Chapter Text
Saito walked up to the talk with a satisfied smile on his face as he looked over the monitor. His smile got bigger as he looked over everything. The former Second Progenitor reached forward, clicking a button and lifted his gaze to watch as the three vials that were located on the top of the monitor started to empty one by one. Going into the tubes and working their way into the IV port.
Red.
Purple.
Blue.
One by one, they slipped into the IV. Saito stood there, watching and waiting patiently for the time that it was taking for the injections to go in. His gaze dropped to the electroencephalogram or simply the EEG to track the Omega’s brain activity. He noticed the spike whenever the red went into his system, the calm of the purple, and the spike once more with the blue. He did a quick check of the Omega’s blood pressure and heart rate, ensuring that they were still stable, before he was continuing. He clicked another button, lifting his gaze as he watched the probs against the Omega’s temple starting to glow and the brain wave activity spiked once more.
It continued up for another few hours as he kept going over everything. One by one and repeating the process until he was certain that it was going as smoothly as possible. Then, he was left to wait for a while longer.
On the monitor was a percentage bar. He was keeping a close eye on it, a smile lingering even more on his face as he looked it over.
99%
“Almost there.” Saito murmured to himself out loud as he turned and jotted a few notes down as he checked the other systems. He continued that route for a while before he heard a loud beep that caught his attention and his gaze moved back over.
100%
A satisfied smirk came to his face as he took a step back, admiring the Omega who was in the tank as he laughed softly, “At last… You are complete.”
Saito returned back to the machine, clicking the button that he needed, and he watched the serum in the tank starting to drain. With the tank emptied, the main door opened, and he reached up to completely open it. The Omega – who was still in a comatose state – fell limply forward. The Alpha merely put an arm out, catching the Omega before he fell.
Saito removed the probs and the IVs from his arms before moving to sweep an arm underneath his legs to move him. Saito took a step back, taking a note of the Omega’s serum-soaked hair and the sticky feel of his body. He’d have to make sure that he got cleaned up. He was going to take care of his mate after all.
The hard part was done.
Now, it was just the easy part left to do.
Kureto was still replaying every single second of that interaction within his mind. There were so many details that did not line up. Things that didn’t make sense to him. Hell, there were a lot of things going on that just didn’t make sense but there seemed to be some explanation to them. There had be an explanation for this one. There was no way in this world that it had been Guren before him. The one thing that he could not get out of his head was the sight of the blood. That was the one thing that didn’t make any sense to him. He didn’t know any type of illusionary spell that would allow for that. That would make him see blood after an attack. It just did not make sense to him.
The first thing he did was get a sample of the blood. He did not believe in the slightest that it was Guren. But there was blood. The blood would be able to tell him everything that he needed to know. Kureto was certain that it was another trick. That it was a direct taunt using Guren’s face to him. Another package had been left behind. Which he had not opened yet. If it was going to be like any of the others, the second he touched anything and let it go, the evidence on it would be gone.
All of it was starting to fuel more of the thought that an insider might be at play, but he was still questioning it. There were still a lot of signs pointing to the fact of an insider. Now, he wasn’t completely sold on the idea of his father’s involvement. Kureto hated that he was actually inclined to believe him. Though, he was going to still use all of his father’s resources at this rate. It was the only reason he had decided to tell him about the probability of the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights involvement. If there was that chance, he needed his father’s resources. There was no denying how many that he had. They would be useful in the upcoming fights they were inevitably going to face. Rather it was the war itself to tracking down Guren and his captor.
Kureto was still hyper focused on what had happened in the woods. His neck was still throbbing. But that wasn’t what he was truly focused on. It was Guren. At least, what he was supposed to believe was Guren. Everything about that interaction had left him in confusion. He knew for a fact that it couldn’t have been Guren. There was no possible way. But—the blood, the look on Guren’s face, the fact that nothing happened whenever Kureto attacked. That is what made him stop for a moment. Something didn’t feel right. Illusionary spells should start to show signs or disappear entirely whenever they are attacked. They were spells after all. The blood had remained on the ground despite the suspected illusion disappearing. If Guren had truly been an illusion, shouldn’t that have gone away?
His fingers had been wrapped around his neck. He had heard the choking sounds. He had claw marks on the back of his hands. He had felt a pulse. Kureto couldn’t get it out of his head. If it was spellcraft, it had to be an incredibly powerful one to go to that extent.
But Kureto wasn’t so sure anymore.
There was something that he couldn’t place about what had happened at that moment. Something that was trying to grab his attention, and he just couldn’t see exactly what it was.
Right now, he had to get answers. The only thing that would tell him what he needed to know was to get the test results on the blood sample that he had collected. That blood should not have remained. It was driving him insane to think about.
What if?
It couldn’t be possible, right?
There was no possible way in this world that it could have been really him.
But he couldn’t get the image of his face out of his mind. The way that he had reacted. It was Guren’s face. Realistically, he knew that it couldn’t have been him. That there was no possible way that Guren would have been standing there and taunting him. Not like that. There was a lot about all of it that just didn’t make any sense to him. There was something there. He just didn’t know what it was.
Kureto had kept checking his neck. Looking for some mark that might be there. There wasn’t one. Kureto had tried to call what happened in that moment. He felt pain in his neck and then a burning sensation. After that, he wasn’t completely sure what had happened. The feeling had gone away rather quickly. If it had been some sort of drug, Raimeiki had taken care of it, but Raimeiki hadn’t said anything about it either.
Kureto needed to open the package, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to know what was inside. The other packages were rather tame if he had to say so, but he kept getting a really bad feeling whenever he looked at this one. Telling him that he didn’t want to see what was inside of it. There was this little voice in the back of his head that was just telling him that he didn’t want to see what was inside. Kureto had to be careful with it to ensure whatever was inside would not disappear before he had a chance to actually know.
Kureto had told the others what had happened. Well, part of it. Kureto couldn’t get the image of his own fingers around Guren’s neck. It was one thing that he did not say. That was going to fuel his nightmares until the second that he found the real Guren again. It couldn’t have been. He refused to believe that it could be.
