《I Fell In Love With A Girl Who Died Before I Was Even Born》 CHAPTER ONE - WHAT THE FOX SAY CHAPTER 1 ¨C WHAT THE FOX SAY I looked at my watch, but I didn¡¯t check the time. I had bigger problems, like the fact that fifteen minutes were missing from my life. A moment ago, I was in downtown Clarksburg, standing in the library parking lot. Now? Now, I was sitting in the Meadowbrook Mall food court, mid-conversation with the prettiest Japanese girl I¡¯d ever seen. Orange-red hair. Amber eyes, and an impish grin. Except. I didn¡¯t remember driving here. I didn¡¯t remember parking. I didn¡¯t even remember meeting her. And yet, here she was, smiling at me like we were old friends. "You okay, American boy? You were spacing out just now." Her voice was light, teasing¡ªbut there was something else in it, something just beneath the surface that implied importance. I felt drawn in straight away. ¡°Huh?¡± I managed, blinking. I glanced down at my watch once more, like I could shake loose the missing time if I stared hard enough. But I forgot to check the time. Again. Seriously, it was hard to focus around her. Especially when she started talking. "You were just about to tell me what anime and manga you like," she said, her head tilting slightly, eyes glinting with interest. Oh yeah. Of course, I was. Why wouldn''t I be? I leaned forward, opening my mouth¡ªand then my soul left my body as I heard myself say: "I like a lot of supernatural ecchi." Wait. WHAT?. No. Why would I just admit that? What the hell was I saying?! I wanted to cringe so hard, but what I was the pure, open, honest truth. Just admitting that I liked ecchi to this girl I¡¯d just met was bad enough. But I couldn¡¯t stop. The words poured out of me like I¡¯d been drugged with truth serum. ¡°I love Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Rosario + Vampire, Yokai Girls, Monster Musume, and To Love Ru to name a few. Oh, and High School of the Dead¡ªnot supernatural, but a tragedy they never finished it.¡± What. The. Actual. Hell. My brain was screaming abort, abort, abort, but my mouth was already off the rails. I just told a random, gorgeous girl I liked pervy ghost manga. She was definitely going to think I was a creep. Instead, she laughed¡ªa soft, deliberate kind of laugh¡ªand reached out, tapping my shoulder like we were sharing some kind of secret. Or even worse, like she already knew and was just waiting for me to admit the truth.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Ohhh, so you''re a naughty American boy who likes ecchi!" I froze. Wait. Was she¡­ teasing me? ¡°I¡ªuh¡ªyeah. I guess so,¡± I admitted, feeling like I¡¯d just been completely exposed and somehow survived. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She leaned in, just a little too close, like she was about to whisper something dangerous. But instead, she asked: "Why? What is it about supernatural ecchi that you like? Are you just an otaku, or is there more?" Her voice was playful, but there was weight behind that question. Like she was testing me. I almost answered without thinking¡ªbecause that¡¯s what kept happening with her¡ªbut this time, I caught myself. I really thought about it. Yeah, sure, I liked the fanservice. I wasn¡¯t gonna lie. But if I just wanted porn, there were easier places to find it than manga or anime. When I was younger, I know I would have stopped at a simple ¡°yeah, fanservice¡±, but now that I was older, outside of high school and university my answer had changed. It was deeper than fanservice. ¡°So, you like the fanservice, but there¡¯s more?¡± It sounded like a question, but she was leading me to complete my thought. ¡°There¡¯s something about those worlds," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully. "I always wonder what it¡¯d be like to live in them. Not just the fun, goofy parts, but to have real consequences.¡± She cradled her chin, considering. ¡°What sort of consequences are you talking about?¡± ¡°Okay, say you go to a high school with monsters¡ªwhat¡¯s just walking down the hallway, or lunch like? It wouldn''t just be a cute aesthetic. It''d be terrifying, knowing what your classmates are capable of, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She looked up at me, her amber eyes sparking with mischief. ¡°The setting sounds perfect¡­ but what about your fanservice? What about your youkai girls?¡± Of course! Let¡¯s take a typical catgirl. She''s cute on paper, but what if you saw how she actually moved? What if her mannerisms were just off enough to make your brain reject it? That''d be unsettling, right? And so damn cool to explore.¡± I stopped. I hadn''t meant to go on such a tangent, but she¡¯d pulled it out of me. Again. Lana nodded slowly, her expression shifting. And for the first time, I saw it¡ªsomething flickering beneath the surface of her gaze. Gears turning. Like she had just decided something. ¡°Oh yes,¡± she murmured. ¡°That¡¯d be interesting. That¡¯d be something I¡¯d like to see.¡± The way she said it sent a shiver down my spine. It seemed like the world shifted beneath my feet. Weight. Consequences. This was important. I looked back at my watch. Still forgetting to check the time. I needed to ask her. Who was this girl? Why was I here? How did I even get here? I opened my mouth. ¡°Lana¡ª¡± But before I could finish, she suddenly sprang up from her chair, her movement way too fast to be normal. ¡°You really want to know who I am?¡± she asked. She leaned forward, her face only inches from mine. ¡°Really? Even if the price is high?¡± I didn¡¯t even hesitate. I couldn¡¯t with her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry, American boy," she said, stepping back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You don¡¯t want to be late for your first day of high school!¡± My blood turned to ice. Wait. What? My first¡­ day of high school? That wasn¡¯t right. That wasn¡¯t right at all. I was in my forties. Why was she saying that? And yet¡ªas soon as she spoke the words, my body just moved. Panic exploded in my chest. I needed to go. I couldn¡¯t be late. Why the hell was I at the mall?! I jumped up and ran, bolting past her like a man possessed, shoving through the mall doors¡ª And right there, waiting for me outside, was a school bus. It idled at the curb, doors open, yellow and glowing in the late afternoon light. A school bus. Waiting for me. Behind me, Lana''s voice drifted through the air, playful and warm. ¡°Good luck, American boy.¡± And then¡ªjust as I passed her¡ªsomething soft brushed against my leg. I felt it in a flash. A teasing, delicate sensation. A tail. Her tail. Her fox¡¯s tail. By the time I turned around, she was gone. And I didn¡¯t have time to think about it anyways. My mind kept screaming at me that Lana was right ¨C I couldn¡¯t be late for my first day of high school. [To be continued] CHAPTER TWO: TUNNEL VISION The school bus was wrong. None of this was normal, but this? This was something else. I know what color a school bus is supposed to be, and this wasn¡¯t it. The yellow was too bright. Too artificial. Like someone had painted over reality with a color that didn¡¯t quite belong. It hurt, like, the yellow was so wrong it hurt to look at it. Its color sharper than necessary, almost liquid, like the afterimage of a neon sign burned into my retinas. The more I stared, the more I felt like it wasn¡¯t a color at all¡ªjust a concept pretending to be one. But that didn¡¯t stop me from walking toward it. I couldn¡¯t stop. I tried! I tried to bite my lip, yelling in my head, anything¡­ My body moved on its own, my legs carrying me forward no matter how much my brain screamed at me to turn and run. I forced my eyes to the side of the bus, looking for something¡ªanything¡ªthat would make sense. And that¡¯s when I saw it. SPATIAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS ¨C NO. 321 My stomach twisted. Spatial District?! What the hell kind of school district was that? And the 321¡­ It reminded me of someone counting down. I dug my heels in, fighting against whatever force was pulling me toward the bus. My mind was screaming STOP. STOP. DO NOT GET ON THAT BUS. And yet¡­ I stepped forward. The doors hissed open. A man sat in the driver¡¯s seat. At least, I think he was a man. His face was so aggressively plain that my brain refused to process it. No wrinkles, no stubble, no lines¡ªlike a freshly-printed mannequin of a human being. His cap cast just enough of a shadow that I couldn¡¯t quite tell if he had eyes. But I felt in my bones that something was off about him. He stared down at me with the kind of look you give someone who¡¯s already lost.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Boy,¡± he muttered, shaking his head. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re getting into.