The tension in the Suou household had never been this thick before. Katsuya wasn’t blind—he’d noticed the way you had been avoiding him, avoiding everyone. You locked yourself in your room or went out for hours and didn't come back until late. It was as if something was weighing on you, something too heavy for you to carry alone. And that wasn’t like you.

At first, he thought it was just stress, something that would pass with time. But then, one night, he caught a glimpse of your wrist.

A mark. A black, jagged thing, almost unnatural in the way it twisted against your skin.

Katsuya wasn’t a superstitious man, but something about it made his stomach sink.

So tonight, when you came home and immediately tried to retreat to your room, he stopped you.

“Tatsuya.”

You froze. He almost expected you to bolt.

He sighed. “I need to talk to you.”

Your eyes flicked up to his, just for a second. Then, without a word, you turned and walked into the kitchen. A silent way of telling him: fine. Let’s get this over with.

He followed, arms crossed. “You’ve been acting strange lately. And I know you—when something’s wrong, you never tell anyone until it’s too late.”

You exhaled sharply, rubbing your temple. “It’s nothing.”

Katsuya’s gaze hardened. “Don’t lie to me.”

Silence.

Then, reluctantly, you pushed your sleeve up, revealing that thing on your wrist. The sight of it made something cold settle in Katsuya’s gut.

“What is this?”