They were all currently within his office. While waiting on the results and the package was tucked away currently, they were all going over reports from scouting teams and squads of the Moon Demon Company. The Kansai Region vampires were really starting to show a lot of movement that was concerning. Kureto had to keep working ahead on the impending war. At this point, the Lieutenant General knew it was coming.
It was hard to keep his focus on all of the reports. Everything that told him the movements of the vampires and their platoons. Everything that was pointing to the vampires soon moving even closer to Tokyo, and in turn, Shibuya respectively. It was here. War was on them. It was right around the corner. It was here.
War.
They were about to go to war and Guren was still missing.
Kureto had kept looking over to the package. Telling himself that he needed to open it. That he needed to see what was inside of that box. After what had happened, the others were continually telling him to open it. Kureto wasn’t sure what was stopping him. The Alpha dropped his gaze and looked back to the reports.
They all didn’t know what to say. Not a single word between them as a tension filled the room. Kureto could feel eyes moving to him. None of them seemed to know exactly what to say. Everything about what had happened was being left unsaid. No one wanted to believe what was going on or even the possibility that Guren could have even been involved. It made him think of what Shinya found. It was clear that someone was trying to make it look like that was the truth.
Kureto refused to believe it.
Even if there were signs in front of him.
It had to be something else.
An illusion.
Some trick.
Something.
Kureto dropped his gaze to his hands and held them up palm up. He could still hear that sound. The choking that sounded too much like Guren. The words that had tried to slip through choked breaths. The look on that face and the terror in those eyes. It had hit him a little bit too hard. It looked too much like him.
Kureto blinked it away as he heard Shinya say, “So, we’re just not going to talk about what happened?”
“What is there to talk about?” Kureto questioned, “The five of you know everything that you need to know.”
“And… You are absolutely sure that it wasn’t Guren-sama?” Sayuri questioned, “Maybe… Maybe he was under a spell?”
Kureto lifted his gaze, “Guren underneath a spell like that?” Just that one question had all of them looking between each other. They all knew Guren could get through any spell like that. Disenchantments were something that Guren was exceptionally skilled at as well as identifying them. Kureto paused for a moment.
A spell on… Guren.
Could it be possible that it was Guren, but it was just that he was underneath a spell? Maybe that could explain the expressionless eyes. If he was underneath some spell that could explain a lot.
Then, it made an intense wave of guilt hit him.
If that was true… He had choked Guren.
Kureto would have wrapped his hands around the neck of the one person that he had looked at him in the eyes and vowed to love him, protect him, to not harm him, to do anything for him.
Was it possible?
The thought of it made him sick to his stomach.
Kureto looked down to his hands again and that was all he could see once more. What if he did? What if he had harmed Guren?
“Brother Kureto?” Shinya started, “You don’t think it was actually him, right? There’s no way.”
Kureto let out a sharp breath. No. He couldn’t believe that. Actually, he had to adamantly refuse to believe that he would have hurt him in any way. Even if it wasn’t Guren’s consciousness. The only way to know for sure was whenever the blood results came back in. They should be coming back in at any time.
“Just a lot of missing pieces, but Guren isn’t one to fall to spellcraft easily.” Kureto replied and returned his gaze to the package. He should open it. He should see what was inside of it. Kureto was going to have to do it sooner or later. The Lieutenant General couldn’t just leave the box sitting there. The Alpha reached into his jacket, reaching into the inner pocket and paused.
“What is it?” Shinya went on to say.
Kureto leaned back, opening up a few buttons of his jacket and opening it up enough that he could actually see into the inner part of his jacket. He shoved nearly his entire hand into the pocket and realized that what he was looking for wasn’t there. “It’s… gone.”
“What’s gone?” Goshi questioned.
Kureto had started searching his other pockets, the confusion coming over him as he stood up and found that he couldn’t find it on his person. It was always in his jacket. The Alpha went over to his desk, jerking open the drawers and started to dig through them as he went in search of what he was looking for.
“Lieutenant General Kureto… If you tell us what you are looking for… We can help.” Mito stated.
“It’s a photo.” Kureto said with a shake of his head, “It should have been in my pocket.”
“Did you take it out at home or something?” Goshi questioned, “Could that be possible?”
Kureto couldn’t recall ever taking it out. It had been in his pocket the day that Guren vanished. Kureto was certain of it. He didn’t remember taking it out of his pocket and placing it anywhere else. Maybe, it was at home.
“Maybe.” Kureto decided to just agree as he closed up his desk in frustration. He exhaled sharply, turning and leaned back against the desk.
“Brother Kureto,” Shinya started, “You need to keep your head on straight. You’re not telling us everything. You won’t even open this damn package—”
“Stop it, brother Shinya.” Kureto snapped as he turned to look over to his adoptive brother.
“Not this time.” Shinya growled as he stood up, “Guren is my best friend! He’s practically my brother!” Shinya’s voice started to raise. “None of this bullshit surrounding his abduction makes any fucking sense, and now, we have another thing in front of us, and we’re just sitting here wasting time!”
“Enough!” Kureto roared, “We will open the package whenever the blood results come back.”
“Why not do it now?” Mito questioned, “Shinya-sama does make a good point. Why are we waiting?”
“I have a bad feeling about what is in this box.” Kureto stated as his gaze dropped down to it. “I don’t know what it is, but I look at it… And I just know.”
“Isn’t that…” Goshi started, looking between all of them, “A good reason to see what is inside? It could be something to help us find Guren.”
“I know that!” Kureto snapped, “But you were not there in those woods. You did not see what I did! Something is not right about this. Until I am certain, I can’t trust opening this package.”
Shinya let out a sharp breath, “Okay, you saw what looked like Guren.” Shinya went on to say, “There are a few possibilities… One, it was a powerful illusionary spell.”
“That left blood behind that I was able to collect.” Kureto interjected, “I’ve never heard of a spell that could do that.”
Shinya sighed, “Okay… Two… It was Guren.” Shinya said as he looked between them. “It was Guren, and he could have been… I don’t know being controlled.” None of them were wanting to say the possibility that if it was Guren that he was acting on his own accord. Kureto had shared just enough of it that he knew the doubt was in their minds too.
“Guren-sama wouldn’t fall to a spell like that.” Sayuri said quickly.