¡± The door slammed shut behind me. The first thing I noticed was that I was the only one on the bus. This bus looked, no, felt old. There were no cobwebs, no dust, no spiders or skeletons sitting in the seats. And that¡¯s what was so off putting about it. The seats were clean, spotless really, but the colors were saturated unnaturally. The air in the bus felt stagnant, stiff, and lifeless. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I didn¡¯t want to sit too close to the driver. If he was working with Lana¡ªand at this point, I was sure he was¡ªI wanted as much distance as possible. I slid into a seat near the back. Outside, the Meadowbrook Mall was still there. Then the bus moved, and reality shifted like a skipping record. One moment, the sunlight was warm against my skin. The next, shadows stretched long and jagged across the parking lot. I blinked. The sky was burning orange. Then deep purple. Then black. Too fast. Too wrong. My hands clenched the seat in front of me. ¡°What the hell¡ª¡± Then it was night. Then¡ª A tunnel. A tunnel that shouldn¡¯t exist. There are no tunnels in Bridgeport. I¡¯ve lived here my whole damn life. This place doesn¡¯t exist. It CAN¡¯T exist! Where am I? Panic surged through my chest. I pushed myself up, gripping the back of the seat in front of me. I turned toward the driver, my voice coming out hoarse. "Just where the hell do you think you¡¯re taking me? Where are we? What day is it? Because it was just sunny a few seconds ago! Who are¡ª¡± The tunnel swallowed us whole. The air changed. No, it vanished, an electric feeling the moment before a storm. The air simply stopped and the world held its breath. A pressure built behind my eyes, slow at first, then crushing. Something was pressing against the inside of my skull. I gasped. No air! My knees buckled, and I hit the seat hard, my head swimming. What the hell is happening to me?! A low chuckle drifted from the front of the bus. ¡°Relax, kid,¡± the driver muttered. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself if you fight it.¡± My teeth clenched. Fight what? I forced myself to look up. The tunnel stretched endlessly ahead of us. I couldn¡¯t see the exit. Only darkness. The driver didn¡¯t even glance at me as he spoke. ¡°I get it. First day in a new high school." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Believe me¡ªthis ain¡¯t like no high school you¡¯ve ever heard of.¡± The tunnel swallowed us whole. For one horrible second, I felt like I was floating. Like gravity didn¡¯t exist anymore. Then¡ª Light. We burst out of the tunnel. I gasped. My breath came back in sharp, frantic bursts, my heart pounding in my ears. And outside the window¡ª The sun was rising. Wait. What? I blinked. The sky was pale gray, clouds rolling over a landscape I didn¡¯t recognize. Thin, skeletal trees lined the roads. Their branches were barren and twisted. Like they had died a long time ago. And beyond them, in the distance¡ª A town. A town I had never seen before. It didn¡¯t look like any city in West Virginia that I had ever seen. And perched above the town like a looming vulture, a school. My chest tightened. ¡°W¡­w¡­where the hell am I?¡± I rasped. The bus slowed. The driver smirked, leaning back in his seat, but his expression didn¡¯t match his eyes. His flat, empty eyes. The doors groaned open, the hiss of air breaks sounding weirdly like a sigh. ¡°End of the line, kid.¡± CHAPTER THREE: ROAD TO NOWHERE Chapter 3: Road to Nowhere The moment my foot hit the ground, the bus was gone. No engine revving, no tires kicking up dust¡ªjust gone. No skid marks, no dust cloud. Just¡­gone. Like it had never been there at all. I turned, breath caught in my throat. Behind me, only a stretch of dead, empty road. The forest stood motionless on either side, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath. The air was wrong¡ªthick, silent, heavy. No wind. No birds. No distant hum of insects. Nothing moved. I was completely alone. Or¡­ almost alone. Ahead, the school loomed behind an eight-foot wall of gray brick, the kind that looked like it had been standing for a century. Moss and lichen dotted the stone walls, maybe the only living thing for miles besides me. A wrought iron gate stood open, leading up a winding path to the main building. A sign hung above the entrance, written in kanji. Crescent Moon Academy. I blinked. Then blinked again. I could read it. I could read the damn kanji. I felt lightheaded and took a step forward. I¡¯d read enough manga to recognize kanji, but not nearly enough to have understood it. You don¡¯t want to be late for your first day of high school. ¡°Lana,¡± I said to myself. And now some weird school? I needed to find her, fast. Had she sent me here? What the hell was she even? And what did she mean I could find her but I¡¯d lose myself? I didn¡¯t have any answers, and I wouldn¡¯t find any just standing around. I took a step forward, but I didn¡¯t recognize my own pants or shoes. I wasn¡¯t wearing my jeans. I wasn¡¯t wearing my flannel. I wasn¡¯t wearing anything I had put on this morning. Plaid pants. A pressed white dress shirt. A dark blazer. Oh my god¡­ A school uniform. Lana¡¯s words rang in my mind and I wished she¡¯d show up with a camera crew and everyone laughing at what a clever joke this had been. No¡­ I knew¡­ this was REAL. I shoved a shaking hand into my pocket, fingers closing around something familiar¡ªmy phone. My last link to reality. I yanked it out and nearly dropped it when I saw. The casing was burned. The edges charred like it had been through a fire. The screen was cracked beyond repair, a web of shattered glass and melted plastic. It smelled like smoke.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I tried to power it on. Nothing. Completely dead. A breath hitched in my throat. I fumbled for my wallet, needing some kind of proof that I was still me¡ª but it wasn¡¯t mine. Not my wallet. A wallet. Black leather, a kanji etched into the side. I knew what it meant the second I saw it. ¡°Dragon.¡± Ryu. I swallowed hard, flipping it open with trembling hands. A thick stack of yen notes stared back at me. I flipped through them in a daze. Bills that shouldn¡¯t be mine. And then I saw the ID. I lifted the card slowly. In the spot where I¡¯d kept my drivers license, a new card. No. A Crescent Moon Academy student ID. The face on the ID looked¡­ familiar. No. Recognizable. For a second, I thought they¡¯d been some mistake. My brain refused to process it. The hair was too full. The skin, healthy. The eyes¡­ young, bright. Then it hit me. It was me. Younger. A kid. Fifteen, maybe sixteen. My hair¡ªthicker, fuller, untouched by time. My skin¡ªunlined, unscarred. My beard was gone. I touched my face, fingers trailing over smooth, unfamiliar skin. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling volume I hadn¡¯t had in years. My scar. I stared at my left index finger, searching, searching¡ªgone. The small, faded mark from a careless knife slip in college? Completely erased. This wasn¡¯t possible. This wasn¡¯t my body. My hands shook as I checked the name on the ID. Andrew Ryu Kazeyama. Kazeyama? What the hell? I¡¯m Andy Benjamin Davis! My last name had changed. My middle name had changed. I moved to my birthdate. December 6. Same day. Different year. Fifteen years old. I choked on a breath. I was fifteen. My entire body was younger. The world spun beneath me, my vision darkening at the edges. I dropped to my knees, fingers digging into the dirt. What the hell had they done to me?! I forced air into my lungs, clenching my fists until my nails bit into my palms. This wasn¡¯t a dream. I felt everything¡ªmy heartbeat pounding against my ribs, the sting of cold air in my throat, the rough ground under my fingertips. I punched the ground. ¡°Wake up!¡± I yelled. ¡°Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!¡± I punched until my fist hurt and my throat stung and nothing changed. This was real. And then I saw it. Another card, tucked behind my ID. I pulled it out slowly, flipping it over. Shin¡¯yume-sou. Deep Dream Inn. I had residence in town. Fine, but I still needed to find Lana. I forced myself to my feet, knees still shaking. Ahead, Crescent Moon Academy loomed like a shadow against the pale sky. Behind me, the road stretched toward the distant town of Shin¡¯yume. Before I could take a step forward something hit me from behind. Pain exploded through my ribs as I was knocked off my feet, the breath driven from my lungs. I hit the ground hard, the world tilting sideways. I groaned, pushing myself up¡ªonly to freeze as a shadow fell over me. A girl. No. She only looked like a girl. She stood over me, brushing dust off her skirt, her flat, lifeless eyes locked onto mine. Her skin was too pale, her face too smooth. Not simply beautiful. Flawless. Like a doll, and just as uncanny. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, her voice polite. Too formal. Stiff. Hollow. DEAD. And then¡ª Her entire body stiffened, head bent forward. Her eyes widened. She was looking at something. My leg. Recognition. But not just that. Something deeper. Something almost primal. ¡°Oh,¡± she whispered. I looked. My pantleg was torn from the fall, and my knee glistened red. A scrape. Just a scratch. But her pupils dilated. And then, slowly, her fangs pushed past her lips. I felt my blood turn to ice as I scrambled to back away, but it was already too late. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡± And she took a step closer. CHAPTER FOUR: IN THE GRIP OF STRONGER STUFF One second I was backing away from her, and the next¡ª She was on me. Cold! Oh my god, she was so cold! Her arms wrapped around me like dead weight. Sharp! Something pricked my throat¡ª I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her hand was already there clamping over my mouth with the efficient, casual brutality of a butcher at work. And then I felt it. A slow, pulling sensation, deep in my veins, spreading outward in waves. Warmth leaving me. Draining. I felt the blood being taken¡ªa slow siphon, deliberate and rhythmic. The world blurred at the edges. My heartbeat¡ªloud, sluggish, wrong. She swallowed. And oh god, I heard it. She sucked at my throat, her lips suctioning against my skin as she slurped. Thick. Warm. Wet. My blood. Being pulled from my body, consumed, taken, owned. My vision dimmed. I was going to pass out. Then¡ª She stopped. The pressure on my throat vanished, the pull snapping away like a cut lifeline. I gasped, collapsing to my knees, my fingers clawing at my own skin, expecting to feel the blood still pouring. But there was nothing. No open wound. No seeping warmth but the dull ache of something that had already healed. I looked up. She was standing over me, too still. Still unblinking. Then, she took a deep, steadying breath, her lips still red. Her fangs hadn¡¯t retracted. She still wanted more. For a split second, I thought she was going to lunge again. I could see it. A raw, agonizing battle behind her dead, waterless eyes. Beyond hunger. Instinct. Her entire body shuddered, as if she fought invisible strings pulling her back. Her shoulders shook, then slowed. The look on her face became more relaxed. I heard a low, choking sound escape from her lips ¨C almost a whisper. She clamped her mouth shut as if physically forcing herself to swallow it down. I watched her chest rise with the motion. Then I realized¡ª She wasn¡¯t breathing out. I don¡¯t know how long we stayed like that. Seconds? An eternity? No sigh. No exhale. Just¡­ stillness. Finally, her fingers relaxed. The tension in her jaw eased. She took a step back. "Are you okay?" she asked. For the first time, she didn¡¯t sound like a robot anymore. She sounded ashamed. Sad, lonely, and like she was trying to apologize. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I stared at her. At her perfect, flawless face, at the slight frown pulling at her lips. She looked like she wanted to cry, but no tears came. Because they never would. Not anymore. Her tear ducts had stopped working. Maybe a long time ago. My hand went to my throat. She bit me. She drank my blood. And now she was just standing there, asking if I was okay? I coughed, forcing words past my raw throat. "You¡­ you¡¯re dead." She tilted her head slightly. And for the first time, her expression flickered¡ªjust for a moment. A small, brief shift, like she hadn¡¯t expected me to say that out loud. Then¡ª She nodded. Small, tired, resigned. "Yes," she said simply. Her voice was so casual, so matter-of-fact, that it made my stomach turn. I swallowed. My heart was hammering against my ribs, but the adrenaline was fading. I could still feel her on me, the weight of her, the cold. She could have killed me easily. But¡­ She didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t move closer. She didn¡¯t explain herself. She just stood there. And that scared me more than anything. My pulse thudded in my ears. I looked at her hands. She didn¡¯t reflexively twitch. She didn¡¯t move to adjust her balance. She simply stood there. Still. Motionless. Alien. I looked at her chest. Not rising. Not falling. I looked into her dull, waterless eyes. She could have easily passed as one of the mannequins in the Meadowbrook Mall, but I knew the truth. Dead. But it was something else to see it, to feel it, to understand it. "I¡­ I can¡¯t help it," she whispered. ¡°When I saw the¡­ your blood.¡± The words barely left her lips. They weren¡¯t an excuse, just a statement. She fed on me. I felt terrified. Dizzy, and I felt¡­ off-balance. She ran a hand through her hair, looking away. I watched the motion, so human, but too perfect. Too fluid. Precise. Like an insect. She didn¡¯t fidget. She didn¡¯t shift her weight, scratch her leg. Her eyes didn¡¯t even dart. She just¡­ existed. It was too much. I turned on my heels to run straight to the Crescent Moon Academy. I hadn¡¯t even made it a single step before I felt her fingers, cold as steel, wrap around my wrist. "I¡¯m sorry. Just¡­ Please. Don¡¯t go." And it was those words that, finally, stopped sounding polite and forced. Real. Raw. Vulnerable. My chest tightened because, for the first time, I saw her. Not the monster. Not the instinctual predator. Just a girl. She was a girl. A girl who used to be alive and she was failing because this is what she was now. Sad. Hurt, pleading, and there¡¯s no going back. I nodded and quit trying to rationalize¡­ I couldn¡¯t anymore. ¡°Okay¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay,¡± I managed to get out. I lied. I wasn¡¯t okay. She took a slow step towards me and stuck out her hand. I saw her take a breath, and I knew she was about to speak. ¡°Let me help you, please. My name¡¯s Shion Kurozawa. I just started at Crescent Moon Academy. It¡¯s my first day here.¡± I swallowed hard, touching my throat. The skin felt smooth. Unbroken. But the memory was too fresh. I looked up at her. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t want to stop, did you?¡± I asked, waiting to see what she¡¯d say. A flicker, anger? Guilt? I couldn¡¯t tell, but it had been there. ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re an observant one, aren¡¯t you?¡± I didn¡¯t answer. We studied each other. ¡°¡­no. That¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t help myself when I saw¡­ you know. Your blood. But ¨C¡± The thinnest smile parted her blood-stained lips. ¡°I did stop, though. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you right now. You¡¯d just be¡­¡± She rolled her wrist in the air, searching for the word. I heard her take another breath so she could finish speaking. ¡°Empty.¡± I felt goosebumps rising on my skin. I didn¡¯t know what was worse ¨C the matter-of-fact tone or the way she clearly didn¡¯t want to say it at all. And the was the only person that I had met here so far. And she was offering me her hand to help pick me off the ground. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m¡­¡± Who? I stopped myself just in time before I blurted out the name of a forty-four year old man from West Virginia. I didn¡¯t even want to call myself Andy here. Andy didn¡¯t sound right. ¡°Ryu. I¡¯m Ryu Kazeyama,¡± I said. I said my new name for the first time, sounding exactly like someone saying their name for the first time. Shion smirked, and I knew she looked skeptical. She had every reason to. Was I Ryu Kazenyama? Was I Andy Benjamin Davis? My hand touched the spot on my neck where Shion bit me. It had healed. Completely. Was I even human anymore? CHAPTER FIVE: TAKE ME HOME ¡°You¡¯re Ryu Kazeyama?¡± she asked. Her voice was light, teasing, but her eyes ¨C those unnatural, waterless eyes ¨C were watching me closely. Measuring. Calculating. Soaking up every detail, and I could feel her sensing that something was off about me. She took a step closer, leaning in just enough that it made me uncomfortable. Cold seemed to roll off her skin, like standing in a drafty room. I suppressed a shudder, and she just smirked. ¡°Are you sure? With your hair? Your blue eyes? And¡­¡± she had to take another breath. I realized that she¡¯d run out of air. ¡°Of course¡­ but, my point is, at least I look like my name could be Shion Kurozawa.¡± There was an accusatory tone behind her words. The air between us hung still. No movement in the woods. No wind. That¡¯s when I noticed it again ¨C the silence of her breath. It was unnatural to walk beside someone who doesn¡¯t breathe, didn¡¯t need to breathe, and yet here she was. Watching me. Expecting an answer. I had no idea what I was supposed to tell her. Then, she took a deliberate breath. ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± she said, her tone shifted. ¡°You¡¯re new here.¡± I sighed in relief. There was my lifeline because that was the truth. ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before,¡± I said. She stopped walking. The slightest hesitation in my words, but she noticed. She rolled her bike to the side, kicked the stand down, and turned, facing me fully. And I could feel her eyes again, those flat, green eyes, raking over me, reading every detail. Sizing me up. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke. ¡°We¡¯re early,¡± she said. ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked. ¡°Early for what?¡± Then her head tilted slightly ¨C that eerie, doll-like movement that was too perfect, fluid, to be human. I saw her inhale so she could speak. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know, Ryu? First-year orientation,¡± she said as if it were obvious. ¡°It¡¯s required, after all. Considering the circumstances.¡± Something cold coiled in my chest. Circumstances? I was already drowning in my own circumstances. I couldn''t even process what the hell had happened to me yet ¨C being in a different body, in a different world ¨C and now there was some undefined horror lurking at the school. I tried forcing a casual shrug. ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Shion¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Oh yeah what?¡± she asked. Her voice was light, playful. But her eyes. She was waiting, like a panther, waiting for me to slip up. Like she knew I don¡¯t belong. My mouth was dry, I could hear my heartbeat. Shion didn¡¯t breathe. She didn¡¯t shift, or make any movement at all. She just froze, a thing in the shape of a girl, waiting for my answer. ¡°I mean, of course,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I just meant¡­ I didn¡¯t realize that we were this early.¡± A pause. And then. A slow, eerie smirk. ¡°Ryu¡­¡± she gestured downwards with her eyes. I looked down and saw. My plaid pants had grass and dirt stains all over them from where she¡¯d wrecked her bike into me. She breathed in once more. ¡°Do you have a place nearby?¡± she asked. Was she concerned? ¡°You should change before orientation.¡± She was letting me off the hook! Not because she believed me, but because she chose to. And somehow, I knew that was worse. Instead of walking toward Crescent Moon Academy, I told her about my residence at Shin¡¯yume-sou. Shion¡¯s expression barely changed¡ªbut I caught it. The flicker in her gaze. Her fingers twitched by her sides, and for the first time since I¡¯d met her, she took a step back. Barely an inch. But it was enough to make my stomach drop. "The local onsen?" she repeated, her voice too careful. Measured. Like she was testing the weight of each word. "Why¡¯re you staying there?" It wasn¡¯t curiosity. It wasn¡¯t teasing. It was an accusation. I shrugged, playing it off like I wasn¡¯t just realizing I had no damn idea why I was staying there. But something in my gut twisted. "I¡¯ve got a room there," I said. For a split second, I swore her pupils shrank to slits. Then¡ªa smile. A forced smile. She tilted her head slightly, like she was amused, but her fingers twitched at her sides. And when she spoke, her voice was still playful, but her fangs were showing now¡ªjust barely peeking past her lips. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Don¡¯t want to stay in the dorms on campus, huh?" she asked. "Afraid someone¡¯s going to come after your human blood, ¡®Ryu¡¯?" Her voice was light. Her eyes weren¡¯t. Something cold slithered down my spine. Was it common knowledge that humans were in danger here? Did she already know what I was? Or was she just trying to bait me into admitting something? And then¡ªit hit me. Like a thousand puzzle pieces suddenly snapping together, forming a picture I really, really didn¡¯t want to see. Crescent Moon Academy wasn¡¯t just a school. It was a school for monsters. Not just monsters. Yokai. And I¡¯d read about it. I¡¯d read manga, watched anime¡­ and there was more. I knew exactly why I was suddenly fifteen years old. Why I was dressed like I belonged here. Why I was talking to a vampire who was looking at me like she was deciding whether I was a threat or a meal. Lana. Her name slithered through my mind, ice-cold. No. Not Lana. Me. Andy Davis did this to himself. Because I wished for it. A sick feeling twisted in my stomach. My own words, my own damn desire, came rushing back to me like a punch to the gut. "I always wonder what it¡¯d actually be like to live in those worlds. Not just the fun, goofy parts, but the real consequences." Real. Consequences. I had said that. And now? I was stuck inside the world I had dreamed about. A world I thought I understood, and I felt like throwing up. Just then¡ª Shion touched my shoulder. Her fingers felt cold, even though my uniform¡¯s fabric, but I knew she was trying to reassure me. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. "You look like you just saw a ghost." The air around us felt too still. Too heavy. I swallowed hard. My throat was dry. Because I knew what was waiting for me at the onsen. How? Oh, that was easy. Just like everything else that was happening, I had read about a ghost girl. And now, she was waiting for me. I turned toward Shion and nodded. She let go of my shoulder and grabbed her bike as we continued walking. We were almost there. "Yeah. I mean¡­ Shion, is Crescent Moon Academy dangerous?" She took a long, slow breath. Measured. Intentional. Her nostrils flared¡ªjust a little. Like a wolf catching a scent. For a moment, she didn¡¯t answer. Then¡ªshe smiled. Not the teasing kind. Not even the fake, amused one. Something sharper. A warning? "What do you mean?" she asked, voice light. "Of course it¡¯s dangerous. It¡¯s a high school." I frowned. "But¡­ it¡¯s more than that, isn¡¯t it?" Her smile widened, just enough to show her fangs. Not accusing. Not taunting. Playful. Like a cat batting around a trapped mouse, just for the fun of it. "Look at you," she murmured, voice dripping with amusement. "Getting smarter, Ryu." "You¡¯re right," she said softly. "It¡¯s not ¡®just¡¯ a high school¡­ the same way I¡¯m not ¡®just¡¯ a normal girl with needs." We reached the gates of the Shin¡¯yume-sou. She leaned in, just enough for me to catch the faintest scent of something sweet¡ªnot perfume. Something richer. Thicker. My blood. My throat went dry. Her eyes flicked downward¡ªjust for a second¡ªthen back up. Her tongue flicked against one of her fangs. She was playing with me. Testing me. And then¡ªShion took a step closer. The way she moved¡ªit was wrong. Like she was gliding instead of walking. And the smile was gone now. "So¡­you¡¯re staying at this onsen?" she asked, voice smooth. Too smooth. The silence stretched, heavy as stone. I could hear the wind. The faint rustling of the trees. I nodded slowly. "¡­yeah. Why¡¯s that a problem? You keep bringing it up." Her lips parted slightly. Not in shock. In realization. And then she took a deep breath and she laughed. Not the flirty, teasing kind from before. No, this one was low. Amused. Disbelieving. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°God, that¡¯s so¡­ funny.¡± She wasn¡¯t laughing at me, though. She laughed at something unspoken, and I saw her shoulders tense, ready to spring. When she looked up, her fangs were showing fully now. Shion¡¯s eyes narrowed. "You¡¯re either an idiot," she said lightly, "or a liar." My stomach twisted and my mind raced. Why? Why was she reacting like this? She was being mostly friendly, or the closest thing to a friend that I had. Then I noticed ¡ª the stiffness in her posture. The way her fingers curled just slightly, like claws. She wasn¡¯t just suspicious of me. She was afraid¡­ because I was at an onsen?. And then, the realization slammed into me so hard I almost staggered. Running water. She¡¯s a vampire. And I just told her I was staying in the one place that could kill her. ¡°Oh my god, Shion, it¡¯s the onsen! The running water! I didn¡¯t even realize! I¡¯m so sorry about that! You¡¯re right¡­ I was an idiot, and¡­ this place is dangerous. I can¡¯t afford to be an idiot. Sorry.¡± I wasn¡¯t just suspicious to her anymore. I wasn¡¯t just some weird "transfer student" with a bad cover story. I was staying at a place she couldn¡¯t enter. A place she would never go near. And that meant one thing. She didn¡¯t trust me before. Now? She might just kill me. Shion inhaled sharply, her gaze locked on me like she was looking through me. And I saw her fangs retract. She tilted her head. ¡°You really forgot, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked. This was more than a question to her, but I wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°You forgot I was¡­ a vampire?¡± Her voice had just the faintest hint of¡­ vulnerability? ¡°Yeah. I guess I did,¡± I said. She looked up at me from beneath her sleek, black locks. Our eyes met, and she looked away quickly. