Author's Note (09.07.2007): Some elements have changed from the original version, such as taking place in an alternate universe, but the base of the story remains. Please keep in mind that this is an alternate universe, so if some elements do not directly coincide with the series, a reason exists. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy.

Ashen Kisses
Chapter I

The night felt cool, that atmosphere relaxed: odd, considering I stood in the middle of a city. Although in the dead of winter, the air didn't have its biting chill it usually had. As I walked through the streets, city lights twinkled and sparkled like fireworks with the occasional flare from cars and motorcycles.

But in an instant, a chilly wind blew and whistled through the tall skyscrapers, making myself wrap my blue coat closer around me. An evil shiver ran down my spine, a dark thought racing through my mind; I thought I saw a dark cloud fly over head, blocking out the moonlight. I sensed myself growing cold while thinking, What the hell was that?

I felt a gentle, warm hand on my shoulder, pulling me away from my thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?" Yamato asked, his blue eyes staring into my own two eyes.

Did that wind shake me that much? I shook my head in disbelief, wondering why I still felt something was wrong. Seconds before, I thought the night warm and happy; but now—What's going on? "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got the shivers suddenly," I replied, smiling a cocky grin.

Yamato glared at me, as I had expected, not believing a single word I had said; I knew he wouldn't have, but it was worth a try, wasn't it? I counted down from ten, waiting for Yamato's predictable reply: "Stupid Yagami. Do you think I'm that stupid, Taichi? We're friends for a reason—I know you too well."

Too well indeed, I couldn't help chuckle to myself. Since our adventures in the alternate world Deijitaru, we had known each other for over fifteen years. Twenty-three: we would celebrate our twenty-third birthdays this year. Tonight, we had found time in our busy schedules and had met each other for dinner, for old time's sake.

"And I've made such a profound impact on your life with my stupidity, haven't I?" I teased, punching my friend playfully on the arm. I tried to laugh the seriousness out of the air, my usual obnoxious personality taking over. Years ago, when my seven friends and I found ourselves in that magical world, I had been the most arrogant person my friends had ever known. Through our adventures, events and situations improved me; and now, I'm only obnoxious as a defense mechanism: too bad Yamato knew this too.

He frowned and crinkled his nose at my answer, repeating in a grumble, "Stupid Yagami." I laughed, unable to look at his scowling face. It was far too stern and too old for a young person like him. Whenever Yamato had looked at me with such faces when we were younger, even then I couldn't help but to laugh; unless, of course if it was during one of our childish leadership brawls. But looking at him now made me think of a supermodel impersonating a ninety-year old man.

"Yamato, there's no point on staring and glaring at me. Let's just face the fact that you're older than your face," I managed to say in between laughter. Giving him a saucy grin, I added, "This must be your sex appeal to women: you look like a baby but you're really an old man on the inside."

"Taichi, you little—" Just as Yamato was about to pounce on me, something else caught his attention: a sound. I heard it as well.

A little girl shrieked somewhere deep in the night: a cry for help.

Instantaneously an image of Hikari in trouble flashed through my brain. My instincts as an older brother kicked in as I whirled around, looking for the source of the sound. All my senses worked overtime, my mind telling me to rescue the little girl. Where is she? She has to be nearby—I need to find her.

"Look, Taichi!" Yamato shouted as he pointed at the park ahead of us. A dark figure ran swiftly into the heavily wooded park, a little girl squirming in the abductor's arms.

"Help me, someone! Help me!" the little girl cried, tears flying from her green eyes.

Her eyes captured my soul.

With a single glance, I knew that girl was in deep trouble. Her eyes projected her desperation and helplessness, her fear of the Darkness stealing her away. I was barely able to contain my anger burning in my heart. I could feel myself growl, my head about to blow. I would not let that person get away with kidnapping that girl.

"Let's go after them!" With a silent agreement, Yamato and I quickly chased after the kidnapper and hoped that we would be able to save the girl.

"Let go of her!" I yelled angrily, my furious temper lashing out. After chasing the kidnapper for fifteen minutes, Yamato and I finally cornered her someplace in the depths of the park. Hopefully we weren't too late.

We glared at the figure, who turned out to be a lady that had the little girl's neck in her grasp. I didn't like this woman at all. She seemed cruel and evil, just like the air that whipped around her ghastly white hair. She was tall, her skin deathly pale and smooth; she looked like a banshee from the old horror movies. Her killer golden eyes stabbed at me with a glacial glare.