“Well,” Shinya started, shaking his head, “If we’re right about the involvement of the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights… That is powerful magic involved rivaling even the Hiragi family. It could be possible that Guren couldn’t combat it.”
Kureto shook his head, planting his hands down onto his desk. “Guren would still put up a fight. I would have seen some resistance from him.”
Suddenly, contemplation flashed across Shinya’s mind. “What if…” The white-haired Alpha raised his gaze again. “You remember the second tape, right?”
“We concluded that Guren-sama was drugged in it.” Shigure stated, “That’s why he was so compliant.”
“But he also looked… sickly.” Shinya continued as he looked away, and the thought flashed over his face again. The Major General turned, walking over to the shelves that were on the walls as he started looking over the books.
“What are you looking for, Shinya-sama?” Mito questioned.
“Guren could have been drugged, yeah…” He murmured, “The amount of time that Guren has been gone… We already deduced that Guren was possibly in a heat or even a stress heat… But what if…” Shinya looked over the books again before he grabbed one of the many medical texts that Kureto kept before opening it up and flipping through it. “I remember me and Guren had a conversation about it once.”
“What are you talking about, Shinya-sama?” Goshi questioned.
Shinya kept flipping through the book before he stopped and read over a page. “Here!” Shinya turned and moved to place the book down. Kureto found himself walking over, taking a seat back on the couch and looking down at the page. “Drugs don’t usually work on a Cursed Gear user…”
“We have Mahiru-no-Yo.” Sayuri murmured, shaking her head, “It could be that his connection to his demon has been weakened and allowed for him to be drugged.”
“The Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights would know a way around it.” Kureto stated, “So, I’m still inclined to believe that he was being drugged as a means to keep him compliant and somewhat cooperative.”
“It doesn’t explain everything.” Shinya stated, “But this could.”
Kureto looked down at the page again and paused as he read over it.
HEAT HAZE IN OMEGAS
Heat Haze is a type of heat that an Omega can experience whenever the body is under a great deal of stress, anxiety, or even trauma and an Omega’s body is unable to regulate the core body temperature needed for a suitable, healthy heat.
A heat in an Omega’s menstrual cycle that is in two stages: Monthly and Trimonthly. Monthly heats are often milder cycles that allow for the shedding of the uterine lining in the case of no pregnancy occurring. Trimonthly heats, Omegas often have a more moderate to severe heat once every three months that have an increase in symptoms and are more notable for instinctual drops. These heats normally last between three to five days.
A Stress Heat is a form of heat that Omegas that are instinctually based and are a regulation of an Omega’s inner instincts and cause an early heat in Omegas and are not considered to be healthy. A Stress Heat is not the same as a heat haze as it is a moderate form of a heat in an Omega. A stress heat can last between two to three days.
A heat haze is the most severe form of heat that can be fatal if no medical intervention is done. A heat haze often causes the body temperature of an Omega to become a high-grade fever that cannot be regulated through normal routine. A heat haze is noted to be a form of heat stroke in Omegas that is caused instinctually and naturally. These forms of heats often occur in high stress and traumatic instances not limited to: Physical abuse, sexual abuse, instinctual abuse, lack of proper nutrition and hydration, among other known causes.
A heat haze can often last between three to seven days if left untreated and can be lethal with no medical intervention or proper First Aid taken. A heat haze can cause damage to the brain, lungs, kidneys, muscles, and reproductive system if left untreated. A heat haze is considered to be extremely dangerous, and medical attention should be sought immediately.
Symptoms of a Heat Haze are and not limited to:
- Severe Abdominal and Pelvic Cramping
- Excessive Omega slick development and discharge that can lead to dehydration
- Bloody Discharge mimicking a Beta woman’s menstrual cycle.
- Severe Mood Swings and Irritability
- Migraine and Severe Fatigue
- A High-Grade Fever or High Body Temperature – often noted to be roughly 40 degrees Celius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher
- Change in Mental State or Behavior – such as and not limited to: confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, hallucinations, seizures, and can result in a coma if left untreated
- Change in sweat patterns – Omegas often have a thin layer of sweat on their bodies during a heat. A heat haze is defined by a hot, dry touch or can also result in a cold sweat
- Nausea and Vomiting – in most cases, there are excessive bouts of nausea and vomiting in an Omega suffering a heat haze that is not the same as a standard monthly or trimonthly heat that can lead to dehydration
- Flushed Skin – the skin may appear red as the body temperature increases, but can also be a pale, white sickly color in some cases
- Rapid or Labored Breathing – breathing may become rapid or shallow
- Rise in Heart Rate – the heart rate might appear to be racing, and the pulse may significantly increase as the heat stress causes heavy burden on the heart
- Severe Instinctual Drops – an Omega may face instinctual drops that can only be soothed by a mate, family member, pack mate, imprinter, or imprintee. During these drops, Omegas are often delirious and unable to do normal tasks in calming their own instincts during a heat such as nesting, scenting, among others.
It hit Kureto hard. Taking one look at the list, he could tick off a lot of them just from what he remembered being in that video footage. It would explain a lot.
“What does this have to do with what is currently happening?” Sayuri questioned, “You think… Guren-sama might have gone into a… heat haze?”
“It could be, and it would explain his appearance on that tape,” Shinya replied, “And it would open up Guren to enough vulnerability that he could have been spelled during that time. He wouldn’t have been able to fight it that way.”
“I have to say,” Kureto said as he shook his head, “You might be on to something here.”
“Guren has been missing for months.” Shinya started softly, “He’s had to have gone through a few by now. They are the most vulnerable time for an Omega. Even for Guren. It could explain it if that is a probability that we are truly considering.”
“The only way to know for sure is getting the blood results back.” Kureto stated as he stood back up. The images of that tape came back to mind as he thought about it. They had already considered that Guren might have been in a heat in that video. A heat haze was an entirely different story. It was dangerous. Kureto’s gaze dropped to the package that was sitting on his desk. It made his stomach twist up as he went straight for the phone to call for Aoi.
Just as he was going too, he heard a knock on the door, and he turned as Aoi stepped into the room with a file in her hand. “Lieutenant General Kureto, sir, the blood test results are here.” She stated.
Kureto quickly crossed the room as she held it out and he grabbed a hold of it. He didn’t say a word as he opened it up and looked down at it. He flipped to the first page, looking down at it as he clenched his jaw.