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± CHAPTER SIX: I WILL WAIT FOR YOU The hallway was silent. Too silent. Like the whole inn was holding its breath. Shion stood just outside the sliding door to my room, her arms crossed, her weight shifted slightly on one hip. She looked casual. Too casual. She was doing the ¡°standing perfectly still¡± thing again, but I saw it. The way her pupils dilated just a little too wide every time she looked at me. She was nervous. And I stood in front of the door to my room on the second floor of the onsen. I swallowed. "So¡­ you¡¯re just gonna stand out here the whole time? You can-¡± "NO!¡± The word came fast ¨C sharp, like a gunshot cutting me off midsentence. I blinked. "I mean, I was just saying¡ª" She looked at me. And suddenly, the air between us felt too still. The playful, teasing Shion from before? Gone. The girl standing in front of me wasn¡¯t smiling. She took a slow, deliberate step forward. Not too close. Just enough that I could feel the cold rolling off her. Her lips parted slightly, and I caught the barest glimpse of her fangs. Not bared. Not aggressive. Just there. "Don¡¯t invite me in." I frowned. "Shion¡ª" "Don¡¯t. Invite. Me. In." My stomach twisted. I wanted to ask why. I wanted to tell her that she was being ridiculous. But I couldn¡¯t. Because I already knew. Because suddenly, I was very aware of how thin the space between us was. Because I could see it in her eyes¡ªhow hard she was fighting. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you know about vampires, Ryu. What happens if you invite one into your residence?¡± she asked. ¡°Can you refresh my memory?¡± I saw her take another measured breath. She nodded, and I could tell she hated having to explain this, like it was embarrassing for her. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± she said simply. My face fell. ¡°Oh, not like I¡¯m some kind of maniac or animal, Ryu. Do you understand? I¡¯m NOT an animal, Ryu, do you understand?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, Shion. I understand. You¡¯re not an animal,¡± I started, but she interrupted me. ¡°Then listen, because there are RULES, and they CANNOT be bent. And they certainly can¡¯t be broken. Because¡­ when you break one of these rules¡­ things cannot be the way they were before¡­ ever. And¡­¡± she looked at me with her waterless eyes, but I could tell, if she were alive, they would have been lined with tears. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Shion¡¯s tears would never fall. I wanted to reach out ¨C to tell her I was listening. But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. It hurt, but she couldn¡¯t come in. My throat felt dry. "...You don¡¯t trust yourself." Her jaw tensed. A single muscle in her cheek twitched. Then, she laughed ¨C soft, breathless. Hollow. "I trust myself just fine. As long as I¡¯m full. But¡­ if you invited me in, that¡¯s the same thing as saying ¡®Shion, you can feed on me as often as you please,¡¯ and I¡¯d NEVER forget that. And later, some night when you¡¯re asleep and I¡¯m hungry¡­ Ryu¡­¡± Her dry pupils burned themselves into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯d suck every last drop of blood from your body before I even realized what I¡¯d done. And there¡¯d be NOTHING you could do to stop me and¡­ that¡¯s how it would be.¡± I nodded slowly, letting everything she said sink in. I¡¯m so dumb. Shion is the first person I¡¯ve met here, and she drank my blood, and I¡¯m imagining hanging out with her in the common room like she¡¯s a coworker. Or just a regular high school classmate. And the thing is¡­ I wanted her to be, but she never could. Not now. She stepped back. The tension snapped like a wire pulled too tight. She looked at me again, softer this time. But not any less dangerous. ¡°Yeah. You should wait out here,¡± I said. She leaned against the wall, arms folded, gaze tilting up toward the ceiling like this was just another afternoon. It wasn¡¯t. I swallowed hard and slid the door shut. Only when I was inside, away from her, did I realize my hands were shaking. I walked into my room and felt an unsettling mix of familiarity and alienation. These were my things¡ªbut remade, altered, brought here. Or rather, they were things that Ryu had brought to his room at Shin¡¯yume-sou. Our tastes were similar enough to be eerie. A desk sat beside the patio door, which opened to a small porch overlooking the onsen. Two closet doors stood shut to the left. His futon lay in the middle of the room, still unmade from this morning. A couch and side table lined the right wall. I opened the drawer in the center of the desk. Yes! Letters, a folder¡­ Oh my god. I had paperwork here. A schedule for Crescent Moon Academy, grades from Ryu¡¯s former schools. Adopted parents. Ryu¡¯s life was like a twisted mirror of my own. He was born in Elkins, West Virginia¡ªjust like me. But in a different year. Then, our lives split. When he was four, his Japanese parents adopted him, and they moved to Osaka. When he was ten, they moved to Kyoto. And Ryu¡­ had problems. He had a reputation as a rebel. Crescent Moon Academy was the only school that accepted him. I exhaled slowly, slipping the identification papers into Ryu¡¯s book bag and slinging it over my back. "Oh, thank goodness," I muttered. In the corner, against the wall, a guitar. My guitar. It even looked like mine¡ªbut black, with dragon stickers. ¡°You really lean into the whole ¡®Dragon¡¯ aesthetic, don¡¯t you?¡± I muttered, smirking. "Who are you talking to?" I jumped. "Who¡¯s there?" I tried to keep my voice steady. Silence. Then¡ª A whisper. Faint. Soft. Like someone speaking from another room, their voice barely slipping through an old vent. "You can hear me? For real?" A girl¡¯s voice. My heart pounded. "Can you speak up? I can hear you, but barely,¡± I said loudly. BANG. Someone downstairs smacked the ceiling. "Nya! Keep it down up there! Yelling hurts Natsumi¡¯s ears!" "Sorry, Natsumi," the whispered voice murmured. I swallowed hard. "Where are you?" I asked, quieter this time but still firm. I moved toward the wall, pressing my palm against it. Maybe she was in another room? "Shhh¡­ you can use your normal voice." The whisper came again, gentle, deliberate. "I¡¯m right here, Ryu. Standing beside you." A chill crept up my spine. My breath caught. ¡°You just can¡¯t see me,¡± she whispered. My eyes scanned the room¡ªslowly. Carefully. "My name¡¯s Yuki Fuyuzora." The whisper softened. "The ghost of Shin¡¯yume-sou." CHAPTER SEVEN: THE GHOST SONG Her voice was like sand siphoning through an hourglass. Like silk sliding across polished stone. She could have been standing inches away, but I felt nothing. No warmth. No breath against my skin. The sensation was wrong, like hearing a voice through an old radio¡ª distant, thin. "Okay¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Ryu," I answered. Saying it was easier this time. "I know. I saw you yesterday. But you couldn¡¯t hear me. You¡¯re different now." I froze. She saw me yesterday? That meant she saw¡­ who? The real Ryu? The one before me? "I was different? How?" The air shifted. Colder. I pulled my school jacket tighter, but it didn¡¯t help. The cold I felt wasn¡¯t physical ¨C it seeped through the fabric and skin, like winter creeping into my bones. "You were¡­ more like most people,¡± Yuki said softly. ¡°You couldn¡¯t pierce the veil into the realm of death. Into the spirit world. Your light¡­ dim. Barely a candle. But now¡­¡± I exhaled, watching my breath turn to mist. Yuki was close. I could feel it. My cheeks tingled with cold. Shivers crept down my left arm. She must be standing beside me. I stiffened. ¡°Now, you¡¯re closer to death, Ryu,¡± her whispered voice dropped even lower, almost fragile. ¡°You¡¯re no longer holding a candle¡­ maybe a flashlight? But it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Enough for what?¡± I asked. A pause. Then ¨C A slow, creeping sensation on my wrist. Not pressure. Not a touch. Just a cold, teasing drift across my bare skin. ¡°Enough to notice me,¡± Yuki whispered. ¡°Most don¡¯t or can¡¯t. No matter what I do. They think it¡¯s the wind. Some mediums, some people with a connection to the spirit world can¡­¡± She was quiet a moment. And then. ¡°People like you.¡± Her voice trembled slightly when she continued. ¡°Sometimes, if I¡¯m very lucky, I can knock over a sheet of paper. Or a bottle of perfume.¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°Do they notice you then?¡± ¡°No. Only the paper or perfume. Not me.¡± The air grew colder. A deep, aching loneliness crept into her words ¨C the way she lingered, her presence like frost against a window. I sat down on the chair beside the desk and looked outside, over the onsen. ¡°That why¡­ if it¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯d like to come with you,¡± she whispered. My stomach twisted. ¡°What? Come where?¡± I asked. ¡°Wherever you¡¯re going, Ryu. I don¡¯t care¡­ I just don¡¯t want to be here anymore.¡± I felt the temperature plummet. A deep, unnatural chill settled over my left side, near the window, as if she were looking out with me. I clenched my fist, forcing myself not to shiver. Yuki¡¯s voice wavered, raw from choking back years of sorrow. ¡°Sorry¡­ it¡¯s lonely here. I don¡¯t want to be ignored anymore.