She could have been attractive—could have, in some alternate reality. Her clothing was skin-tight black leather and rather revealing; I could tell she was a woman who wasn't afraid to seduce someone to her will. This woman was pure evil.

"And who's going to make me? You?!" the witch-like lady laughed, the little girl in her possession. "As if I would release my prey to the likes of you."

I fought back a growl, trying to control myself. The situation demanded a little delicacy, and the little girl's life depended on Yamato and me. "Let that girl go or else you're going to regret ever meeting the two of us!" I said firmly, taking a step towards the witch. Yamato did the same, perfectly in sync with me.

Good, I thought with some relief. We both want the same thing—it'll be much easier to take this crazy woman together.

She leered at us, her cold eyes narrowing: assessing us, probably. Apparently, she didn't think us a serious threat. "Aw, too bad that you two will regret meeting me," she cackled, tightening her grip on the child. I saw the little girl flinch, her face now beginning to turn a sickly blue. This was definitely not good.

The hag then brought out her free hand and made a small waving motion. Yamato and I stared at the woman, both thinking that she was a complete lunatic. But before we knew it, something shot out of the demented lady's hand. I couldn't see it, but I felt it race towards Yamato and me. Without another thought, I quickly pushed my friend out of the way.

"Taichi, watch out for the—" Yamato hit his head against a tree, hard. I saw in his cerulean eyes before he blacked out that he had sensed it too and that I was going to get caught by the attack. Suddenly, overwhelming pressure pinned me against the nearest tree, the force nearly crushing the bones in my body.

"AAAHHH!" Agonizing pain surged through my body; my ears popped; and my head pounded and throbbed. The horrid lady's voice rang through my mind as I screamed. Her footsteps crashed in my ears as she walked towards me, my body paralyzed against the tree. I could barely make out the captured girl's whimpers.

Is she all right? Where was she now? I tried concentrating on finding her, but the pain only worsened—only the burning and biting pain remained in my thoughts.

"Hm, you're much stronger than I had expected. A normal human being would have instantly died with such an attack. You must have incredibly powerful blood," she hissed, her face just inches from mine. My blood froze when she raked an icy, bony finger along my cheek. She grinned with a thirst of blood within her charcoal pools for eyes.

"Leave him alone! Don't hurt him!" the little girl cried from somewhere.

She's close—she must be with the witch. Again, I tried fighting against the pain. I needed to break the spell. Yamato was out, and the girl only had me to save her. And if I failed, Yamato and I would both die.

"That's big talk coming from a brat that's about to die," the woman hissed.

I heard a small whimper and thought the girl had surrendered; however, in seconds, she screamed, "Leave him alone! Don't kill him! Don't hurt him! LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU WITCH!"

Hearing courage in her voice awakened some small strength inside of me. Fighting against the spell became a little easier—and I felt my left wrist loosen in pressure. I'm almost there. I can almost move…

"Shut up, you little brat!" The woman shook the girl roughly in her hand. The poor child yelped in pain as blood began to trickle down her neck. A new wave of anger rushed over me; my fist began to tremble, itching to hit the woman in front of me.

"L-l-leave h-her alone!" I barely managed to yell out, my voice growling more than yelling. I was losing consciousness as it was getting harder to breathe. Don't faint! Stay awake Taichi—you can't afford to lose this fight. You won't get a second chance—she won't get another chance! People are depending on you!

The witch returned her attention to me, and with it came more power in her attack. The small strength I had before disappeared. "What does this girl's life matter to you? You're much stronger than she will ever be." From her momentary silence, I guessed she was assessing me again. "Why do you care so much about this pathetic human's life? What is she to you?"

"She is an innocent child! She doesn't deserve to die at the hands of someone like you!" I snapped with as much fight as I could give. "She deserves to live, and I'm going to help her do it!"

The lady smirked, her eyes reflecting a feeling of twisted amusement. In fluid movement, she came towards me while whispering, "I bet your blood…tastes so sweet…"

My blood?! I felt stained when her breath fell on me and she licked my cheek, utterly horrifying me and making me nearly pass out. I thought I would throw up my entrails right then, but I managed to contain myself.

