"Death Sentence"
Byakuya stood in front of Rukia, his face an impenetrable mask of composure as he read her death sentence aloud. His voice was steady, cold even, but inside he struggled to suppress the storm threatening to overwhelm him. This was Rukia—the one person who, against all odds, had brought warmth into his life after Hisana's death. The thought of losing her now was unbearable, a pain he hadn't anticipated.
For fifty years, he had kept her at a distance, burying his emotions beneath the weight of his duty. Yet, despite his efforts, Rukia had quietly carved a space in his heart. Her resilience, her sharp wit, and even her stubbornness had become a part of him. She was his pride, though he would never admit it aloud.
Her triumphs had filled him with unspoken joy, while her sorrows had cut him deeper than any blade. And now, here he was, sentencing her to death—a task he had never imagined would fall upon him.
It was ironic, cruel even, how reading her execution order felt like condemning himself.
Byakuya had spent his life striving for strength, not for his own sake but to protect those under his care—the Kuchiki clan, the Soul Society, and once, Hisana. He had faced countless enemies on the battlefield, endured the grief of losing subordinates, and carried the silent agony of losing his parents and his wife. But this… this was different.
The fear of losing Rukia eclipsed all the emotions he had felt before.
His hands, hidden within his sleeves, clenched tightly. He couldn't allow himself to falter. Not here. Not now.
As he looked at her, standing behind the cold iron bars, her petite frame illuminated by the faint glow of the prison torches, he felt a sharp pang in his chest. Her eyes—so expressive, so full of sadness—seemed to pierce through him, as though she could see the battle raging within. And yet, there was no anger, no accusation in her gaze. Only acceptance.
It was as if she understood his silence, as if she had expected nothing more from him.
"This is the last time we will see each other before your execution," Byakuya said at last, his voice devoid of the warmth he wished he could convey.
He turned away, unwilling to let her see the cracks forming in his resolve.
Rukia remained silent, her gaze fixed on his retreating figure. For fifty years, she had followed his lead, trusted his decisions, and sought his approval. And now, as always, she watched him leave.
In the corner of the room, Renji's world came crashing down. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed to the floor, his mind reeling from what he had just heard.
Rukia was going to be executed.
And Captain Kuchiki—his captain—would do nothing to stop it.
"Captain… you can't mean this," Renji whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. But Byakuya didn't respond. He kept walking, his figure disappearing into the shadows, leaving behind a silence more deafening than any words could have been.
For Renji, the betrayal cut like a knife. For Byakuya, every step away from Rukia felt heavier than the last.
Rukia, however, stood quietly, her head bowed but her spirit unbroken. Even now, she bore the weight of her fate with grace, the way only a Kuchiki could.
to be continued...
A/N: the canon drama..