Hui was the first to answer, her voice calm and clipped, as if she'd already pieced it together in her head.
"It's about deceiving perception. Not just hiding yourself, but twisting what people think they're seeing."
Grimm nodded right away. "Yeah… from what I can tell, it's more like misdirection. You don't just vanish—you guide their eyes somewhere else while you slip away."
The other two gave short nods. Even Haoran, though he tried to hide the way his mouth twitched upward, like he was pleased someone else was sharp enough to put it into words.
Then Qin, who'd been unusually quiet since asking about Grimm's name, suddenly broke the rhythm.
She leaned forward, restless, ponytail swaying as her lips curled into that uncanny grin.
"I'm bored. I want to fight someone."
The others turned to look at her. Her bright, unnerving eyes glinted with something close to eagerness.
'She's crazy,' Grimm thought, but at the same time, his chest stirred.
'She might be right. We've been breathing and sitting for days. No real movement, no pushing our bodies. If we don't test ourselves, all this practice might be pointless.'
He exhaled through his nose, then pushed himself up from the floor, brushing dust from his palms.
"I'll spar with you."
Qin's grin widened, almost too wide for her face, and her eyes locked on him with excitement, as if she'd been waiting for exactly that answer.
Hui's voice cut through before either of them moved. She pushed a strand of short black hair behind her ear and frowned.
"This place is too cramped. If you want to play around, it shouldn't be here."
Qin didn't even blink. She tilted her head, ponytail swishing, grin stuck to her face like it was carved there.
"That's the thrill," she said, almost sing-song.
"We'll spar right here. The rule is simple—we can't touch the others. Even in this tiny space."
Grimm's gut tightened. He stared at her, watching that unblinking enthusiasm, the glimmer of madness in her eyes.
'She really is crazy. Who the hell gets excited about fighting in a room barely big enough for four people to sleep in? …This might be a bad idea.'
Still, Qin was already shifting her weight onto the balls of her feet, her body angled toward him like a predator spotting movement in the grass.
Haoran chuckled low under his breath, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall.
"Now this… this could be interesting."
Hui just sighed, her eyes narrowing at both of them. But she didn't stop it.
Grimm didn't jump in right away. He straightened slowly, brushing dust off his knees, buying himself seconds to think.
Qin was already half-crouched, smiling like she'd been waiting years for someone to say "yes."
He raised his hand slightly.
"Wait." His voice came out sharper than he expected, but it froze her in place.
"What are the rules?"
The words hung in the cramped air. Even Hui lifted her head at that, curious.
Qin rocked back on her heels, her ponytail swaying behind her. Her grin widened like he'd just made things more fun.
"Rules?" she repeated, tasting the word. "Fine. No blood—unless it's an accident."
Haoran smirked from his corner.
"That sounds like permission for blood."
She shot him a glance, then returned her gaze to Grimm.
"Alright then… how about this: no biting, no gouging, no trying to actually kill. Everything else?"
She spread her hands, almost theatrically.
"Fair game."
'No biting? That's oddly specific… She's thought about this before.' Grimm's stomach twisted. His fangs brushed against his lip without him realizing.
Hui's dry tone cut in. "And what happens if you 'accidentally' break one of your own rules?"
Qin's grin sharpened, but her eyes flicked to Hui like a dare. "Then the fight ends right there. No second chances."
Grimm inhaled slowly, already running through the possibilities in his head.
'She set it up so she can push right up to the edge without falling over it. Clever… or insane. Probably both.'
Finally, he nodded, voice low. "Fine. No biting. No gouging. No killing."
He looked her square in the eye. "But if you touch the others, even by accident, it's your loss."
For the first time, Qin's grin faltered just enough to show her teeth. Then she laughed, sharp and delighted.
"Good rule."
Haoran's smirk deepened. "Now I really want to see this."
Hui pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, "Idiots, both of them…" but she didn't move to stop it.
Grimm's pulse drummed in his ears.
'This is happening. Damn it.'
The room was dim, the only light spilling from a thin crack near the ceiling.
It wasn't enough to see details—just the faintest outlines when someone shifted. That was already part of the fight.
Grimm and Qin stood in opposite corners, shadows stretched long behind them.
The others leaned against the wall, silent, watching. The air felt tight, as though it might tear from the tension.
Qin was the first to move. A low shuffle, bare feet sliding over the stone floor.
Her steps barely made a sound, but Grimm's ears picked up the faint scratch of her heel dragging.
