Unravel

by ChiioUnicorn

Megaton is overrun by monsters with its last two chevaliers slaughtered. The Chevalerie are forced to assign their weakest unit, Shimoda Rin, to keep the city safe. Struggling to discern friend and foe alike, all she wants is a quiet life. An enemy alliance threatens humanity's survival. Will Rin rise up and become what the world needs her to be?

7. Apex Game

A/N: And finally, a wild update reappears. Enjoy. I own nothing and probably never will. I'm sorry if this chapter is too long. Forgive me and god bless. I wrote this to the best of my abilities, so I hope it meets your expectations thus far! I can't thank you sinners enough for reading this far - it wouldn't be a story possible without you guys! Cozy up and grab a drink while you read! Stay at home and healthy til the COVD 19 passes! I certainly will! This is the most productive month I've had so far, writing-wise!

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Unravel

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Chapter Six

Apex Game

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Len's POV

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Rushing white water lapped against the rocky shore, bringing me out of forty winks. Sunrays blinded me. A shadow fell over me as coaxing fingers roused me awake, combing back my hair away from my face. Confused, I could only wonder whose gentleness could be behind that unfamiliar touch. It was comforting, reminding of how my mother used to clean me when I was still a pup. I almost eased into this tenderness before coming to my senses. My heart leapt to my throat realizing I was falling under a spell. Swatting away the affronting hand, I sat up so fast I rammed my head against a branch overhead.

Biting back a pained howl, I fell back while seeing stars. The last thing I expected were someone's silky hands pillowing my head in a warm lap, all the while cooing words of comfort as feather-light kisses peppered where I hit my forehead.

"Len, my love. I'll take away your pain… as we always do for each other." Plush lips whispered against my forehead before pecking me on the nose. My bewildered gaze met a set of angel eyes. I was swallowed up in a forest of soft curls - shielding me from the harshness of the sun.

When I had turned my head to stare at my surroundings, it had come to my awareness that I had been resting on a spread checkered blanket next to a white cascade - the water had been falling in stages over several steep slopes before collecting into a clearwater pool where my resting had resided. Sunset had peered through the sleeping forest in a golden landscape.

I returned the tender blue gaze with a dazed stare. Have I died…? Was this lady an...

"An...gel?" I hadn't realized I spoke my thoughts aloud. Her eyes smiled as she melted away into mirth. Her laughter reminded me of bells. She seemed to glow as the sun illuminated around her. For a fleeting moment, I was bewitched.

Just now, this woman called me 'her love? Hers?

Disbelief swelled into anger as I reared up with a growl.

"Human woman, don't get chummy with me!" My voice was full of incredulity, dodging her fussy hands with a scowl. "You dare seduce me into becoming your pet? Witch! I won't fall prey to your black magic!" It was precisely because of her charm I grew wary. As a rule of thumb, I never trusted beautiful women. Their honeyed charms disguised a deadly poison. I've heard too many stories of fierce warriors falling prey to such black widows.

"Tell me who you are!"

I was expecting her to recoil in fear, or at least scream the moment I bared my fangs to emphasize my warning the next time she decided to touch me I would bite her fingers clean off. Instead she reprimanded me to be more quiet before turning around. She attended to a hanging basket with silk beddings and baby's breath flowers woven into the wicker itself. Gently, the woman rocked the basket like a swing as it hung from the tree.

"Hush now…" Glancing at me, she put a finger to her lips. Her blatant disregard to my line of questioning showed itself in the form of my blood rushing to my ears. I stood to my feet as my temper flared.

"Arrogance! Disrespect!" I spat. "You are a lowly mortal. My kind has watched over the planet and heavens since before the era of humans. I am Len, first of my name! And you will respect- ow-!"

Casting me a reprimanding glare, the woman dragged me away by the ear. I reacted with an undignified yelp as I was forced to kneel at her height so the pain would lessen. Once she let go, she placed her hands on her hips and while maintaining the coolness of an iron lady. She leveled me with silent admonishment until the magnitude of her presence forced me to fall silent. Finally, a faint smile appeared as though to say "good boy". This irked me more if anything, but I didn't dare speak out this time.

To say I wasn't entirely unperturbed would be a little white lie, but I'd sooner eat dirt than admit that outloud. I had the height advantage but found myself eying her warily the closer she came.

Women like her were terrifying… I didn't like the way her eyes were piercing into mine. Yet I sensed no underlying intentions or anything of the like - only the staggering sincerity in her gaze. It bewildered me, baffled me to no end. I should've been repelled by her vague advances of intimacy, yet I found myself inevitably drawn to her - defying logic and common sense. There was just something about her I found impossible to ignore.

"Now, darling." She started in a sweet voice, clinging to my arm. Despite her affection, she seized me in a vice grip I couldn't easily wrestle out of. With no space between us, there was no escape. I suspected her capabilities matched those of a wily huntress than her frail appearance suggested. Her recent display reestablished my belief that the most dangerous humans were those who could deceive as easily as they could breathe. Specifically - beautiful women.

"Our little princess has been fussy all morning, and I just got her to sleep. I would appreciate a private moment alone with my husband. You'll be a dear and indulge me, won't you?"

I blanched.

H-Husband?

My mouth running dry, I was left staggered by her intimate addressment. And "our" little princess? Realization dawned on me the moment I deciphered the situation I was in. From the baby bassinet to the doting fair woman cuddling against my chest…

This was impossible.

Grabbing her wrists, I kept her away at arm's length. Her amusement fell away to concern as I stared at her with a grave seriousness.

"Woman, I don't know who you are or how you know my name, but there's no way in seven hells I'm your husband. Ancestors forbid if I've ever considered fathering a child with a mere mortal!" I declared angrily and stopped to gauge her reaction. Today was full of surprises. Instead of getting angry or bursting into tears - she simply stared up at me with her undivided attention. Somehow, this unnerved me more than having my ear yanked. I couldn't be the only one who saw everything wrong with this picture.

"Even if I were to mate, I'd sooner gouge my eyes out before even considering laying with a human!" I declared, meeting her eyes with hard resolve. "Spring flings won't distract me from my end goal. Beguile me if you insist, witch, but just know that staging this delusion is a bigger waste of your time than mine."

"...Is that so?" Clarity cleared the confusion in her eyes as she spoke. I released her as she stepped out of my reach. A nostalgic smile touched her lips as she looked me over. "I see. There's no mistake with that hubris of yours, or that scowl." The sheerness of her lavender dress swayed in tandem with her long legs as she distanced herself. Her eyes never left mine as she sighed. "...So it is. You are not the man I call my husband."

I watched her wander to the wellspring. Hands clasped behind her back, she gazed at her reflection with a sense of calm - a self-acceptance I'd never seen in humans before. It was strange and soothing to watch. The way she carried herself implied she survived through numerous struggles before being able to look at herself the way she did - to stand tall like a tree taking root. She dipped her fingers in the water, causing a ripple that reflected the both of us as I stood over her.

"Even so, you don't feel like a stranger to me. You must be the 'visitor' he spoke of… from days long past." The lady spoke, guiding me to the edge of the water to reveal an unforeseeable sight to behold.

Alarmed, I seized my face - grasping and kneading the unfamiliar skin. Calluses roughened my big hands, and my hair was longer than I remembered. My face was more squared, rid of the baby fat that once clung to my cheeks. Standing at full height, I towered over the woman by a head - with my muscled arms and shoulders framing my broad brack. My beast stone dangled from my neck, glowing a fierce tourmaline.

Glaring back at me was no longer the reflection of a boy, but a full-grown adult.

That was me… but at the same time, it wasn't.

"Explain yourself! What manner of trickery is this?" I snarled through clenched teeth.

"This is not trickery on my part." She placated, her voice firm. "Fate brought you here, young wolfskin." Grass rustled beneath a series of footfalls as she came to my side. "In dreams, the lost find their way again when they're reminded of the important things they must protect. A reason to fight."

I didn't understand. I knew exactly what I was fighting for. So, who did she think she was telling me things I already knew?

A reason to fight? I was born to fight. That's all I needed to understand.

"As you know, humans and monsters were able to live alongside each other - to coexist in peace. All life represents the fibers that sustain the fabric - our home." The wife said, gazing at the field of wildflowers that surrounded us. Then she turned to me, frowning. "We were all lost ones, once. Including the 'me' you know in your time."

"Enough of this roundabout, woman. Make your point clear before I lose my patience." I scoffed, crossing my arms. For a moment her attitude regressed to that of an indignant girl's, as she huffed and puffed like one.

"Hmph! You never had much to begin with when we were teenagers, you poor-mannered scoun-!" Her temper flared before she remembered she was arguing with me and not her husband. Still, there was something oddly familar about the way she spoke to me. It stirred up unease and fascination in me. A silence passed as she sobered up.

"... The future is endangered, Kagamine Len. You and the others are our only hope." She warned. "A peaceful world like this will slip away if you don't cut away the strings that bind us in the neverending war between our kinds…" Her gaze darkened as she spoke. "Please. No matter how deep the bad blood goes between humans and monsters… don't let history repeat itself." I was beside myself with shock as she bowed her head to me.

Her tear-filled gaze became forlorn and full of longing. Still, there was a blazing hope that refused to be snuffed out. I somehow managed to break her spellbinding stare by looking away from her. Ignoring the heat building up in my ears, I hoped by faking a sharp cough that she would keep her distance. She did no such thing, but somehow I couldn't find it in me to throw this woman off like I would most broads. In the short span of time I've been acquainted with her, it was clear she was no wilting flower.

Her hand reached out to touch my cheek - ghosting a tender caress that still managed to electrify my senses on haywire. My breath hitched at how aching her touch felt. I sensed an unmistakable warmth from her, but there was also a deep sadness. Her eyes were on mine, so full of life and love. By proxy, this evoked a strange reaction from me. Unfamiliar emotions within me started to surface.

These feelings… were they…?

Then the spell broke, and I came to - realizing I nearly cupped her smaller hand in mine. Again, I was falling under the same spell and hating myself for it. Never again. I won't be deceived - I refused to be controlled by the likes of humans!

"Don't touch me!" I tried to sound vicious, but the crack in my voice lost the intended effect. "Don't come near me! Don't-!" I shouted without meaning to. Feeling disoriented, I shoved her hands away as I stumbled backwards. "Don't look at me like that - like you understand, like you care." It was as though she could see through my rage and hatred. Like she could simply open her arms and accept the wounded beast who was still chained down by the past. That was the last thing I wanted, least from another human. I shook my head, rejecting her advances. "I don't need your pity! You don't know me!"

"Len… you're shaking."

"You've no right to say my name!" I snarled, baring my fangs in warning when she tried to approach. She was telling the truth, but I refused to believe I was quaking from anything except rage. "Stop looking at me like that. No one looks at me like that. All of you only see the mask that hides the monster beneath! Everyone laughs once they see me caged and humiliated! I can see through your lies, witch!" Red swarmed my vision as my mind began to plummet. "I'll never give you humans the satisfaction of enslaving me again! Never again!"

Hatred coursed through my blood like magma. My spiteful thoughts spun round and round, making me dizzy. I seized my head with a hiss, fisting my hair in handfuls with the urge to hurt myself just to make these other feelings aside me disappear.

But wait. This feeling…

Am I… afraid?

No, impossible. I've abandoned all fear a long time ago when I declared my vengeance! I no longer fear humans.

Dark memories emerged. No! I clawed my nails into my scalp and screamed. I couldn't hear the woman shouting over the voices in my head. I became a helpless pup all over again as numerous hands made a grab for me from every direction. My old masters - no, tormentors - reappeared to haunt me, the cruelty they afflicted reopened my wounds… torturing me, taunting me. They murdered my kin. They humiliated my mother. They forced me to perform in excruciating conditions - starved, beaten, and barely kept alive. No matter how much I cried for mother, they wouldn't stop.

My fear became rage. My rage became enmity. My enmity… became my power.

"RAAAGGHH!"

That fateful night all those years ago was the first time I bit another human. He was my ringmaster. I broke free from the beast tamer and lunged for him with open jaws. I bit his cheek clean off and fled. Since then, I swore I wouldn't rest until every last one of them is gone for good. This planet would be freed!

"Uwu… wua… Waaah!"

No sooner than I thought this, an ear-piercing wail interrupted my nightmare. I stopped speaking altogether, staring in wild bewilderment at the squirming bundle in the bassinet. It was a baby.

The woman rushed to comfort the child. Throwing me a meaningful glance, she let her eyes linger on me a while longer before turning her attention to the squirming pink bundle in the basket.

A moment later, the woman began cradling her infant against the valley of her breasts, being so careful as though handling an irreplaceable treasure. There was a softness in her gaze I couldn't immediately understand. She began humming a lullaby as she rocked back and forth with her curls swaying over her shoulder. I narrowed my eyes in bewilderment as I approached.

"There, there. Did we wake you, little princess? Aww, Mummy's sorry." Another high-pitched wail threatened to destroy my hearing as I shook away the ringing in my ears. Seeming unbothered, the woman chuckled as she sent me an anticipatory glance over her shoulder.

"She misses her Daddy. Here, would you like to hold her?"

Horrific visions forgotten, I balked at her.

"H-Haaah? I never said I wanted to! Get that noisy thing away from me!"

"There's no need to be shy. Rima's bark is worse than her bite. Not that she bites~ such a good girl." Her cheerful tone left no room for any argument as she dauntlessly gave her baby to me. I was left flustered as she went ahead and adjusted my arms so I wouldn't drop the infant. Understanding, the woman's voice became reassuring. "Settle down, you won't hurt her as long as you hold her right. There, you need to hold her head higher."

