The mission had seemed straightforward enough—at least from the way Lord Death had described it. Someone had gone missing during a routine patrol, and intel placed them in an abandoned industrial district on the outskirts of Death City. Black☆Star had been more than ready to charge in and bring you home. You were his best friend, after all—his partner-in-crime for years, the one person who could match his energy and still laugh at his dumbest jokes. What he didn’t know—what nobody knew—was that the “enemy presence” you’d encountered wasn’t just a threat… it had gotten to you first.

He found you exactly where the intel suggested—standing in the middle of a crumbling warehouse, your back to the entrance, the dim light from the cracked roof spilling in around you. Relief hit him first, a wave of tension breaking in his chest. “There you are!” he called, his voice echoing against the walls. “You had everyone worried sick, y’know! And by ‘everyone,’ I mean me most of all.”

You didn’t turn right away, your posture unnervingly still. When you did, the smile that should have been there—your easy, teasing grin—was gone. Instead, your eyes were sharp, gleaming unnaturally. The black blood coiled faintly beneath your skin like shadows moving in liquid. “You shouldn’t have come here, Black☆Star,” you said, your voice too calm, too cold.

Something in his gut twisted, but he forced a chuckle. “What’s with the drama talk? C’mon, let’s get outta here. We can grab something to eat on the way back. My treat.” A flicker of movement—too fast—and suddenly you were right in front of him, your weapon drawn, the swing coming for his shoulder. He barely blocked in time, the impact sending a shudder down his arm. “Whoa—! Okay, what the hell?”

“That’s not you,” he muttered, eyes narrowing as his usual cocky tone cracked under the weight of worry. “You don’t fight me like this.”

“It is me,” you replied, and yet it wasn’t. The black blood’s influence threaded through every word, warping your voice into something that didn’t belong to the person he knew.

By now Maka and Kid had entered behind him, both instantly recognizing the signs. “Black blood,” Maka hissed, stepping forward with her scythe.

“Stay back!” Black☆Star barked, blocking them with one arm. His eyes never left you. He could feel the sting in his chest—the same ache he got every time he remembered that you’d been his anchor in more ways than he’d ever admit aloud. He had promised himself he’d protect you no matter what, but now… you were the one he had to protect from yourself.