'She's fast. She's too confident. She'll try to close the distance in one burst.'
He kept his knees bent, one hand loose at his side, the other hovering near his chest.
He wasn't a fighter by nature—he knew that. But his body was different now. He had to trust that.
Tap.
Qin kicked off from the wall, a shadow darting across the room.
Grimm saw her movement only by the ripple of air as she passed through the shaft of dim light. She came in low, hand stretched like she meant to claw at his stomach.
Grimm pivoted sideways, his body sliding almost noiselessly against the stone.
Her fingers brushed his shirt, just enough to leave the fabric twitching.
He snapped his elbow backward—
Thud.
She caught it with her forearm. For a second, their bones ground together. Her laugh hissed in the dark.
"Not bad."
Grimm grit his teeth. 'She's toying with me.'
Before he could twist, her knee shot up. He lowered his hip just in time; the impact grazed his thigh instead of his ribs.
Pain flared, but he grabbed at her wrist and pulled, trying to break her balance.
Her body went with the motion—but then she spun, rolling with his pull instead of resisting. S
he came out of it crouched, almost spider-like, and swiped at his ankle.
Smack.
His leg jerked. He staggered, caught himself with one hand against the floor, and immediately rolled sideways to get distance.
Haoran chuckled from the wall.
"She's got claws, huh."
Qin straightened slowly, head cocked. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he felt her grin.
'She's used to fighting in the dark… or maybe she just doesn't care she can't see. She fights by sound, or by feel.'
He narrowed his breath into the sloth technique, chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.
The air grew quiet. He took a step—not forward, but sideways, sliding his foot against the floor in the smallest arc possible.
Qin tilted her head, listening. Then she lunged—straight at the wrong direction.
Whoosh!
Her hand swiped through empty air.
'It works.' Grimm's chest tightened with adrenaline.
'She can't find me.'
He struck then, pushing his body forward. His shoulder clipped her side, hard enough to knock her off-balance.
She let out a grunt, tumbling back a half-step.
Grimm followed, trying to pin her arm—but Qin bent backward unnaturally, slipping out of his grasp like water.
She kicked upward, heel aimed at his jaw.
He ducked. The heel skimmed over his head, stirring his hair.
'She's flexible. Damn it, she's too fast—'
Before he recovered, she grabbed his shoulder and yanked. They both crashed to the floor, rolling.
Thud-thud-thud.
The two of them grappled in the dark, bodies twisting, knees jamming into ribs, hands clawing for leverage.
Grimm's teeth bared instinctively—his new fangs pricking his lip. He wanted to bite, so badly, but the rule echoed in his mind. No biting.
Instead, he shoved his forearm across her throat and pressed down.
Qin writhed beneath him, laughter bubbling even as her air cut short. She kneed him in the side again, forcing a cough out of him, but he held firm.
Then she went limp.
'Is she—'
Her hand slipped around his wrist, and with a sudden twist, she rolled them over.
Now she was on top, her face a shadow over his. Her breath smelled faintly sweet, disturbingly calm.
"You hesitated."
Her whisper dripped like honey and venom at once.
Grimm tried to buck her off, but she clamped her knees around his waist. Her hand darted toward his face—fingers spread like claws.
He twisted his neck just in time. Her nails raked across his cheek instead of his eyes, leaving burning lines.
He snarled. "You're insane."
Her grin gleamed faintly in the dark. "You agreed to play."
With a sudden surge, Grimm coiled his legs, planted his feet against the floor, and bridged upward with all his strength.
Qin lifted just enough for him to slip one arm free. He shoved hard, rolling them sideways until they crashed against the wall.
Thud!
Her head hit the stone—not too hard, but enough.
She froze for a fraction of a second.
Grimm jammed his forearm against her chest, holding her down.
"HAaah..."
Both of them were panting, breaths ragged. The fight paused, the tension still coiled like a spring.
Haoran's voice finally cut through the silence.
"That's enough. Any more, and one of you's going to bleed for real."
Qin's laugh was soft, almost dreamy.
She licked the blood from her lip—blood he hadn't noticed was there until now.
"Fun."
Grimm's chest heaved. His whole body ached, but his eyes locked on hers.
'She wasn't trying to win. She was testing me.'
Slowly, he pulled back, releasing her. She rolled onto her side, hair sticking to her face, still grinning.
The room was quiet except for their heavy breaths.