"Urgh! Don't order me around…!" Despite what I said, I was fumbling to follow her strict instruction so I wouldn't drop the little one. If I wasn't careful, I could break her easily like glass. "Look, I ain't nice - so be forcing another man's baby on me!"

"Another man's...? Dear me, you still believe… never mind." She regarded me with a long suffering sigh, though her weary smile carried fond exasperation. "One day, you'll understand."

There was something strangely familiar about the way she spoke and moved even though this was our first meeting. I was at a loss.

It came to my attention that the baby hadn't made a peep in awhile. Where before she was wailing her lungs out she was now quiet. Thick lashes fluttered open to reveal a gaze bright as starlight with eyes glowing a heavenly blue - matching her onesie and the hydrangea ribboned to her head. Her hair was very fine, as wispy goldspun curls bounced with every movement. Those celestial eyes squinted to take in her surroundings before landing on me.

"Ahhmm…" Droopy eyes fluttered as she let out a big yawn, a bubble of drool nearly popping in my face. I caught a flash of her white incisors. They were needle-sharp, just like a pup's.

"Hmm. For a halfling, you're a healthy one." Eyes narrowing, I chuckled. I couldn't resist the urge to nudge her cherub cheeks, which proved to be pillowy as clouds. The baby made some sort of smile before a tiny hand reached over to lightly grip mine. Lightning shot through me in a storm of emotions I couldn't even begin to describe. It shook me to the core and left my fingers tingling.

Her warm smell… it was different from humans but it didn't quite belong to a pureblood wolfskin either. She smelled like freshly fallen snow, which befuddled me all the more. She was unique. A mysterious creation… and yet. Strange enough, holding this tiny creature never felt more natural to me.

"Rima…" I spoke her name aloud, leaving me with a strange sense of belonging. It left me in wonder. This seemed to garner her attention, however.

"Ahh-ahh…" Rima gurgled, kicking with delight. "Daa...da." Hearing this, I gawked in astonishment and apprehension as this baby girl blinked up at me, her eyes a bit more open and gaze inquisitive. Her focus on me was amazing. She squirmed a little before nestling against my chest, and it took all I had not to flinch lest dropped her by accident. This child was so tiny and fragile, and I knew nothing about being gentle or tender. It was frightening - this feeling - this baby had more hold on me than any other master I've known.

I still had no idea how long I had been standing there, holding the curious infant in my arms. Eventually, she grew tired as she let out a few yawns before falling asleep. I was aware of the woman's eyes on me, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from this child. I struggled to comprehend these feelings - burning brighter than any anger I ever felt, but accompanied with an urge to cherish and protect with all I was.

I never imagined I could ever feel this way toward another being.

"Time's up, my darling." The melancholy in her voice gave me a sense of foreboding. The wind picked up as dark clouds rolled in, swallowing everything up in a brewing storm. "Would if I could stop time if only for this moment… but now, we must depart."

Violent tremors split open the earth, dividing the terrain into islands surrounded by a sea of fire. Animals fled from the forest set ablaze. The weight in my arms became hot as a girdle. My bewilderment turned to horror when I realized the infant in my arms was no longer there - only a pile of liquid sand melting away the orange swaddle, nearly burning me.

"Please. We are all counting on you. Protect our future." Looking down sadly from an emerged cliffside, she told me in a hushed whisper. "Unravel the strings of fate that cloud over us all and restore hope. When you find the threads that lead you to me… in my darkest hour… please..." As the world shattered around us, she clung to me tighter. Blue eyes pooled with tears, expressing a grieving so deep I couldn't immediately fathom. It made me wonder just who she was mourning for. Her family? Her collapsing future?

"You…" I uttered, befuddled as I looked on. A harsh updraft howled, forcing me to brace myself. "Wait!" I ran and vaulted the gap, scaling the cliff that led me up to the trapped woman. She pulled me up and threw her arms around my waist. Stumbling back, I held her by the shoulders and was met with an alarming transformation.

No longer was there a woman but a girl. Her hair became shorter, and her face rounded as she pleaded with me in a voice so hushed and vulnerable that it invoked a powerful reaction to me. To keep her from harm. To cherish. I didn't know if these feelings were my own or because I was in another man's body, but…

As the world shattered to pieces, I flung my body over hers to shield her from the rain of broken glass.

"Len?!"

"Agh!" Blood dripped from the open wounds on my back and arms, but it was nothing serious. It was then I realized that at some point I reverted back to my original form as a boy. I drew back to make sure the girl was unharmed, but when I got a good look at her...

"You..." Shock consumed me as I registered who I was embracing. "It can't be…"

It came to my notice that our fingers were tangled in red threads. We were tied together.

Pressing a threaded finger against my lips, she shook her head with a sad smile - finishing her request with a lone tear running down her cheek.

"Don't cut me away when I need you most."

The threads were snapping, triggering a realization the dream was fading. Her name was on my lips. I had to say it before I forgot.

"You're…!"

The last thread frayed, but right before it could be severed - everything ended in a blinding flash.

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I opened my eyes and found myself lying in the thick wilderness fifty miles north of Megaton. I was journeying back from the ruins of my homeland. Kjellberg Mountain, a stronghold of stone and ice where the snow never thawed. I made the trip several times a year to hone my mind, body, and spirit. Only in the Throat of the World did I feel my connection to the planet at its zenith. The native tribes were silent as well, as I made no contact with other wolfskins this time. They were few in number in the mortal realm compared to the numerous tribes vying for dominance in the Harrowing.

Stretching my arms skyward, I sat up and belted a long yawn. Then I looked at my hands and beast stone. Nothing was out of place, unlike that dream. I still couldn't draw any meaning out of it. I've never experienced anything like it before. It was so vivid… lucid. It left me with a strange sense of loss and melancholy.

"That girl… that baby… were they real?" I asked myself aloud, furrowing my brows. My memory of them was already long lost. I couldn't remember what they looked like or even sounded like - only how they made me feel. They elicited maddening emotions from me I never imagined feeling for anyone else. Uneasy, I shook myself awake and scoffed.

"A dream is just a dream. Nothing more."

No need to draw out any deeper meaning from this. I had better things to do. Such as head back where Dell was waiting. He had been insistent I return in time for the holidays. Commuting was difficult during winter, and communication even moreso. He preferred keeping me within his sights so that it would ease his mind. As it was pointless to worry him, I humored his request. So it was that even eleven thousand year old monsters desired their kin's company from time to time. Well, wolfskin were originally pack clans- after all.

"Three weeks already… a long time to be away from the squalor." I snorted. "Still nowhere near long enough for me." I tilted my head back, taking in leafy canopy overhead. Trees were bare as the soil beneath. Brown leaves were swept away into dens of hibernating animals. Only howling winds and blizzards brought life back to this sleepy forest. Winter arrived at last.

After I broke camp and gathered bare essentials such as roasted herbs and dried meat, I continued on my way. My rolled-up tent and water gourd were slung over my shoulder. Dell taught me many things before we came to Megaton. It was he who taught me how to live as a human - these trifle, tedious routines but something I was obligated to learn, albeit grudgingly. Humans were so squishy and full of liquid, reminding me of plums. I much preferred my more robust and stalwart form as a beast.

"Len. Whether you're in the wild or civilization, remember that survival is always a priority. Expect the unexpected." He had instructed me during his first demonstration constructing a bonfire. "Never assume your bestial form will always be an option. There may come a time when you're robbed of your powers."

"Robbed of my powers? Impossible. Our kind is invincible." The child me had declared with all the stubbornness and pride of a wolfskin. I had clutched my crudely carved beastone in pudgy hands. "I don't need this weak, human form. Let me turn back, Dell!"

"Not yet. There are things you can learn only by being human." The Elder had said before turning fully to me once the fire was lit. "Do you know why we are called wolfskin?" In response to my inquisitive stare, he had continued. "The traditional answer is because we constantly shape our skin to adapt. To survive."

"Duality, Pup. Day to night, earth to sky, and life to death. In all creation there exists duality - the means to balance creation." he had said. "Ancient teachings say our human faces are but a disguise. A falsehood. A curse, even - but I deny this." I remembered how wholesome his beliefs were. "Tis my belief our ancestral gods blessed us with this duality. Our ability to change from human to beast, and vice versa, is our balance. Both are equal, as none is greater than the other."

"How can you think these weak bodies are equal to our true forms?" I had demanded to know, both frustrated and vexed hearing such nonsense. "Before you came along, I was just fine surviving the way I did! I don't need to be human to understand what they are! I'll never accept this body or face! I'll never accept humans! I am an honorable wolfskin!"

"There exists no 'true form' as you claim, Pup." He had said. "Honor lies not in appearance, but in the spirit. Our forms only reflect how we are created. Do not discriminate based on what you see with your eyes, Len. Looks can be deceiving." He had admonished me until I bowed my head in submission. "Even if our form changes, our blood remains the same. All creation is to be revered… understand?"

"...No. I don't understand." I had retorted, my fists shaking in fury and confusion. "I don't understand how you can call us all equal. That isn't how hierarchy works. Why do you have me doubt all I've learned?! Why do you have me take this powerless form?! Do you intend to shame me until I'm under your thumb?!"

"No. That is not my intention. You've been brought up under old traditions, fierce pup. I'm simply giving you the choices I never had when I was your age. Of course you would be confused." His thundering rebuke had faded into a low rumble then. A giant palm had stroked my little head in comfort. "Asking you to think beyond what you've been taught is no simple task. You are thinking hard. That means you are learning." He had soothed, his words sincere and not patronizing. "There exists wisdom in admitting what you cannot understand. It may take you months, years… but someday, you will be liberated."

And so, I was to practice the human trivialities I learned out in the wild. From making my own fires to mixing my own herbal medicines, caring for this human body of mine proved troublesome. If I could have my way, I would simply live in my primal form.

However, Dell says I am to heed these rituals until my coming of age. Every day that passed my patience wore thin. I wanted to hurry up and end this farce already.

"Liberation. Hah!" I mocked his lecture from long ago.

Dell was such an old, delusional fool that I amazed with myself for having put up with him for so long. He was a lofty idealist - a dreamer who wouldn't wake up. Was I the bigger fool for following him despite being against his cohesion of living among humans? No other wolfskin thought like him. He was the anomaly, and so was I. We were considered tramps by the rest of our kind. There was no place for us among the tribes. Not anymore.

No matter how much I disagreed and struggled with Dell's radical ways, I could never just abandon him. Not just because he raised me - but because I wanted to fathom what he was trying to teach me all these years.

"Time and time again, I've made my arguments on why we should abandon this dreg of a society… yet he refutes me every time. Stubborn old beast. And so, I'm forced to live among the rabble year after year." I grumbled, shuffling through fallen snow. "I grow weary of this stalemate. Nothing has changed. It's high time I force him to see things my way." I couldn't take living in the polluted premises anymore. I wanted us to leave. Whatever happened to Megaton would be a good riddance. We've wasted enough of our time idling in that cesspool with nothing to gain from it. My features hardened as I swore to myself to get us out of there by next nightfall.

When I reach my adulthood… even if I grew up to oppose him - I wanted to at least understand his intentions to raise me among humans. That was my way of honoring him as my Elder, so to speak. Even though a part of me loathed him for it.

I would tell him we should move on. I would force him to compromise. I would have us move somewhere more remote with a handful of humans to meet his lofty expectations, but with enough space to run free and hunt game. Being the predator I was, that was all I asked for.

A horrific unease unsettled me as I stopped in place, my face draining of color as I took in the sounds of gun blasts and fire. Agonized, shrill howls pierced the winter air, followed by the unmistakable smell of blood. My mouth ran dry, and my eyes went wide with mute dread. This smell… it was faint but certain.

"Dell. Someone spilled his blood?"

Contents of my food and tent were abandoned as I lunged ahead on all fours, triggering my bestial transformation.

"No! Stop!" Dell was screaming as soon as he sensed me, but not to his tormentor. As I approached within his radius, I could hear him calling out to me. "Don't come, Len! Save yourself! It's a trap! This one is different from the rest!" His cries bordered on desperation, but I pushed on - running my heart out even as it felt as though my lungs would burst out of my chest.

My mind was racing with endless thoughts, drowning out my mentor's anguished warnings. Impossible! No one could best the Big Bad Wolf. He may be old, but he was mightier than a glacier. No matter the odds, he would always come out on top! Dell was among the most indomitable monsters feared to mankind. There was only one man who managed to vanquish him.

Humanity's strongest chevalier - Leon. Shimoda Leon. Our greatest adversary whose exploits ended the Second Silent Plight. Twelve years ago, he died a dog's death fighting to his last breath in battle.

Had he finally come back from the dead to exact vengeance against all monsters?

Ways ahead, the landscape was terraformed from what looked like a battlefield between armies. Blood and bullet shells littered newly formed craters. In lieu of all this, an injured grey, gargantuan beast was nailed against a dense gathering of prometheus trees. Large bolts pinned his limbs against the bark, making it painful for him to move. His eyes were unfocused, and his breaths came out in harsh, ragged wheezes. His pallor was sickly, which could only be the work of silverite poisoning. It was a humiliating display that made my blood boil.

Panting harshly, I pushed through the fastest route to reach him. I dived from a steep cliff, jumping from jagged rocks. I rode down the rockslide without fear of falling. Hearing my approach, Dell's lids fluttered once before focusing on me. Alarmed, he fought against his binds to cry out.

"Stop! Don't come this way!"

His warning came seconds too late. As soon as my paws hit the dirt, the ground beneath me combusted - triggering explosives whenever I touched. Shit. A minefield. Fire licked my hind as I sped up at breakneck speed, dodging the ensuing blasts as smoke clouded my surroundings. Three miles ahead Dell was within my grasp - and I bounded towards him until-

"Above you!"