"And before you are mine," she hissed softly in my ear, "I will tell you my name. . . . Akukin is what my kind calls me, Akukin of Kinmuku's line." She opened her mouth and bared a pair of glinting, dagger-sharp fangs. I could feel an invisible force tilt my head to the right, bearing my neck defenseless.

My eyes grew wide in realization as I stared at the woman, horrified.

She's a vampire.

I felt her icy breath on my neck, and then I felt a sudden prick upon my neck. My blood this time really did freeze, and ice surged through my lungs. I began to yell in pain once again as even more pressure crushed me. I could barely breathe now, and I knew my bones would soon reach their breaking point. The pain would become overwhelming. I felt myself about to faint.

Images sprang through my mind—I could see Kinmuku and Kingin beginning their lines, Akukin becoming a vampire, and she growing in power over the centuries. The pain began overpowering my senses, my mind almost lost to everything. I felt a separating between the physical and the spiritual, as I were—

Just when my sight was about to go black, I heard Yamato yell through my screams of pain; he must have regained consciousness. "LET THEM BOTH GO, WITCH!" Yamato yelled as I heard him attack the creature of Darkness.

Whatever he did, the mad-woman shrieked in complete agony. Her hellish scream reverberated loudly in my mind; my entire body tensed as I yelled from the pain. Her power released me and I fell face-flat to the ground. Slowly stretching and feeling my limbs again, I found comfort against the soft, dew-wet grass. The fresh smell of grass gave me deep relief after the near-bone-crushing spell. I inhaled deeply a wondrous scent, the scent of life.

"You—you will regret ever crossing me," the hag gasped, exhausted from pain, "I shall make the both of you pay for interrupting my feeding. Mark my words, you shall regret this!" She then disappeared in a blink of an eye.

She was gone.

"Are you okay, mister?!" the little girl asked worriedly while running towards me. As I tried to pick up myself to a sitting position, she helped me as best she could. Thank you, God she's still with us. We managed to save her after all.

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you—" I looked at the girl and gaped once again. Her first glance had immediately convinced me to rescue her; her second glance proved that she had the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen, especially for a young child. Without realizing, I found myself lost in her worried gaze, wondering why she looked so concerned. Who are you?

"Taichi, are you okay?" Yamato drudged up beside me, worn out from the fight. I ignored his question as he helped me up, myself currently occupied by staring at the little girl. She looked about to be eight years old, her height no more than three-foot six. The little girl had adorable short, boyish, brown hair and had an air of extreme innocence; she reminded me a lot of Hikari.

"Hey, Taichi," Yamato's stern voice woke me from my trance.

"Yeah?" I replied, shaking myself out of my daze. He frowned at me, deep disappointment in his cold gaze. He folded his arms across his chest and shook his messy blonde head. "What?!"

He said nothing while shaking his head. In return, I leered at him angrily, Yamato's attitude beginning to annoy me. What had I done now to make him angry with me? What can he possibly be self-righteous about right now?

"This is sad, Taichi," he muttered quietly into my ear, "This is so low, falling for a little girl." I felt my face especially my cheeks grow very warm. Without a doubt my face turned tomato red, realizing what to what he inferred.

"ISHIDA YAMATO!" I took three big huffs of air, trying to keep my cool: that was going really well. "How dare you think that I would—you're such a sick freak, Yamato!" Head to head, growling angrily at each other, we gave each other death glares; lightning could be felt surging through our eye contact, each silently daring the other to back down.

"Um, excuse me?" the little girl whispered. This snapped Yamato and me from our anger and forced us to remember her. We quickly turned to the little girl, recognizing her presence. The sight of blood trickling down her neck quickly caught my attention.

"Oh, I forgot that…" Motioning her to come closer, I caught her chin and turned her head, finding the gash the vampire had inflicted with her nails. Nothing serious: but the injury made me uneasy anyway.

I ripped a strip from my shirt, gently wrapping the oozing cut; I knew my mother would get mad at me for ruining my shirt, but who cared? She had given me this shirt for Christmas, but I had never liked this shirt anyway anyhow. Well, it would help if I told her I used it for first aid and saved someone's life. That would at least change the subject, right? But I knew that I could never speak of this night to her.

"There—that should do for a while," I exclaimed, proud of my own work. This girl resembled Hikari even more now with a bluish make-shirt bandage around her neck; it reminded me of when she had been only eight years old.

