Chapter: zero

The first thing she noticed was the thin, white scar under his left eye.

Second were the blood red eyes.

She was in a trance as she saw the pale skin flushing, the white around showing red veins and his hand rising. She couldn't move; heck, she couldn't even feel anything.

Is this what they call numbing in fear? Her fourteen years old mind vaguely wondered.

"You dare..." He seethed. "You dare coming to my house and telling me what to do..."

"Please..." She heard herself speak.

"...with these filthy rats in your toes..."

"Sir, please, let us explain..."

"Explain! What more could there be to explain? Shut your mouth you measly human!" He roared and she could almost feel the red head beside her shifting. When she gripped his bicep, it was instinct.

"It was a mistake...a horrible mistake..." He fumed. "I should've get rid of these...I should have the moment I knew her true identity..."

"Yes." For the first time, the blue head they'd been trying to protect, spoke up as he stepped out from behind them. 'Yes, you should have." He spoke in the softest tone and she felt herself slipping further away. "You should have killed us when you still had the chance. That way, we wouldn't have been here today, I wouldn't have been here today and I wouldn't have come here to seek for the truth..."

She breathed in. She knew what was coming next.

"...but now that I know, now that I know what kind of a person you really are..." Kuroko Smiled. "You don't know how grateful I am. Thank you for not acknowledging me as your son."

That was the last straw.

That was also what finally worked as gravity and slammed her down to earth.

Even before she saw it, she felt it. And then, she was between them, her lance held firmly in front of her ready to take any commencing strike as she pushed Kagami behind her. She knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but she'd rather not take the risks. Of course Kagami struggled, but at the moment she was more focused on the red head in front of her.

Akashi-sama had his hand raised, his fangs showed and his eyes glowing. He was also frozen with shock.

"You..." He managed to choke out, for the first time his whole attention on her. "You are a..."

"P-please." She stuttered out and absolutely hated how her voice was so weak. "Please d-don't try to hurt them." She sniffles. Pathetic. "I can't let you hurt them. They're my family, he's my family." She felt Kuroko gripping her shoulder and trying to pull her back while Kagami stood there dumbfounded. "If-if you want we'll l-leave and we won't ever come back. That's what you want r-right? Please..."

"You," He tried desperately to regain his composure. "You are a Mage, what are you doing with a wolf? Where is your cult?"

"I am unclaimed."

His eyes widened. Then once again they filled with rage. "You traitor." He whispered. "Serving wolves. You filthy traitor."

She flinched, her hands started shaking. But she refused to move. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kagami stepping forward. On his neck a thin line of fur.

"Enough." He growled. "Who she allies with is none of your business. She isn't claimed yet, she can do whatever she wants now."

For a moment she thought he was going to rip his throat out. But then, he sneered.

"Yes, you're right. I don't even want to get stuck with your nasty doings."

She very much wanted to point out that his son was also a part of said doings but figured she'd literally lose her intestines then and there as his eyes fixated on her.

"I will let you leave." For some reason, he seemed to think of her as the head even though she was the youngest one present in the room when he spoke. "But as you said, you will never come back. You will never try to involve my cult in your business and no one, not a single soul, will ever know of his true identity."

And she realized what it was. He was simply trying to save his own ass.

"I w-will." She nodded as she finally allowed herself to relax. But she still held her lance, not trusting the situation completely.

"Do I have your word?"

"Yes."

Kuroko was the first one to step out, Kagami followed, eager to leave this hellhole, but when she moved, she was stopped.

"Wait."

She turned around and saw him frowning at her.

"Can you explain, why you are serving a wolf instead of a cult of vampires?"

She thought for a moment. "I am not serving them, it isn't possible for a Mage to serve anyone other than his claimed cult." She took a breath, deciding to go all out. "I am with them because they are my family."

His frowned deepened at that and she knew he was trying to figure out what it meant, how it was possible for a Mage human to be acquaintances with a wolf.

To be honest, she herself wasn't sure of it most days.

But did it matter?

And when she was leaving, her eyes fell on the petite figure of the boy, his eyes just as red as his father's. He stood there in a corner, staring at her, trying to make sense of everything that had transpired. Akashi Seijuro, that was the first and last time she saw him with any innocence.

A hand gripped hers and she startled, only to find Kuroko.

"Come on, Furihata-chan. Let's go."