CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BLEED IT OUT

I stood there, soaking in the cheers, feeling—just for once—like things might actually work out.

 Weird. I wasn't the punching bag this time.

 For once, I'd actually made a friend. Or, at least, Namazu didn't hate my guts.

 That had to count for something, right?

 My eyes wandered the bleachers, searching for familiar faces.

 Fushineko-sensei was giving me something close to a grudging nod of approval, tail flicking slowly behind her.

 Azuki was practically bouncing out of her seat, waving at me with a grin wide enough to swallow the sun.

 She leapt from the bleachers, ran past Shion, and stood in front of me grinning ear-to-ear.

 "Ryu-sama! You did it! I knew you could! Now everyone will see you the way I do!" she said.

 "The way you see me?"

 "Remember what I said earlier?" Yuki cut in. "Azuki's not anchored in this world. She slips into other realms."

 Azuki nodded. "Yeah! That's right." She adjusted her glasses. "You've got a good friend, Ryu. You should listen to her."

 "You mean Yuki?" I asked.

 Azuki nodded again, grinning. "Yeah, that's right! Ryu-sama, Dragon of the Windy Mountain, I'm so glad I found you!"

 I laughed as she bowed in front of me again. "Why's that?"

 Azuki hesitated, her usual cheerfulness flickering.

 "This isn't the time to talk about it. But I need your help! Please! I'll explain later, okay? But I know I'll be okay! You're a dragon," she said, looking up at me with pure, unwavering faith. "You can do anything, Ryu-sama. You can save me!"

 And just like that, she spun around and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the gym.

 I wanted to ask her what she'd meant, but then Yuki asked me if I'd seen Inego lately.

 Then it hit me—I hadn't seen Inego since he invited Shion back to his room.

 "Oh hell," I muttered, suddenly feeling the hair on my neck stand up.

 My eyes darted frantically through the crowd, scanning faces, looking for that familiar black hair, those dead, waterless eyes.

 Nothing.

 I'd last seen Shion when Azuki ran towards me. She'd slipped out the gym, and I bet I knew where she was headed.

 "Yuki," I whispered sharply, feeling a cold wave press against my left side. "Can you see Shion anywhere?"

 Silence. Then—

 "Ryu… we might have a problem."

 Yeah. No kidding.

 Before the adrenaline had even finished flooding my veins, I was already pushing through the crowd, shoulder-checking students too slow to move.

 But the hallway was jammed tight with bodies—oni, tengu, and humans shuffling at a snail's pace.

 "Move!" I growled, pushing past an oni who could've flattened me if he wanted, but who thankfully just grunted and shrugged.

 By the lockers, I spotted the girl with violet eyes—the one hunting for Inego earlier. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, tapping her foot in a rapid, pissed-off rhythm.

 She seemed to be scanning the crowd. Probably looking for the same guy I was.

 "Hey!" I shouted. She barely glanced up, scowling. "You know where Inego's room is?"

 Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why?"

 "Because I think he's in trouble," I said, trying to keep my voice level even though my heart was pounding like crazy.

 Her violet eyes flashed. "If he's in his room right now, then that's where I'm going. And when I find him, he's mine."

 Before I could even protest that this was no joke, she stormed off.

 And because I clearly hadn't learned my lesson about following random supernatural girls, I hurried after her.

 We reached the dorms just as the afternoon sunlight sliced sharp lines across the floor.

 A door at the end of the hallway hung slightly ajar.

 "Inego!" Violet-eyes yelled, shoving the door wide open.

 She froze in the doorway, eyes wide.

 I caught up just in time to see exactly why.

 Shion had Inego pinned to his futon, her sleek black hair spilling over his chest. Her hand clamped tightly over his mouth, muffling his screams.

 His eyes were wild, terrified, pleading. His free hand stretched toward us, trembling in midair.

 Shion's fangs were buried deep in his neck, thin crimson rivers running down her chin.

 I knew exactly how he felt.

 Only Shion wasn't stopping.

 "Shion!" I shouted, my voice cracking as panic surged through me.

 She didn't even flinch—just kept drinking, lost in the feeding.

 Her eyes were closed in ecstasy.

 I could practically hear Yuki's voice again, that warning about what Shion's bites were doing to me.

 But right now, that wasn't important.