My ears caught whirring noises. Turrets activated from their hiding places, tracking my movements with lasers as they buzzed to life. I sprang back as soon as bullets sprayed where I once stood, forcing me to retreat and look for another way around. Sensing a movement behind the trees, I saw the glare of a scope before shots were fired at me. Bullets hissed past me as I ran for cover.

The hunter was here.

Damn it. I let out an irritated snort. By using Dell as a lure, they must've been waiting for me to come, if the numerous death traps and ambush were anything to go by. Dead or alive, I now understood the lengths they were willing to go to catch me. I bared my teeth in a sardonic grin. They weren't going to make this easy for me, that was for certain.

They must've taken cover elsewhere, as their last attack gave their previous position away. I stilled my breathing and kept low to the snow-covered ground. Remain calm, I reminded myself. If I triggered any more traps, it wouldn't be long until the hunter found me again. If they were smart, they would thwart my attempts to rescue Dell as soon the opportunity presented itself. The only way to walk out of this alive was to find them before they could flank me.

"Hrrr…" Nosing the ground, my mouth broke into a wolfish grin as I went on a prowl.

Interesting. So this would be a game between two predators. Only, who would win and who would die? Time to find out.

Snow fell in torrents as I moved with the wind, becoming a body of winter itself. Time and stealth were on my side as I sniffed the area out, using my senses to track the dangers around me. Most traps were disguised well, while others were more obvious. Caltrops in the clovers, bear traps in the leaves, and even harpoon cannons were hiding in the trees - connected to lasers that would trigger an alarm system if I were to touch it.

Time passed in the forest for who knows how long. Tension made this game of hide-and-seek all the more palpable. It wasn't until I caught wind of a blaise bear in the treeline that I knew something was amiss. The smell gave away the fact that it wasn't a bear - but a pelt belonging to a hunched figure. Found her. I flanked the hunter before they knew what hit them, diving from above and digging my claws into their back. This caused them to shriek in pain as they dropped their sniper rifle out of reach.

"Motherfucking shit!" It was a woman. A struggle ensued as I wrestled her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She proved surprisingly burly for a human, as she stayed off her back despite me mauling her over and over - knocking her off balance as I was heavier. Once I had her pinned, all color left her face. Breathless, she cursed and lashed out at me. I let out a ferocious roar in her cringing face before going for her throat. She threw her arms up in defense.

Futile, I inwardly sneered.

"Eat this, you ugly bastard!" A foul metallic taste exploded in my mouth as the woman shoved the barrel of a revolver in my mouth before firing bullets down my throat. It was nowhere near enough to break my flesh, but being force-fed ammunition was an unpleasant annoyance. I loosened my hold on her as I gagged, dislodging the bullets from my mouth with each cough. This was enough for her to pry herself loose before delivering a hard kick against my snout.

"RARGH!" I saw stars. Pain blinded me as I retaliated, snapping my jaws around that offensive leg and taking a big bite out of her calf. She tasted rancid, like rotting flesh. I nearly vomited during my attacks. She shook me off with an uppercut delivered to the side of my face with such brute force it had me seeing stars. For a mortal, her strength was monstrous.

Snarling, I threw her off me and shook myself like a dog. Being struck by this uppity woman made my skin crawl.

"Oh, let it motherfuckin' rain!"

Grenades came hailing down from her furs, spewing toxic gas in my face and my surroundings. A disconcerting bang went off, disorienting me. I couldn't see or hear anything. Even my sense of smell left me. Bullets ricocheted as I ran blindly, stumbling into the traps she laid out. I tripped over bear traps, got myself strung up in nets, and even the harpoons got the drop on me. I was covered in bumps and bruises from head to toe.

I forced myself to calm down with deep breaths. I couldn't lose my composure at a time like this. I had to be strong. If I couldn't sniff her out by sight or sound, then I would have to feel her presence through the earth.

Ancestors guide me. Show me the way to the intruder who defiles your forests. Give me this victory so I may honor you.

My prayer was carried through the snowy slopes, and I waited until the wind whispered in reply. Millions of hushed voices spoke in one. My connection to the Way of the Hunt was more attuned than ever. I felt the vibrations of the earth tremble beneath me, showing me all signs of life that belonged in the forest.

And then, I knew where she was - behind me with a katana drawn to behead me.

With a bellowing roar, I turned on her right as my senses returned. Her shocked visage was all I saw before tackling her to the ground. We rolled down a steep hill, wrestling all the way down to the bottom.

She fought back tooth and nail, but I overpowered her with ease. I broke her arms and ripped apart flesh until I was sure she wouldn't be able to run again. Then I went for her arms, then shoulders, and finally - her neck. Her limbs were mangled to the bone, and yet - she was laughing like a hyena. Blood dyed the snow red around her, including her furs. She was beside herself with hysteria, staring up at me with a deranged grin. Angered by her gall, I went for her throat - crushing her windpipe until her neck bones snapped.

At last she went silent.

I glared down at the pool of blood collecting beneath her twisted body. Pathetic. This mere wench was able to get the best of Dell? Something was amiss. My instincts were screaming at me not to leave. But no matter how I looked at it, this human was dead. No pulse, no breathing - she was gone. And I needed to tend Dell. I waited for as long as I could, but no life returned to her eyes.

Hmph. With a distasteful snort, I left behind the stench of death. I backtracked where Dell was still pinned down. With a flash of light, I reverted back to human and worked to free him. Removing the rods from his arteries wouldn't have been a problem - except it wasn't I saw they were made of silverite did I understand.

If I removed the rods, he would bleed out. If I didn't, the silverite would kill him. He didn't have much time. We healed faster than any monster alive, but silverite was the only thing that counteracted our regeneration abilities, acting as a poison. We avoided contact with it at all cost. Staying human was the only way to avoid certain death - we were more resistant to silverite this way at the cost of being squishier. Our bestial forms were highly susceptible to its venomous effects. Silverite ore was extremely rare to find; it was even more expensive to refine from its raw state and weaponize it. My stomach sank in dread.

The huntress, now deceased, had been a chevalier. She couldn't have known otherwise about our weakness. First that witch, and now...

Fury curdled my blood. Cursing aloud, I wrenched the rods free from his flesh- allowing his body to slump terra firma. Touching the still hot metal left burns pulsing on my hands, but I ignored it as I knelt down to meet Dell's wavering gaze. I touched his big head, rousing him awake.

"L...Len…"

"You swore an oath to never again harm humans, and now look what's happened." I muttered, hanging my head with a disgusted grimace. "The poison runs deep in your vital organs. Even if I bring you to a healer, you'll never fully recover. Dell…." I clenched my teeth, infuriated. "It would've been better for you to continue to feast on mankind instead of martyring yourself like a pathetic dog!"

In response, he merely wheezed - unable to draw strength in retorting. I paled. If he couldn't even refute my pont like he always did, that meant he was already slipping away. I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't.

"Don't you dare die on me!" I snarled, my brow marred with anger as I closed my mouth around his neck wound without aforethought. Rancid, abhorrent - it was like eating fire. My throat closed up, rejecting the contents as I sucked out as much poison as I could before spitting it out onto the grass. I already felt sick to the core, hurling several times before I stomached myself to dive back in. From afar, the stench of death was getting stronger - coming closer - but I ignored it fearing Death was at Dell's door.

He would never be able to fight again, all because of his foolish virtues. The silverite was left in his system for too long. He must have been fighting it for days. I was disgusted, but more with myself than him for how I left things with him. I was such a fool for not coming back sooner.

"Fuck!" I wiped my trembling mouth, unable to rid the taste of Dell's tainted blood. I forced myself to continue even as his breaths quickened in harsh gasps. Nothing was more agonizing than having to watch him suffer like this. I hated feeling powerless more than anything. Physical pain I could bear… but this?

In my desperation, I extended my efforts even if it meant taking silverite by mouthfuls. I swallowed some by accident, and it made my head spin. It didn't matter how long this took - I would save Dell. I don't know how much time passed, but light began to return to his carmine gaze. Knowing most of the poison left his system, I struck a fire to cauterize his wounds. Even as I prodded him with the fire-hot poker, he didn't even flinch. My respect for him was renewed.

Hot breath whistled from him as he morphed back into a human. Grey hair hung in matted knots free from his ponytail. Unfocused eyes fell on mine as he reached out to me with a shaky hand, his mouth forming broken words.

"Gh...haa…"

"Don't talk. I'm taking you back to the Harrowing." I grunted, hauling his arm over my shoulder as I dragged him out of the wreckage. "First things first. I need to get you to Haku - she owes you a favor. Then we're leaving this accursed realm. Forever." His mouth moved again, but I cut him to the chase. "No arguments. We've stayed here long enough. It's time we move on."

I prepared to change back into a beast until he uttered in my ear.

"Above...you…"

A shadow fell over us before I could understand what he said. Carnage splattered Dell's face as he watched me in mute horror, straining to say something. I couldn't hear him. It wasn't until I saw a blade plunging out from my chest I realize that was my blood.

Huh…? Wait… it hurts. Why? This sharp pain… It feels like I'm being crushed. I couldn't breathe. Silverite?! I realized too late. My mind went numb as I slowly turned to find the battered huntress grinning down at me. Her hood fell back to reveal a head full of bloody golden curls. Pale legs stretched over to me in a thermal skin tight camouflage, climbing up a thin waist hugged by a bear pelt.

"Goddamn… I really thought I was done for. How merciless, Dogshit." Blue-violet eyes flared with hunger and excitement. Her breath was rank with death - making my head reel. "So, you're the wolfskin who bullied my baby sister. Can't say it's been a pleasure to meet ya, but, ah well." She twisted her dagger deeper, rending my insides before wrenching it free. I screamed as pain erupted like a wildfire throughout my body. I collapsed at her feet, coughing up blood.

Impossible… how?! I killed her. I knew I did!

With all the blood she was lost, she shouldn't even be moving. How was she even able to stand? Impossible. She shouldn't even be able to speak, let alone breathe.

"Fuhuhu. You look confused." Circling me like a predator, she shot me a sneer that bore her canines. "But then, I'm no ordinary human just as you're no ordinary wolf." Her hint made me realize the smell of her blood had changed. It was subtle, only obvious to a wolfskin. She was afoul with insidious magic, her scent mingling with what remained of her humanity. I watched in disgust as her neck began to twist back into place. Her broken limbs were healing right before my eyes.

"Dhampir…. Goldilocks!" I spat out the accursed name, glaring at her. Half-human, half-vampire - dhampirs possessed the worst traits from both races. They were either born from an unholy union between a pureblood and mortal… or in rare cases, became the result of an incomplete turning. Dhampirs were susceptible to sun sickness but were resilient enough to walk around during the day for longer periods of time. They possessed supernatural strength and speed and were able to regenerate their limbs if wounded, but their powers weren't on par with purebloods. However, they were immune to holy relics and staking. The only way to kill a dhampir was through decapitation. Which I failed to do.

I've heard stories of a dhampir chevalier by the name of Goldilocks - one of the deadliest units from the Chevalerie Order. As a young girl, she was brought up by bears to become the fiercest huntress the world ever witnessed. She inspired terror and infamy from having the highest monster kill count a chevalier could have. This was only possible through her staggering focus. She could go weeks without food or water - it didn't matter. Once she made her mark on the hunted, she never let them go.

Dell warned me many times to never to encounter such butchers. That while we were powerful, we should never underestimate what the fiercest of chevaliers were capable of. I never encountered such a unit… until now.

Her eyes were those of a bloodthirsty killer, telling me who was truly in charge of the situation.

"Heeh. I'm surprised they still call me that. Just your luck, huh?" Sharp violet eyes pierced me like daggers. "My hardass superior tipped me off about wayward wolfskin inhabiting this area. But it looks like I've hit the fucking jackpot." Purple eyes gleamed with hunger and excitement. "Name's Shimoda Lily. A-ranker from the Chevalerie Order. Class: Reaver. And well..." Her gleeful demeanor melted away into a dark sneer. "I'm here to put you and your old man out of misery."

"Bitch!" I was practically frothing at the mouth, rabid in my rage. "Damn you... damn you, Goldilocks!" Digging my heels against the dirt, I clawed towards her. In response, she stabbed my hand in place with her dagger - taking pleasure in watching me writhe in torment.

"Down, boy. Small fry like you oughta think twice before you bite. Can't believe you're the one everyone's been crying wolf about." An amused hum reached my ears as I shielded Dell from further harm. "I was expecting a youngblood to be the Big Bad Wolf's scion, but you?" Her eyes gave me a long once-over before whistling in amazement. "Didn't think the Big Bad Wolf was in such short supply of recruits." That snippy remark made me bristle as I bared my teeth with a snarl.

"Yeah, I've heard stories about you. You beat up a couple of spuds and suddenly - you' think you'll always be the one on top? I'll admit you're strong, but you're raw. Sloppy. You got no fuckin' disclipine." Her insults hit me like rocks. "Got too much pride, whelp. And well, what's the saying, that pride cometh before the fall?" With a careless shrug, she nudged the barrel of her revolver against my head. "Yeah, sounds about right."

A shadow fell over her face as she schooled her expression. I heard a resonating click and went still.

"O monster, your judgment for violating will be punished by death. By my duty as a chevalier, I hereby carry out your execution." She paused before adding. "Rest in pieces, motherfucker."

My heart stopped. A cold dread washed over me as I looked over at a feverish Dell. Then my stomach sank. So, this was it, huh. I really made a mess of things this time. A colorful slur of curses left my mouth as I glared up at the hyena woman, feral in my defiance. So be it. My life would never be taken by the likes of these humans. Not when I belonged to the Way of the Hunt. I would die fighting until the very end.

