30. Dreams

The snow was falling softly.

Hana opened her eyes to find herself walking through a forest blanketed in snow. The silence was endless, broken only by the soft crunch of snow beneath her sandals. Her breath came out in pale clouds that drifted into the still air. For a moment, she didn't move. Then, instinctively, her hand flew to the hilt of her sword.

Her heart pounded.
What happened? Where am I?

The air was sharp, too real for a dream. Her pulse raced as she spun around, scanning the empty field, her fingers trembling against the handle of her blade.

Calm down, Hana. Breathe. She told herself.

But confusion swirled inside her chest. This wasn’t a battlefield. There was no blood, no demon scent only snow and silence.

Then, a soft voice broke through the stillness.

“Hana…”

Her eyes widened. She knew that voice. It was warm, familiar, like sunlight after a storm. She turned around.

There, walking toward her with a gentle smile, was her mother.

“M–Mom?” Her voice cracked, disbelief flooding her. Her sword slipped from her hand and fell soundlessly into the snow as she stumbled forward. “Mom!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw herself into her mother’s arms.

“It’s all right, Hana,” her mother whispered, stroking her hair. “I’m right here.”

Hana buried her face in her mother’s kimono, breathing in the faint scent of smoke and herbs. It was real too real. But beneath that warmth, something in her heart whispered unease.

This.… is too perfect.

Then she heard another voice.
“Hana.”

She turned sharply.
“Papa!” she cried. Her father stood near their old home, smiling softly as though nothing had ever gone wrong.

“Papa!” She ran to him and clung to him tightly. “I missed you so much.”

He chuckled, brushing her hair back. “It’s all right. I’m here now.”

But somewhere beyond this illusion, in the cold world of reality, a demon smiled cruelly from atop the Mugen Train.

“Isn’t it wonderful to die while dreaming?” The demon smiled in glee. “It doesn’t matter how strong they are. Destroy the heart… destroy the spirit… and they’ll never wake again.”

Below, Hana slept on.

---

The fire crackled softly in the hearth. Warmth filled the little wooden house, wrapping everything in a golden glow. Hana sat beside her mother, listening to the faint lullaby she used to hum long ago.

Then, a sound broke the quiet a soft, fragile cry.

Hana blinked. “Mom?”

Her mother smiled, rising to her feet. “It’s all right, dear,” she said gently. “Someone’s awake.”

From the woven cradle, she lifted a small bundle wrapped in a light blue blanket. The crying stopped as soon as the baby met her mother’s arms.

Hana’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”

Her mother’s smile deepened as she sat beside her and carefully placed the baby in Hana’s arms. “Your little brother,” she whispered. “Tanjiro.”

Hana’s breath caught. She looked down at the baby’s soft face his bright red eyes staring at her. He yawned, stretching tiny fingers that curled instinctively around hers.

“Tanjiro…” she murmured, her voice trembling. “He’s so small.”

Her mother nodded, watching them with love. “Take care of him, Hana. You’ll be his big sister.”

Tears filled Hana’s eyes as she cradled the infant close. “I will,” she promised. “I’ll protect him… no matter what.”

The snow outside fell quietly. For a fleeting moment, everything was perfect her mother’s soft hum, the warmth of the fire, and the little heartbeat against her chest.

But deep down, Hana’s chest tightened. Something about this scene  her mother’s words, Tanjiro’s tiny hand  it hurt too much to be real.

----

Laughter filled the house. Hana’s siblings Hanako, Shineru, and little Rotaka were playing tag outside, their laughter echoing across the snow. Hana watched them from the porch, her heart overflowing. Tanjiro and Nezuko were there too, smiling as they joined in the fun.

Everything was warm, peaceful, perfect.

Until Hana froze.

Nezuko was laughing under the sunlight.

Her chest tightened. Nezuko… sunlight?

She blinked, confused. That can’t be right. She’s… she’s-

Her heart started to race. “Nezuko!” she shouted, running toward her, trying to shield her with her haori.

“Hana?” her siblings stared at her in confusion. “Why are you acting so weird?”

“I-” Hana faltered, clutching her head. “What’s happening to me?”

Her mother appeared beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Hana, dear, are you feeling unwell?”

Hana forced a shaky smile. “I’m fine, Mom.”

“Could you get the bath ready?” her mother asked. “I’ll be busy for a while.”

“Of course,” Hana said softly, heading toward the mountain path.

But her steps felt heavy.
I keep saying strange things. Maybe I really am tired…

Then she saw it. Nezuko’s wooden box, resting by the path.

When she turned to look again it was gone.

Her heart raced. “I swear I saw-”

"What's happening." She shook her head walking towards the lake.

She leaned over the lake to fill her bucket and gasped.

Her reflection was staring at her… and it moved. “Wake up,” it whispered.

Hana stumbled back. “Wh–what?”

