Roses, Hearts and Blood

The stone floor was slick with a cold, sticky liquid. It seeped into his clothes, chilling him to the bone. He heard a piercing scream, followed by another and then another until all was silent. Slowly, he sat up, desperate to rid himself of the wetness that clung to his skin. His eyes scanned the room for something, anything, to dry himself off with. But instead, they landed on a woman lying just a few meters away. She lay still and unmoving, a pool of crimson spreading from her body onto the stone floor. Panic rose in his chest, causing his breath to catch in his throat. It felt like he was drowning, suffocating in this nightmarish scene before him. As he looked down at his hands, he realized they were not covered in water as he had thought - they were coated in blood.

Ren's eyes snapped open, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The room was dim, with the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. He was back in his bed, the sheets tangled around him. His heart pounded as the memories of the nightmare clung to his mind.

"Hey, Ren, you okay?" Kaen's voice was concerned, and Ren turned his head to see him sitting up in his bed, worry etched on his face.

"Yeah, um… I'm fine. Just a bad dream, that's all," Ren said, trying to shake off the vivid images. He looked down at his hands, seeking reassurance in their normalcy.

Kaen nodded, his expression softening. "I get it. I've had nightmares all the time since my brother disappeared." Ren's gaze shot up at him, "Your brother is gone?" Kaen's eyes shifted a bit before answering. "Yep, that's why I came here, but it's not like I'm getting any answers or anything," Ren hummed, it felt nice that Kaen trusted him enough to share that with him. It felt like he actually had a friend. "My family is… Well was the Headsmen of the territory Yosah, but," He stopped, unable to get the image of the lifeless body of the woman, his mother, out of his head. "But we were overthrown by the Tora Gang, they slaughtered everyone except me. I fled here to the surface but got arrested, but then an agent showed up and got me out," Ren looked up at Kaen, usually when he told this story to someone they had that pitiful look in their eyes, he hated that look. But Kaen's crimson eyes weren't full of pity, they were understanding. Ren liked his eyes, as much as they reminded him of blood, the blood on his hands. They also reminded him of roses, hearts, and love. That made the red color that he always saw not so bad anymore. "I'm sorry for your loss, they won't find you here though you're safe." Kaen's smile was warm, his fangs showing briefly. Ren found himself giggling, feeling a rare sense of comfort. "Thank you, Kaen. But I think we should try to get a bit more sleep. Otherwise, the training's going to be a nightmare."

Kaen nodded, and they both settled back into their beds. The comforting presence of a friend allowed him to drift back into sleep.