 Inego was about to die.

 Without thinking, I lunged into the room and grabbed Shion by the shoulders. I tugged, but it was like pulling against a statue made of iron and spite.

 "Shion, stop! Listen to me!" I screamed, my voice breaking under the weight of fear. "This isn't you! You don't want this!"

 Nothing. Panic sharpened into desperation.

 Screw it.

 I pressed closer until my eyes were inches from hers.

 I grabbed her chin and lifted her face, forcing her to see me.

 "Look at me, Shion! This isn't who you are!" I shouted, voice ragged.

 She could tear me apart right now, but I didn't care.

 I had to trust that she wouldn't because I hadn't broken her rule.

 I had to trust her.

 Her eyes, flat and cold, narrowed into slits.

 "You're not a monster," I whispered fiercely. "You're not a killer. This isn't you."

 She froze, her pupils dilating as she finally saw me—really saw me.

 And for what felt like forever, she just looked at me.

 She didn't have to say anything—I understood.

 But I also didn't understand her at all.

 Maybe I never would.

 The predator's cold glare wavered—confusion, then pain, then shame.

 And slowly, her fangs sank from Inego's neck.

 I felt a cold breeze against my left side.

 Yuki was beside me again, whispering, "It's okay, Ryu. You did it."

 But looking down at Inego, his shaking hand gripping my wrist like a lifeline, I wasn't so sure.

 "Get the hell away from him!" the violet-eyes' scream cut through the room like a whip.

 She dashed, putting herself between Shion and Inego.

 I watched as Shion's bite marks began to heal themselves, and I wondered if the healing had more to do with Shion than anything I was doing.

 But I couldn't worry about that now.

 Inego was bleeding out.

 Violet-eyes moved fast.

 She was beside Inego in an instant, pressing his school coat against his neck, hands trembling—anger, fear, something else. "I've got you," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

 Inego groaned weakly.

 His face was pale. Sweat clung to his forehead.

 Then, without looking at us, without acknowledging us, she threw one last disgusted glance at Shion—a silent message that screamed louder than words—before dragging Inego towards the door.

 She wasn't letting him go.

 She moved across the floor fast; her arms locked around him like a vice.

 Inego's wide, pleading eyes met mine.

 He didn't want to go with her.

 Azuki was waiting outside. "Oh my god! Is he okay?" Azuki gasped, reaching out. "I can—"

 "Don't touch him. He's mine!"

 The venom in Violet-eyes' voice stopped Azuki cold.

 She flinched, ears flattening, eyes wide with surprise, but said nothing as the girl rushed past her, disappearing into the hall.

 Then came the sound.

 An inhuman, guttural wail—a mix of grief, anger, and something deeper.

 A sound that didn't belong in this world.

 It rolled off Shion in waves, shaking through the air, through me, through my bones.

 My blood ran cold.

 I should have let go. I should have stepped back.

 But I didn't.

 I wrapped my arms around her instead, holding on tight, feeling the way her body shook against mine.

 She was so cold.

 She was sobbing—I could feel it—but there were no tears.

 She couldn't cry.

 And somehow, that was worse.

 Her trembling slowly stopped.

 She lifted her head, looking up at me.

 Her lips were stained red. The blood still clung to her mouth, a sharp contrast against her pale skin.

 Her fingers were clutching my shirt, holding onto me like I was the only solid thing left in the world.

 "Blondie, I know you mean well, but you JUST DON'T GET IT."

 The silence stretched between us, heavy, thick with everything unspoken.

 Then, from my left, Yuki's voice came—soft.

 "You're trying, Ryu. And… that's something."

 I exhaled slowly, tightening my arms just a little around Shion.

 Then I noticed the other students gathering at the door.

 Watching. Whispering.

 Azuki turned, her tail flicking, ears twitching in irritation. "Oi! Show's over. Get lost!"

 I felt something snap in me.

 I turned, glaring at them, my voice low, steady, and absolute:

 "She said GO AWAY."

 And just like that, they scrambled—some tripping over themselves to get out of the doorway.

 All except one.

 A tall, lanky figure stood there, unfazed.

 Ken's friend.

 He didn't run. Didn't look impressed. Didn't look anything, really.

 He just shook his head.

 "Cute."

 Then, with deliberate ease, he turned and walked away.