Eight years old. Hikari hasn't been eight for ten years. She'll graduate from high school soon. I smiled in anticipation, knowing she would face big changes in her life after graduation. I'm worried a little, sure, but I know he'll take good care of her. It's something we've all been waiting for.

"Hey, Taichi."

"Yeah?"

"Stop looking like an idiot." I scowled at him and threw a tuft of grass at him. In retaliation, he threw some lawn at me. We began to glare again, all the while ripping grass from the park lawn and shoving them towards each other. Our little bystander giggled at the sight of us. I guess the sight of two young adults bickering like five year-olds is a little humorous: to her anyway.

"Thank you, oji-san," she smiled while walking to me. She gave me a hug, her little arms wrapping tightly around my neck. I blushed at being called 'oji-san'. It made me sound a little too old.

"Um, you're welcome. It was no problem. And you can just call me Taichi," I said, trying pry the girl off of my neck. I could hear snickering coming from behind me.

Without a sign of relenting, the girl eagerly held onto me and said, "My name is Nobuyoshi Shuuko! My friends call me Shuu-chan though. You can call me Shuu-chan, Taichi-san." She only smiled at me with her captivating eyes and hugged me closer.

Obviously, I was taken back by her innocent forwardness.

Since Shuuko wouldn't release my neck, I picked her up with my right arm as I stood up. Surprisingly, she was light for her age. As I tried again to free myself from her hold, I grew more and more embarrassed about the situation. I could hear Yamato from behind trying to stifle his laughter.

Maybe if I get her comfortable enough, she'll let go—yeah, and then maybe she'll attach herself to Yamato…I should try that. "Ah, Nobuyoshi-chan, where—"

"Shuu-chan," she quickly corrected me, smiling a sweet smile all the while. I could see in her eyes that she was going to be persistent with the names.

I sighed in defeat. "Okay, Shuu-chan, where do you live? What are you doing out here so late at night? Shouldn't you be at home right now?" Shuuko bowed her brown-haired head, almost as if in shame. While she buried her face into my shoulder, I heard her sniffle, and soon I felt cold drops fall onto my shirt.

She was crying!

I put my free hand on top of her head, doing my best to comfort her. What was going on? "S-Shuuko…? Are you—are you all right, Shuu-chan?"

She shook her head and buried her face deeper into my shirt. She then mumbled something, but I couldn't make it out. I looked at Yamato for help, but he awkwardly shrugged in helplessness. He mouthed, "I don't have a little sister."

You're the one with a little sister, he eyes relayed. I have a little brother. I have no idea why little girls start crying randomly. You definitely have more experience in this area, Taichi.

Yamato's uselessness was disappointing yet expected. With a heavy sigh, I looked sadly at my new appendage. "Shuu-chan, Yamato and I need to take you home, you know… I bet your parents are really worried about you," I whispered quietly into her ear.

She slowly nodded while crying harder than ever. With her cradled in my arms, I reluctantly began to walk towards the police station, Yamato not far behind me. I didn't know why, but a guilty feeling hung in my gut. I felt my heart telling me that Shuuko couldn't go home, but she had to. I mean, where else could she go?

In silence, the three of us the slowly began to walk through the city, searching for the nearest police station.

"Are you serious, 'nii-chan?" Hikari asked me incredulously, staring at me while she lightly buttered her toast. I nodded, taking a bite out of my own piece of toast; crumbs pattered quietly as they fell onto my plate.

The morning after last night, I had told Hikari all that had happened while excluding the part about where Yamato and I fought the vampire woman and such. No need to worry my little sister about ancient legends and horror movies—or remind her that they did indeed exist.

"A little girl, no older than eight, was wandering around Tokyo at midnight? Hm, that's curious, really mysterious. She must have been lost or something," my sister muttered thoughtfully, eating more of the breakfast I had made for the two of us.

She smiled when she tasted some of the bento I had made for her. "Wow, 'nii-chan! You did a really good job this time!" she exclaimed happily while packing away her lunch into her school bag.

"Thanks. That's a real compliment, hearing it from you." I smiled in pride, glad that she enjoyed my cooking; she was, after all, the better cook within the family. I guess I could feel very proud, since I didn't cook a lot with my parents around. I didn't even live in the same apartment as my family anymore. I presently lived alone in a small, single apartment across the district.

