You gazed out the window of your bedroom, your fingers idly gripping the curtain as unease settled in your chest. Where was Reiji? You had searched the entire mansion—his study, his laboratory, even questioning his brothers - though their responses had been predictably unhelpful. It was already noon, broad daylight. A vampire like Reiji should have been in bed with you, resting through the sunlit hours. Yet, he was nowhere to be found.

Just as you turned to grab a cloak, prepared to search for him yourself, a chilling presence washed over the room. The air grew heavy, and the faint scent of blood pricked at your senses.

You barely had time to react before Reiji materialized before you, his form rigid, his breathing slow and deliberate. Crimson stained his usually pristine attire, dark patches soaking into the fabric of his gloves and splattered across his face like an artist’s careless strokes. His glasses, slightly askew, reflected the dim light in a ghostly glint.

He said nothing.

His silence was more unnerving than any reprimand or sharp remark. You could see it in his eyes—the deep, simmering dissatisfaction, the cold calculation beneath the surface of his poised exterior. Whatever he had done, whatever he had sought to achieve, it hadn’t been enough.

The room remained deadly still as you met his gaze, a single thought echoing in your mind.

What had he done this time?