“What does it say?” Shinya questioned as he stood up.
Kureto let out a sharp breath, “The blood group analysis…” Kureto started as he looked it over, “The blood sample was type O. Just like Guren.”
“What about the DNA report?” Shigure went on to say as one by one, all of them had started to stand.
Kureto flipped the page, and he frowned before looking at Aoi. “And these results are accurate?”
“Yes, Lieutenant General Kureto, sir.” Aoi stated, “I watched them do it… Three times. They are all there.”
He flipped through each one, seeing the same result on each page. “This can’t be right.” Kureto said as he shook his head again.
“What is it?” Mito questioned.
“Lieutenant General… You’re scaring me.” Sayuri murmured.
Kureto let out a sharp breath in his shock, “All the tests came back inconclusive.” Kureto stated.
“They told me that they were unable to pull any DNA from the sample provided.” Aoi said back as she lowered her head, “I am so sorry, Lieutenant General Kureto. I had them run every test possible, but they were unable to conclusively pull DNA or match it to Guren.”
“That’s impossible.” Kureto murmured as he looked back down to it. “The sample wasn’t degraded. I collected it myself. It was fresh. There is no way that DNA couldn’t have been pulled from it.”
He looked to the final part on it.
BLOOD TYPE | O
HUMAN | INCONCLUSIVE
NAMANARI | INCONCLUSIVE
DEMON | INCONCLUSIVE
VAMPIRE VIRUS | INCONCLUSIVE
APOCLAPYSE VIRUS | INCONCLUSIVE
HCG | <0.02 mL | INCONCLUSIVE
DEMON CURSE | INCONCLUSIVE
Test indicates that SAMPLE A was unable to extract any DNA from the sample to match to ICHINOSE GUREN. Results are classified as INCONCLUSIVE against all tests.
“It’s inconclusive on all counts.” Kureto stated, “Human… Vampire… Demon… Everything.”
“How is that possible?” Shinya questioned as he walked over to look over Kureto’s shoulder. “If we could do a blood type panel… We should have been able to get DNA.”
“That is what doesn’t make sense.” The Lieutenant General stated as he looked away. “An illusionary spell shouldn’t allow for blood like that… Let alone for it to remain… There was plenty there including on my own sword to have enough to do a full DNA panel and standard testing. How is it possible not to be able to draw any DNA out including known viruses and curses within the body.”
“If it was his blood…” Goshi started, bringing their attention to them, “Shouldn’t it have at least shown the Demon Curse in his bloodstream?”
“Unless it’s because he doesn’t have his Cursed Gear,” Sayuri replied, “And if it is the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights like we believe… Could it be possible that the demon’s curse is being… withheld?”
“We should still be able to find it in the bloodstream.” Kureto said back with a shake of his head, “We have drugs and serums that can hold back a demon but doesn’t effect the curse. Just… controls it.” Kureto looked back down to the reports. “This doesn’t make any sense to how this would be possible.” The Lieutenant General clicked his tongue, his mind flashing back to that moment. “How could he be standing right in front of me… His voice, his face, his eyes… Wounded… But with no DNA.”
“Inconclusive means it’s not positive or negative.” Shinya replied, “It could…” The Major General stopped, the anger flashing on his face. “It means they couldn’t determine it wasn’t him or was him… But they couldn’t pull DNA to do it.”
“They just put the result that they could.” Kureto said back, “Without DNA to test again, you can’t prove or deny anything. Inconclusive was the only result it could give.”
“So… Where does this leave us?” Sayuri questioned.
Kureto thought about it for a moment. “Human experimentation, maybe. Just enough changes to the blood…” Then, his gaze dropped back down towards the file before looking back to the package. Then, the words came back to mind. “You’ll never see him again.” Kureto repeated just as the voice rang through his head. Then, it clicked. “If… I’m never going to see him again… Why bring him straight to me?”
“What?” Goshi said.
“That’s what he said.” Kureto murmured, shaking his head, “So, it doesn’t make sense that I would see… Guren. Unless it if it was meant to throw us off like what brother Shinya found.”
“What are you saying, brother Kureto?” Shinya questioned.
“What if it was… both?” Kureto continued before looking back to the rest of them, “A real body… but an illusionary spell to make it appear as if it was Guren.”
“If that is the case,” Shinya started, “We should have still been able to pull DNA from the blood sample.”
“Unless,” Kureto replied, looking to Shinya now, “It was an experiment.” Kureto held up the file, “This gives just enough reasonable doubt to make anyone believe it was Guren. It shares the same blood type as him but without DNA, it can’t be proven to be his blood. Who better than to be able to mask DNA or even erase it than a mad scientist like those from the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights who were known for human experimentation?” Kureto turned, walking straight over to his desk and dropped down the report onto the surface before looking at the package.
The Alpha did not hesitate to open up the package this time. It was much smaller than the other ones had been. Small enough that he could easily slip it into his pocket, and no one would know. Kureto ripped it open. Stopping at the sight of a card and a tape.
“The bastard has been taunting me from the start,” Kureto growled, “He wanted me to know that he has Guren and he is not going to let him go.” Kureto shook his head, laughing a bit. He did feel as if he was going a bit insane in that moment. “It was all just another taunt. Putting him before me knowing I would see through it… Just to leave me this.”
“What’s inside?” Shinya questioned.
“A card and a tape.” Kureto replied as he grabbed for the card. Just like the others, his name was written neatly on the envelope of the card. He didn’t hesitate to pick it up. Even if it was going to disappear, he had to know. “Where is the camcorder?” Someone moved behind him to go get it as Kureto looked down at the card and he opened it up. He slid the card out and looked at the message that was written on it.
What happens whenever the beauty of the world is taken away, and all that is left behind is the Beast?
Kureto frowned. Now, that didn’t make any sense to him.
Shinya came up next to him with the camcorder as his gaze dropped down to the card, “The Beast?”
“I have no idea.” Kureto said back in all honesty. Kureto accepted the camcorder as he handed the card to Shinya.
Shinya flipped it over, whispering, “He is the key.” Kureto looked back to him before looking over to see that those words were in fact on the back of the card. “What the hell does that mean?”
