Darkness. That was all I could see behind my closed eyelids. I was conscious—barely—but my body felt like it was floating in a haze of pain and numbness. I was moving. Slowly, but definitely moving. I couldn’t tell how or why, but I was.

  Every inch of me ached. Some parts of my body felt distant, unresponsive. I guessed they were so broken that I couldn't even feel them anymore. The crash must've done a number on me.

  I lay in that darkness for what felt like minutes, counting the seconds in my head. Eventually, I mustered enough strength—and will—to crack my eyes open.

  The tunnel walls stretched around me, dimly lit by faint glows from the cracks in the bricks. I was still underground. I tilted my head back slightly, vision blurry but enough to make out a figure carrying me.

  "Aya?" I muttered weakly.

  "Oh, you’re awake," she said, voice laced with exhaustion. "Took you long enough."

  "What... happened?"

  Aya kept walking, her pace steady but slow. "Well, after I lost to the demon, it stuck me to the ceiling and left me for dead," she said bitterly. "When I woke up, I was alone. Weak. My arm was broken, but I had just enough energy left to make a small blade and cut myself down. After that, I went looking for the fight… but instead, I found you. Right in the middle of a gaping hole in its head."

  "Oh..." I exhaled. "So I did win..." A wave of relief washed over me. At least it hadn’t been for nothing.

  Aya glanced back at me, eyes narrowed. "How the hell did you even do that? I couldn't beat it, and you're telling me you did?"

  I tried to sit up a little, but my body protested. "It was mostly just conservation of energy and—" My words cut off as a deep, gnawing hunger clawed at my insides.

  I felt it everywhere, a desperate craving. Then my eyes locked onto something ahead—dark, viscous puddles of that same black liquid.

  "Aya, there! There!"

  "What?" she snapped, already annoyed.

  "The puddle," I rasped, unable to lift my arm to point—either from weakness or because it was straight-up broken.

  She sighed. "What about it?"

  "Just… take me to it."

  "Ughhh," she groaned but shifted course, rolling her eyes as she trudged toward it. Without any ceremony, she dropped me face-first into the puddle.

  "Happy now?" she asked dryly.

  I didn't answer. I was too busy drinking.

  The second the thick liquid touched my tongue, warmth spread through me. I slurped it up greedily, not even pausing for air. With every gulp, I felt it working—bones resetting, muscles stitching back together, the pain ebbing away.

  By the time I lifted my head, I was completely healed. I sprang to my feet, energy coursing through me.

  Aya just stared at me, a look of absolute disgust plastered across her face.

  "Ugh, get away from me," she recoiled, taking a step back.

  "What? Don’t knock it till you try it. And you definitely should, considering your arm is still busted." I stretched my newly mended limbs for emphasis. "It heals injuries."

  She gave me a skeptical look, suspicion and lingering disgust warring on her face. But after a glance at my fully restored body, she sighed and crouched near the puddle.

  Reluctantly, she dipped her fingers into the black liquid, brought a small amount to her lips, and swallowed. The second it hit her tongue, her face twisted in pure revulsion.

  "Oh my god," she gagged. "That’s disgusting."

  She forced herself to drink the rest, then immediately flopped onto her back, groaning in misery.

  We waited in silence.

  Then she sat up.

  Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and walked toward me, head down.

  I tilted my head, confused. "Uh… you good?"

  Without warning, she grabbed the front of my shirt with her one good arm and yanked me down to her eye level.

  "What the hell?! I just drank centipede shit because you said it would heal me! Do I look healed to you?!"

  "I—I don’t know!" I stammered. "It worked for me!"

  "Whatever." She shoved me back, releasing her grip. "Let’s just go."

  Aya turned sharply, stomping toward the tunnel entrance.

  I exhaled, got to my feet, and quickly caught up. Without giving her a chance to argue, I scooped her into my arms.

  "W-what are you doing, idiot?! Put me down!"

  "Relax," I said, holding her securely. "I’m getting us out of here."

  I channeled my freshly restored energy straight into my legs, feeling the power surge through them. Then, with one explosive kick off the ground, we launched forward, rocketing down the tunnel.

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  In seconds, we burst out of the cave entrance.

  I landed smoothly, setting Aya on her feet.

  "That never gets old," I muttered to myself.

  Aya, however, scrambled out of my arms like I had the plague.

  I let out a short laugh at the sight. "So... what now?"

  Aya stood beside me, both of us taking in the quiet surroundings. The streets were mostly empty, lined with abandoned houses and trees swaying under the night breeze. The eerie silence made it clear—it was really late.

  She broke the quiet. "Well..." she started, rubbing the back of her head. "We took longer than expected. I’m sure everyone went home by now. We should probably just head back and regroup at school tomorrow."

  Made sense. It wasn’t like the others could just camp out at school all night. That was fine by me—honestly, the sooner I got to bed, the better. I should’ve felt exhausted after everything, but my body still buzzed with energy. Probably an effect of the puddle.

  Aya, on the other hand, was clearly drained. Her movements were sluggish, her breathing still heavy. Without energy to augment her legs, it’d probably take her forever to get home.

  "Want me to take you home?" I asked.

  Her head snapped toward me so fast I thought she might’ve hurt herself. "Wha—what?!" she stammered, her face turning red.

  "Yeah, you look terrible," I said bluntly. "And without energy, it’s gonna take you forever to get there."

  She hesitated, still not looking at me. "Oh... well, alright," she mumbled.

