"Darkside of the Moon"
As Rukia entered the Dangai, the portal to the World of the Living, she paused for a moment. Her violet eyes lingered in the direction of Squad 6's barracks, a faint glimmer of sadness clouding her gaze. She was embarking on a solo mission, one that would keep her away for two months, yet she had not informed Byakuya of her departure.
Would he notice her absence? The thought flitted through her mind like a fragile whisper, stirring something tender and painful in her heart.
A bitter smile curled on her lips, chased by a pang of guilt for even entertaining such a notion. She knew the answer already. Byakuya Kuchiki, her elder brother and head of the noble Kuchiki clan, would hardly care. To him, she was nothing bit a disappointment, an insignificant shadow unworthy of his notice.
Fifty years.
Fifty years had passed since she had been adopted into the Kuchiki clan, and yet she had failed to earn his acknowledgment. No matter how hard she worked, no matter how perfectly she tried to emulate the ideals of a noblewoman, her efforts always seemed to fall short.
Her mind drifted to the countless nights she had spent practicing the clan's etiquette until her hands trembled, or the times she pushed herself to exhaustion in her training as a Shinigami. All of it was in the hope that Byakuya might one day look at her—not with cold indifference, but with the warmth of acceptance. Yet the chasm between them remained as vast as ever.
Then there was the incident with Kaien Shiba.
The memory hit her like a blade, sharp and unrelenting. She had killed her mentor, the man who had believed in her when no one else had. The weight of that guilt was something she carried every day. And Byakuya? He hadn't spoken to her about it, not even once. His already frigid demeanor had turned colder, and his silence screamed louder than any words could have.
In those moments, she had felt completely insignificant, like a stain on the Kuchiki name—a name she had never felt worthy of bearing.
Rukia clenched her fists, pushing those thoughts aside. There was no room for self-pity now. She had a mission to complete, and her feelings, as always, were a burden she would bear alone.
"Arigatou, Nii-sama…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The words felt hollow, a courtesy offered more out of habit than sincerity. With one last look toward the distant barracks, she stepped into the Dangai, letting the darkness swallow her.
She didn't know it yet, but this would be the last peaceful moment she would share with her brother. The next time their paths crossed, he wouldn't be watching over her in silence or ignoring her existence from a distance. Instead, he would stand as her pursuer, the enforcer of Soul Society's laws.
Rukia was unknowingly walking toward a storm—a storm that would change everything.
to be continued ...