To cement this resolve, I spat blood at her boots. This act of defiance caused her to burst into gut-busting laughter before kicking me hard in the head.

"Fuckin' little shit! You really piss me off!" Her smile was thin but furious. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't be lonely in Hell. I'll send your papa soon after!" I forced myself not to flinch as she pulled the trigger. We were both in for a shock when the revolver was sliced through the barrel by a wayward dagger. With a curse, she dropped her weapon and clutched her swollen hand.

"Fuckin' hell-?!" The huntress sputtered. Her shock turned into anger as she discerned a figure watching from the shadows. "Rin, you stupid cow! Are you trying to kill me? That misfire blew up in my face! Some sister you are!"

Aghast, I could only watch the aforementioned witch showed herself. I was so distracted I hadn't even sensed her arrival. Why was she here?

"I was simply returning something lost to its owner. You shouldn't leave things lying around. Rather… some sister you are… not even telling me you were in the city." Dressed in a black wool coat, the witch sniffed. Her gaze wandered to where I was, and surprise registered on her face. "More importantly, what exactly are you doing to Beastie?"

"Was supposed to be a surprise... presenting you a wolfskin rug for your party." The asinine woman snorted, nudging my head with her boot. I snapped at her, earning a kick to the face. "Or not. Unless you'd rather me mount this boy's head instead?"

"I'll stick your head on a pike for all your Order to see!" I barked in retaliation, baring my fangs. I couldn't believe this. This hysterical hyena was related to that bratty witch? And she happened to be Goldilocks? I regretted having ever crossed paths with that blue-eyed baby doll in the first place. I knew she was bad luck from the start.

"Silence, Beastie. You're in no position to be making threats." The witch admonished me though her eyes never left her sister's. "I've no need for such vulgar ornaments. Leave his head where it is, thank you."

The woman was fighting back suppressed laughter. Her face twitched before ultimately failing.

"Screw me if I'm wrong, but looks like you've gotten rounder since I last saw you! Did you eat a cow on your way over here? Oh wait, I know! You've been overeating that sweet shit ever since Lola put your ass outta commission. Don't you know stress binging ain't good for you?" Her smug grin broadened seeing the witch flinch and avert her gaze. "Guilty as charged! I told you I'd laugh my ass if you had to use a forklift to get out of bed! I do well on my promises - ahahahahaahaha!"

"How dare you!" Blushing mad, the witch screeched. Her shoulders trembled with mortification and fury. She was so red she looked like a rosebush in the middle of winter. Having me there to witness her humiliation made it all the more unbearable for her. "So what if I've gained seven kilograms?! Don't change the subject!" Upset and frustrated all at once, she broke character for a moment. In her consternation she looked almost comical.

Her indignant outburst backfired, as it only made the older blonde laugh even harder.

I hadn't really noticed until she pointed it out, but the witch had gained some weight over the past few weeks. Even her black wool coat and earmuffs couldn't hide the pounds she'd acquired. Her cheeks were plumper. Her stomach and arms were squishier. She looked like a little piggy ready to be roasted. She looked so ashamed and self-conscious it was almost like seeing another person. To think she even possessed such an endearing side intrigued me more than I expected. If a hole were to swallow her up in that moment, I'd be certain she'd never show her face again. Shame. When she wasn't annoying or infuriating, she was sometimes entertaining to watch.

"Maybe if you actually exercised and cut down the sugar intake you wouldn't be so out of shape." The older blonde snorted. "Should've listened to me when I said to take better care of your body. Nothing burns out faster than a neglected metabolism."

The witch balked.

"Ohhh!" She stamped her feet like a child throwing a tantrum. "This is exactly why I never tell anyone we're related! You ridicule me in front of anyone no matter the circumstance! Hmph!" Visibly fed up, she turned away. "Who cares what you think! From hereinafter, you're no longer my sister!"

"Cheer up. You don't look half-bad. Some guys go for girls with some extra meat on their bones."

"I don't care about that!"

In their distraction, I tried to look for an escape route. If I could just make a break for the clearing over yonder, Dell and I would be able to go back to our realm. I just had to wait for the right opportunity to strike, so I kept silent during the sisters' odd exchange to increase our chances of survival.

"This terror who attacked you is the ward of the Big Bad Wolf over there." The huntress pointed out, earning the witch's incredulity.

"That's the man? He's the one from the stories? And Kagamine is…"

"None other. So step back. If left alone, they'll cause more trouble than they're worth. Especially Dogshit here." Her vulgar reference was directed at me, much to my chagrin. "Lola said he almost got you killed by Muffet. Time to put down these curs."

For a moment the witch was silent. Then she shook her head, hugging her precious bunny as she stepped forward.

"That won't be necessary. While a lot has happened in Megaton, I do not fear any monster. Not even Beastie." She asserted. "Yes, Beastie may have left me for dead…" Her eyes flitted to mine, and I could see how irritated she was about our last fight. "He's boorish and brutish, but he did duel me on fair terms. Petty as his antagonisms are, he could have done far worse to me. Yet he didn't."

"Going soft on me, Rin? Or maybe you've taken a liking to this wild bad boy. I thought you were better than that."

"Do not be absurd." The small blonde huffed. "It would be a waste to kill him. Seeing as he's lived here in Megaton for years, I gather he would at least have some useful information about the other residents - perhaps enough to warrant an explanation on the tears."

"Uh huh. And it's not because you're taking pity on these poor fools swimming in their own blood?"

A cold breeze picked up, moving through the woods like a breath. It alerted me to how close Dell and I toed the line between life and death - teetering and tottering, our lives hung at the mercy of the witch and her sister huntress.

"... If I wanted Kagamine to suffer, I would've prayed for Belphegor or Archangel Michael to take his soul." The witch answered, her voice carefully neutral. "But I never asked that, nor did I ask you to interfere. I don't claim to care for everyone's goodwill, but I can't watch this anymore." Powder blue eyes clouded with disgust. "You're brutalizing them - humiliating them. I thought chevaliers followed a code of honor."

"I don't remember you giving a damn about our Order's propriety several weeks ago."

"You treat dogs better than the monsters you hunt down. You don't have a personal reason to be senselessly torturing them like this." The witch argued. "This is inhumane."

"They aren't humans, Rin - in case you've forgotten." The woman responded icily, taking out a rifle from her arsenal. "Don't mistake pity for a virtue to protect these creatures. Especially him." She emphasized with a pointed glare at me before looking back at her sister. "These wolfskin are illegal immigrants. They're rogue. That means they ain't under our protection - especially the Big Bad Wolf." She pointed a shaking finger at my mentor. "He's devoured thousands of humans before the Silent War. He may have fought beside the chevaliers once, but he's the one the monsters who betrayed Daddy!"

"I... never betrayed Leon." We were all astonished to find a feverish Dell sitting up against a log, red eyes hazy and barely conscious. "I always considered your parents dear friends of mine. Dans Solem was a good man… and he deserved better, As did your poor mother." This statement made both girls tense up. Dell spoke quickly as though it would be his last chance, panting between gasps. "But I won't deny that I was never involved. I could have done more to prevent the misfortune that fell upon your family." He closed his eyes, swallowing thickly. "For that… this old fool can only offer you ladies apologies. I'm truly sorry."

"Y-You're…" The wide-eyed witch uttered, wrought with bewilderment. Dell gave her a pained smile in return.

"Rin… you don't remember me, but I held you when you were a baby once. Your father bawled for days when you were born. He called you his little princess… haha…" He gauged her speechless shock before turning to the seething huntress. "I see you've outgrown skinned knees and storybook adventures… you're the spitting image of Leon, Lily. You've done him proud."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Him, one of the most feared wolfskin in all history, bowing his head to mere humans? If our ancestors could see this right now, they'd surely be mortified.

"So you do remember us… How flattering! But you're. Too. Late." The older blonde seethed, her face twisted with rage. "Your alliance was a lie! You Malferics left Daddy for dead, and I'll be damned if that ain't the same thing as stabbing him in the back!" She screeched, cocking her rifle as she jammed the barrel against his head. I tried to speak, but the blood in my throat thickened as the silverite dagger clawed into my skin. "Maybe God'll forgive you for all the people you feasted on, but I won't!"

"DON'T KILL HIM!" I let out an ear-grating scream, crawling on the dirt to reach them. Terror seized me as I lifted a shaking hand in vain attempt to stop her, but my body was too heavy to move. I collapsed in a boneless heap, clawing my nails into the dirt as I bed everywhere. I wanted to strike everything down in my helpless rage for being unable to even move. The last thing I expected was for the witch to step in between Dell and her sister, having pushed the latter back.

"... The hell you're doing now, Rin. Move." The huntress ordered in a low voice, her expression deathly serious.

"You're not thinking clearly, Lily. You vanquished him. You've won." The witch insisted. "Neither he or Kagamine doesn't have any fight left in them. Clap them in irons and send them to Raven Rock for interrogation instead."

Blue-violet eyes flashed as the huntress growled.

"Goddamn it, Rin. I waited fucking twelve years for this! I ain't getting another chance like this again. I'm gonna blow these assholes to kingdom come, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Seeing how her sister wouldn't back down, the woman broke into a thin, furious smile. "Even if it's you, I ain't telling you again. You better fucking move before I pull this trigger."

"No." The small blonde shook her head stubbornly.

"Goddamn, Rin! Just listen to me for once!" For a moment, Goldilocks looked pained before hardening again. "All the people Daddy killed by letting this fucking creature live." The huntress seethed, glaring at Dell with all the hatred in the world before glancing back at her sister. "Don't let him play you for a fool! You remember Daddy by his strong arms that held you as a baby, Rin. But he was also a warrior. A warrior who was supposed to carry out his goddamn duty." She said. "But he was also a kind man - too fucking kind." She whispered, her eyes falling. "He cared for everyone, even monsters who weren't worth shit. Hell, this Big Bad Wolf was his best friend!" Her face contorted with anger as she faced Dell once more. "But when he needed you most, you betrayed him! Now, he's dead because of you!"

"I… never wanted that for Leon, but you're right… I failed him… just as I failed my people..." That whispered confession left Dell as he slumped over, whether from guilt or unconsciousness I didn't know. But the heavy guilt and regret in his hunched form was no lie. He didn't move or speak again after that. How long had he been carrying that weight on his shoulders? Years of silence having to endure all that… it must've been hell.

"You're blinded with hatred, Lily." The witch kept her voice calm in an attempt to placate her sister. "Exact your vengeance in due time, but you have no cause to execute them yourself. Not when there's more to the truth."

"I was fucking there when things went to shit, Rin! The dallying alliance between monsters and chevaliers ended when a mole of theirs left Daddy's squadron, including me, to rot in the Harrowing!" Lily spat venomously. "They were supposed to establish peace between our worlds so Mundies would accept their existence! Instead they betrayed us. Now we have a shitty secret truce between our Empire and their Kingdom. All for what? To prevent another plight that's bound to happen anyway?!" She said, shaking with unbridled emotion. "Everyone… even our order hung us out to dry. They hid the truth about what really happened to save face. They're all traitors!"

Snow weathered down, covering the once quiet forest in a white landscape. It was as though it were snowing to purify the bloodshed that had been spilled throughout history. I was stunned by this revelation, as it didn't match up to what Dell told me what happened- or lack of thereof. I never even knew he used to be with Dans Solem - our kind's most hated enemy.

And these girls… they were the daughters of Bloody Mary and Dans Solem? Born within a hellish union, they truly were creatures to be feared. I let my eyes wander over to a stone-faced blonde my age. If she were upset or heartbroken, she wasn't showing it. It mystified me… just how unfathomable she was.

"Figures a rookie like you wouldn't see these beasts the way I do. You've still got much to learn." The older chevalier hissed at her sister. "Listen. You don't want wolfskin running about. Especially that one." She gestured to me with a cock of her head. "Look at his eyes. He won't stop even if I break every bone in his body. That is the extent of a wolfskin's warrior pride. They'd sooner die fighting before admitting to a loss to a human. Trust me, you don't want this beast left alone to his devices. He'll become too much to handle - for me and you."

"I know all too well about how long Kagamine can hold onto a grudge, believe me." The witch replied, her voice still soft. Her probing gaze briefly held mine before flitting back to her livid sister. "Look at him. There's nothing he can do. He isn't like the Big, Bad Wolf." I didn't know how to interpret that statement, but I sure as hell didn't like how she said it. It made my blood curdle more than I was willing to admit. Then I stopped, confused. Since when did I care what she thought of me? Ridiculous. The absurdity of this situation was getting to me.

"Oh for - use your fucking brain!" The woman's shrill insult didn't even faze her sister as she punched a nearby tree, her strength causing wood to splinter. "He may be small, but he'll grow up to become a greater threat than you can imagine. Maybe more so than the Big Bad Wolf himself!"

"I'm down to one silverite bullet. Know how hard it is to get your hands on that kinda ammunition these days? It cost me time and a helluva lotta money. Lucky for me, I had both." Slow footsteps approached as the sound of a gun cocked. "I've fought the Big Bad Wolf for over five hours, so 'scuse me if I seem a bit cranky. He wasn't exactly easy prey. Now, move. I won't ask again."

"...Lily, I'm sorry." the girl whispered, sounding full of rue. "I can't claim to understand what you've suffered in the Harrowing. But I can't let you something you'll regret later on… even if you hate me for it."

Both sisters stood their ground, staring each other down - one pushing while the other refusing to budge. Tension rose between them like walls. It was suffocating to watch - this difficult exchange.