  I raised an eyebrow. What’s up with her? I wondered. Shrugging it off, I bent down and scooped her into my arms.

  She let out a small yelp—gripping my shirt, her dark hair laid across my chest.

  Without wasting another second, I kicked off the ground and bolted forward with explosive speed. The world blurred past us as I shot down the empty streets—only to realize something kind of important.

  "Uh... where do you live?"

  A beat of silence.

  Then she groaned and facepalmed. "Idiot."

  ---

  After running across town for a while, with Aya directing me along the way, we finally reached a neighborhood that screamed wealth. Every house sat on its own massive plot of land, spaced out enough that privacy was never an issue. The yards were perfectly manicured, the driveways wide enough to fit several cars, and the overall atmosphere felt... expensive.

  I whistled. "Didn’t know you were rich," I teased.

  Aya huffed, crossing her good arm over her chest while the other hung at her side. "We’re not rich. Just... comfortable," she muttered, pouting slightly before pointing with her uninjured arm. "There."

  She was directing me to a house just as grand as the ones we had passed, if not more so. It was built from a deep reddish-brown brick, giving it a warm but sophisticated feel. The architecture was beautiful—tall, elegant windows, a pristine front entrance, and an overall design that looked straight out of some high-end home magazine.

  I hesitated for a moment, half-jokingly wondering if I even belonged here. Like some kind of invisible force field would push me back the moment I stepped too close. The thought made me chuckle.

  "What’s so funny?" Aya asked, glancing at me with mild suspicion.

  "Nothing," I said quickly, caught a little off guard.

  I landed lightly on the roof, right above her window.

  "Just go in through that window," she said, nodding toward it. "It leads to my room. I always keep it open."

  I didn’t question it. Adjusting my grip on her, I hopped over to the window, grabbing the frame with one hand while keeping her secure with the other. Using my foot, I nudged it open before carefully maneuvering Aya inside. She slipped through first, and once she was in, I followed right after.

  Once inside, I took in my surroundings. The room was massive—easily twice the size of mine. A walk-in closet stood to the side, its door slightly ajar, revealing rows of neatly hung clothes. Next to it was an en-suite bathroom, and just from a quick glance inside, I could tell it was huge.

  In the center of the room was her bed—of course, it was big. The pink bedding, the sheer amount of stuffed animals scattered across it... actually, now that I was paying attention, the entire room was pink. The walls, the furniture accents, even the curtains—it all screamed Aya.

  She walked over to a lounge chair near a small table, kicked off her shoes, then looked up at me. I stood there awkwardly, trying to decide whether I should say goodbye or just jump out the window without a word.

  "Y-you can take a shower if you’d like..." she said suddenly. There was a slight nervousness in her voice—or maybe just awkwardness?

  I considered it for a moment. On one hand, I was ready to just go home. On the other... I was filthy, smelled awful, and still had dried blood caked on me. A shower did sound nice.

  "Thanks," I replied with a small smile. "I will."

  "It’s over there," she said, pointing toward the bathroom, still avoiding my gaze.

  I nodded and headed inside, locking the door behind me.

  The bathroom was even bigger than it looked from outside—about the size of my entire bedroom. A sleek marble tub sat in the center, a walk-in shower with a glass door was on the left, and to the right, a towel rack stood beside a marble double-sink vanity. The floor was polished stone, and behind the tub, a massive window overlooked a well-kept garden outside.

  I let out a slow breath, stripping out of my tattered clothes. My mind drifted as I stared out the window, thinking back on the insane day I’d just had. So much had happened... yet somehow, here I was, in Aya’s house, about to take a shower.

  I stepped into the shower and turned on the water, letting the warmth wash over me. It felt perfect, exactly what I needed after everything. My muscles relaxed, the exhaustion I hadn’t even noticed creeping in. And then—

  Holy crap.

  I was alone. In a girl’s room. Late at night. Using her shower.

  My face immediately heated up—and not from the water. I shook my head and forced myself to focus, scrubbing down quickly to get rid of the thought. Once I was clean, I shut off the water, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around my waist before stepping out.

  Aya was still in her chair, flipping through a book while absentmindedly eating a banana. When she noticed me, she paused, her eyes scanning me for a second before her face turned bright red.

  An awkward silence hung in the air.

  Then she pointed, snickering. "Your tail’s wagging."

  "Huh?" I glanced behind me—and sure enough, my tail was swaying back and forth on its own. My cheeks burned hotter. "Shit."

  Aya giggled at my reaction. "Do you need some clothes or do you plan on walking home like that?"

  "Yeah, that’d be great," I muttered, trying to will my tail to stop moving.

  Still laughing to herself, she got up and disappeared into her closet. A moment later, she tossed something at me. I caught it and unfolded it—a bathrobe.

  It was small.

  I sighed and went back into the bathroom to change. When I came out, the robe barely fit, but it covered the important parts.

  The second Aya saw me, she burst into laughter. "You look ridiculous," she choked out between giggles.

  I looked away in embarrassment.

  After a few moments, she finally calmed herself. "I’m gonna shower. You can let yourself out through the window."

  "Alright," I said, heading over. I pushed the window open and was about to jump out when I paused. Turning back, I glanced at her. "Thanks for everything today, Aya."

  Her cheeks tinged pink, and she quickly looked away. "N-no problem..."

  I smirked. "See you tomorrow."

  With that, I leapt out the window, heading home for some much-needed rest.