In a world where a single touch can create an unbreakable emotional bond, Yuji has survived by avoiding all physical contact.
No touch. No weakness.

Until the night a stranger saves him from an accident… and their bodies brush against each other.

Now, Yuji and Ren are connected: they feel every emotion, every pain, every desire the other experiences.
But this bond comes with terrifying side effects — hallucinations, a visceral need to stay close, and a gradual fusion of their emotions.

Worse still, Ren hides a secret: they are not the only ones connected.
An organization is hunting those who share this bond, considering them anomalies to be eliminated… and Ren has already paid the price.

To survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other.
To remain themselves, they’ll have to resist the consuming pull between them.

But some bonds can never be broken.

Yuji was still pacing when it happened.


He couldn't sit. Couldn't think. Not with Ren's words echoing in his head.


Anomalies. Erased. The bond makes you easy to find.


He didn't even hear the sound at first. Just a faint hum, like static crawling along the edges of his mind.


Yuji spun toward the window just as it shattered inward.


A small metal device clattered across the floor, sparking faintly before emitting a high-pitched whine that made his teeth ache.


Two figures dressed in black flooded the room, moving with military precision.


Yuji stumbled back, heart slamming against his ribs. "Who—"


Ren's voice cut through the chaos like a whip.


He was already moving — grabbing Yuji by the arm, yanking him toward the back door.


Yuji didn't argue. His body obeyed before his mind caught up.


"Who are they?!" he shouted as they ran through the narrow alley behind the building.


Ren didn't look back. "The ones I warned you about."


Yuji nearly tripped over a loose brick. "You said they erase people—"


The static hum in Yuji's head grew louder. It wasn't just sound — it was pressure, pushing at his thoughts like invisible fingers clawing through his skull.


Ren's grip tightened. "They're trying to sever it."


A shadow moved at the end of the alley. Another figure blocked their path, dressed like the others — black tactical gear, face obscured by a visor.


In a blur, he shoved Yuji behind him and lunged at the figure with a speed Yuji couldn't process. A sharp crack — an arm twisted the wrong way — and the figure crumpled to the ground.


Ren didn't even pause. He grabbed Yuji again. "Move. Now."


They didn't stop running until they reached an abandoned subway entrance.


Yuji doubled over, gasping for air, his entire body shaking.


Ren crouched beside him, scanning the dark tunnels with sharp, calculating eyes.


Yuji looked up at him, chest heaving. "Then what do we do?"


Ren finally looked at him — and for the first time, Yuji saw real fear in his eyes.


"We run," Ren said. "And we don't look back."


Chapter 10 - Hunted