Rebirth [Ukyo Saionji x Reader]

2

** Hello all! I wanted to reach out to you all in regards of a quick question: do you all like the length of these chapters or would you like them broken up? Whenever I try to make chapters under 3000 words, it never works out, so I wanted to know if you all like how long these chapters are? Or honestly, would you like them longer? (I'm long winded I could do it). This is a new story I've been planning and I want it to do well so please feel free to give your opinions and constructive criticism! 

Thank you and please enjoy! 

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The early morning sun broke through the clouds that hung in the sky, shining through and hitting your face. You scrunched you eyes, still closed, and repositioned yourself by turning over, hoping to escape the rays that protruded though. The feeling was warm and inviting, although not much light had shone through the thick clouds, the sun gave a pleasant sensation to the you. You slept within one of the many spaces within a stone wall, many others occupying the wall as well, each space serving as a "room." Half awake, but your mind still clear, the sound of birds chirping rang in your ears. Believing you were dreaming the sounds, being accustomed to the silence that true buildings held, you stayed in your half awake state. However, the sounds of the morning continued, and as the sun rose more and more the birds became louder and louder. You were pulled from you dream like state and groaned, opening your eyes only to close them immediately from the sunlight. 

Without a clock, or anything that held time, you had to guess that it was early morning. Your body used to getting up early, and the birds didn't help in the matter of going back to sleep. With a small sigh, you sat up and stretched, hearing your back crack and pop from the discomfort of sleeping on nothing but a blanket on pure stone. Reopening your eyes, you glanced over to see a barely orange sky, blue taking it over as it seemed to be at least seven or eight in the morning. You decided to glance around, seeing that hardly anyone was awake at the time; everyone must be used to the sound of birds but you. You stepped out of the space you occupied and stood up, your body thankful to finally be stretched out. 

With a hum, you looked at your surroundings, everything was quiet. A quiet that you no longer enjoyed, having been silenced for 3700 years. It was something you had to live with though, there no music to drown out the silence anymore. You put your hands to your face and rubbed your eyes, your fingers lingering on the petrification scar that remained. Upon dropping your hands back to your sides, you took another step and started to walk. Aimlessly, yet determined to get where you wanted to go. The mental map you made last night coming to the front of your mind as you continued. 

You were alone in your thoughts again as you walked, though your attention to the path in front of you remained, not yet confident enough to zone out and still make it to your destination. A left turn at the small junction, pass the smooth rock and take a left, straight forward from there. The mental image you created in your mind the only thing keeping you from losing your way.

Straight forward from there. The seemingly small wooden cross now found it's way into your view, only a few yards away. However, you stopped at the edge of the circular clearing and a feeling of grief bubbled up inside you. Was this a grave marker? If so, whom? You hadn't realized the significance last night, your mind still foggy and your eyes transfixed on the view beyond. But now you noticed. Something in you told you to turn away, to not disrespect the dead you didn't know, but you didn't listen to your intuition.

Your eyes gazed at the cross, it becoming closer and closer as you neared it. Stopping just in front of it, a small sigh left your lips; to not disrespect whomever was there, you kneeled. Your knees connecting with the rough ground, the harsh dirt digging into your skin. Nonetheless, you stayed in this position and bowed your head. "Death already happened so soon in the stone world?" You asked yourself aloud. There was a brief pause, of course a dead man tells no tales, you expected as much. The only sound playing in your ears was the birds in the forest, and the wind blowing within the trees.