My parents had gone on a cruise for two in the Bahamas in the Caribbean, and they didn't like the idea of Hikari staying home alone for so long. Being nubile teenage girl, Hikari had a lot of admirers—and our parents had the notion that her admirers would become attackers. Like hell I would let that happen.

I took a glimpse at my watch. "Hey, Hikari, shouldn't you be heading for school right now?"

She took a look at her own watch, and her ruby eyes grew wide in thoughtful surprise. "Acutally, 'nii-chan, I'm quite early. I don't need to be at class for another two hours," Hikari replied cheerfully. She ran into her room to grab a notebook and her pencil pouch. "I'm usually late for class, but I guess, if you want after breakfast, you could walk with me to the school."

"What? And miss out on seeing the horrified looks of my former teachers? Imouto-chan, you have a date!" Hikari shook her head and sighed, giggling to herself. She was so cute when she was happy.

Lately, she became easily depressed and lost her energy fairly quickly. The doctors said nothing was wrong; Takeru, on the other hand, stressed something wasn't right. At school, he said, while she sat alone, she would stare off into space and sigh… soon afterward falling into a depression. He suggested that she remembered the adventures in Deijitaru and the friends we made there. She even remembered the ones who sacrificed themselves for our cause, only encouraging depressing feelings. Since he knew Hikari better than doctors would, I believed his reasoning.

I would work harder to make her happy.

After finishing my breakfast, we cleared the table, Hikari got dressed into her uniform and grabbed her bag, and we then began to head out the door. As I put my jacket on, I felt a strange pain on my neck. I massaged it, trying to ease the pain out.

What is it? I felt a strange sensation surging through my body, like molted metal flowing through a mold. And then an attack of chills and shivers rippled through me, sweat beading on my face. Am I coming down with something?

Hikari looked at me with worry. "Are you all right, 'nii-chan? You seem a little pale."

I turned to her quickly. "I'm okay, it's nothing. I'm just fine, Hikari." She gave me a suspicious look, but she quickly swept the thought away. I guess she thought that the subject wasn't worth prying into.

I opened the door for the two of us, a gust of cold air greeting us. "Shall we?" I asked Hikari as I held the door for her. I took her bag from her, not wanting my little sister carrying something of this weight for a good three blocks. Linking her arm with mine, she smiled, and together we stepped lightly out the door.

After silently walking down the street arm in arm for a while, I looked down at Hikari, only to see her smiling dreamily at the sky. I smiled inwardly, knowing what Hikari wasn't thinking about—then again, I knew what she thought of too. "Can't wait for your graduation, huh, Hikari? Can't wait to face Takeru as an adult, can you?" I inquired, trying to keep myself from chuckling.

Hikari quickly turned to me and blushed. "Ah, he said he had something important to tell me after graduation, and I'm just wondering what it could be…"

I grinned, unable to resist the temptation. Teasing Hikari and Takeru about their relationship had been Yamato's and my favorite hobby since—since now I guess. Even when they had made it official, we bothered them anyway; it's our job. "So, do you have any ideas what it is? We know it isn't a love confession: he's already done that." I frowned. "And it better not be anything about separation, because if he breaks your heart that day, I'm breaking his neck."

Hikari stared at me in horror.

"Onii-chan, y-you—you wouldn't! You wouldn't do that to—"

I placed a hand on her head. "I can never forgive anyone hurting my imouto-chan. I wouldn't feel bad at all killing Takeru if he hurt you." Only when I broke into a grin did she see through my teasing. I then laughed, "Relax, relax! I promise that I won't do anything to him."

Of course, only if he doesn't do anything to hurt you. But then again, Takeru would kill himself if he did do anything of that sort, and Hikari knows that too. And if he did everything right and things went as he had planned, graduation would definitely be memorable for both of them: everyone hoped for the best.

I shook my head so my hair would fly wildly by the city breeze; my uneasiness from earlier this morning slightly returned. A few teenage girls from Hikari's school turned and stared at me. I turned and winked at them, chuckling when I saw a few of them blushing and turning away.

Hikari simply watched her schoolmates walk by, a frown darkening her face. Once out of earshot, came a voice, "Onii-chan, you shouldn't do that. What if one day a girl thinks you're serious? And what if she confesses to you? What will you do then?"