"...Can't believe I'm doing this. Fuck." The older woman lowered her weapon with a long, irritated sigh reminiscent of a deflating balloon. "You can stop with the wounded doe eyes, Rin. You win. But the Big Bad Wolf is mine." She rounded me with a belittling glare, catching hold of her sister's wrist. "Allow me to gift you something for all the birthdays I've missed til now."

"What do you- ow!" The witch winced as her sister sliced open her palm with another dagger, holding her bleeding hand over my head. Her shadow aligned with mine as the dhampir began to cast a spell, one that made my stomach sink with dread. Vampiric magic started to perforate the air, defiling everything it touched.

"Fervor, mei sanguis." Lazuline eyes burned a fiery violet as the dhampir chanted in Latin. ("Boil, my blood.")

The witch's blood spilled onto the nape of my neck, turning into threads of silverite that were scorched into my skin. Her scent filled my mind and body, so intoxicatingly sweet it took all my willpower to resist. Enraptured and disturbed, my mind was punished for my defiance.

"AAAAH!" My senses were wired to an excruciating agony I never knew existed until this moment. Needle-sharp pains were sawing through my neck and to the bone. It was like being boiled alive. I didn't know how long I was screaming, digging my claws into my throat in vain attempt to make the torment stop. I was frothing at the mouth, my body spasming beyond my control. I was vaguely aware of the witch's horrified expression accompanying her sister's sadistic glee. Their words fell deaf on my ears as I languished under the ritual.

When it finally ended, I found myself cursed with slave markings threaded in silverite - binding me to yet another master I never wanted. Who could it've been but the damned witch herself? The proof existed in the silverite earring that now hung from her lobe - a gift from her beloved elder sister. It was shaped like a teardrop. How ironic.

A sharp gasp escaped the witch who touched her earring, her expression stiff and pale. Her petal soft, pink lips were trembling.

"What have you done to him?"

With a disparaging smile, Lily ignored her sister in favor of addressing me.

"Consider yourself lucky, Dogshit. Or unlucky, depending on how you wish it." The dhampir made her scorn for me clear as she went on to jeer. "Your life is bound to Rin's til death do you part. Better it be yours - if she dies, you'll suffer an excruciating death." I ground my teeth, my mouth forming unintelligible curses through a red haze of bitterness. My brain felt as though it'd been turned into mush. I was left in a disabled stupor at the mercy of filthy humans. Just like all those years ago.

"Should you try to lay a hand on Rin, the silverite in your body will flood to your heart - killing you instantly." Her callous statement left blood boiling in my ears. With a wave of her hand, she closed up my wounds in the most bone-grinding way possible - granting me no clemency as I laid there, twitching in wordless pain.

"Lily, stop…!" The witch started, her face wrought with displeasure. The way she was looking at me… was that pity? I wanted to spit in her face. I didn't need her pathetic sentiment. This was all her fault, after all. Maddening girl...

"As for you, my bullheaded baby sister of mine." Goldilocks interrupted with a derogatory tone, silencing the girl. "Happy fucking birthday. Your new boytoy is no pet - but a wild animal. Seeing as he destroyed your soul weapon, it serves him right to become your new means of protection." She tugged at her own ear with a humorless smirk. "Wear your earring at all times. He'll obey whatever command you give him, and you can communicate with him no matter how far apart you are… so long as you're both in the same world." Her smile faded. "The binding spell is impenetrable… meaning no one else can break it. However, the spell is only as strong as your willpower." Light from her magic dissipated into the frigid air. "If you lose control over him, well… don't say I never warned you."

"I understand why you did this, but still… I didn't want..." Eyes casted down in discontent, the witch trailed off while hugging her rabbit plush. Then she sighed in defeat, shaking her head. "If we're done here, I'd like very much to go home now." I'd rather not spend the remainder of my birthday in a place like this."

"You and me both." Goldilocks turned around to apprehend us but was in for a nasty surprise when a revived Dell, using the last of his strength, morphed back into his giant form. Grey fur grew over his muscular body as he landed on all fours, his pointed ears high and his thick, bushy tail bludgeoning the trees behind him. Both girls stumbled back in shock as he towered over them with bared teeth and red eyes, his hot breath misting over the snow-covered forest. RIght before the panicking dhampir could draw her weapon, he slammed a huge paw on the ground - causing the earth to quake. He caught sight of me still writhing in torment, and his face twisted into a red rage.

"GRRR!"

"HE RECOVERED ALREADY?! SHIT! GET BEHIND ME, RIN!"

"LILY!" Shrieking, the witch hung onto her sister for balance as her astonished eyes rounded on the now giant Dell. I couldn't fault her for losing composure. Here was the legendary maneater who looked ready to devour them in one fell gulp. Any human with half a brain could tell how much he wanted to bite their heads off.

"Hrrrrrrgh..." The grey wolf huffed and puffed - and blew them away with a howling winter gale that swept them clear out of the forest. "HROAAARRR!" They hung onto whatever they could find for dear life, but even the trees bent and swayed at his ferocious command - tearing the roots clean off as they were pushed back for miles.

WHOOOOOOSHHHH!

Their terrified screams grew distant until there was no trace of them left. They were fortunate he was a gentleman - as most wolfskin would've grinded their bones to dust for hurting their kin. A few broken bones and bruises was nothing to complain about.

Dell snorted, his tired eyes red and mouth dripping with saliva. Even so, he was able to recover enough energy to lift my immobile body into his mouth and carry me off into the wilderness. I hadn't even been exposed to silverite until now, so my body wasn't taking it well - even in human form. WIth its poison coursing through my veins, I could do little more than move my head.

Cruel. That witch was the cruelest of all women - to grant me a humiliating mercy like this. It would've been kinder to end me with the dignity I had left. Now, I was bound to her as a slave forevermore.

"Shim...oda... Rin." Her name sounded foreign on my tongue, catching Dell's attention. Like her namesake, she was cold and curt yet somehow untouchable. Her blood left me bewildered - disconcerted, like tasting a sweet poison. I was both drawn and repelled by this girl. It made me angry with myself beyond what I could bear. "I'll... have my... revenge on you and your family... if it's the last thing I do…!"

A deep growl vibrated in the grey beast's throat as he ordered me to be silent, wobbling on his feet as he trudged on. Little did I know that my sworn oath was only the beginning of what madness awaited me. All because of that infuriating, enthralling little human who would be the end of me.

---

Rin's POV

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It goes without saying that when fairytale heroes weren't glorified wet nurses trying to fix a broken world - they were seen as murderers instead. Convenient scapegoats - they were throwaways left unthanked by the masses.

My father… Daddy… he took a lot of blame for things he could never have prevented even if he tried. How my mother became Bloody Mary, how the Malferics rose to power in his absence, and the endless tears ripping open our world to the Harrowing. None of what happened was his fault nor the Order's. But the Rorrim Empire decided their guilt. They needed it.

While I would always revere heroes with respect and awe… I would never wish to become one.

As for helping those wolfskin - I had my own selfish reasons for doing so. For one, it would've put Kagamine in my debt but considering how I failed to stop Lily from contracting him into becoming my slave, that ruined my plans of having him owe me any favors. Second, I abhorred senseless violence. Embracing grisly practices was exactly what Bloody Mary was tempting me to do. She wanted me to become the monster she was - to inherit her power and lose my humanity. The only way to silence her was to avoid mirrors, as she often took over my reflection to taunt me.

Hours passed since my unexpected reunion with my sister. It was still hard to imagine I crossed paths with the dreaded Big Bad Wolf himself. There existed horror tales about the most feared monsters. We called them the Maleferics. They were a terrorist monster organization that actively plotted against humanity for their extinction. They were our Order's worst enemies and were usually the reason for rogue monster outbreaks.

Bloody Mary, Pinnochio, Red Riding Hood, and Doll Maker were to name a few members among the Malferics. The Big Bad Wolf, however? He was the oldest legend of them all. I feared him as a little child, cowering during thunderstorms believing he'd come to eat me. All the times I used to bawl in my mother's lap, crying myself to sleep.

Alas, I was not that weak little girl anymore. Still, to think I've been going to school with his successor…

"Not the way I intended to spend my birthday… but this is turning out to be more eventful than I hoped." I simpered, trekking down a rocky trail that led me to Barnaby, a town so backwater and irrelevant it appeared no more than a tiny dot on a map. It was a rural area with a sparse population of farmers and laborers. Three hours away from the sprawling streets of Megaton, I had to take a bus and rely on the locals to make it all the way out here.

After a short, silent birthday dinner with my family - the inevitable squabble followed.

"What in seven hells were you thinking?!" Auntie Lola had erupted by the time it was time to slice the butterscotch cake. I was being served a generous slice when the pot boiled over. My fork paused in mid-air as I listened. Lily, for her part, didn't even look up from her plate and kept woofing her food down.

"You, my chaotic charge, went about slaying the wolfskin without fear of retaliation from our order? It's a good thing Rin was there to stop you from making such a foolish mistake! Really, I can't believe how irresponsible you acted! I asked you to bring in the wolfskin - not cut them down!" Auntie gave Lily an earful as they argued over the dining table.

"Oh, sorry. Maybe you didn't hear me when I said he was the Big Bad - motherfucking - Wolf!" Lily had snapped once her plate was licked clean. "He was under your nose the entire time and you never even noticed! I thought this was supposed to be your territory, Lola! It's a fucking cesspool of monsters, and the great Lux Lunae is barely able to lid the boiling pot we call a city! I still can't believe you sent Rin here of all places!"

"You'd watch your tone if you knew what was at stake, Liliana Angelica Shimoda! Do not assume I remain idle when there is a war going on!" Auntie had thundered, a surge of magic had erupted from the veteran chevalier that had caused the silverware to bounce from the table. Expensive china had nearly shattered if not for the swift intervention of the unicorn maids. They had rearranged it as quickly as it scattered, changing the tablecloth with an elegant sweep.

"Tea, madam?" Dina was quick to offer my aunt's favorite brew, which the latter accepted with a weary nod. A beat of silence passed, and she didn't speak until after calming down.

"...I see your time in the East has done little to refine that brash tomfoolery of yours." Auntie's expression remained dark as she spoke quietly to Lily, who merely snorted. Few could stand up to Auntie and live to tell the tale. My sister was one of these people.

Auntie Lola and Lily didn't see eye-to-eye on many things regarding monster hunting. Whereas Lola was by-the-book and taciturn, my sister has always been her own boss - much to the ire of our auntie superior. I couldn't remember them having a conversation without sparks flying. I wiped my mouth with a napkin after finishing my dinner.

"They may be fugitives, but they're invaluable. I ordered you to take them in. Alive." Auntie had said. "And what did you do instead? You deliberately disobeyed and bound the young wolfskin to Rin as her slave? If not now, the Big Bad Wolf's wrath will surely be upon us all because of your selfishness."

"I did what I had to do." Lily had defended. "Look at Rin! She can't even defend herself without a soul weapon! Ryuto can't come here for at least another month to repair Noitcelfer, and we don't have the luxury of idling about!" Standing up, she threw her arms in the air. "Neither you nor I can protect her from what's about to come. You can feel it, can't you? The tears are fraying the fabric of the Veil. Soon our world and the Harrowing will collide, and monsters will overrun us."

"We are already at war with the other Malferics. The last thing we need is making an enemy out of Dell. Of all the Malferics, he's the only one who can be reasoned with… but now I'm not so sure…" Lola stressed, rubbing her temple. "I cannot believe he was here all along… I must find him and negotiate a ceasefire if we want to continue living."

"Are you insane?! He betrayed Daddy, and you want us to cooperate with him?!"

"What choice do i have, Lily? With him running at large, he could raise an army against us if he so desired. He may be considered a tramp by other wolfskin, but their pride and vendetta are not something you want to take lightly."

"I almost had him myself! He's not nearly as strong or fearsome as he was thousands of years ago!" Lily had fired back. "If anything, he doesn't have much long left to live. He's consumed so much silverite it's only a matter of time until he dies from its slow poison. When I find him again, he'll be too slow to escape again."

"How many times have I told you not to underestimate your enemies?!"

They had continued dragging out a fruitless argument until I finally spoke up in a voice so pensive and stony they actually balked.

"Is what he said true?" I asked, referring to the Big Bad Wolf. "Did he really know mother and father like he said he did? Were monsters… no, were the Malferics once our allies?"

Auntie Lola and Lily exchanged torn looks as though hesitating to tell me the truth.

"Well?" I prompted impatiently, squeezing Ossa tight in my arms. "Do say something. This is the first time I've heard of anything like this."

"... Yes, Rin. It's true." Auntie confirmed quietly as Lily turned away from me, unable to meet my eyes. "Your father and I once knew the Big Bad Wolf simply as Dell. We fought together during the Second Plight. He was our closest friend before the Malferics rose to power… and it turned out Dell was one of them all along. He was the spy among us." She turned to my sister, whose body was shaking in silent rage.

"Twelve years ago, Dell led a squadron of chevaliers - including your father and sister - into the Harrowing to negotiate a treaty on behalf of our empire. But… they were ambushed." She said, her eyes pained as she recounted the events. "I was pregnant at the time, so I couldn't go with them. Only Lily made it back alive two years after. She was the only survivor who-"

"Shut up! Don't say anymore!" Lily had slammed a fist against the table, her dhampiric strength crushing wood into splinters as she had pushed back her chair. "Fuck this, I'm outta here." She had stormed out of the room looking ready to vomit.

"Lily…" I had whispered, sadly watching her go. Scars had run deep in our family, but it was Lily who had bore the brunt of emotional and physical abuse during her imprisonment. Forced to watch her fellow units and our father die before being held captive for years on end - it was no wonder why she became the embittered veteran she was today. She would never speak of the ordeal she had gone through being trapped in the realm of monsters during the years we were separated. Nobody really knew, not even me.

