Aira did not remember how she got home.
The streets blurred into streaks of neon and rain, her feet moving on instinct while her mind remained trapped beneath the dead streetlamp, frozen in the moment Raven Noctis vanished into the shadows. By the time she reached her apartment, her hands were shaking so badly she nearly dropped her keys.
The door slammed shut behind her with a hollow thud.
Silence swallowed her whole.
Her small apartment was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the city leaking through the curtains. Familiar smells, lavender detergent, old books, instant coffee, should have grounded her. Should have told her she was safe.
They didn't.
Aira leaned against the door, chest heaving, rainwater dripping from her coat onto the floor. Her wrist throbbed, heat pulsing beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. She lifted her sleeve slowly.
There was no mark.
No bruise. No handprint.
And yet the burning sensation remained, deep and alive, as though something had branded her from the inside.
"That wasn't real," she whispered.
Her voice sounded thin, unconvincing.
She pushed away from the door and stumbled into the bathroom, flicking on the light. The sudden brightness made her wince. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
The girl staring back looked the same, pale skin, dark eyes too large for her face, black hair clinging damply to her cheeks.
But something had changed.
Her eyes held a flicker of red.
Aira gasped and leaned closer to the mirror.
The color vanished instantly, leaving behind only her natural dark brown gaze. She squeezed her eyes shut, heart hammering.
I'm losing it.
That was the only explanation that made sense.
Grief could do terrible things to the mind. Sleepless nights. Hallucinations. Delusions shaped by trauma.
Yes. That had to be it.
She turned on the shower as hot as she could stand and stepped under the steaming spray, letting the heat pound against her skin. The water ran pink as rainwater mixed with the city's grime, spiraling down the drain.
But no matter how long she stood there, no matter how hard she scrubbed, she couldn't wash away the feeling that something had embedded itself deep inside her.
Images crept into her mind uninvited.
Crimson moons.
Black wings unfurling against a burning sky.
Chains snapping, one by one.
And Raven's voice, low, haunted.
It's already too late.
She sank to the floor of the shower, wrapping her arms around herself as the water cascaded down her back.
When she finally emerged, trembling and exhausted, the clock on her wall read 3:12 a.m.
Sleep was impossible.
Aira curled up on her bed fully clothed, staring at the ceiling while the city murmured beyond her window. Every shadow in her apartment felt deeper than it should. Every creak of the building made her pulse spike.
At some point, exhaustion dragged her under.
She dreamed of blood.
Not violent, not chaotic, just endless rivers of it, flowing calmly beneath a blackened sky. She stood barefoot at the edge, unable to move, unable to look away.
"Don't be afraid."
Raven's voice came from behind her.
She turned.
He stood there as he had in the alley, dark coat fluttering in a wind that didn't touch her. But his eyes were brighter now, glowing crimson, and shadows coiled at his feet like living things.
"Why me?" she asked.
He stepped closer, pain etched into every line of his face. "Because you were born where light and darkness intersect."
He reached for her
and the world shattered.
Aira jolted awake with a sharp cry, sitting upright in bed. Her heart pounded violently, sweat slicking her skin.
Morning light filtered weakly through the curtains.
For a moment, relief washed over her.
Just a dream.
Then her wrist flared with heat.
She looked down.
Thin, dark lines spiraled faintly around her skin, glowing for a brief second before fading completely.
Aira screamed.
The rest of the day passed in a haze.
She went to work because routine was the only thing keeping her from unraveling completely. The café was busy, filled with the clatter of cups and the low murmur of conversations. Steam hissed from the espresso machine, grounding her in the present.
"Earth to Aira."
She blinked and looked up to find her coworker, Mika, staring at her with concern.
"You've been spacing out all morning," Mika said. "Did you even hear the order?"
Aira glanced down at the counter. Three drinks sat untouched. She flushed. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well."
Mika studied her face. "You look like you saw a ghost."
Or became one, Aira thought.
"I'm fine," she lied.
The bell above the café door chimed.
A sudden chill swept through the room.
Aira's head snapped up.
For half a heartbeat, she thought she saw him, dark hair, tall frame, shadows clinging unnaturally close.
But it was just a stranger.
Still, her hands trembled as she handed over a cup of coffee.
The rest of her shift crawled by. Every time the door opened, her heart leapt into her throat. Every reflection in the glass made her flinch.
When she finally clocked out, the sun was already dipping low, staining the sky deep red.
Too red.
Her phone buzzed as she stepped outside.
An unknown number.
She hesitated, then answered.
"Hello?"
Silence crackled on the line.
Then, "I told you not to come looking for me."
Her breath caught.
"Raven?"
"I can't stay long," he said quietly. "They're close."
Her mind reeled. "You can't just call me like this. Explain what's happening."
A pause.
"I warned you," he said. "But you didn't listen."
"I didn't do anything!"
"That's the problem."
The world around her seemed to dim, sounds fading into a distant echo.
"The mark has awakened," Raven continued. "Which means they know who you are now."
Aira's pulse roared in her ears. "Who are they?"
"Creatures born from the same darkness that binds me," he said. "And they will come for you."
Fear tightened around her chest. "Why?"
"Because you are the key."
The word sent a chill through her bones. "To what?"
Another pause, longer this time.
"To ending everything," Raven said.
A shiver ran through her. "You're saying this like… like you've been waiting for me."
"I have," he admitted softly. "For longer than you can imagine."
Aira swallowed. "Then meet me. In person. I won't run."
"No." His voice sharpened. "If you see me again, you'll be dragged deeper into this war."
"Too late," she whispered. "I'm already in it."
Silence.
Then a quiet curse.
"Tonight," Raven said reluctantly. "The old cathedral. Midnight. If you don't come… I'll assume you chose ignorance."
The line went dead.
Aira stared at her phone, heart racing.
She should have been terrified.
She should have refused.
Instead, a strange sense of certainty settled in her chest.
She was done running from shadows.
As night fell, the city lights flickered on one by one. Somewhere deep beneath her skin, something ancient stirred again, responding to the pull of darkness.
And this time, Aira didn't resist.
Midnight was coming.
And with it, the truth she had been born to face.