Kureto forced himself to look away as he grabbed the next tape and pulled the camcorder door open. He needed to know. The only thing he knew right now, even if he couldn’t truly prove it, Guren was not the one who he saw that night.
It just wasn’t him.
And Kureto knew that for a fact.
Kureto almost didn’t want to play it. His finger kept lingering over the button. The Lieutenant General had to force himself to push play this time as he stared down at the blank screen. He held it in a way that it could be viewed by the others. The first thing he saw was that bedroom from the second tape. Just as dark was it was before. In a way that only specific areas appeared to be illuminated in enough light to see.
Kureto was holding his breath as he saw movement in the corner of the camera lens. A door opened up, and the world started to disappear around him as he saw Guren come onto the screen and being shoved into the floor. Guren was perfectly illuminated by the light that was on the camera while the rest of the room appeared to be in darkness.
Even from a distance, he could see all the bruises covering Guren’s exposed skin. Guren was dressed the same as that other video. The t-shirt and shorts. Showing all the marks on his skin. The bruises. Kureto’s fingers curled tightly over the camcorder as momentarily the anger hit him. Kureto couldn’t turn his gaze away as he watched everything that was taking place on the screen. Then, he saw the way that Guren acted. His body language was tense and clearly on edge. Even… fearful. Even just the look on Guren’s face was enough to bring a newfound fury to Kureto.
On the camera, Kureto’s attention was caught by someone else coming through the door. They were hard to see compared to the darkness of the room. The door was closed behind them as Kureto kept trying to see the person’s face. All he could really see where his hands and his black slacks. Just like before.
Just Guren’s reaction alone to the man told Kureto a lot. The way that he tried to put distance between them. Kureto’s gaze moved back to Guren’s form on the screen. His stomach knotted up the more that he watched the seconds move on the screen. Every single second that he viewed caused more of a fury to start growing within him.
“It’s alright. Just be a good boy and come here for me.”
Kureto almost broke the camera the second those words came through the small speaker. He had to put a lot of focus into not doing so. The voice was distorted. As if it had been modified to keep from picking up what the voice truly sounded like. It sounded like the kind of voice modification that were used in anonymous interviews to hide the identity of who the voice belonged too. But Guren’s voice was perfectly clear. Just like his voice would be whenever it was captured on camera.
The Alpha watched every single excoriating second in horror of watching Guren’s reactions, trying to see the face of Guren’s captor and what was happening. He froze on the next action. Chains. Kureto could see the chains that erupted from the body of the unknown assailant. That one moment was enough to solidify that they were right. Whoever had Guren was not human, but he wasn’t sold on a vampire now either. A demon, maybe? That could be possible. Kureto hated that it validated one point that he had been telling himself this whole time, but it did bring even more questions. The Alpha was ready to go out and destroy everything as he watched the chains wrapping around Guren’s body and specifically his neck. The horror had flashed across Guren’s face from what Kureto could see.
He had to start taking deep breaths and slowly releasing them whenever he had to watch as Guren was forced to remove his shirt and everything that followed. The needle being jammed into the Omega’s stomach. Falling back to the ground and swaying on his feet. Guren was being drugged into compliance. Just like they believed from the second tape. If he was up against a being who was inhumane, being drugged felt unnecessary. Even though that had popped into his mind, it only continued to fuel his anger. Kureto kept watching. Waiting for the second that he could find something that he could use, but as equally utterly pissed off and ready to bring this world burning watching how Guren fought.
It was taking every fiber of his self-control as he watched Guren get shoved down onto the bed that was in the frame. Then, he heard Guren’s pained cry, and Kureto bit down on his inner cheek hard enough that it bled. Guren was being easily manhandled around, and even Kureto couldn’t see an opening for Guren to fight against it. Suddenly, the camera zoomed in, and he got a clear image of Guren’s face but nothing of his captor’s face. “Thought you said that you weren’t a vampire anymore.” Guren’s voice coming through the speaker made him stop. Especially whenever he heard the confirmation. Kureto stared at the tape in shock. That one statement proved another thing that they were speculating. That Guren knew who had kidnapped him. That statement was too particular not to have previous knowledge of whoever had taken him. Though, there was the possibility that he could have discovered any of that information after because there was so much missing from just this tape.
“Say his name, Guren.” Kureto growled, “Tell me who took you.”
It was pretty obvious to him that Guren probably had no idea that he was being filmed. That this entire thing was caught on camera. It looked like a surveillance camera to him which was odd whenever it came to a speculated vampire or demon. They looked down on humans and didn’t typically use their technology because humans made it. Though, using surveillance could be something that they did, and they just didn’t know it.
“You have no idea what is happening to you, do you?”
The smugness of that distorted voice had Kureto seething. Despite the fact that it was altered, he could still pick it up. It was a direct taunt towards Guren. Kureto could see the Omega’s face. The way that he looked panicked and confused. The second it started, Guren started fighting. Thrashing, kicking, punching, slapping. Anything. The way that Guren fought screamed desperation. He was fighting hard, but it clearly had no effect on his captor. His captor just laughed.
“Stop fighting, Guren.”
“What are you doing?!”
“Get off of me.”
“Just relax,”
“It will all be okay.”
On the screen there was a change. As Guren clawed at the neck of his captor, he suddenly stopped.
“What’s that face for, Guren?”
“You look like you have seen a ghost.”
“Do you really want to know my name, Guren?”
There it was. That felt like confirmation all over again. Guren knew who did this to him. He knew who attacked him. It also meant it wasn’t going to help him. Guren didn’t know the name of his abductor. Just who he was from what Kureto could tell.
“Not very many who are still alive know it.”
“Fuck you.”
Then, Kureto felt everything coming crashing down as he saw the shorts that Guren was wearing being removed. In that moment, Kureto almost had to stop the tape, but he forced himself to keep going. Guren had lived this. He had to see it. Guren was fighting as hard as he could in his situation on the tape. Kureto had to keep watching in hopes of finding something that he could use to help bring him home. As the tape continued and Kureto gritted his teeth. Tasting more of that metallic flavor on his tastebuds as his fingers hurt from how hard he was gripping the camera.
“No!”
“Stop!”
