---
The world outside my head was a blur of noise.
Boots pounding on wood. Voices calling my name. The sharp clatter of the door sliding open so hard it rattled in its frame.
I didn't look up right away. My arms were full—full of Rin, or… something wearing her face. Her head lolled against my shoulder, strands of hair sticking to her damp cheeks. Her breathing was uneven, her skin fever-hot, and that tail—gods, that damned tail—still twitched weakly behind her.
I heard the gasps first.
"Ren?!"
It was Sora, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.
I turned slightly, and there they were—Sora, Ayame, Akane, Mei, and Elira—crowded in the doorway, their eyes wide. They didn't step inside right away, like they were afraid crossing the threshold might make the scene worse.
Akane's gaze dropped to my arms. "Who… what is that?"
Before I could answer, Ayame's eyes narrowed. She stepped forward, her movements slow, cautious—like someone approaching a wild animal.
