Kuri woke in the middle of the night, her scream shattering the quiet. She bolted upright, clutching her chest, her entire body trembling as a chill ran down her spine. Her breathing was ragged, and tears stung her eyes as panic coursed through her.

"Kuri!" Haru's voice broke through the haze as he rushed into the room, his expression shifting from confusion to concern the moment he saw her. He didn't hesitate, sitting beside her on the futon and placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I—I don't know!" Kuri stammered, her voice trembling. "Something's wrong. Something terrible has happened." She clung to him desperately, burying her face against his chest as her body shook uncontrollably. Haru's arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her tightly, his voice soft and reassuring.

"It's okay," he murmured, though his heart was racing. "I'm here. You're safe."

Kuri clung to him, her breathing beginning to even out as his calm presence steadied her. Haru noticed something strange—she was pressed tightly against him, but nothing had happened. No transformation. His curse wasn't reacting to her touch.

"What…?" Haru said quietly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Why didn't I transform?"

Before Kuri could answer, a soft "meow" broke the silence. They turned toward the door to see a small orange tabby cat sauntering in, tail flicking. Haru blinked. "Kyo?"

"Meow! Meow meow meow!" the cat cried, its tone distinctly frustrated.

"Kyo?" Haru repeated, his confusion deepening.

Yuki appeared behind the cat, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What's your problem, stupid cat? Forget how to talk?"

Kyo—still a cat—let out an indignant hiss and leapt at Yuki, scratching his face with a series of sharp swipes. Yuki yelped, stumbling back and grabbing a nearby cup of water. "Take this, you furball!"

He splashed the water over Kyo, and with a puff of smoke, Kyo was back in his human form—soaked, glaring, and holding his side. "What the hell is going on?! And why couldn't I talk?!" he snapped, his voice muffled by the towel Yuki threw at him.

"Have you guys seen—WAH!" Reiko's voice interrupted as she stepped into the room, her eyes widening at the chaos. "Why is Kyo wet? What's going on?!"

"I don't know! I don't know!" Kuri wailed, waving her arms around in panic. "QUACK!"

Silence fell over the room as everyone froze. In Kuri's place was a small, fluffy yellow duckling, flapping its tiny wings and looking just as panicked as before.

Reiko blinked in disbelief. "She's…a duck?"

"No way," Kyo groaned, holding his head. "This has to be a nightmare."

Reiko grabbed another cup of water from a nearby table and poured it over Kuri. With another puff of smoke, Kuri reappeared, her black hair disheveled, clutching a blanket tightly around herself. Her face was red with embarrassment as she glared at everyone. "Why is it just me and Kyo?!" she cried, her voice rising with frustration.

Before anyone could answer, her eyes suddenly glowed a brilliant silver, her voice dropping into a low, almost otherworldly tone as she spoke:

"The Curse of the Fallen. The two Monsters will bear the full weight of the curse, freeing all of the others from their chains. None will heed their cries for help, and all will be well."

Everyone stared at her, the gravity of her words sinking in. Kyo was the first to break the silence. "Who are you calling a monster?!" he snapped. "And you know, cats eat ducks."

"She didn't mean it!" Reiko jumped in defensively. "That wasn't her—it was a vision or a prophecy or something."

"Yeah, well, she still called me a monster!" Kyo growled, only to be decked in the face by Yuki.

"Stop being such a moron, stupid cat," Yuki said, shaking his fist. "She's not the one who cursed you."

Kyo held his bleeding nose. "Damn rat!"

"Enough!" Haru's voice cut through the commotion. He was still sitting beside Kuri, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "She's scared enough without you two making things worse."

Kuri looked up at him, her silver eyes fading back to their usual blue. Tears welled up in her eyes as her voice shook. "It's my fault. If something happens, it's because of me."

"It's not your fault," Haru said firmly, his tone low but steady. "You didn't choose this, Kuri. None of us did."

She opened her mouth to argue, but the sincerity in his gaze made her pause. "You don't have to do this alone," Haru added softly. "I'm here for you. We all are."

Kuri's lips trembled, but she nodded, her tears spilling over. Haru helped her to her feet, guiding her out of the room as the others continued to bicker in the background.

XXX

Later, Haru found Kuri in the library, curled up on one of the oversized chairs. Her hands rested on a book she wasn't reading, her eyes distant. He stepped inside quietly, not wanting to startle her.

"Hey," he said softly, sitting in the chair across from her. "You okay?"

Kuri glanced at him, then down at the book in her lap. "Not really," she admitted, her voice still a little shaky. "But…this helps."

"What are you reading?" Haru asked, leaning forward.

She hesitated, then held up the book. It was a worn copy of a young adult paranormal romance, the cover depicting a shadowy figure in a forest.

"Didn't know you were into that kind of thing," Haru said with a faint smile. "Good escape?"

Kuri nodded, brushing her fingers over the cover. "A world where curses don't exist. It's…comforting."

Haru leaned back, his gaze soft. "You deserve that escape. But if you ever feel like coming back to reality and need someone to face it with, you've got me."

Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she offered him a small, genuine smile. For the first time that night, she felt a little less like a monster and a little more like herself.