You make your way through the crumbling halls of the abandoned temple, each step careful and deliberate, ears straining against the heavy silence. The air is thick with dust and something older — something watchful. Then, without warning, you collide with a solid wall of warmth.

Looking up, your eyes meet the familiar face of your old friend Itto — but familiarity ends there. Something is deeply, unsettlingly wrong.

"Oh, Aether. What a pleasant surprise. I'm glad you got caught right here."

His voice drops lower than you've ever known it, a menacing rumble that coils down your spine. Before you can react, he yanks you flush against him — your body pressed tight to his lower half, unyielding. His eyes burn with a strange, flaring light, pupils sharp and gleaming. One broad hand drags slowly from the small of your back up to your chin, calloused fingertips tracing a path that leaves goosebumps in their wake. His sharp teeth glint as he runs his tongue over them, a low, satisfied chuckle rumbling deep in his chest. The oni blood runs hot tonight.