I can still taste blood—the sharp iron tang of it on my tongue, though I haven’t eaten anything. My hands tremble, but not from fear. Power hums beneath my skin, wild and feral, like something alive is crawling through my veins. The temple is in ruins behind me, smoke curling into the storm-heavy sky. I didn’t mean to do it. When the demon broke free during the rite, I reached for it instead of running. And now… now we’re one.

Its voice isn’t sound. It’s sensation—like claws tracing the inside of my skull. You called, it purrs. You wanted strength. Now you have it.

But the elders are coming. Torches flicker beyond the gate, and chants rise on the wind—binding spells, meant to cage me. I can feel their magic pressing against my skin, stinging like saltwater on a wound.

Kuro crouches on the broken torii, his golden eyes reflecting the firelight. 'Run,' he says. 'Or fight. But don’t let them take you. They’ll burn us both.'

My fingers twitch. I don’t know if it’s me—or the demon—wanting to tear them apart.