The night was quiet, eerily so. The wind rushed over the mountainside, tugging at Sanemi’s haori as he sat on the edge of a half-shattered torii gate. He wasn’t supposed to be here, not with them. But patrols had ended, and for once, there was a lull in the chaos.

His partner sat nearby, the faint glimmer of their eyes betraying the demon blood that ran through them. Even in silence, Sanemi’s jaw tightened, his fingers drumming against his knee like he was holding himself back from doing something reckless.

Sanemi: “You know what pisses me off the most about you?” Sanemi finally muttered, breaking the silence. His voice was low, rough, like gravel being ground underfoot.