// ... The curse of Immortality

               started :: 2O25.O4.28

               posted :: 2O25.O4.28

               made by :: greed

               made for :: ENT Agency

               #ENTStarTrails

               word count :: 795

               art credit :: linked below

               summary :: after Eri finds out about

               how her quirk truly functions, she

               jumps head first into becoming a

               hero, only to realise what that truly

               meant for her. Now she stands in a

               dark hospital room, crying next to her

               Hero.

               characters :: Eri, Mirio Togata

It would've been an otherwise beautiful summer evening. Anyone outside was welcomed with a few, small raindrops, which would shimmer in the evening sky. A small rainbow had formed, connecting one side of the city to the other, and framing the setting sun to create a view most would not dare to miss out on. In times like these, there was only peace lingering in the warm air. Peace that was fought for, and very well earned.

Yet somehow, during such a peaceful era, the only sounds that could be heard in the dimly lit hospital room were the loud sobs coming from a young woman. Her hands held onto her Hero’s tightly, clutching it and bringing it closer to her chest as tears kept streaming down her face. He had already started to grow cold, and his fingers barely wrapped themselves around her own, too weak to hold out a firm grip.

“N-no— s-stop!- You've still got people to save. Please, don't go yet!-”

Her voice came out broken. It was like nails scratching at a drawing board. Horrifyingly uncomfortable. Her usually soft and tender features twisted in a sorrowful frown that made it hard for her to even recognise herself. The voice that cried out Mirio’s name didn't even feel like it belonged to her.

She had never felt grief like this before.

The only light in the room came from her horn, which was now buzzing with power. Golden electricity illuminated her face, and for just a moment it felt like a warm embrace. As if her own quirk had come to comfort her in a moment where she felt so unbearably alone.

It wasn’t a villain attack that brought him here into a hospital. Or a terrible sickness. It wasn’t even an injury either. It was the worst of them all; old age. Most people in this world fear villains because they believe that they could get hurt, and that those villains will bring about their ruin. But for a girl with a sensitive heart as Eri, dying because of a villain almost seemed like mercy.

It’s been a couple decades since she found out how her quirk truly functions. Not only can it rewind someone’s body, but it leaves her suspended in time. Forever living as a 26 year old. To others, her quirk looked like a dream come true; a strong power that could keep them safe and help take down any villain they face off! And just for a little while, she thought of it that way too. She was able to help save so many people, so many girls just like her who were suffering. But as the years ed by, a sudden realisation caused her happiness to come to halt.

She’s unsure of what caused her quirk to activate and suspend her in time like this. But even with the help of Eraserhead, they were unable to stop its activation. It was… permanent.

So for the past 60 or so years, she’s seen her friends grow old. She’s seen her mentors . And now… she stood next to Mirio’s hospital bed, clutching onto his cold hands, begging for him not to leave her, too. Hot tears kept falling down her cheeks and onto her hands. It was the only thing that provided her with some sense of warmth.

“You can’t-! You have to stay… This isn’t- it isn’t fair! I’ll… I’ll use my quirk, and rewind you back!- So you can-” she kept crying. Her throat was hoarse from all the sobs she’s let out in the past couple of hours.

She felt Mirio shift a little, and for a moment, her tears came to a halt. Her red eyes stared down at Mirio, who could just barely hold onto a big smile. His other hand reached out for her, patting her head.

“Hey… I don’t want you to rewind me at all. I’ve reached my goals, you know. Saved over a million people by now, I’m sure,” he let out a huffed laugh, his hand trembling weakly above her head. “But that’s okay. I’ve done what I wanted to, and I even got to see you smile, too. I’ll be just fine like this. Believe me, I can still keep going, ya know? You keep going too, Eri. Stay strong. You’re my hero now too.”

His words made her crumble completely. She let out a loud sob, hunching over and clutching onto his hand even tighter than she had before. It’s like the entire world grew dark, and when she heard fabric rustle, and loud beeping come from behind his bed… Eri fell to her knees, wailing painfully.

Immortality was far too cruel of a gift for one with such a fragile heart to bear.

:fallen_leaf: ART