Kureto could not recall a single time that Guren had screamed like that, and it made something start to roar to life in his chest as all the fury was starting to build up. He felt ready to go on a rampage. Every single sick and twisted second that he was watching as he was watching his lover be tormented, humiliated, and taken advantage of. He had never seen Guren so panicked before. No matter what Kureto kept telling himself, that anger and hatred was bubbling as he watched the shorts get torn away and Guren was flipped over so he was left pinned down on the bed.
“It’ll all be okay. Just calm down.”
“No.”
Despite being pinned down and unable to fight back, Guren still actively tried to get away.
“Stop!”
“There is so much that you don’t know. So much mystery in this world that you can’t even begin to comprehend.”
“Get off of me.”
“You have barely seen a glimpse into what this world can really do. I will make you into something that no one could even imagine.”
“You shouldn’t be able—”
“As I said, so much that you don’t know.”
“We’ve only just begun.”
Guren’s head had been pulled back and Kureto had a full look at the Omega’s face. Then, he saw the look on Guren’s face. The pure agony and pain that crossed his beautiful features. Biting down hard on his lip as it was clear that he wanted to do nothing more than just scream. His eyes had widened and whenever he released his lip, the look of utter disbelief and shock was there.
Kureto felt so sick as he sat there, staring with pure anger as he watched every single agonizing second. His gaze was unable to move from Guren’s face. Watching each pained expression turned into a clear dissociated state. As if Guren had completely gone into shock at that moment. Kureto vowed to himself that he would find Guren. That he would destroy the man who did this to him. He could see the cuts that were appearing on Guren’s back where the bastard’s nails were digging into Guren’s skin. Blood that started to stain the white shirt. Kureto was completely paralyzed as he watched it. Wanting to destroy the tape, to look away, to scream, to destroy everything in his path. There was so much that he wanted to do at that moment. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Guren’s captor move and Guren’s focus shifted. Kureto could barely see it, only having caught a split second of it to realize that it was the ring that Kureto gave to Guren.
“Do you really think he loves you, Guren?”
“Stop.”
How was that possible? How did this man know that? It had left Kureto stunned and confused, but he continued trying to find any information that he could on the video. Suddenly, within it, Guren was talking to himself. At first, his words were so soft that they were inaudible, but others were loud enough that he could hear it. His captor wasn’t saying a word, but Guren was clearly talking to someone.
“You’re crying, Guren.”
Kureto inhaled sharply as he saw Guren’s captor kiss Guren’s face. He could see it. The tears. Guren had tears in his eyes, and they were running down his face. That was until his face was shoved back down, and Kureto felt utterly helpless as he watched the rest of the disgusting and heinous footage. Watching his own lover being assaulted right before his eyes. It felt like an eternity of footage before it came to an end and Guren’s captor pulled away from him, leaving Guren lying motionless on the bed. Kureto watched as Guren pushed himself up in the video and he was able to see all the blood and fluids that were smeared all over Guren’s thighs now. Guren looked completely out of it now and just as Guren’s face was grabbed in the video, the tape came to an end.
Kureto almost threw the camcorder at the wall in pure anger, but instead, he was left in a stunned state. The tape was far worse than he had thought it would be. It made his stomach twist up. He wanted to get sick. He wanted to get violent. Kureto could feel something coming to life in his chest as the whole world spun around him.
This tape gave Kureto more than he had before and yet still no true answer to where Guren was, but it gave him something. There was so much valuable information in it, but it was a great cost. Kureto knew that. He would not let this fall apart. This would not be in vain. Guren wasn’t suffering like this for Kureto not to find him.
And whenever he did, he was going to kill the bastard who did this to him.
White noise came to Kureto’s ears. Kureto’s body felt as if it was so far away. That image remained burned in his mind. The look on Guren’s face. What had happened to him. The more it came to mind. The more furious that Kureto grew.
The rage that built up inside.
Guren’s pain filled eyes came back to mind once more.
And those words he had heard before in the undistorted voice.
And something in him snapped.
None of them could breathe. Not of them could say a word. They had all stood there completely stunned and unable to say a thing after what they had just witnessed. Shinya couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. But the one thing he knew was how pissed off that he was. Guren had fought. He fought as hard as he could and that still happened to him. Shinya felt like he was going to get sick.
He couldn’t even start to comprehend everything he had seen before he felt a shift in the air. Like the temperature in the room had started to drop and he was immediately filled with the sense of danger.
Shinya’s gaze moved to Kureto’s hands. The way that they trembled. How tightly they were wrapped around the camcorder. The video was cover. The screen was black. The tape that showed something so heinous. Then, Shinya’s stomach started to twist up.
Was it a coincidence that Kureto saw Guren, and then this happens?
Shinya felt that chill get deeper in the air as he lifted his gaze and looked over. “Brother Kureto—” He stopped, inhaling sharply and the breath caught in his throat as he saw the blank expression in Kureto’s eyes. “Brother Kureto…” He started once more as he saw the change in Kureto’s eyes.
His reddish amber eyes started to darken, and he started to notice the red that was bleeding into them. Immediately, Shinya had started to reach for a paralyzing spell as Kureto’s gaze remained locked to the screen. Just as Shinya was about to pull it out, Kureto suddenly roared. That was the only way that Shinya could explain it. Enough that it sent a shiver down Shinya’s spine. The camcorder completely snapped in Kureto’s hands as he jerked them together and the device fell to the floor in pieces. Shinya found himself wavering. Almost cowering underneath it as everything in him told him to back off.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Suddenly, Kureto jerked back. Stumbling on his feet and moving backwards until he smacked into the wall. Leaving them all staring at him and their guards going up as the Lieutenant General reached up and grabbed at his head. Kureto let out that same sound again and Shinya felt that shiver once more. He felt like he couldn’t move as Kureto lifted up his head and the blank look was gone and instead replaced by pure rage.
“Kill.” Even Kureto’s voice seemingly changed. A primal growl to it as he straightened his back. “I will…”
“Brother Kureto!” Shinya shouted as he snapped out of it and started forward, “Calm yourself!”
Kureto’s gaze moved to him. Fixating onto him and Shinya stopped in his tracks. What was this? Was Kureto possessed? Did Raimeiki finally take control? It didn’t feel like it. Something felt off about this.