¡± And I knew how that felt. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The black iron gate loomed before us, its intricate bars twisting, reminiscent of flowering wisteria. A sickly purple light pulsed from within the metal. Not light, not energy, but something alive ¨C slithering, worming, festering. No one touched it. No one even stood close, as the purple light seemed to slither and worm across the bars. Just looking at it made my insides feel like they were moving in time with the pulsing light. I tried to scan everyone¡¯s faces as we stood around waiting for the gates to open and ¡°orientation¡± to begin. I must have seen dozens of students, mostly Japanese. I looked again, but not a single red head in the lot. Where the hell was Lana? A high, metallic whine ripped through the air, and the gates groaned, shuddering open, pulled by an hands. Then ¨C out of the mist ¨C it appeared. The yellow bus. Its doors creaked as they swung open, exhaling a handful of students onto the stone path to the school. The driver turned. Our eyes met. That damn grin again. ¡°Shion, how did you get here?¡± I asked as we waited for the orientation to begin. The road back to Crescent Moon Academy had become much more crowded with students walking up the path to the academy and across the campus grounds. Shion sat to my right. Another girl sat to the left of me, brown hair and glasses. I gripped the armrests of the seat in the Anton Lavey Memorial Auditorium, wondering how many of the students around me were monsters in disguise. One of the nice things about being in a room full of other high school age students was that I didn¡¯t have to listen to Shion breath before she spoke. It made talking to her almost normal. ¡°What do you mean? Like, when was I invited?¡± ¡°No. I mean, how did you get to Shin¡¯yume? I didn¡¯t see any train station,¡± I said. She grinned at me. I pretended I couldn¡¯t see the tips of her fangs. ¡°Getting smarter, Ryu. How¡¯d you get here?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh, come on, Shion, please don¡¯t mess with me right now.¡± She studied my face for a fraction of a second before answering. ¡°Fine, but only because I¡¯ve got to be nice to you.¡± She grinned, fangs flashing. ¡°I¡¯ll be hungry later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even funny.¡± She tilted her head, smiling just enough to make me uncomfortable. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking.¡± Then, a second later, she turned to look at the floor and I heard her voice, barely a whisper. ¡°My parents shipped me here.¡± ¡°They what?¡± I asked, not expecting that answer. ¡°Yeah, Ryu. In a wooden box with¡­ dirt. Shipped like a letter. Or Amazon package. That¡¯s why I got here so early ¨C I didn¡¯t feel like waiting at the post office,¡± she said. Damn. That¡¯s right. She couldn¡¯t cross running water, so the sea around the island would have been a problem for her. ¡°Since you brought it up, how¡¯d you get here, Ryu? What¡¯s the normal way to get to Shin¡¯yume?¡± she asked. I could tell she sounded hurt. I hadn¡¯t meant to embarrass her, but I couldn¡¯t imagine having to sit in a box filled with dirt while going through the mail. It¡¯s not like Shion could just sleep to pass the time. ¡°I took the bus,¡± I said. ¡°You took the bus to an island?¡± ¡°Yeah. Through a tunnel.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay, the tunnel in the woods. I bet that¡¯s how most arrive, like the group we saw coming in,¡± she said. There was a tunnel. In the woods. Could I get back that way? ¡°Excuse me?¡± A voice to my left ¨C close. Too close. I turned. And almost screamed. ¡°Can you please tell me whether or not my face is being still? I¡¯m having trouble concentrating with the noise, and I can¡¯t seem to hold onto a single image.¡± The ¡°girl¡± to my left wasn¡¯t stable. Her face shivered, unraveled, pulled itself back together¨C again and again. She looked like a mirage struggling, trapped between realities. Her eyes stretched too wide, then shrank to slits. Blue. Green. Brown. Grey. No color at all. Her mouth twisted ¨C smiling, frowning, laughing, screaming ¨C all at once. The words she said weren¡¯t hers. They weren¡¯t anyone¡¯s. ¡°What are you?¡± I finally blurted out. She seemed to jump back at my question as though I¡¯d struck her. ¡°Wow! Jeez, I¡¯m so sorry to bother you, jerk! I¡¯m having trouble, you know! I can¡¯t find my glasses to help me focus!¡± She sharply turned away, offended. I had no words. I¡¯d just insulted someone who needed help. I¡¯d have to learn to stop reacting to the things around me. I need to learn how to respond. ¡°Ryu,¡± Yuki¡¯s voice whispered softly in my ear. ¡°I found her glasses. On the floor. Careful, they¡¯re under her chair.¡± I nodded, and whispered a thank you to Yuki. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think that girl is entirely tied to this world,¡± Yuki said. I wasn¡¯t even sure what that meant. I reached beneath the girls seat and picked up her glasses by the frames. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± I said to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ Um¡­ I found your glasses.¡± I set them on the side of her desk. She turned towards me. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, wiping her lenses and putting them back on her face. Her face slowly stopped flickering. The shifting eyes, the twisting mouth settled, like ripples on a lake smoothing after a stone is thrown. ¡°My name¡¯s Azuki Konami,¡± she said. She looked up at me, her glasses magnifying her yellowish-brown eyes. They were so wide and reminded me of the moon somehow. ¡°A tanuki¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked ¡°You asked what I was. That¡¯s what I am. You should at least tell me your name, you know. So, how ¡®bout it? What¡¯s yours? Don¡¯t hold out on me now,¡± she said. ¡°Ryu Kazeyama.¡± Somehow her eyes grew even wider. ¡°The dragon of the windy mountain?!¡± Before I could answer, the lights died. Darkness swallowed the room. In the black, Yuki¡¯s whisper slipped into my ear ¨C soft and breathless but shaking. ¡°Ryu¡­ you¡¯re in danger here.¡± CHAPTER EIGHT: SOMEBODYS WATCHING ME The moment the lights cut out, Yuki¡¯s whisper floated across my ear. ¡°Ryu¡­ you¡¯re in danger here.¡± I stiffened. My breath hitched. My throat already felt raw, and I shook my head wearily. I didn¡¯t know how much more danger I could take today. The darkness stretched, heavy, unnatural. No shifting bodies. No restless murmurs. Just complete, unbroken silence. Then¡ª A single spotlight flared to life, cutting through the pitch-black auditorium like a blade. A woman stood center stage. Tall. Poised. Dark hair, sharp bangs cut with the precision of a sword stroke. A long, sleeveless qipao with ink-black fabric that shimmered like raven feathers under the light. Thin, black gloves covered her fingers all the way to just past her elbows. A black veil draped over her face, obscuring her features entirely. She took soft, deliberate, almost mechanical steps towards the black marble podium in the middle of the stage. The veil concealed her expression, but there was an unsettling grace in the way she moved ¨C fluid, yet unnatural. Her voice, however, was warm. Welcoming. Too welcoming. ¡°First-years¡­ Welcome to Crescent Moon Academy.¡± The silence broke. A rustle of movement. Some students straightened. Others nodded in respect. I kept my back stiff and my face blank, because I knew better than to trust anything here. ¡°I¡¯d like to welcome you on behalf of Madame Kuroha Kagome, our beloved headmistress. She sends her formal apologies that certain other matters require her attention. I¡¯m Hina Suiren, the student provost, and it is an honor to¡­ make our home yours,¡± Her voice smooth as marble. And just as cold. ¡°The transition to high school is an exciting time in your lives ¨C a time of discovery, of growth of forging friendships that will last a lifetime.¡± A pause. Then, a smile I could hear but not see. ¡°And in some of your cases¡­ multiple lifetimes.¡± A low chuckle rippled through the auditorium. I didn¡¯t laugh. ¡°This academy is not like human institutions. Here, we prepare you for something greater. The world is changing, my dear students. No longer can youkai, spirits, and even the rare humans who wield magic exist only in the shadows.¡± She took a step forward, the mic stand casting a long, jagged shadow behind her. ¡°For centuries, we have hidden. Disguised. Feared what would happen if the numerous humans ever learned the truth. But your age of hiding is coming to an end. You stand here today because you wish to become a bridge between two worlds.