“Wake up!” her reflection shouted, its voice urgent, trembling. “You’re under attack! This is a dream! WAKE UP!”

The reflection reached out, hands pressing against the water’s surface, as if it were glass. “Fight, Hana! Wake up and fight!”

A surge of energy threw her backward. The world flickered.

---

She opened her eyes again and was back at home.

Her siblings sat around her, smiling brightly. “Hana-nee, come eat with us!” Takeo said.

She looked at them, confused, her heart aching. Still dreaming… still not awake.

“Big sis, are you okay?” Hanako asked softly.

Hana pressed her hands to her chest. “I have to wake up,” she whispered. “I have to go.”

---

Outside, Nezuko stirred inside her box. She could sensed something wrong, something painful. Crawling out, she saw Hana and Tanjiro's trembling in their sleep, tears rolling down their cheeks.

Nezuko's own eyes welled up. She headbutted Hana, hard.

Then again. And again.

Seeing no movement, Nezuko turned to Tanjiro and headbutted him as well.

Blood trickled from her forehead, and Nezuko began to cry.

Suddenly, out of frustration, she banged her head even harder

Pink fire burst around them Nezuko’s blood demon art glowing softly in the dark.

Inside her dream, Hana’s siblings gasped, panic in their eyes as the pink fire surrounded Hana.

“Big sis is on fire!” Hanako cried.

But Hana inhaled sharply. That scent… Nezuko’s blood.

“Nezuko…” she whispered.

Suddenly, her clothes shimmered her uniform returned, her Nichirin sword at her side then she realised.

She was waking up.

Her siblings clung to her. “Hana-nee, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, tears falling freely. “I have to go.”

“Big sis?” Hanako reached for her sleeve.

Hana knelt and patted their heads one last time, smiling through her tears.

“I’ll always love you,” she whispered. “Stay safe.”

Then she turned and ran.

----

Outside their home, she saw Tanjiro and Nezuko standing in the garden, baskets full of vegetables. The sunlight bathed them in gold.

“We picked so many today,” Nezuko said brightly.

Hana’s throat tightened. She could barely speak.

“Mom! This way!” Takeo called. “Big sis was on fire earlier!”

Her mother rushed out. “Hana, are you all right?”

Hana bowed her head, trembling. “I wish I could stay here… forever,” she whispered. “We should’ve been like this. All of us. Together.”

She clenched her fists. “But… they’re gone. We can never go back.”

Her little brother, Rotaka, ran after her, crying. “Nee-san! Don’t leave us behind!”

“I’m sorry,” Hana sobbed. “I’m so
sorry…”

I wish I could turn back and be with them forever.

By rights, they should've been alive and well now. Nezuko should be laughing in the sunlight, not hiding from it.

By rights, I should be here making charcoal every day with Tanjiro, taking care of my family.

My little brother shouldn't have had to train, or pick up a sword.

Tanjiro and Nezuko shouldn't have had to suffer so much.

We should have all been together... smiling, living, happy.

Snow swallowed her footsteps as she ran into the distance as tears streamed down her cheeks.

'You’ll always live on…in my memories.'

---

Meanwhile, within the depths of her heart, the A boy wandered. He tore open the veil of Hana’s subconscious and froze.

What he saw was not darkness, but light.

A vast forest of flowers.
Sunlight streamed through branches, scattering over fields of color.
Tiny, glowing spirits fluttered around, whispering softly as they led him forward.

And there, at the center of the forest, was Hana’s spiritual core a radiant heart, pure and tranquil.

He dropped to his knees. “So warm… so kind… so beautiful…”

But beneath that warmth, a hidden pain pulsed -grief, love, and the endless weight of memory.

He trembled. “I… I can’t destroy this…”

---

Hana’s voice echoed faintly, resolute and clear.

Tanjiro. Nezuko. Your big sister will protect you. I will always be there for you.

She gripped her sword tightly and lifted it to her chest. Then, without second thought, she plunged it into her chest.

Darkness followed.

__________________________________________

Extra

Hana had always been her father’s girl. From the moment she could walk, she followed him everywhere. He was her hero, her safe place, her favorite person in the world. He taught her everything, patience, kindness, strength, and how to laugh even when life got hard.

As the older daughter, Hana always felt responsible, but with her father around, it never felt like a burden. He was always there to guide her, to listen, to remind her that she could do anything.

Then came the day that shattered everything. His death was sudden, and she wasn’t ready for it. The house felt emptier, colder, quieter. She couldn’t accept it. She still waited to hear his voice, still reached for him in her dreams. Her mother and younger siblings cried, and Hana wanted to cry with them. But instead, she decided she had to be strong for them.

Being the eldest meant she couldn’t fall apart. So she smiled through the pain, carried his responsibilities, and did her best to hold the family together.

Even now, she carries him within her, his lessons, his love, his strength. Hana is still her father’s girl, only now she walks with him in her heart, living each day to make him proud.