The colourful wet leaves littering the path didn't even crunch as Kano stepped on them. It was a little disappointing, but not surprising given the clouded sky and thick fog that loomed over the forest. Each of the young wolf's footsteps splashed on the ground, still soaked in the rain that fell earlier that day. No animals were to be seen, all of them hiding in their small holes, bushes, or other secret places. There was no rustling, no chirping, not even the cries of cicadas were to be heard. If it wasn't for Kano's upbeat whistling, the forest would have been dead quiet.

It was not unusual for the wildlife to take shelter during such gloomy days, but it felt awfully strange to see the forest in such a lifeless state. It wasn't like Kano didn't feel it himself. There was something in the air that made this day different. A sense of danger that hung over the otherwise peaceful forest. And even though it felt unnerving not to know what exactly caused this feeling, the werewolf chose not to dwell on it any longer than necessary.

He leisurely walked along the path towards the village. He always liked being able to take the humans' road since it was the fastest way, but he rarely got to use it. However, during foggy days humans didn't dare to enter the forest, probably out of fear of getting lost. Kano of course, didn't have to worry about that.

His little friend on the other hand...

Kido was supposed to visit the house at the river today. When she didn't show up, the small medusa got rather worried. Kano had to chuckle when he recalled Mary's troubled expression. He himself wasn't that surprised, he didn't expect Kido to venture out during weather such as this. But, just to be sure, he thought it would be good to check the path for anything unusual. Just so Mary didn't have to be worried. And maybe for himself, too, if he were honest.

But so far, everything seemed reasonably normal.

Kano let his mind wander. It was strange to what lengths he would go for the human girl. Just weeks ago, when the summer sun still stood high in the sky, he was alone. With no care for anyone in the world. But now he had people to care about, a place to come home to, and days to look forward to. And he was grateful for that. Maybe that's why he grew so fond of his red hooded friend, he thought.

But he knew that wasn't it.
He was quite aware of his growing feelings for her. They were different from the feelings he had for Seto or Mary. They were more intense and harder to ignore. He couldn't deny that his whole world lit up whenever she was around. Her mere presence was enough to silence any bad thought that might sneak itself into his conscious. She even intruded his dreams with her piercing eyes and gentle touches, that really weren't as gentle in real life. But dreams were dreams, right?

But what Kano enjoyed most, rather than sweet and deceiving dreams, were the times the two of them spent alone together. Walking down the path and talking, the simplest activities really, seemed like his happiest moments. He loved hearing what she had to say, what she thought about, what she likes, what she hates...

They all seemed like the most important things in the world.

Still, he wouldn't dare to voice the feeling he's finally come to know. It wouldn't be right. Even if he wanted to spend the rest of his life walking and talking down the path, he wouldn't risk shattering the bond they had built over the past few weeks. If she didn't return his feelings, and he's sure that she doesn't, he might scare her away and lose everything he'd come to love. Nothing would ever be worth the risk.

She will be happier with some man from her village anyway. Someone who knows what human girls like and knows what festivals to take her to and how to dance with her. A man who can work hard to earn the money she needs to live and who can protect her from everything bad in the world. A man without those ugly wolf ears on his head.

Kano swallowed the bitter taste that had formed in his throat. "It's no use thinking about such things." he reminded himself. After all, they still had many more years together, simply as friends. And that was more than someone like him could ever have hoped for.

Still, the bitterness seemed to fill up his lungs. It felt like the world around him just got a little darker. Did his thoughts really have such an effect on him?

The fog was heavy, unlike before. He felt it was hard to breathe. The young wolf snapped out of his thoughts and focused on his surroundings. Something was wrong.

"Just how far did I walk?" he asked himself while covering his nose to block out the strange smell that filled his nostrils. He was close to the village already, almost at the end of the forest. He could already see the lights through the fog...

Something pushed him farther and farther down the path. His ears picked up strange sounds coming from the village. They were loud. Loud and unsettling. It was then that he recognized...screaming?

Smoke.

It wasn't his thoughts that made the atmosphere heavier, and it wasn't the village's lights he saw through the trees.

The village was on fire.

"Kido..!"

He stormed off into unfamiliar terrain. The outlines of the houses were blurry as flames licked their walls and shot for the sky. People ran around in panic, some crying and screaming, others angry and fighting. They didn't pay any mind to him, all caught up in their own frantic battle to survive, and the smoke and blinding flames let only his silhouette be seen. They wouldn't notice a werewolf being in their midst. Not that he cared. He didn't care if they saw him. He didn't care if they hunted him or if they caught and beat him to death so long as Kido is safe. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him, trying to discern the people that ran past him in an attempt to recognize that distinctive green hair and that scarlet hood. His nose was rendered useless. He couldn't pick up her scent through all the smoke, and he had no idea where to start looking. He panicked.

Through forced breaths he cried her name again and again, never to receive an answer. His throat was burning and his eyes stung in the dry heat that surrounded him. It was no use.

There must be something. Something that could lead him to where she was. Maybe a sign, something she said, or-

"Well, I live with my parents in a house by the mill."

Her words rang in his ears, a memory from when they first met. When everything was still so simple. He bolted for the tall building with those huge sails he'd always watched from afar. As a child he'd liked the way they would slowly turn with the cool breeze the sky offered. But now they were reduced to nothing more than a broken tower of fire. Next to it stood a house engulfed in flames.

Kano stopped in front of it, out of breath. His heart sank as he watched the flames tear down beam after beam and the house slowly began to collapse in on itself.

Going in would be certain death. He did it anyway.

He broke down the door that was already so damaged and found himself in a hallway halfway consumed by flames. The thick black smoke was making him nauseous. Still he fought on. He made his way through the house, ignoring the burning pain that shot up his arms and legs and the stinging in his lungs with every sparsely breath he took as the walls around him continued to fall.

Then he saw something. Something that could have been a person, had it not been covered in rubble and grime. He knelt down beside her, shoved the debris off her back, and picked her up as good as he could. It was as if he moved on autopilot. He felt nothing. His mind had gone numb and his body was so, so close to shutting down, but he had to get her out of this hell, so he kept moving.

The rest is a blur. He doesn't remember how they got out of the building, or how they made it to the edge of the forest, away from the deadly fire that still roared behind them, when he finally collapses.

The cold leaves beneath him cool the charred skin on his face as his gaze is focused on the girl still in his arms. He has no idea if she's still breathing. Her body feels hot in comparison to the ground, but he doesn't let go. Her green tresses are messy and covered in filth, just like her face.

But she's here. He found her.

If his eyes weren't dried out, he would cry. With the last bit of life he still had in his body the young wolf managed to give a smile. His mind was hazy and his thoughts were all over the place, but the one thing that was still as clear to him as the stars in the sky was a simple wish. That one wish he was willing to sacrifice his own life for, if only for it to come true. And while he didn't have the strength to even whisper it out loud, it was still the last thing he heard before his consciousness finally slipped from this world.

"Please, Kido. Live."


I apologize for the extremely long wait! It's been half a year since this updated.

And also because this chapter is shorter than the others. I just felt like it was appropriate to end it here, even if it is very sad.

This is not the end of the story.

Kagerou Project and the characters belong to Jin.