¡± ¡°This school exists to give you the tools to walk among humans, undetected. To understand them. To become them, if you choose. It has done this for centuries¡ªever since the Age of so-called Reason. Mankind foolishly traded wonder for rationalization. And we stepped into the shadows to enjoy the fruits of their bargain¡­ and sometimes, them.¡± Crescent Moon Academy wasn¡¯t just about educating youkai. It was about making them indistinguishable from humans. Sending them out to live as predators in disguise. A place to craft perfect impostors. And it had been doing this for hundreds of years. I swallowed hard. Here I sat, among them. Helpless to warn anyone. Who would even believe me? Then Hina¡¯s voice softened, like she was letting us in on a secret. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Of course, we understand that many of you come from¡­ difficult backgrounds. Some of you may have had unfortunate encounters with humanity.¡± The air in the room changed. A hushed whispers passed through the crowd¡ªlow murmurs, the faint scrape of claws against wood. The speaker raised her hand. The auditorium fell silent again. ¡°Let me be clear,¡± she said. ¡°This is not a place for grudges. This is not a place for vengeance. If you are here, you have already made your choice. You will learn to live as a human. To pass as one. To survive as one. And when you graduate, you will leave here with everything you need to walk among them.¡± She paused. ¡°That being said, though¡­ we at the Academy understand that you are not entirely human. Even if you hare human ancestry, the second you¡¯re taught to conjure spells, exercise spirits, channel your kei-¡± she looked around, stopping for a moment emphasize her words. ¡°-you separate yourselves from them. You¡¯re different from the other humans around you, and, hence, you become eligible to join our academy.¡± A few students shifted around me. ¡°Some of you¡­ tengu, oni, orc¡­¡± Hina looked around, her veiled expression unreadable. ¡°Some of you were born into conflict. Some of you live by it, are defined by it. Some of you will die by it. And let me be perfectly clear,¡± she said. I could hear her smiling under her veil. But her tone made my blood run cold. ¡°¡­ we respect that here.¡± With that, about half the students in attendance got to their feet and cheered. The entire auditorium shook with their yells and cheers. Azuki¡¯s face shifted again as her hands went to her ears ¨C ears that suddenly decided they should be on top of her head. ¡°ENOUGH.¡± Sensei Suiren¡¯s voice was not loud. Instead, it simply cut through all the noise ¨C as delicately as a scalpel through skin. A breath later, everyone was sitting down again. Silent. Her veiled gaze swept over the crowd, and for a moment, I swore she was looking right at me. ¡°But respect must be earned,¡± she said, her smile sharpening. ¡°Your teachers will tell you more about that tomorrow during your first class. The world beyond these school walls and swirling mist is watching. And we will prepare you for that world accordingly.¡± A pause. Then, her arms spread slightly. An invitation? No. A warning. A promise. ¡°Let¡¯s begin your new chapter properly. The reception is waiting.¡± She clapped once. The lights flared back to life, erasing the darkness as though it never existed. The world jolted back into normalcy¡ªstudents stretching, whispering, shifting in their seats. The tension faded, but not completely. The message was clear: This was not a school. This was an experiment. I exhaled slowly. My fingers dug into my knees. Yuki¡¯s whisper lingered in my ear like a bad omen. ¡°You¡¯re in danger here.¡± The students filed out, buzzing with chatter, but I wasn¡¯t listening. My brain was still catching up, replaying the speech over and over again, trying to dissect its meaning. Then¡ªAzuki moved in front of me. And bowed. Deeply. Formally. Not the casual nod of acknowledgment I¡¯d seen between students. A full-on, traditional bow. I looked around, seeing other students turning their heads as they left the auditorium. I stiffened. ¡°Uh¡­ Azuki?¡± She straightened, eyes wide with something that looked a lot like awe. ¡°Ryu Kazeyama,¡± she said, her voice reverent. ¡°The Dragon of the Windy Mountain. I am honored to have met you.¡± The surrounding students stopped and stared. And that¡¯s when I knew¡ªI had a problem. A few snickers broke out from the students leaving the auditorium. One guy walking past chuckled under his breath. ¡°Blond dragon, huh? That¡¯s a new one.¡± He snorted. Shion took a sharp breath before she burst out laughing. I turned to her, desperate for some kind of explanation. ¡°Why the hell is she bowing?¡± Shion smirked. ¡°I mean¡­ I could be wrong, but I think our tanuki friend here believes you¡¯re an actual dragon.¡± Azuki turned pink. ¡°It would be improper to assume otherwise.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Shion wiped at her eye, still giggling. ¡°Relax, it¡¯s not the worst thing. A lot of the first-years probably think you¡¯re something more than human.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re gonna be disappointed,¡± I muttered. Shion¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Yeah, I can confirm that. I¡¯ve tasted your blood, and you¡ª¡± she poked me in the chest, ¡°¡ªare depressingly human.¡± Azuki¡¯s face twisted in scandalized horror. ¡°Shion! You drank from the Dragon of the Windy Mountain?! What if he cursed you?¡± Shion snorted. ¡°Trust me, the only curse he¡¯s got is that dumb look on his face right now.¡± I ran a hand through my hair, already exhausted. ¡°Can we please put an end to this?¡± Shion still smirking. ¡°Nah. Actually, I think this might be helpful.¡± ¡°How?!¡± She crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly, looking at me as though I were stupid. ¡°You heard the speech. This school is built on perception. If people think you¡¯re dangerous, they¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± I frowned. ¡°You mean if people think I¡¯m a dragon, I¡¯ll be safer? That¡¯s a dangerous bluff.¡± Shion leaned in, voice dropping to a playful whisper. ¡°Maybe¡­ but¡­ do you wanna be the poor bastard who gets on a dragon¡¯s bad side?¡± I didn¡¯t answer because I already knew the truth. I wasn¡¯t a dragon. I wasn¡¯t a vampire. I wasn¡¯t a spirit or an onmyoji or a damn thing that belonged in this world. I was just a guy. No, I was a middle aged man in a kid¡¯s body. And I was in way, way too deep. Shion chuckled, patting me on the shoulder. ¡°Cheer up, ¡®Dragon of the Windy Mountain.¡¯ If anyone asks, I¡¯ll totally back you up.¡± Azuki nodded eagerly. ¡°As will I!¡± A cold sensation on my neck told me that Yuki was trying to get my attention. ¡°Ryu.¡± Yuki¡¯s voice, barely a whisper, slipped through the cold air. ¡°They¡¯re watching you, Ryu.¡± My stomach dropped. She didn¡¯t say who. And that was the part that scared me. CHAPTER NINE: I STILL HAVENT FOUND WHAT IM LOOKING FOR Someone was watching me. That much, I knew. Yuki didn¡¯t mean the ¡°new kid hazing, and everyone¡¯s looking at me like a weird curiosity¡± kind of watching. No. This was different. Like being studied. And I didn¡¯t like it. I also didn¡¯t like what the creepy woman at orientation said earlier¡ªsomething about the school ¡°respecting¡± those who wanted to fight. What the hell did that even mean? ¡°And we respect that here,¡± she said. Provost Hina Suiren¡­ who was she, even? Since when did respect and violence go hand in hand? It felt like a test. Like a challenge. And I wasn¡¯t sticking around to find out what happened if I failed. I didn¡¯t even pretend to care about the reception anymore. I¡¯d sat through enough of these stupid formal events back in my real life. This one was no different¡ªfake socializing, people forming alliances before they even knew what was going on, and enough subtle power plays to make a medieval court jealous. At least television had the common decency to throw in some nudity during the boring parts. Nope. I was done being dragged along. I slipped out the door, breathing in the cool evening air. The sky was still painted with the last streaks of sunlight, but darkness was already creeping in from the edges. Perfect. I¡¯d memorized the road from this morning. The tunnel was deep in the woods according to Shion. All I had to do was retrace my steps. For the first time since arriving at Crescent Moon Academy, I was moving under my own terms. And then¡ª ¡°Ryu?¡± a breathless whisper at my ear. Yuki. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I need to find the tunnel the bus took me through when I got here,¡± I said. She said nothing for a few seconds. ¡°You need to be careful! You shouldn¡¯t be in the woods at night!¡± Something about the way she said it made me know she wasn¡¯t playing around. Thankfully, I still had some time. ¡°It¡¯s not yet night, Yuki. It¡¯s still just the evening,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re trying to leave.¡± I heard a tone in her voice. Small and sad. Damn it. I hadn¡¯t even thought of Yuki. I sighed. I wasn¡¯t going to lie to her. ¡°Yeah, Yuki. I¡¯m trying to find the tunnel the bus took me through when I got here.