Years of separation had driven us apart, and we were no longer little girls daydreaming in our old country home.

Times like these reminded me how my own sister was a stranger to me. Despite us being sisters, the ten year age gap between us wasn't the only rift that had divided us. I truly knew nothing of her pain as she knew nothing of mine. Sometimes I wondered what she really thought of me… of us. Did she despise me, too - for disappointing her when I refused to let her kill those wolfskin? For not being in her life when we both needed each other most?

Years of our early childhood together were the only times I had really been with Lily. I had remembered her being a human. I had remembered her being a tomboy who had adored heroics and imitated knights from stories. I had remembered her picking me up from dance lessons and protecting me from neighborhood bullies.

She was once my protector - my heroine of justice who always looked out for me. Meiko reminded me so much of her - which was why it was hard for me to be around her sometimes. I had adored Lily when we were little, always crying to her when something went wrong or when I was scared. She, Mother, and I were together during that short but happy time. It was the last time I had remembered truly being happy. Failing to stop her when she left with father had left one of many biggest regrets in my life.

"Never doubt how much Lily cares for you, my dear." Lola had soothed, cutting through my troubled thoughts with an understanding look - as though reading my mind. "When I told her about your ordeal with Muffet, she dropped everything she was doing at the East to fulfill your post." She had said, making me frown in doubt. Of course I was skeptical - her own duty to serve in the East would've kept her there. It wasn't like her to go out of her way like this just for my sake.

"We've never spoken to each other until now. She didn't even tell me she was coming here…"

"The first thing she did when she found out about the wolfskin boy who broke your soul weapon was to calmly set up a trap for him that took weeks and money for her to plan. She waited three days and nights camping out there until he finally came for Dell." Lola's information made me gawk as I stared at my half-eaten cake. "She refused to leave until she avenged your honor. Her words, not mine."

Clarity had befallen me as I had gone slack-jawed at the revelation.

She could have taken Dell elsewhere and avenge her grievance anywhere but in Megaton. She could've easily planned for another way to lure out Kagamine afterward… but she chose not to. When she wanted to execute the wolfskin right then and there, she could've easily hurt me to get to them. But she chose not to - not even when her end goal dangled in front of her like roasted meat.

"She… did all that for me?" I had whispered, touching the earring she gave me that bound me to Kagamine.

"Your sister isn't perfect. Lily has done terrible things, as we all have. Her drive for vengeance and hatred of monsters makes her a very unhappy young woman…" Auntie had paused. "But one thing that hasn't changed is how much she loves you. Too much to even consider hurting you." Seeing me frown, she had me assured with an exasperated smile. "No matter how much distance there is, no matter how time passes - it doesn't change the fact that you're her baby sister." Standing up, she had left it at that - leaving me to ponder as the maids had begun cleaning up after her.

"Happy fifteenth birthday, my dear." Lola had passed me a gift wrapped in shiny orange wrapping, tied off with a pretty blue ribbon. "For what it's worth, your parents would've been proud to see the fine young woman you're becoming. Both of you, that is..."

I opened my new orange smartphone. A thoughtful gift, if not necessary. I looked through my previous messages with Meiko. I promised her I would keep her updated about my activities over vacation as she and her father were visiting relatives out of town. We were becoming close, it seemed. Our conversations reminded me of how close I used to be with Lily, which left me with a contrite that was hard to swallow.l whenever I thought back on it. Alas, I didn't want the past to chain me down. I could only live in the here and now.

Kaito didn't have a phone of his own, so I've yet to see him for some time. Sometimes I wondered what he was up to - likely picking up strays off the street or getting in . He seemed to have a penchant for that. I accredited him to having a wider circle of connections than I could ever hope to have. Not that I was interested.

Auntie and Lily were right about one thing - something had to be done about the tears sooner rather than later. We had no leads or resources. With only the Big Bad Wolf as our lead, I wasted no time pursuing him myself - reckless as it seemed. I snuck out the manor when everyone was asleep and travelled by myself. I was confident no harm would befall me as Len was now forced to protect me from harm - if anything happened to me, he would be severely punished through death or worse. I would use that against the elder wolfskin if he tried so much as laying a hand on me.

I found it strange the elder wolfskin hadn't taken the chance to kill Lily and I the moment our backs were turned. He was unconscious during the ordeal and couldn't have known about the binding until later on. I remembered the distraught and fury in those carmine eyes when he saw Kagamine on the ground. He wanted to hurt us in return for hurting his scion but chose not to. This caught my interest in learning more about him and Kagamine.

My boots crunched against the snow as I sighed.

"I can't imagine why Auntie or Lily never bothered to mention that they've already known each other for a long time." I grumbled to Ossa in my discontent, whispering against his worn black fur. It angered me knowing that I was left out of such important families. When I called them out on this, I heard nothing but flimsy excuses like, "I was too young to understand" or "the less I knew about the Malferics, the better". When I demanded to learn more about the past, they kept mum. Even Lily refused to open her door to me no matter how much I bribed, threatened, and pleaded.

Stubborn family of mine refusing to reopen doors to their past… they left me with no choice but to resort to drastic measures. Lily would come hunting for them tomorrow morning. I would warn them in exchange for valuable information on the tears and Malferics they could offer.

Now that they knew how persistent Lily was, they would have no choice but to accept my terms.

"Am I betraying my family? My Order? Just to satisfy my wants?" I questioned aloud, hearing the wintry wind sigh in response. A mirthless chuckle escaped my lips as I hugged Ossa to my chest. "I told pure-hearted Meimei I was not the kind, selfless saint she aspired to be. She wouldn't believe me, and here I am proving her wrong."

I did feel a tiny bit guilty for letting her down, albeit unknowingly. It was rare to come across people who still put their faith in humanity. I found their ideals admirable, captivating - but alas, selfish pragmatism was the only way to survive in this cruel, beautiful world. I have lived on my own following my late mother's advice.

Cruel to be kind, that was how I would describe her. She had not only instructed me in dancing and dressmaking, but also in cold, bare facts of life.

Never trust anyone. Only rely on yourself. People put up airs of false comradery to use you until they tire of you.

Mother was right.

Even when I lived among others - I was truly on my own. I've learned to contend with that, however tough it was at first watching people come and go out of my life. I have always lived at a distance from the world they lived in. That was simply the way things were. I understood the life I chose to become a chevalier - that I was no longer a person, but a tool for a means to an end… however.

My brow marred in dissatisfaction.

"Expecting me to lie down and roll over? Obey blindly without question? I am no one's pet. If I'm to give my life for a cause, I deserve enlightenment at the very least!" I huffed, climbing over rocks while hitching up my skirts. Briars tore at my black stockings as I stumbled past, and I swore aloud.

I've gotten heavy these past few weeks, and it was harder to maintain my balance. I supposed I'll consider myself lucky being able to come this far without breaking my neck.

There were so many questions left unanswered. I wasn't about to run myself blind without knowing what was at stake - not on my life. If anyone would know about the tears ripping apart our world, who better would understand than the Big Bad Wolf?

Perhaps he would be more willing to divulge details where Auntie Lola and Lily failed.

Winter vacation was prolonged for another week. It couldn't have come at a more opportune time as I had better things to worry about than silly school matters.

Thus I snuck out and took the first train leading out to the countryside. Three bus stops later, here I was walking into Barnaby carrying a basket with Ossa, a medicine kit, and some money. In my other hand I held my pumpkin parasol. It was no soul weapon, but it was better than being defenseless. I felt naked without my things.

The earring Lily gave me helped me dowse for Kagamine's magic presence. It was only a matter of time until I arrived at a log cabin past a throng of fields and pine trees. Icicles poked out like sharp teeth from the roof as though warning me to leave. Of course, I did no such thing.

My shadow aligned with the moonlight as my hand hovered over the oak door. I hesitated before steeling myself and knocking. I was surprised to find the door unlocked as it nudged open with a loud creak.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" I called out into the darkness of the cabin. No answer. I tried again. "Hello? Beastie? Big Bad Wolf?" Nothing but silence. Feeling bold, I entered the cabin with steps as quiet as a mouse. I stood there in the doorway, waiting with bated breath for any sign of life. Lily's earring led me here - and I could sense Kagamine's magic in the air. Stronger than oak, his essence was forever rooted in my memory since the binding ritual. I knew he was here.

But where? I certainly hoped he wasn't about to jump out of the shadows to lunge at me. The last thing I needed was a heart attack. Taking deep breaths, I set down my things and searched for the lights, my hands grasping empty air.

This place was clearly off the grid, so I didn't expect to find any electronics lying around. I bumped into something hard, nearly stubbing my toe. Stone. My hands traced the shape and size. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness around me, I could cinders and warm logs beside a hearth. I explored further to find flint and fire poker near the cut coppices. I struck a fire and fed it wood, watching flames burn bright and red as they danced about. Finally, I could see where I was going.

I took in my humble surroundings. Log walls glowed an attractive amber color. There was something toasty about being by the fire within a quiet cabin far off in the wilderness. It smelled nutty but also earthy, like cloves. From a tiny wood burning stove in a corner to the wolfskin tapestry. What fascinated me most was the whittled carvings of animals of every shape and size - from wild horses to tiny butterflies. Such artsmanship and fine detail deserved a museum of its own. While the cabin could hardly be called luxurious, consisting of bare necessities to survive - it still carried a quaint charm that put my mind at ease. Far better it was to be indoors than braving the wilderness.

Speaking of which...

"H-How ghastly! It's cold as death here!" Shivering, I rubbed my arms in a vain attempt to warm myself near the fire. My teeth chattered. I may as well have been standing outside instead. Here, it felt as though all the life was sucked out of the room - taking along any warmth that might have existed. Maybe this place was deserted after all. Then I remembered wolfskin lived in cold climates and preferred dark dens… not unlike moss. I tittered at the comparison until my eyes landed on a conspicuous note on the table. It was ripped in half and crumpled up - likely from frustration.

Curiosity got the better of me as I lined up the pieces to read. I would apologize for peeking later.

Pup,

If you're reading this, that means I've left before you've awakened. I am sorry for this. I know you must be furious with how things ended with the Shimoda sisters, but I've sworn an oath to their father - Dans Solem - to never harm them. I never told you that man and I were once friends. It was a long time ago when we were able to trust each other. I also knew his sister, Lux Lunae. We all fought together in the Third Plight before you were born. At the time, I was already working with the Malferics to end humanity… our goal was a nefarious one, but I truly believed in their cause.

Until I met Shimoda Leon.

Fighting alongside the Chevalerie Order was what changed my mind about what I thought of humanity. Pup, I have done many horrible things during my time in the Malferics. Betraying Leon is only one of the many mistakes I've come to regret. Failing to intervene during the sabotage is the same as betrayal. Thus, my inaction has led hundreds of thousands of others to suffer. Including Shimoda Lily.

She is thoroughly justified in her anger for what I've done. I ask that you do not seek out revenge against her. Do not bear ill will against the Shimodas. You think me a fool for asking this of you, but I once considered them close as family even if the feeling is not mutual on their part.

I am dying, my pup. But you know this already. Silverite poisons my heart each passing day, slowly killing me. Do not despair or lose your way in anger. I have lived long enough. Now I am ready to accept whatever punishment comes my way. Alas, I still have many sins to atone for before my soul departs.

I may no longer be part of the Malferics, that doesn't mean our lives are out of danger. As you're aware, I'm still being hunted down by the Malferics for being a turncoat. Now that Lily has discovered us, it's only a matter of time until Lux Lunae and many other chevaliers come hunting me down.

This is where we part ways. I cannot tell you where I am because I dread you following me into havoc. So long as we're apart, no one will hurt you just to get to me. Only when my final mission is complete will I contact you. Once again, I am sorry to leave you all by yourself like this. I have taught you everything I know how to survive. Never forget our lessons.

It's time for you to know everything. My secrets and the truth I've carried with me all these years. I've never told you much of my past, but here lies my journal. It will answer all the questions you have. About my involvement with both the Chevalerie Order and the Malferics.

As for the Veil… the collusion of both worlds will soon be upon us. I do not know if this can be prevented, but I will try to stop this calamity. Take care of yourself.

In the kitchen I grounded up a bitter concoction of herbs to expel the poison in your body. Take it with a meal and stay hydrated. Don't forget to get lots of rest. You needn't fight at this time when your body must recover. You're never one for sitting idle, but think of your own health first. Most importantly, do not shift into your beast form until your fever breaks. You're vulnerable to hemorrhaging should the silverite quicken through your flesh.

I stopped for a moment to gather my thoughts. True to his word, there was a black leatherbound journal on the table. I smoothed my fingers over the cold texture before continuing to read the last note's section.

All life is part of creation. I forsook many lives to extend my own due to my own grudge against humanity and my own lack of understandings. I've committed many horrors worthy of being thrown into the fiery pit of Hell. Still. Nothing is worse than this heavy guilt I carry. I do not wish the same for you. My only wish is to die without regrets.

Len, I have no right to dictate what you should do next. If you choose not to do so, then I respect your decision. Please protect Shimoda Rin. Not because you're bound to do so or to make good on my failed promise. Find your own reason… and only then will you understand everything I taught you. Only then will you truly be a free man.

No matter what path you choose in life, know that I'm always proud of you.

My son.

-Dell

I dropped the farewell letter as strong hands grabbed my shoulders from behind and slammed me against the wall. Stunned, I found myself staring into the eyes of a ferocious beast as muscled arms barred my escape. It was Kagamine. So absorbed in reading I hadn't noticed him sneak up on me. Only now did I see the door to his room was left ajar.

