The Price of Awakening
The graveyard was silent again.
Akarui stood alone, his fingers still wrapped around the Vein Core, its pulsing light slowly fading in his palm. It felt cold now, like a dying heart.
His chest rose and fell, every breath sharp like broken glass in his lungs.
But he was alive.
And he knew—that was a problem.
"You shouldn't have done that," Kaguro whispered inside his mind.
"I didn't have a choice," Akarui muttered back.
"You always have a choice. You chose survival. That's good. But now… the price begins."
Akarui's knees wobbled. He forced himself to stand anyway, wiping sweat from his forehead. His hands were shaking again—not from fear this time, but from exhaustion.
His Shadow Veins were still lit beneath his skin, flickering like fading fire.
"How do I turn it off?" he asked quietly, glancing at his arms.
"You don't," Kaguro replied. "Once your Shadow Veins awaken, they never truly sleep again."
Akarui sighed, looking up at the sky. The clouds were thinning, revealing a sliver of moonlight. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled—a cold, lonely sound that echoed through the ruins of the village.
His stomach growled.
After all of this, he was still hungry.
He tucked the Vein Core into his pocket and turned toward the edge of the graveyard. His plan was simple: get back to his hideout before more mercenaries showed up.
But as he walked, he realized something.
The streets were too quiet.
The air felt heavier, like something was watching him.
And then he saw it.
A figure stood at the entrance of the graveyard, blocking his path.
It was a girl—about his age, maybe a little older. She wore a long white coat, the edges stitched with silver thread. Her black hair was tied back in a braid, and her eyes… her eyes were strange.
One eye was normal.
The other glowed faintly, like a tiny moon was trapped inside it.
Akarui stopped walking.
The girl tilted her head, studying him.
"You're faster than the stories say," she said calmly, her voice soft but cold. "I didn't think you'd kill a Vein Hunter Murei on your first night."
Akarui narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
She smiled, but it wasn't friendly.
"I'm Saya Tsukiko," she said. "Vein Healer. Shadow Scout. And someone you're going to hate very soon."
Akarui's jaw tightened. "I don't have time for this."
He stepped sideways, trying to go around her, but she moved fast—too fast.
In a blink, she was in front of him again.
Her hand shot out, fingers glowing with soft blue Vein energy, pressing against his chest right where the Black Crest sat.
Akarui's body froze.
"Wha—what are you—?"
His knees buckled. His veins screamed inside his skin, like they were twisting into knots.
Kaguro's voice hissed in his mind:
"Careful! She's using a Vein Lock Seal! She's shutting down your Veins temporarily!"
Akarui gritted his teeth, forcing his legs to stay standing.
"You… you're working with the Guild?" he spat.
Saya shook her head. "No. The Kuro-Crest Guild is trash. I'm working for someone much worse."
Her eyes darkened. "The Seven Warlords."
Akarui's heart dropped into his stomach.
The Seven Warlords were the rulers of Kyokai now. Each one controlled an elemental city-state, each more ruthless than the last. They were the strongest Vein users alive.
And apparently, they wanted him.
Saya's voice softened a little.
"I'm not here to kill you, Akarui. I'm here to deliver a message."
Her glowing hand pulled back from his chest. Instantly, the pressure in his body faded, but his Veins still burned.
Akarui staggered, clutching his ribs.
"What message?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
Saya reached into her coat pocket and tossed something toward him.
He caught it.
It was a Vein Seal Crystal, smooth and cold, etched with the symbol of the Shadow Warlord, one of the most feared among the Seven.
The crystal pulsed once, and then a voice echoed from it—deep, calm, and terrifying.
"Akarui Rin. Your life is no longer your own. You have awakened forbidden power, and for that, you belong to us now. Come willingly to the Warlords' Citadel within three nights… or we will burn Kagetsu Village to the ground to find you."
The message ended with a sharp click.
Akarui's stomach twisted.
"Three nights?" he whispered.
Saya nodded. "If you don't go to them, they'll slaughter everyone in Kagetsu. They've done it before."
Akarui clenched his fist around the crystal.
"I didn't ask for this," he said through gritted teeth.
Saya's expression softened—just for a second.
"None of us do."
Then her face hardened again.
"Run, hide, or fight. It won't matter. The Warlords always get what they want."
She turned her back on him, stepping into the shadows.
But before she disappeared, she whispered something over her shoulder:
"Oh, and one more thing—"
Akarui tensed, ready for an attack.
But her words weren't a threat.
They were worse.
"Your parents… they used to work for the Warlords too."
The moment she vanished, the night grew colder.
Akarui stood there, staring at the empty graveyard, his mind spinning.
His parents? Working for the Warlords?
That didn't make sense. His parents had died during the Nightfall Catastrophe. Everyone said so.
But what if everyone was wrong?
What if Kaguro knew the truth and was still hiding it?
"Kaguro," Akarui whispered inside his mind, voice sharp. "Tell me. Is it true?"
There was silence for a long moment.
Then Kaguro finally answered.
"Yes. But there's more to the story than you know. And you won't like it."
Akarui's fists clenched tighter.
"I don't care if I like it or not. I want the truth."
"Then get ready, Akarui."
"Why?"
"Because you just triggered the first Vein Hunt."
In the distance, horns blew—long, echoing sounds that shook the cold night air.
They were coming.
The Vein Hunters had been released.
And Akarui Rin was their target.