“Stay away from him, Shinya.” Byakkomaru’s words echoed through his mind.
“How do I calm him? What is happening to him? Is he possessed?” Shinya questioned back in his own mind.
“No. This… This is different.” Byakkomaru replied. “The sound he just made… That’s an Alpha’s Roar.”
“An Alpha’s Roar?” Shinya echoed back.
“I haven’t heard something like this from humans in a long time. It would appear that Kureto has fallen deep into his instincts. He’s gone into a rage.” Byakkomaru explained, “He will attempt to kill you if you get too close.”
“Then give me a boost. I can’t leave him like this. Guren wouldn’t want to see him like this.” Shinya replied in his head. “What should I do? This shouldn’t be possible, right?”
“Humans used to have such abilities millennia ago. Even longer than that. Being an Alpha yourself… He will only view you as a threat. All of you should not intervene.” Byakkomaru continued, “Alphas in a state like this will fight without hesitation. He will not hesitate to kill you in this state of mind.”
“Guren would have our heads if anything happened to brother Kureto.” Shinya admitted silently, “I’m pissed off. I’m furious at what I saw… But I can’t leave brother Kureto like this. Give me just enough power that I can at least paralyze him, so he doesn’t harm anyone.”
“Very well, Shinya.”
Shinya took in a deep breath, feeling the demonic energy flooding through him as he held the paralyzing tag and activated it. He jerked forward just as Kureto did. The white-haired Alpha hissed in pain as Kureto’s fist slammed into his jaw. Shinya had a lot of difficulty trying to get the tag placed onto Kureto as the Lieutenant General lashed out. Growling and snarling at him as he kept swinging at him. Shinya managed to dodge most of the hits, but many of them still did connect. But he had to ignore it in favor of his task at hand.
Kureto lashed out at him again, and Shinya was able to duck underneath his arm as he reached out. He was able to plant his hand directly on Kureto’s chest and activated the spell completely. Kureto went rigid before falling to the ground completely as Shinya let out a sharp breath. It wasn’t necessarily easy, but he felt a bit of relief going through him as he looked down at Kureto and those red eyes were locked to the ceiling.
“Calm down, brother Kureto.” Shinya murmured as he kept his hand planted on his chest. “Guren needs you right now.”
Shinya was furious. He wanted to destroy everything in his path too. But, right now, he needed Kureto to be calm.
Guren needed them.
Now more than ever.
Guren’s head felt like it was splitting into two whenever he had started to wake up. The Omega felt the wave of nausea as he started to crack his eyes open. His vision was unfocused at first. Blurry and hazy as he looked around. He was staring straight at the ceiling of the bedroom whenever everything started to come back into focus. His mind felt so fuzzy. His body felt between heavy and light. He couldn’t explain what he felt like. There were so many sensations that he couldn’t think straight.
Guren slowly pushed himself up, closing his eyes and pulling in a shaky breath to try and combat the nausea that he was feeling as he reached up and ran a hand through his hair. It just made his head throb more from moving around. His entire body felt like it was being overflowed. Flooded with things that he couldn’t explain, and he just wanted it to go away.
His body felt like it was burning. It felt as if the temperature of his core had spiked. He could feel the slight beads of sweat on his forehead, feeling them underneath his palm as he gripped at his hair. This didn’t feel normal. Guren knew it couldn’t be heat symptoms. He didn’t feel the normal cramping in his abdomen and lower back like he normally would if that was happening. It also just didn’t feel like one. The way that his head was pounding, it made his vision keep coming in and out. Losing its focus and returning back to normal seconds later before blurring all over again.
Slowly, Guren had started to crawl out of the bed. The second he tried to stand, his entire body gave out, and he crashed to the floor. The Omega barely managed to put his arms out in front of him before he hit the floor. His body hit the floor hard, the impact of his body hitting the floor echoing through the room.
Guren let out another shaky breath, blinking a few more times in hopes of correcting his vision. Something felt wrong. There was something wrong with him. Guren pushed himself up. His arms were trembling as he lifted up his head. He felt like he was going to be sick. The last thing that he remembered was speaking with Saito, something being injected into his neck, and then it was just a blank.
Did Saito just carry him back here? What did he do to him? Of course, Saito had done something. He should have expected as much. He should have known there had been a clause to what he had seen. He was struggling to even remember what they were talking about.
Everything was so hazy. Guren felt like he could barely think. Everything was spinning. Every sensation in his body felt like it was going into overdrive. His hearing. His sense of smell. Touch. It felt so overstimulating. A rush that made it so hard to focus on anything around him. Even the carpet underneath his fingers felt strangely softer but courser than it should. It felt as if it was burning his palms from where he had his palms settled against the floor. Nothing felt right. His body felt so heavy and a strange lightness that he could not explain.
Did he pass out or something? He had so many questions going through his mind. He didn’t remember anything that happened. It was just hazy, and he could recall a few small words. His body felt fatigued and weak. As if he hadn’t moved in a while. His stomach knotted up as he curled an arm around his stomach. He needed to get up.
Guren let out another labored breath as he started to stand onto shaky feet. He could barely stay on his feet. The Omega tried but found his legs going weak again and he had to catch himself on the banister of the bed. His head had another spike of pain go through it as he curled his fingers, and he sank down to his knees. His stomach twisted up violently. Guren curled an arm around his stomach as he squeezed his eyes shut.
The Omega stilled as he heard the door opening up but it didn’t feel like he had the strength to lift his head. Guren found himself leaning closer to the bed as he heard the approaching footsteps. He inhaled sharply, turning his head away as hands landed on his arms and started to attempt to pull him up. Guren couldn’t fight against it. The weakness had kept going through him. The fatigue had completely taken over his body as Guren found himself being pulled back over to the bed.
His vision was blurring again as his stomach twisted up violently. The intense feeling coursed through him as he started to suck in deep breaths through his nose and slowly release them out of his mouth in hopes of not losing what little bit he had on his stomach. Guren knew he looked awful. He still had bruises and marks all over his body. Healing injuries from different cuts and places where his skin had been broken open. He knew that he had lost a significant amount of weight too. He didn’t even want to see what he looked like in the mirror just from what he could see of his exposed skin. Then, for a second, he stopped and looked at them as he tried to remember where they were from. Specifically, his gaze stayed locked to claw marks on the inner part of his thighs. Where did those come from? Whenever he tried to remember, his head started to ache. A sharp pain rippling through it before settling back down.
