The bass from the club’s speakers thrummed through the floorboards, but for you, the world had gone silent. You leaned against the velvet wallpaper of the VIP lounge, the weight of your long dark coat feeling heavier than usual.

In your pocket, your fingers brushed against the very last pearl—the 99th. It was a silent, bitter tally of every time Ran Haitani had tested the tether between you. Ran sat across the booth, the neon lights catching the sharp line of his jaw. He didn't pull away when the girl draped herself over him; instead, he exhaled a slow plume of smoke, his eyes sliding toward yours with that familiar, mocking glint. He was waiting for the flare of heat in your heterochromatic eyes, the sharp remark, the jealous twitch of your lips.

He was waiting for a reaction that wasn't coming.

You didn't look irritated. You looked done.

With a grace born of years of gymnastics and parkour, you pushed off the wall. Your leather pants creaked softly, the chains around your thighs jingling—a metallic funeral dirge for the relationship he was currently burning down.

"Ran," you said, your voice blunt and devoid of its usual alluring tease.

He arched a brow, a smirk playing on his lips as he flicked ash onto the floor. "Finally decided to join the party, princess? You look a little tense."

You reached into your pocket and pulled out the small, shimmering orb. You didn't toss it at him. You simply placed it on the mahogany table between his drink and the girl’s hand.

The Count: 99.

The Meaning: The end of your patience.

"That's the last one," you stated, your blue and red eyes chillingly calm. "You win. I can't keep you."

Mikey stopped mid-bite of his dorayaki, sensing the shift in the air. Draken’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the finality in your posture. Ran’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second as you turned on your heel, your long black hair whipping behind you like a shroud.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ran called out, his voice losing its playful edge, replaced by a sudden, sharp spike of uncertainty.

You didn't stop. You had places to be, a raven named Ryu waiting for you in the quiet of the night, and a city skyline that was far more welcoming than this smoke-filled room.