¡± ¡°You know¡­ this is the most real I¡¯ve felt in years.¡± Her voice was thin ¨C fragile ¨C like a song that might disappear if I turned my head too fast. I slowed. ¡°Helping you,¡± she started, ¡°talking to you. It makes me feel like I still¡­ exist.¡± I stopped. No, Yuki, don¡¯t do this to me. I swallowed, shaking my head. ¡°Yuki, I¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± she interrupted softly. ¡°I knew you¡¯d leave. I knew it the moment I met you because¡­ the onsen¡­ no one ever stays there forever. Except maybe...¡± That didn¡¯t make this easier. I wasn¡¯t forgetting who I was. I wasn¡¯t. I had an entire life waiting for me in West Virginia, through that tunnel. But¡ª Damn it. No. I wasn¡¯t a villain for leaving. I said nothing. I just started walking. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She didn¡¯t stop following. ¡°Someone else is here,¡± she whispered. ¡°Behind us.¡± I didn¡¯t turn around. Just kept walking. ¡°Who?¡± I muttered. ¡°The boy who mocked you earlier,¡± she whispered. ¡°And two others. They¡¯ve been watching ever since you left the hall.¡± Of course. Of course, they had. I exhaled sharply through my nose. I didn¡¯t even care. Let them watch. I was leaving anyway. ¡°Whatever. Once I reach the tunnel, it won¡¯t matter.¡± Yuki hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t care?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nope.¡± Her sadness felt so real, the same way you feel cold on a winter morning despite thick covers. And that made my chest tighten. But I ignored it. I had to. The tunnel, and my old life, was waiting. It was exactly where I remembered it. A long stretch of stone and overgrown weeds, leading straight into the trees. I could see it. I could feel it. And I knew this was my way out. I took a step forward. And another. Then twenty more. Nothing changed. The tunnel didn¡¯t get any closer. But the air? Thicker. Heavier. My breath felt like it was pushing through water. I froze. No tricks. No shifting. The road felt normal beneath my feet. But the tunnel? Unreachable. I walked faster. Still the same. I broke into a jog. I ran. Still there. Just out of reach. My breath came out sharp, frustration clawing up my throat. The world wasn¡¯t pulling me along anymore. This was a trap. A cage. I picked up a stick from the ground and threw it as hard as I could, watching it sail toward the tunnel. It felt good¡ªlike some part of me was throwing a middle finger at whatever force was keeping me here. Then¡ªPAIN. Something smacked me hard in the face. I staggered back, eyes watering. My own damn stick lay at my feet. I brought my foot down hard as I could ¨C snapping it in two. Then Yuki¡¯s voice cut through the forest¡¯s stillness with a simple warning. ¡°Ryu,¡± I heard Yuki whisper. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± I turned my head just slightly, just enough to see them. The guy from earlier ¡ª the one who laughed at me in the auditorium¡ªwas leading the pack. Tall. Sharp-eyed. Smirking. His eyes, slightly too big, too watery, and his upturned nose gave him a vaguely porcine look. Almost like a pig. His two buddies flanked him. One was shorter, with a wide frame and bulbous eyes. The other was too tall and lean, his gaunt face stretched too tightly over sharp bones. They weren¡¯t here to talk. ¡°Look who it is,¡± the leader¡¯s voice sounded lazy, hands in his pockets. Fake casual. ¡°Our little dragon trying to sneak off somewhere?¡± I exhaled slowly through my nose. ¡°Honah Lee. I was looking for it. I live there. By the sea.¡± The big guy stopped and blinked. ¡°¡­is that supposed to be funny? What the hell are you talking about?¡± Figured. He hadn¡¯t grown up in the afterglow of the seventies. Of course. He had no idea about Peter, Paul, or Mary. But his snout-like nose, watery eyes¡­ And big. I was tall for my age, especially in Japan, but this guy was different. He was big. Broad shoulders. Square build. Thick and strong. I suddenly put together what he was. My eyes narrowed. ¡°Orc,¡± I said, making it sound like a curse. He grinned. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a dragon, right?¡± His smirk widened. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us?¡± ¡°Ryu? What the hell are you and your boyfriend doing over there?¡± Shion¡¯s voice cut through the tension. She and Azuki came jogging up the path and joined us. I let out a slow breath. No one messed with a vampire. The orc snorted, barely sparing Shion a glance. Instead, he nodded towards one of his friends. The tall, lean one reached into his school jacket and pulled out a ziplock bag. I had no idea what was inside. It looked like a bunch of peeled sunflower seeds or something. Or maybe uncooked rice. ¡°Oh, you think your pale little friend¡¯s gonna save you?¡± he sneered at me. I watched as his friend dumped the grains onto the ground. Shion¡¯s hands twitched. Her fingers flexed ¨C once, twice. I saw it before she did. The second her eyes locked onto the scattered grains, her entire body stiffened. She shook her head, trying to hold herself back. ¡°Oh no. Oh no, no, no!¡± And then ¨C She dropped to her knees, fingers darting forward. ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± She let out a choked, furious noise. ¡°You SON OF A BITCH! ¡­ Four, five¡­¡± She frantically counted the seeds. Azuki¡¯s mouth dropped open. The orc simply grinned at me, pleased with himself. ¡°Stupid vampires have arithmomania,¡± he said. ¡°You just got punked by an orc.¡± And he tried to shove me. I barely caught my balance, but I felt it, for just a second, it seemed like the world slowed. ¡°Wait!¡± I yelled. He paused, confused. I had to think fast. ¡°Why the hell are we fighting here? What¡¯s that prove, dude?¡± I asked. The orc narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? Who care where we fight?¡± ¡°Suiren Sensei said Crescent Moon Academy respects fights, right?¡± I said quickly. ¡°What do we get from fighting out here? Dirt on our uniforms? If I¡¯m going to cream an orc and his friends, I¡¯m going to do it in front of the entire school.¡± He hesitated. I could see him thinking it over. ¡°You¡¯re either damn sure of yourself or you¡¯re just an idiot.¡± I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t sure either what Ryu was yet. He finally nodded and they turned to leave. ¡°You better believe your ass isn¡¯t talking your way out of this tomorrow,¡± he said. His beady eyes lingered on me, searching. He didn¡¯t look convinced. But then, after a long moment, he gave a slow nod. ¡°Tomorrow, then.¡± Great. Another problem. Tomorrow¡¯s problem though. I walked over to Shion and Azuki. A grin parted Azuki¡¯s lips, her voice full of awe. ¡°Wow, you really are a dragon,¡± said Azuki. I sighed and crouched beside Shion. She was still on the ground. Her pale, grey fingers moved with inhuman precision, carefully counting through a pile of uncooked rice. She placed each counted grain into a neat pile. Hundreds of them remained. She¡¯d be counting for hours. ¡°Shion,¡± I said. She ignored me, continuing to count. ¡°Shion!¡± I tried again, louder. She looked up stiffly. Her flat, waterless eyes burned with humiliation. ¡°You stupid¡­ don¡¯t you get it? I have to count these, Ryu! I- I-¡­¡± Her jaw clenched. ¡°I can¡¯t stop! Even if I wanted to!¡± She let out a joyless laugh, her fangs flashing white in the moonlight. Then she took a breath, swallowing hard. ¡°Some help I am, huh?¡± she muttered bitterly. ¡°A vampire crawling in the dirt¡­ counting rice! Like an idiot!¡± Then I understood. She wasn¡¯t just frustrated. She was ashamed. She¡¯d tried to help me ¨C only to fall victim to her own nature. Something she couldn¡¯t help. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I tried to tell her. ¡°Go to hell.¡± She turned back to the rice. ¡°I¡¯m going to be here all night! I¡¯m hungry and ¨C I HAVE TO KNOW HOW MANY!¡± Her voice broke. I took a slow breath. ¡°Shion, shut your eyes.¡± She froze. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Just shut your eyes.¡± Her fingers twitched ¨C like they didn¡¯t want to stop. Then, finally, she did. Carefully, I began to sweep up the remaining grains. Azuki knelt beside me and began to help. Her glasses slipped to the end of her nose, but she continued to sweep until we finished. A moment later, I told Shion to open her eyes. She blinked. Twice. Her hands hovered mid-air, fingers still tensed as if they wanted to keep counting. She stared at the empty ground. Then at me. Then at Azuki. Her expression was unreadable. Her shoulders slumped. She took a slow breath. ¡°¡­They¡¯re gone?¡± she whispered, unbelieving. I nodded. Azuki smiled gently at the two of us. Shion exhaled sharply ¨C like she¡¯d been holding in a scream the entire time. Then, for the first time since we¡¯d met ¨C a genuine smile.