"Come to gloat, witch?" He hissed, his breath misting over my colorless cheeks as he held me by the arms to the point of bruising me. My breath hitched as I attempted to reply, only to be interrupted. "Or did you think I wouldn't notice your intrusion in your failed attempt to slit my throat while you thought me asleep? Or have you come to distract me while your sister takes me prisoner?"

"No! I'm the only one here! I'm not here to fight! I've come to bargain!" I protested. He was too strong for me to overpower. I sorely regretted not checking all the rooms before allowing my nosiness to get the better of me.

Stumbling around shirtless, he was delirious and running a high fever. His skin flushed red all the way down to his navel. He was bandaged up to his head, though his wounds reopened when they came undone. Sweat perforated his hair, now loose around his shoulders. I was disturbed at our close proximity, not only was it indecent but also downright shameful that I allowed another man to get as close as he. He smelled musky from bleeding.

"As you can see, that gormless old coot isn't here to stop me from what I'm about to do to you!" He roared in my face, blind rage twisting his features as his hands moved to my neck. "He abandoned me to die on his own! Now I'm a slave to your machinations! All because of you humans! I told you to never come near me!"

I froze up as his strength closed around my throat - ready to snap my neck. I feared the worst until he suddenly dropped to the ground, screaming in pain as the markings around his neck flared up like lava. It was a horrible sound - being forced to listen to his torture. I backtracked in mute horror as purple magic electrocuted him, forcing him into submission. I don't know how long I watched his punishment, but the smell of burning flesh forced me to come to my senses. Once it finally stopped, Kagamine tried to brace himself using his arms, only to fall unconscious.

My chest heaved with deep breaths as I forced myself to move. I never kept my eyes off him as I gathered my things and grabbed Dell's journal in one swift movement. I went to the door and was about to run out until a weak, anguished whimper stopped me.

"...No…"

I nearly jumped hearing Kagamine speak. I turned around, ready to intercept him this time. Instead I found him curled up in a fetal position as he whispered in his sleep. He was shaking like a leaf.

"Stop it… don't hurt me… again… not again." he choked out, curling deeper into himself as though trying to shield himself. "N-no more. I will be strong… have to… won't give in…" he kept saying over and over. Moonlight hit just then, revealing many deep scars and burns on his back that never fully healed. His arms and legs were pronged, bitten into. Every scar told me of what suffering he had to endure at the hands of sadistic slavers or worse. His was a silent story of how he knew nothing but violence.

For once in my life, I felt my heart seize up.

Here was a proud creature reduced to this sorry state. I couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty for taking part in his needless suffering. He has bullied me many times, and I haven't forgiven him for what he did to Ossa. But I could find no joy in watching him tremble in his trauma.

I idled by the door, unsure of what to do next.

"Just leave him, Rin. It's easy…" I tried to convince myself in a whisper. Surely he would be fine - he was beastly Beastie! I had what I came for. I wasn't here to play nursemaid. I clutched Dell's journal to my chest, pressing against Ossa. My feet turned into lead as I still couldn't move. Then I made the worst mistake I could possibly make. I looked over my shoulder.

"Haa...haaa…."

Half-naked and vulnerable, he laid on the dusty floor - coughing and groaning in a pile of dirty bandages. If I left him to battle his nightmares alone, there was no telling if he would recover. He could barely take care of himself. I was no goody-goody, but even I wasn't able to simply walk out the door without bearing a heavy conscience. Doing nothing made me just as bad as those who inflicted pain on him. Such repercussions made me human.

"Be still, my bleeding heart." I quipped at myself before acquiescing to what my heart demanded me to do. I set down Ossa and journal and went to Kagamine's side. He was heavy, but I somehow managed to drag him back to his bed. I opened my sewing kit to tend to his wounds. The hardest part was applying alcohol. Sometimes he would throw himself around to avoid my hands. Despite him moving around I was able to stitch him up and bind him with fresh gauze. Once I helped him lie down, I went back to scour the kitchen cabinets.

Preserved meats, dried vegetables, canned foods, flour, rice, herbs, and spices. Seeing how fresh and unused the ingredients were, Dell must have stocked for Kagamine before his untimely departure. It was a shame I hadn't caught him sooner. I would've liked to get to know him a bit, however wary we were of each other.

"Time to work." I clapped my cheeks to bolster my spirits. Once the cabin felt warm and toasty, I removed my top layers and fired up the stove. I was fortunate to find a dusty old apron. Red in color and with two front pockets.

Boiling rice went first, then cutting up roots and vegetables. Oil in the frying pan sizzled with chicken cuts and the bitter herbs Dell left for Kagamine. I waited until the rice became a pudding-like consistency before combining the ingredients. I made sure to stir the pot continuously so the rice wouldn't stick. A mouthwatering aroma permeated the cabin, and I knew it was time. I tasted a spoonful before making a face.

"Too bitter." Once I added a pinch of sugar and tasted it again it finally met my satisfaction. Before I could find a bowl to serve it in, however, I heard the floorboards creak.

Kagamine was dragging himself to the door, panting and leaning on the wall for support. I could see he was fighting exhaustion and pain to get outside, if his determined expression indicated anything. I hurried to his side and tried to coax him back to bed.

"Kagamine, you're in no shape to be going anywhere. Please go back to your room. You still haven't taken the medicine Dell left you."

"Don't need it." He grunted, ignoring me as he brushed past. "Go away, woman. I don't feel like dealing with you right now. I need to find Dell." More like he didn't even have the strength to do anything but complain.

So stubborn! The last threads of my patience snapped.

"Kagamine Len!" My sharp addressment halted him in his tracks as he slowly, warily turned to face me. Never had I used his full name before, so it left him shocked. I marched right up to him and poked his chest with a scowl. "You are a very bad Beastie! I've had it with you up to here!" I emphasized with a clear difference between our heights. "I've had a difficult time stitching up those wounds. Reopen them, you can tend to them yourself!" I didn't want to raise my voice, but he was giving me no other choice. I put my foot down on the matter. "You're not nearly as invincible as you'd like to believe. Now, stop acting like a little child and go lie down!" Chin raised and hands on my hips, I steeled myself to let him know I wasn't tolerating his ill-begotten manners anymore. He should be grateful for what I've done for him. How dare he take advantage of my goodwill. Perhaps I should've left him on the floor instead. Dealing with a sick Beastie was grating on my nerves though I wasn't certain if a healthy one was any better.

He certainly didn't look pleased with my bossing him around, but it didn't matter. I wasn't letting him have his way this time. He knew this. We stood there for what seemed like an eternity until his shoulders finally sagged - my intense scolding taking full effect. He grumbled in defeat as he trudged back to his room, avoiding my eyes the entire time. I followed close behind and helped him beneath the covers, which he grudgingly acquiesced to.

"You're not to leave your bed until I say so. Should you refuse to listen, I've no problem with tying you up myself." The quiet threat left my lips before I could think better. Once I realized what it implied I flushed red with mortification before shaking my head. Thankfully, Kagamine was too dazed to pick up on the notion. I was grateful Lily wasn't present - she would have embarrassed me further with lewd remarks, and I didn't need more vulgarities than I've already had to suffer through - no thank you. Casual flings and promiscuous relationships were unnatural to me. I could scarcely tolerate a handshake. All the touching… it was so personal. I'd never understand how Lily did it.

"Stay." I ordered softly and left him. I found a wooden bowl and a clean set of utensils. I served everything on a tray, including a glass of water and knocked on his door, letting him know that I would enter. He watched me as I dragged the nightstand to his bedside and offered him the food. I sat across from him so I could watch him.

"What's this?" He asked after sniffing it, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Herb rice porridge. You eat it when you're sick." I tried not to appear as offended as I felt. He hadn't even tried it yet.

"Humans, you mean…" he grumbled, adding an afterthought. "Doesn't smell poisonous… so you used the herbs." His suspicion didn't die down as he stared right at me, making no secret that he didn't trust me one bit. As a show of faith, I took a spoonful myself and ate it.

"You don't need to worry. Its bark is worse than its bite." Which was funny, considering I actually added wild bark. "Though I can't say the same for you." My sarcasm made his lips twitch in what looked like amusement, but when I blinked he was clearly scowling. Reluctantly, he took the wooden spoon I offered and ate a hesitant spoonful.

Astonishment registered as his eyes rounded. He marveled at the porridge as though he were being served heaven on a silver tray. I reckoned he didn't go out of his way to eat human food, considering his primal instincts. He ate another spoonful. Then another. And another. He wolfed the rest down soon enough, no pun intended. I was pleased seeing his dramatic change, and I couldn't help feeling proud of myself for accomplishing this.

I imagined this was what it was like owning a pet.

He threw a fit at my suggestion that he take a bath. Time to crack the whip. When I made the argument that he was starting to smell like a corpse and it was ghastly that he didn't have any clean clothes to spare, he kept mum. I told him I would do his laundry just this once but it would take time so he might as well make himself decent.

"Disrobe. Scrub your face and body clean. Your hair is matted with blood and sweat, and it's been making me gag since I've arrived." I told him once we got to the outdoor sauna. Coals burned red-hot as steam began to rise, permeating the air.

"Bossy woman…" He grumbled under his breath, beginning to remove his pants. Much to my horror, I got a peek of his unmentionables and screamed at the top of my lungs. He turned around, which I screamed at him not to do as I threw the towel in his face and covered my eyes.

"You dense, uncivilized beast of burden!" I cried as he removed the towel to shoot me a dark glare. "Don't strip in front of a lady! It's immodest!"

"I'll keep that in mind when I see one." He retorted, tying the towel around his waist as he turned his back on me. I gasped at his mocking reply, seething. He paid me no mind as he grabbed a bar of pine soap and clean rags. Uncaring that I was watching, he started scrubbing away grime and blood.

"How rude. Of all the insufferable- hmph! Your glibness does not credit you." I huffed, rolling up my sleeves as I marched over. I sat behind him, taking a soapy rag and scrubbing his back - making him flinch in bewilderment as he stared at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Hold still. You missed a spot." I told him, causing him to sputter.

"I-I'm no child! I can bathe myself!" I noticed how flustered he was getting and couldn't help teasing him for all the times he troubled me. "Don't touch me, woman!"

"There's no need to be bashful. We have to make sure you're clean~ hmm, that soap smells good." I came a little closer as though to get a whiff, and he immediately retreated with red cheeks. Cute. "Where are you going? Here, you gotta scrub under the towel too~"

Ha. How did he like that!

"AGH! Get those hands a-away from me!"

"Hm, are you sure? It's no trouble." I called after him, wiggling my soapy fingers to tease him further.

"I-I'll do it myself! Just… stop it! No more of your help! Stay where you are!" Feverish and high-strung, he was perched at the far end of the room looking horrified at the idea of me assisting him anymore. I gave him a sweet, indulging smile and allowed him to finish up. I probably shouldn't tease him anymore. It was almost cute seeing how embarrassed he could get when the right buttons were pushed.

"So, you can cook." He grumbled as I dried his hair with a clean towel. It took some time to smooth out his ruffled feathers, but eventually he accepted my insistent help. Not that he could resist in his delicate condition.

"Yes. Does that surprise you?" Now that I had a better look, I was able to admire how fine and soft his hair actually was. Like threads of gold, almost. The length reached down well past his shoulders - longer than mine. I was sorely tempted to play with it while we spoke, but I knew he wouldn't appreciate it.

"You play the part of a weak, spoiled little girl who's only concerned for her looks." His blunt remark made me smirk. I didn't deny it. "Naturally, I didn't think you were capable of taking care of yourself."

"Not many do." I giggled, combing out a particularly hard knot and watching him wince with savage satisfaction. "My hometown lives far off in the countryside. It may shock you to know that I'm accustomed to hard labor. I just enjoy being lazy." I answered, drying the ends of his hair before tying it up in his usual ponytail. Shame - he looked handsome with it down, but it was his preference. Either way, it was true what Kasane said about him being sinfully handsome. Too bad his prickly temper got in the way of such charms. He could've lived off by those good features of his, but he was a devil with an angel's face.

"...It does surprise me." He admitted, his voice quiet. "For a human dish, it was..." He was about to say more before trailing off. Then he snorted and snatched the comb from me with a slight glare. "Don't think one half-decent meal is going to change my mind about you. Keep your distance, witch." He then moved away so he could finish combing himself. I stopped, genuinely taken aback before frowning. So, even after all the hard work I put into helping him get better - he refused to acknowledge me. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I couldn't help feeling a swell of disappointment. Oh, well. I gave him back his pants, turning around to give him privacy.

"Why did you help us?"

"Hm?"

"Back there in the forest." Clothes rustled behind me as he clarified. "Why did you try so hard to help us when it meant going against your sister?" I hummed in deep thought before emitting a titter.

"I didn't want to see you die." It was the simple truth. Hearing him scoff behind me, my smile broadened. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Indeed. You are not what I imagine to be a saintly sort." He snorted. He sidestepped me, and I followed him. He refused to let me help me any further as he supported himself on our way back to his room. He really did hate relying on others for help. A part of me understood why he was so determined to do everything himself. In a way, leaning on others felt like a weakness.

Nighttime brought a sense of quiet - a private peace one could only find here out in the wild. As I sat near Kagamine's bedside, I watched him stare out the window with an unfathomable expression. He looked better. Color was coming back to his cheeks. He threw up several times but lucky I had a bucket ready. Hopefully, he'll be able to sleep soundly.