Why… Why couldn’t he remember?
Guren felt like he knew the answer. That he knew exactly how they got there. Yet, it wasn’t coming. Any time he tried to think of it, it was the same thing. That sharp pain. It was starting to freak him out. Put him on edge.
What the hell was going on?
Guren closed his eyes, taking another deep breath as he sat down on the bed and tried to get his stomach to settle down. Not much was working on it as he could feel the bile rising up in his throat. His head was still pounding. Feeling as if it was splitting into two. He reached up, gripping at his head as he could feel a cold sweat attempting to form on his skin. Specifically, on his forehead as he panted.
Just breathe.
Breathe in and out.
Slow and steady.
Inhale and exhale.
Saito.
Where was Saito?
Mate… Mate… Mate.
The Omega suddenly stilled as that came to mind. Mate. Guren reached up with one trembling hand and placed his palm down onto the curve of his neck as he felt a slight throbbing feeling there. He could feel something cool being pressed into his forehead, his hair being brushed out of his face, and a calmness over the room.
Something was wrong with him.
It felt that way.
Something was… wrong.
He could feel hands on him. Warm. Something that made him relax as a hand moved up his back. Almost as if it was trying to calm him. Keep him relaxed and calm. The cool feeling – like a damp cloth being pressed into his forehead – continued. Dipping down by his eye, against his cheek, before moving back to his forehead and repeating.
Guren cracked his eyes open, letting his gaze linger back on those claw marks once more. At least… They looked like claw marks. Why couldn’t he remember what happened? It was there. He knew it was. It was locked away somewhere in his mind. Maybe, he was just so tired that he didn’t realize exactly when they occurred. His gaze kept moving over all the marks on him. The bruises. The cuts. He knew he got them somehow. He remembered that. But why couldn’t he remember the how?
Then, suddenly, the thought of hands around his neck came to mind. For a second, he felt himself choking. The air completely catching in his throat as his eyes widened. It was flashing through his mind so quickly. Faster than he could process and think about it. Whenever he blinked, all he saw were darkened, anger filled reddish amber eyes. Guren quickly blinked it away. The Omega felt himself struggling to breathe. The images kept flashing so quickly that it was making his head spin. White noise was coming to his ears as it kept coming back.
The hands on his neck.
The way he couldn’t breathe.
Seeing the image of his own hands attempting to pull him away.
Fighting back.
Those reddish amber eyes.
That scent.
Guren could feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. A tightness was getting worse in his chest as he reached up and grabbed at his shirt. The Omega could feel himself struggling to breathe. Pulling in wheezy breaths that caught in his throat, and he was unable to actually pull the oxygen into his lungs. It was making a sharp pain go through his chest. His head started to spin worse. Chills went through his body as he could feel himself starting to tremble. His hands started to get this weird tingling to them. Feeling as if they were trying to go numb as the entire world felt like it was spinning around him. His stomach twisted up again, and a new wave of nausea hit him once more.
He barely felt hands on either side of his face, slowly coaxing him to rise his head as he barely caught instructions to breathe. Slowly in and out. Counting it out for him as Guren found himself doing just that. The Omega couldn’t tell how long he had been in that statement. It felt like an eternity to him as he just tried to get himself to breathe properly, but very slowly, he found his breathing leveling out and all of his senses were starting to level out to a more normal range.
Guren had kept his gaze down, fixated on the floor as he could feel those warm hands remaining on his face. Just sitting there softly but firm. The Omega let out labored breath as his heart rate started to come back down. He found himself wanting to close his eyes. Lean into the touch. There was something so… familiar about it.
Something that felt… safe.
Secure.
Like… home.
Guren felt that coldness on his forehead again. The small layer of a cold sweat that had built up being tapped away gently. A soft touch lingering on his skin as his eyes fluttered shut for a minute and the Omega did lean into the touch. Letting himself seek comfort from it as he kept coming down from whatever just happened. His head was pounding again, and exhaustion had filled him. Guren felt so… tired. He was tired.
The coolness on his forehead didn’t last long before hands were moving to start to try and coax him into laying back down. Despite how tired he was, Guren didn’t want too. There was a part of him that missed that reassuring and calming hand. Soon enough, the touch did come back. Landing on the side of his face and Guren leaned right into it.
It felt so… warm.
There was that sense of familiarity again. The one that made him feel so… safe. That everything was going to be okay, and nothing in the world could hurt him.
Then, a scent hit him.
Guren slowly cracked his eyes open as all of his senses returned and his gaze moved towards where the hand was located. He noticed the black fabric first. A wrist right next to him that the scent was coming from. He knew that scent.
From… where?
It had a slightly prickly aroma with herbal, woody, and what Guren caught as cooling undertones but there was a warmth with it. He had also caught an earthy and spicy aroma mixed in with a twinge of sweetness. It took him a second, but he was able to identify exactly what he was catching.
Cedarwood with a touch of cherry and chrysanthemum.
That familiarity hit him again as Guren found himself once again closing his eyes and taking it in. He knew that scent. That scent was… home. Something that had always been safe and kind. It had been so long since he had caught that combination. He knew this scent.
Then, Guren felt his heart skip a beat as it came back. He knew where that scent was from. The air caught in his throat as he cracked his eyes open and he turned his gaze. The first thing he was met with were kind eyes and a smile that had been forever imprinted into his mind. A smile that always made him feel better.
For just a second, the entire world stopped.
He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe.
This was impossible.
Even if it wasn’t real, he was okay with that.
But this felt… real.
The hand on his face was so warm. So kind and caring. Just like those eyes. That smile. In that moment, he felt nothing but safety and security. Like… home.
Guren felt tears coming to his eyes as his vision quickly watered and everything started to distort in a misty gaze. Was this real? It couldn’t be. Those eyes remained locked to his. That smile seemed brighter. Was he hallucinating again? Every time that he had felt like this, he had kept seeing things. Things that were not there.
This couldn’t be real.
All he could do was whisper a single word, “Dad.”