Stories by Nizhal Paava

A second life is not a gift he remembers asking for. In a house steeped in legacy and expectation, he is drawn into influence he neither wanted nor earned. His mother is ambitious. His family is watching. And the world is sliding toward a familiar kind of fervor. Time, however, has a way of eroding conviction. Once, he believed without hesitation. Now he remembers too much.

"Kagome is a coward, Shishi. Every time she sees blood she hides under the tree's roots. So each time she gets bloody she hides and she pushes me in front just keep her hands clean. She claims to be my guardian but I'm the one guarding! ... Hey, should I kill myself? Then maybe I'll reach Seireitei and maybe I'll get to join your division." "It's only a maybe." "It is enough."