She wondered of how much the city has changed...

"How about we walk and talk? I honestly didn't expect you to come back, really."

Himeno chuckled, retrieving her phone and checking its condition. No cell service... It was either the present catching up or she needs a new phone.

Ugh.

"So!" She changed her focus back on the new friend, "What were you up to while I was still held hostage by the doctors and nurses?"

His expression.

Selfish Himeno's being selfish again.

Trust him? She always trusted him and yet, why is it so hard to do so whenever it's needed the most?

It isn't fair to him.

But even if it aches so much and it's all so scary...

"...okay, Aki." Himeno nodded, taking his hand, "I trust you."

And he can find a way out for them. He's always been so smart and so reliable! He'll get it immediately and they'll be fine.

Everything will be fine.

He still has so much to live for, she can't let him die—

"Aki!" She turned to him and all those thoughts disappeared in a blink of an eye.

And Himeno looked ahead, suddenly swinging her arm.

A long and harsh invisible force swiped away any lesser demons that were coming too close for comfort, and suddenly, Himeno felt that capability again.

She can protect Aki again. She can fight for them again. She can handle this again.

But there was none and suddenly, it was like a cloth draped over her the right side of her sight, followed by a familiar voice.

"Ghost." Himeno whispered, almost fondly, and her right arm felt like ice but the feeling is nostalgic.

Despite Aki's voice yelling out her name, she didn't hear him.

"What's happening...?"

And then she's pulled him harshly, an arrow narrowly missing their heads and Himeno looked up to see the devils again—

They've began to move towards them like rabid and hungry wolves on puny, insignificant rabbits.

Himeno's eyes looked around in desperation for an escape.

There is actually nothing serene about this, especially when she looked ahead to see the many devils they couldn't possibly face on their own from afar.

Sweat broke out and her brows furrowed, eyes wide as she turned to Aki—

She can't lose him. Not again. Not when they're back together again.

Then the world changed and Himeno snapped out of it, hearing Aki's voice yell out—

"Aki!" She called for his attention, her door replaced by numerous others that floated in the sky above them.

The ground is a field of grass and flowers, rolling hills making for a serene landscape.

One of her buddies back then was her roommate and when that one died, she moved.

But even with that, her buddies died. The more blood she had in her hands, the harder it was to find the will to clean up. Or to do anything really.

...

Suddenly, she wondered if her plants are all okay.

"Man..." She sighed, rubbing her eyes, "...so they found me in these clothes."

Yet it doesn't make sense. She disappeared in them or atleast, the Ghost Devil took all of her body, leaving nothing to be buried and yet, she still has her clothes and her eyepatch.

...strange glitch in reality.

The tear from when she got shot and she watched as Aki fought tooth and nail to protect her and Denji.

...

She has no idea where any of them are and she up and sat sullenly in a simple convenience store nearby while her phone charged. Her foot bounced, a pack of smokes in hand, and she stared.

bsky.app/profile/upon...

"Who do you me- Oh." A doctor came in this time and Himeno frowned a bit, "Oh, sorry Harley. Maybe we can meet later? I'm pretty sure I can be out of here by noon or something and we can meet up?"

She offered, smiling apologetically on his way.

...maybe that's how she's here.

That's how she got to this place.

How she's—

The nurse came in, surprised at the sight and Himeno smiled, glancing at Harley, "Ah, I feel like this will be a while until I can leave the hospital. You said you were gonna meet someone though?"

That's the only thing she can say about it for now. If he meant something more complicated than what she thought, she doesn't have the current brain to understand.

Additionally...it wouldn't be surprising if it wasn't anything normal. Devils already existing, opening portals and stuff...