The heavy patter of his footsteps rang loudly in his ears as he ran. His breath came in huge gasps, which he muffled as best as he could, though his lungs screamed for air.

His eyes darted about wildly, straining to catch the telltale glimpse of black cloth or the gleam of a drawn sword.

He could sense several others following him, but they were still far behind him.

Now is the time.

Finally he reached the spot. As promised, it was there. A gigai, a false body, his only hope of blending into this world. As he slipped into its confines, a thought came to him unbidden.

"Now I will never have to face them again."

At first he pushed the thought away, hating the reminder of his cowardice.

Then he welcomed the memories, and the pain that came with them.

For the second time, he saw his trembling sword point at his most trusted friend. His friend, the traitor, betrayer of all Soul Society.

He watched as the man turned to face the deadly point of his zanpakutou, his glasses flashing in the moonlight. "Why do you point your sword at me?" he asks, his own blade staining the ground with the dripping blood of his comrades. "I am your friend."

"You are no friend of mine!" he shouts, futilely attempting to steady his grip. "You have murdered your fellow shinigami and have betrayed all we fight for!"

"Then kill me," his once-friend says seriously. "Run your blade through my heart and save Soul Society from its destruction." He calmly spreads his hands wide, exposing his unprotected chest. "I won't stop you."

He began to lower his zanpakutou. What was he doing? Not even Kuchiki-taichou could stop this man, even with the legendary Bankai that none had ever seen before. He could never hope to defeat this man in his life, yet here he had the perfect opportunity to end his plans before they even began.

But he was unable to take it. How could he? Was he really foolish enough to think that he could murder his best friend in cold blood the way he murdered so many others?

"Taichou, why do you hesitate?" says the one beside him. "Take it! Take this chance! Kill Aizen now before he gets away!"

His trembling hands steady. "I CAN'T!" he roars, the conflict between his friend and his duty to strong to decide.

"I CAAN'T!"

The sickening sound of metal through bone reached his ears.

"W-why?" his partner gurgles through the blood that chokes his life away, hand outstretched toward his murderer's face.

"Why?"

He cannot answer.

He doesn't know either.

Aizen chuckles as the sword pulls free. "Now you are a traitor, just like me."

He doesn't know what to do.

So he runs.