Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BhdDNjWUgP12bPnwb6S2X
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PL7pW2TRJlD4mfEMOUBBdxVpVs9NuMA7xm
playlist songs:
-cigarettes out the window by Tv girl
-not allowed by Tv girl
-washing machine heart by Mitski
-chamber of reflection by marc demarco
-gilded lily by cults
- I bet on loosing dogs by Mistki
Rue remained frozen. She stood perfectly still, retreating into her "Yitria" mask cold, distant, and unyielding. Her sleek black hair caught the dim light, making her look every bit the calculating aristocrat the world believed her to be. Her wolf tail was held perfectly still, hidden beneath her coat, and her wolf ears were pinned flat against her head to stay hidden.
Damian tilted his head, his vibrant turquoise eyes locked onto hers. "Aw, come on. Please?"
When the silence stretched too thin, his expression shifted. The boyish sweetness vanished, replaced by a chillingly casual smirk. "If you don't come to my house, I'll tell everyone your true identity."
The threat hit Rue like a physical blow. She didn't flinch, but the slight tightening of her jaw betrayed her. "Now you're blackmailing me? Damian, what is going on with you?"
Damian let out a low chuckle, stepping into her personal space. "Oh, nothing much. I just wanted my 'sis' to come visit so we can talk properly. I'm tired of the act. I want my real sis."
He wrapped his arms around her again. This time, she didn't pull away. She simply let out a long, weary sigh, her wolf ears twitching slightly under her hair. "Dami? Can you let go?"
Damian pouted, looking down at her from his height. "You're back to your usual self, but you still won't give me a break? What did I do to deserve this, Rue?"
Rue's expression finally softened, the ice melting just a fraction. "Fine, then. I'll come to your house."
Damian's eyes ignited like polished gems. "Tomorrow at three? I'll send my driver to pick you up."
Rue looked up at him and froze. His eyes were stunning—vibrant, full of an intensity she wasn't prepared for. "Your eyes are beautiful," she blurted out before she could catch herself.
Damian grinned brightly, suddenly acting like a clingy kitten. "Sis complimented me! Yay!"
Rue finally gave in and hugged him back, her voice a fond mumble. "Clingy cat." Her wolf tail gave a small, involuntary wag against her leg. To her, no matter how dangerous he seemed, he was still just a child playing a part.
The Next Day
The car door opened, and Rue stepped out onto the gravel path. Damian was already there, standing tall in front of the massive stone pillars of the manor.
"Nice to see you, Master Rue. Welcome to the Resiante Estate; please, make yourself at home."
Damian was perfectly composed. With the staff watching, he was the picture of a refined nobleman—a sharp, jarring contrast to the "puppy" he had been the day before.
But the moment they reached his private quarters and the heavy oak door clicked shut, the mask shattered. Damian shifted back into his needy self. "Sis, don't you trust me enough to tell me your real name? Do you really doubt me that much?"
Rue's breath hitched. She hadn't expected him to realize she was living under an alias. "I... uhm... my name..." she stammered, the words catching in her throat, her wolf ears flattening in nervousness.
Damian pouted, his eyes wide and pleading. "Oh, come on, Sis!"
Rue took a step back, trying to find her footing. "Well, jeez. My name is Yukiko... or Lucinda... and Rue."
Damian blinked, his expression going completely blank. "Huh?"
The sheer confusion on his face broke the tension. Rue started laughing, her wolf tail swishing playfully. "Okay, okay. My actual birth name is Yukiko. After the incident, the Guardian Knights and maybe my father changed it to Lucinda. Then, after my power awakened and I hid in the shed with you, I became Rue."
Damian stood there awkwardly, processing the layers of her identity before mumbling, "So... what do I call you?"
Rue took a deep breath, a genuine, tired smile reaching her eyes. "Call me Yukiko. That's my real name."
Damian began to laugh with her. "So your name situation is just a whole mess!"
Rue sprawled out on the plush chair, finally relaxing. Damian watched her for a moment before sitting down, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "I have one more thing. Can I see your actual hair and eyes?"
Rue shifted uncomfortably, her wolf ears twitching toward the shadows of the room. "I-I... maybe... I'll try."
She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Faint, icy blue White Wolf mana began to hum in the air, a soft, ethereal glow pulsing around her eyes and vibrating through the room. When she opened them, the chilling blue iris was gone, but the transformation was incomplete. One eye shone a jagged, bloody red while the other remained a brilliant, piercing blue. Her mana flickered unevenly, casting long, shivering shadows.
Even with her full mana, she couldn't fix herself.
Damian stared at her for a full minute, mesmerized and horrified. "Are you sure your eyes won't kill me?" he whispered.
Rue looked down, her heart sinking, her wolf tail curling tightly around her ankles. "I don't know."
Damian noticed her shoulders trembling and reached out. "Hey, look at me, I—"
"DON'T GET CLOSE!" Rue cried out, pushing him back. Her voice cracked, a sob tearing through her chest. A sudden, violent burst of White Wolf mana flared out from her, frosting the nearby furniture. "I might kill... kill you... please don't."
She collapsed into herself, shaking her child mind still there, the weight of her "cursed" power finally breaking her. Damian didn't listen. He moved forward, ignoring her warning and the cold sting of her mana, and pulled her into a tight, protective hug. Rue finally let go, crying her eyes out against his shoulder, her wolf ears pressed tight against his chest.
Hours Later
The room was silent, save for the crackle of a dying fire. Rue's head rested on Damian's lap, her breathing slow and rhythmic as she slept. Damian sat there quietly, stroking her hair with a rhythmic, soothing motion.
Two children, trapped in the glittering cages of high society, found the only peace they had ever known in a locked room, hidden away from the world.
But outside the door there was something more sinister lurking around, a maid who listened in on their conversation.