"... Actually, it hurt to see you suffer." Underneath the twilight, I felt compelled to confess. I hadn't lied back there but admittedly did not tell him everything. Now seemed like the best time to clear up any misunderstandings built between us. "Watching you be branded against your will, and seeing those scars you have on your back… they reminded me of a terrible thing that happened to me… a long time ago."

Kagamine didn't give any indication he was listening, so I cut to the chase.

"Len, I'm sorry." Closing my eyes, I said very quietly. Catching his bewildered visage, I allowed him to hear the sincerity in my voice. He probably wasn't expecting me to apologize. Unsurprising. I thought I wouldn't know what to say, but then I remembered what words I would've liked to hear from the others who hurt me - who abandoned me during my own time of need. Like magic, the words came flowing out of my mouth like a river.

"I'm sorry others hurt you when you only wanted to live in peace. I'm sorry we hurt someone important to you. And I'm sorry my people have abused your people for years on end and that there's no end in sight to this cycle of destruction of hatred and fear." For a moment, I fell silent. Then I bowed my head and added in a whisper. "I'm sorry for everything that happened to you, Len. I really am. Humans and monsters… all we seem to do is hurt each other, huh?"

"You…" Brows furrowing, he began in a hushed voice, but I held up my hand to stop him as a gentle request to let me finish. Blue eyes rounded in amazement, but he eased back to let me continue - surprise still evident. How strange. He acted as though no one had ever asked anything from him with respect.

Had no one cared to treat him with a modicum of dignity until now?

"Len… as you know, I'm a failure as a chevalier. I'm just a dressmaker who loves eating sweets. I live for my own pleasures even though it sounds shallow." I stated, unflinching as I held his mystified gaze. His eyes were beautiful. I wondered why I was only noticing this now. "I consider myself many things, but never cruel." I touched my earring with a disgusted frown. "Having you for a slave is not what I wanted, nor did I want harm to befall you and your beloved mentor." I told him, gauging his stunned silence. It was likely he'd never received even so much as an apology for all the transgressions he must've been put through. "My inaction cost me much in my past… and I never should've allowed this to happen."

"Hearing all this from me probably doesn't mean much, but… I just wanted to tell you that I really am sorry. And..." I took a deep breath. It wasn't easy admitting the last part, but I did. "I think a part of me finally understands your anger… I didn't think I could, but I was wrong."

"That's why I promise you that I'll find a way to break our binding. I'm aware you value your freedom as much as I value my privacy." I declared, sitting up straight. "In exchange, please help me out as much as you're able. Anything you know about the tears or Malferics would help."

"...And if I refuse?" Came his cold reply.

"I can't make you do anything you don't want." I smiled helplessly, shrugging as I expected him to respond like this. "Strange as it sounds, torturing proud creatures like you doesn't settle in my stomach well. In fact, I found it downright disturbing!" I let out a soft laugh, covering my mouth. "Funny, isn't it? I find many morbid macabre sights fascinating, but even I have a twisted sense of decency!"

Magnanimity and I weren't on intimate terms. My natural nosiness was tempered with caution, and thus I've lived long. Yet, being with Kagamine Len like this… complicated matters for me. I was now ignoring my instinct to flee or fib and offer him a chance to decide things for himself - something I was once deprived of. I would not steal his freedom. A melancholy welled up in me even as I kept smiling, making my heart ache.

"... Did you think pretty words would really make a difference to how I view humans?" Len asked in a quiet voice, clearly not amused. I let my gaze fall in submission. He rolled his eyes. Conflict torn on his face at my unexpected act of humility, he looked undecided whether to trust me or not. Then he exhaled. "Really... humans are so counterintuitive. If this is your way of trying to throw me off so you can get on my good side, just know it's not working." He grumbled, giving me the side-eye the entire time. Tuning his back, he laid back down. I waited, watching him until he finally spoke up. "I have no interest in helping you. As far as I'm aware, your world can burn to ashes - ending all life. I told you I would look forward to that day. My first priority is finding Dell. I have no intention of swearing any fealty to anyone - especially not you." His words were shards of ice lodging into my skin. "Don't think one night of nursing me has changed anything. You are a human who holds the chains to my life - if you order me to help you, that would be the only thing stopping me from killing you. All you are to me is a slaver... and you're no different than a slaver."

Harsh, bitter words coming from him. He pointedly refused to acknowledge me, as that was how deep his enmity towards my race ran. I should've known that one apology wouldn't amend a lifetime of abuse and misfortune. I would be lying if I said being told I was no different from a slaver didn't sting, but I couldn't refute what he said. I was his contractor, plain and simple. I knew that there was no helping how he felt. I would simply have to earn his trust the old-fashioned way, through hard work and patience. I would have to prove to him that I really did mean no harm - only then could he possibly give me any time of day.

A cold draft breathed down my nape. I froze in my seat, my mind screaming at me not to turn around but it was too late. I saw a mirror hung by the door. Quiet as an assassin, Bloody Mary materialized in a plume of smoke - bony hands scratching the hardwood floor as she dragged herself out. Her long, white Victorian dress was stained black from old blood. Paralyzed in my chair, I could only watch in mute terror as her breath rattled in her broken throat. Gaping holes bled red tears where her eyes once were, and an oozing pus left her stitched lips as she reached for me - closer… closer.

My breath caught in my throat. I broke into a cold sweat. My skin went clammy. My mind began to break down as I frantically recited prayers.

No, no, no. Not again. Don't drag me into that horrifying place again. Don't make me become a monster. Please, mother - I'll be a good girl I'm sorry!

Neither God nor Bloody Mary granted me clemency no matter how much I begged. She was furious with me. I'd done it again. I'd gotten close to someone and I was to be punished because I disobeyed.

"Riiiiiin…." That raspy, bone-dry voice shook at my betrayal. Her foul breath misted over my face, and I was nauseated. Blood dripped onto my clothes as her bony fingers closed in on my vision. And then…

"You're trembling." Kagamine's taciturn grunt awoke me from my living nightmare. He was looking at me strangely. I blinked back tears and saw that the ghost was no longer there. I shook my head. I willed myself not to look at the mirror no matter how much I was being lured. I licked my dry lips and forced myself to laugh.

"Nothing at all. J-Just caught a chill…"

"What is it you're afraid of?" Blue eyes never left my form as he sat up, his inquisitive gaze boring into me.

"W-What do you care?" I choked out, turning away so I wouldn't have to lie to his face anymore. "You've made your point clear. I'm just cold. Go to sleep, Beastie. I-I'll be leaving soon enough." I cursed the tremor in my voice. I sounded so feeble, like a frightened little girl. Although I tried to play off his probing with a laugh, even I knew he wasn't as dense as to believe my poor acting. To save what little dignity I had left, I rose to leave. I needed to go. As soon as there's no mirror, I'd be safe again. I'd be able to breathe. As though to reassure myself, I made for the door - only to have my sleeve snagged by a big hand.

His thin, scarred fingers brushed mine as he observed my shaken reaction. With a persistent tug, he pulled me back and forced me to turn around so he could look at me. I made several half-hearted attempts to break free, but he was stubborn.

"Your hands are like ice. You're shivering." He commented, paying my protests no mind as he took me by the elbows. Firmly but gently, he dragged me beneath the blankets. I found myself flushed against the hard planes of his body. He rested my head against his scarred chest. My fears melted away as he told me that the only monster here was him - that I should only fear him.

"You are my prey. No one but me is allowed to elicit terror from you. You showing a face like that to lesser creatures is unacceptable." He growled. "That's why... don't let others frighten you when the only one you should really be afraid of is me." There was a hard edge to his declaration. Strange enough, he distracted me from the living terror residing in the mirror. The strength from his unwavering gaze and warmth from his coarse palm calmed me, coaxing me to focus on the young man before me. My heart skipped a beat, followed by a tingling sensation.

His weight left the bed then. Then I heard a loud smash, followed by glass shattering. I tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by my unlikely savior as he threw the blankets over me. He went to sit by the window. Still, I knew what he'd done. He'd broken the mirror without so much of me saying a word about it.

"Why did you…" I gasped, looking up at his serious expression. He looked at me then and a ghost of a smirk appeared.

"When I kill you, the last face you're allowed to make is one wrought with helpless terror." His voice was full of malicious glee as he regarded me. He offered no explanation for his actions. "Though perhaps the best way to do this is to cook you." He emphasized by pointing out my slight tummy. Fear forgotten, a hot shame arose within me as I let out an unattractive squawk. This caused him to snicker as I screeched at him to not even think of trying anything - scooting to the far side as much as possible though there wasn't much room. He gave me a wolfish grin, sauntering over to lean over me.

"Not so ladylike now, are you?" Leaning in to whisper in my ear, he went on to add. "You're blushing. Seems your thoughts are sliding to desirable wants. Perhaps you're not as much of a child as I thought." He sounded almost playful, and I would've gawked at the way he was looking at me with anything but disdain if not for my exasperation towards his antics.

"You just threatened to cook me alive! Don't patronize me with indiscriminate suggestions!" Embarrassed, I shouted at his smug face. He was insufferably pleased at himself for getting a rise out of me. I puffed, rolling away from him. "You're an insufferable, arrogant beast. Talking about different ways of killing me... you really are charming, aren't you?"

"I meant what I said. I intend to murder you." He stated casually before throwing me his music player. I was hesitant to accept it at first but once I realized what was playing I wasted no time listening. I was pleasantly surprised to find it really was Tchaivoksky. Swan Lake, to be precise. I never would've thought him the type to appreciate classical music.

Everyone from my mother's old studio knew Swan Lake. A virgin maiden by the name of Odette was cursed by a sorcerer to remain trapped in the body of a swan. Only true love could break the spell, and her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince. But before he can declare his love, the lustful twin, the Black Swan, tricked and seduced him into declaring his love for her instead. Cursed to remain a swan forever, the White Swan committed suicide. Her heartbroken prince follows her into death. Only in the afterlife could their love truly be free.

"Pathetic humans through and through. Only the weary lie down and die. Such a waste." Kagamine grumbled by the window. I assumed he was talking about the lovers. "Love is a brittle weakness that plagues the mind. Sooner or later it would've betrayed them in the end. No evils would exist if not for such lofty feelings."

I frowned at such heavy words, but a part of me couldn't find fault in the truth that reflected it. Tired, I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

"You may think so, but whether their love was weak or strong is not the point of the story." My rebuttal caused him to grunt and roll his eyes, probably thinking what I said was hogwash. "What matters is that to them - their love was a beautiful commitment worth protecting. They may have died as fools or heroes… but the heart of ballet expresses the depth of their emotions for each other."

"Emotions? Hmph, you would justify such lofty attitudes."

"This is just my opinion, but I do not believe human emotions are not so much a weakness as you'd like to think, Kagamine." I said. "They make us who we are - for better or worse. Without them, we are empty husks. That's something to ponder, at least." I was met with heavy silence. I wasn't sure if he heard me or if he'd already fallen asleep. I didn't mind - so long as I made my point clear before he finalized his judgment.

We laid there in the dead of the night, listening the soulful pas de deux Odette and Siegfried shared before their double suicide. A doomed romance from the start born from youth's folly and passion… but even so, it was beautiful. Remembering the finale made my heart wrench.

"You and I may not be so dissimilar." I whispered. "Even now, you want to find Dell. And I want to find... a reason to live now. No matter what hurt the world throws at us… how is it we find it in ourselves not to cut away those who need us most?"

I heard his breath hitch in his throat. He seemed surprised, and I felt his eyes bore into me like hot knives. It took me all my composure not to squirm. I hadn't said something strange, had I?

"Strange… you sounded just like her for a moment."

"... Her? Who do you mean?" I questioned, waiting for him to elaborate. Instead he shrugged away my inquiry.

"Nothing. Just a dream."

Closing my eyes, I drifted off to a dreamless sleep - but not before hearing one last hushed whisper from my new protector.

"What nonsensical things you say. And yet… you force me to reflect on such things. You are the strangest human of them all… Shimoda Rin."

I wasn't sure if I heard right, but a pleasant shiver ran down my spine hearing him use my name for the first time. He said in such a low growl that even lightning couldn't shake my senses the way he did. I wasn't sure what to make of the effect he'd been having on me lately.

I will remember you, dear Beastie, as the strangest monster I've ever met.

Strong-willed, defiant Kagamine Len. You dazzle bright like the sun... yet hide during the storm. When you're here, I forget the many things that haunt me. I even feel the need to do things I never thought of doing before. Is it because we're both strange? Is it because I want to prove you wrong about humanity?

Whichever it was, it seems we are now stuck together.

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Edit 1! Some of you pointed out how strange it was for Len to quickly open up to Rin in the last part. I honestly didn't understand what you guys meant at first as I only intended Len to "play" with Rin as he would with food. I see, now, however how easy it was to misinterpret his actions. So I adjusted the last scene to better fit his distrusting characterization. As much as I wanted them to share a touchy-feel moment, you guys helped me realize it didn't seem like an appropriate time when they barely knew each other - let alone, are stuck together in a very harsh binding. I must thank you guys for that! I will try to do better from now on.

A/N: I loved writing this chapter! It took me a devil of a time to figure out, but it was so worth it. I feel so revitalized like I've been a saved and sanctified sinner all over again! I'm so happy I could just scream! Things are finally on the move, and Len and Rin manage to find common ground despite the world of differences that they have. It's time they finally mend their differences to fight together. Nothing like the start of a beautiful relationship! Sinners, I know it's hard staying indoors with little to not much to do with COVID19 going on. But stay safe and healthy! It's hard on an old girl like me too... being unable to chill out at Starbucks - but we're all in this together. Let's be a team. Please stay home and healthy. Save yourselves and others by connecting here online. Thoughts and prayers!

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