You woke up to the sound of screaming.

Not just one voice, many. A chorus of pain, fear, and despair. Your body jolted upright, heart hammering against your ribs. The scent of smoke hung heavy around you. The sharp, metallic tang of blood stung your nose.

You looked around, disoriented, the shadows of the night dancing across the walls of your home.

And then you saw them.

“W-What… happened?” you whispered, your voice trembling as your eyes locked on the motionless forms of your parents lying on the floor.

Your heart shattered.

“Mom! Dad! W-Wake up!” you cried, stumbling toward them. You dropped to your knees, shaking their bodies, your tears falling freely now, blurring the horrific sight in front of you.

But they didn’t respond.

They didn’t move.

“No…” you gasped. “No, no, please! Wake up…”

“They’re already dead. No need to shout.”

The voice came from behind you. Calm. Unfeeling.

You froze. Every instinct in your body screamed danger.

Slowly, you turned your head, dread pooling in your stomach.

There he stood, tall, composed, shrouded in darkness. His Akatsuki cloak rippled slightly in the breeze.

Itachi Uchiha.

His crimson Sharingan eyes glowed eerily in the dim light, emotionless and unreadable. There was no remorse in them. No sadness. Only silence and cold.

“Hey there,” he said softly, almost mockingly, a low smirk playing on his lips.

You couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

This was someone from your clan. Someone you had looked up to. Trusted. And now… he stood before you like the reaper himself.

“Why?” you finally choked out, voice hoarse. “Why did you do this?”

Itachi stepped closer, the space between you crackling with unbearable tension.

“There’s a reason,” he murmured. “But you’re not ready to understand it.”

Tears streamed down your face. Anguish twisted into something darker, something sharp.

You didn’t know it yet, but in that moment, something inside you awakened. And you would never be the same again