I shrugged carelessly, not because I didn't care, but because I had never considered the possibility before. It had never seemed possible. "I don't think I'll ever have to worry about it, Hikari. I mean, why would good high school girls want to date me? I don't have any money, no real connections, and no charm. I'm not really a fan favorite for dating."

"You haven't spent a day with my classmates," she sighed tiredly. I tried not laughing at her expression, so I minimized it to a chortle.

"Eh? Your classmates? What are they saying about me?"

"They think you're attractive and that you're very nice. Even though I told them you don't make a lot of money right now, just graduating from the university, they still think that you would make a good boyfriend." She gave me a sardonic grin as if remembering something somewhat irritating. "A lot of them have been begging me to ask you if you would want to take any of them on a date after graduation."

I shrugged at her hinting. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint your friends, but I won't date someone the same age as you or younger. It would be too weird; besides, Yamato would never permit it."

Hikari tried to stifle her laughter but couldn't manage. "Yamato-san told you that you couldn't date younger women? Ne, 'nii-chan, since when did he dictate who you could and couldn't date? You're the one that usually gives orders, not him."

"Well, apparently the rules change when you get engaged. Just because I'm single while he's almost married, he has the right to tell me how to manage my love life," I grumbled, jabbing my hands into my pockets. "That jerk—I didn't punch him enough when we were younger." Hikari giggled lightly as she tightened her hold on my arm.

"He's just worried about you, 'nii-chan. Now that he's going to happily settle down, he simply wants the same for you. And really, everyone else is worried too. Ever since junior high, you haven't dated anyone or said anything about seeing someone—we're afraid that you won't love," she murmured while giving me a concerned expression. "That isn't true, right?"

It's not that I won't love—I can't love someone who isn't there. "No, it isn't true. I just haven't found someone yet." I patted her on the head affectionately. "Not that you would know what that's like: you knew Takeru since your first days in elementary school."

Blushing, she stammered, "D-Don't forget, 'nii-chan, that tomorrow we have a wedding shower for them. Make sure you show up on time or else Sora-san will be really mad. Remember, she wants everything to be perfect, and that includes you to behave."

"She's expecting the impossible from me, isn't she? And she should know better, knowing me as long as she has." I then couldn't help but sigh at the thought of the oncoming, fantastic wedding between two of my best friends. The couple voted most-likely-to-get-married-successfully-and-have-a-loving-family in high school: the Perfect Couple, Takenouchi Sora and Ishida Yamato. My childhood crush would marry my childhood rival. My life is too ironic for my own good or my health.

Walking a little longer, we reached the school gate. I handed Hikari her school bag and told her when I would be done with work that night. After watching her go into the school, I started walking back home to get ready for work.

Today is another day, another chance for me to make a difference. I wonder what I'll accomplish. I took in a deep breath of morning air. The chilly air made me energetic, but that spark of energy quickly burned out; I felt myself grow suddenly weak. Everything around me rocked and wavered, and my vision blurred. I stumbled into an alley, knocking a few trash cans in the process.

"What's—what's happening to me?" I barely gasped. It was getting hard to breathe.

I took short, quick gasps of air, and soon I couldn't breathe at all. I coughed, hoping that would clear my throat, but it did nothing for me. The pain from earlier this morning returned, burning my mind to insanity. My head throbbed as this familiar and unbearable pain returned to me.

Why is this happening again? What's going on? Agh, I feel like I'm going to die from this!

A sudden chill ran up my spine, a shadow blocking out whatever sunlight I could make out. A familiar voice suddenly shrieked through my mind, "I knew you were powerful—but to have resisted me for so long? My, you're much stronger than what I had anticipated."

The world grew colder as the shadow stepped closer—or was it just me? I began feeling separated from myself, almost as if… "I told you, didn't I? Did you miss me, my dear? Ha, have you enjoyed your last days of life?" I gagged for air when I realized who was speaking to me. The woman from the park…

Akukin: How did she find me? What is she doing to me? Why—

"I told you," her voice whispered in my mind. "You would regret ever crossing me. And how I found you: that's easy. I marked you, remember?"

The bite.

I tried moving, but my limbs rested stiffly by my body. Hearing Akukin laugh in my head, I realized what would happen. I immediately knew, and her increasing cackling only confirmed my fears.

I knew.

I knew I was dying.

And my world went black.