on Mori. Correct?"
"I DIDN'T CHEAT! I WAS JUST DRUNK!"
"You still slept with some dude and tried to frame Mori for rape."
"I-I…"
"Oh shut up, don't act sweet and innocent. And that goes for everyone here."
"HOW DAR-"
"I'm not done talking! As I was saying, I had a reason for killing all of you. It may have been terrible. I remember killing some of you, and others I don't."
Jin points a finger at Tori.
"But as I said, I killed each one of you for a reason. Even if it was outrageous."
"DO YOU BELIEVE THAT'S ACCEPTABLE!?"
"No, I don't, I don't think I should've walked the path I did. But here we are.
"YOU SON OF A-"
In an instant, Jin wakes up. Sylph curled up, sleeping next to him, clinging to his arm.
"It must've been a dream."