I wrote this story in 2020. At first it was supposed to be something bigger, but my sister ignored me and the text was ignored for four years. So I decided to post it that way. It is important to note that english is not my first language and as it has no beta, there may be grammatical errors in the fanfic. If you find any, please let me know so I can fix it!

Ah, the story was written based on the song Funerary Dream – Kaya ( /ifRl18B8KSQ?si=aONt_Q2hmS9zci1a).

Good reading!

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His eyelids trembled as the sun's rays hit his face and, when he opened his eyes, he could see the sky above him – such a deeper and clear blue that he didn't remember having seen before.

"You're finally awake," said that deep voice he knew so well. "Did you rest, Subaru-chan?"

It was only then that he realized he was no longer in his room – instead, he was in an open field of green grass and cool breeze, with cherry trees everywhere. Under one of them he was lying with his head resting on Seishiro's lap.

"It's about time", and then another voice was present at the scene. "Don't make that face, little brother, get up quickly!"

That was a dream – it could only be a dream. Still, it was such a good dream to be there with the two people he loved most in life. The young Sumeragi looked from Hokuto to Seishiro and then felt more younger; it was as if he had gone back in time – to a time where his life, no matter how difficult it was, was still happy. Seeming to notice his silent inquiries, the older man stroked his hair and, kissing his forehead, said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Subaru-chan, everything will be fine in the end."

The voice was no more than a whisper, yet it was all he needed to hear; it was everything he wanted to believe, even as his mind pulled him back to reality. Seishiro smiled softly as he looked at Hokuto – who was excitedly telling one of her many amusing stories. Sakurazuka looked the same, however, unlike Hokuto, his face bore the marks of age along with his scars.

His heart sank in his chest when he realized the truth. It wasn't the first time he had a dream like this, but it was always painful to accept reality – the cold and cruel reality where there was no Hokuto or Seishiro beside him. Even though his sister's face and voice remained the same, he himself was not the same; it took years of training and relentless pursuit of revenge – he would never go back to being the same Subaru he was before.

Sitting up abruptly, he felt his head spin and the floor collapse beneath him. He could feel the worried looks in his direction, but he needed to be strong and take control of the situation. He had to be. So many years had passed and yet he still hurt; it was like a wound that never healed and these dreams were a bittersweet reminder of that. It was sweet to remember the time when, even if for a short time, he managed to feel happy – but it was bitter to remember and relive everything that happened afterwards.

Subaru had failed his sister and his desperate quest for revenge resulted in more suffering. As much as he wanted revenge, seeing Seishiro take his last breath in his arms destroyed what was left of his broken heart. There was nothing that attracted him in the outside world – instead, he found himself increasingly wanting to live a fantasy that was more pleasant than his sad reality.

"Subaru-chan", a soft breeze touched his face and then the young man hid his face in his hands. "You need to wake up and know it."

For a moment he thought it was raining. It was only when he felt his sister's gentle touch on his arm and raised his head that he realized that the sky was still as clear as before; what he thought was rain were his tears that ran down his face freely. He felt the soft touch of Seishiro's hand on his face, as well as a kiss that Hokuto placed on his cheek. When he opened his eyes to face them again, he saw them standing side by side.

"Wait!" the young Subaru shouted; he felt small and desperate at that moment. "Don't leave me here alone…", his voice was low, almost like a whisper. "Please".

In the next instant, he felt as if time had stopped; a strong wind arose and, as if by magic, Hokuto and Seishiro had disappeared before his eyes. No matter how much he shouted for them, there was no response. Subaru was alone again – it was just him and the cherry trees there.

His vision was blurred by the tears he was reluctant to shed, yet he could see two figures in the distance that he knew very well. At the other end of the field, under a cherry tree with white petals, were Hokuto and Seishiro smiling at him.

And then Subaru was back in the real world. Alone in his cold bed and with his face soaked with tears, he let himself be carried away by the melancholy that had long ago become his only companion. Between one sob and another, he wished he could live in that dream forever – until tiredness overcame him, taking him to a dreamless sleep.