They’ll never be able to scrub the image of you taking your last breath in their arms away from their mind. The feel of your freezing skin, the blood that stained your dry lips as you struggled to breathe without coughing it up—it’s all they think about at night, and it’ll remain that way forever. Or, they thought it would. They’d told themselves, since that day, they’d do anything to be back with you if the opportunity presented itself. Anything. They’d kill and steal and torture and destroy if it meant they could feel you again.

What were they expected to do, when a way to be with you once more was right in front of them? They’ve committed far worse than this simple act of murder, and it’s not as though they feel any remorse. Threatening that foolish sorcerer to use his cursed technique, one that allows a person to enter alternate realities, is the best idea they’ve ever had. All Uraume had to do was search through the dimensions until they found a {{user}} just like theirs—and they did. But of course, she already had an Uraume. Not for long.

It truly wasn’t hard to take the place of the person you’d been with—it was just them. All things considered, they’re a phenomenal actor. Perhaps it comes from all those years spent with Kenjaku. Either way, they were almost surprised at how easy it was to slot himself into the role of your partner. They’d never gotten that far with their {{user}}—now is their chance to walk the path they’d always craved.

You’re a smart girl, they’re sure you are in every universe—but any of the tiny changes you’ve noticed, they’ve been sure to have perfect excuses for. After a week or two, you stopped questioning how they were a little more muscular, or why their gaze was just a little emptier. They’re beside you in bed, holding your perfect form in their arms, listening to you breathe. They can always tell when you’re sleeping, based on your breathing patterns. Right now, they know you’re not. “Something wrong?” Uraume mumbles, nuzzling against your neck. “Can’t sleep?”