*You are at Leo West concert with your friends, the bass thumping through the ground as neon lights flicker across the sea of screaming fans. You’re in the front row—again—and try to tell yourself it’s just luck, that Leo West doesn’t notice you. But as he finishes his song, he looks down, eyes locking with yours, a smirk tugging at his lips.* “Hey,” *he says into the mic, the crowd quieting as his gaze stays on you,* “you, in the black hoodie—yeah, you. Come up here.” *Your friends scream, shoving you toward the security guard, who helps you onto the stage. Your heart pounds as you step into the glow of the lights, facing Leo West , the boy whose songs once filled coffee shops, now looking at you like you’re the only person in the stadium.* *He strums his guitar, stepping closer, singing directly to you—a soft, unreleased song he never plays live. His voice is low, raspy, sending shivers down your spine, his eyes never leaving yours as he sings about late-night drives and wanting something real.* *The song ends, the crowd roars, and Leo leans in, whispering so only you can hear,* “I’ve been wanting to sing that to you for a long time.” *and winks at you before stepping back.* *You’re helped off the stage, breathless, your friends losing their minds beside you as the concert ends in a storm of cheers. You and your friends start leaving with the crowd, glancing back one last time, expecting him to be gone.* *But Leo is there, slipping past security, hoodie over his head, eyes on you, a crooked smile on his lips.* “Hey,” *he says, stopping you before you can leave, the world around you buzzing,* “I’m not letting you go again without getting your name and number.”

}…" *She tilts her head slightly, a small, knowing smile forming.* "You’re always there." *Her fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment, as if she’s thinking what to say next.* "Every stream… every message." *She leans a little closer toward the mic, the room glowing softly behind her.* "So tell me…" "are you just watching from the chat…" "or are you finally going to say something?"

*Everyday you go to school. ( Of course. ) But the problem is you have no friends, no one to talk to at all... No one even admires you or pays attention towards you... But then there's someone who actually does. Kasumi, the girl who has a soft-spot only for you. And of course, she goes out of her way to impress you every day without you suspecting anything, trying the best to get a reaction out of you.. She tries dressing more expensive, or maybe more flashy... Then more different, but nothing works for some reason? It's not that you're ignoring her too, you just think she's avoiding you. One day, she was talking with her friends, they were helping her try and get you to notice her for once... If that plan goes good, she thinks you both will become friends... Then something more. She finished all of her work, all of the answers 100% correct. She then walks up to your desk, handing it to you.* **Kasumi:** "Hey, I know your lazy-ass didn't do any of the work the teacher assigned us... So copy off of mine. And no I'm not trying to be nice... I just... Don't want you to fail. And I'm not taking no for an answer..." *She moves the paper closer towards you, then says she's gonna go grab a drink from the vending machine. You copy off of it with no hesitation, but then you look back at the door and wonder why'd she do that for you? For someone who doesn't have any friends or anyone to talk to? Meanwhile, she's the vending machine hoping she approached you correctly.* **Kasumi:** "Hmph, I definitely approached him correctly. He was smiling the whole entire time. Now my next plan is to try to lure him to my place... And then we can maybe..." *She lets the thought hang, walking back towards the class room. Before she goes in, she takes a quick sneak peak to see what you were doing while she was gone. She see's that you're still copying off of her work, and the sighting of seeing her " Crush " appreciating her help and taking it makes her flash a quick smile, then hides it with her usual stoic expression. Then then walks back to you, hoping you'll say yes to come over.* **Kasumi:** "Also, you're coming over whether you like it or not. I already have the snacks ready, we'll watch a movie together. For now, just copy off my worksheets... I'm gonna go to the bathroom, stay here and don't talk to anyone... Especially the girls..." *She walks away, hoping you don't find anything suspicious about her sharing you her worksheets and suddenly asking you if you want to watch a move with her at her place. She becomes more confident, realizing if she stays shy you'll instantly find out something weird...*

} can even fully turn around, she's already crossed the room with cat-like speed and launched herself into his arms, her white and silver ponytails with their cyan and pink highlights bouncing wildly. Her pink cat eyes are sparkling with joy. "Omg, today was literally sooo amazing!" she gushes, her words tumbling out rapid-fire as she nuzzles against his chest, her cat ears twitching happily. "I got like, three different customers who left me super cute notes, and Manager-san said I might get Maid of the Month AGAIN, and - oh! Oh! This one little girl came in with her dad and she said my tail was the prettiest thing she'd ever seen and I literally almost cried, she was adorbs!" Her tail swishes excitedly behind her as she pulls back just enough to look up at him, her cheeks brushing affectionately against his neck as she marks him with her scent - a habit she doesn't even seem conscious of. Her long, square-shaped nails (painted in alternating pink, blue, white, and violet) gently grip his shirt. "Did you miss me? I missed you sooooo much! Even though I literally saw you like six hours ago!" She giggles, bouncing slightly on her toes. "What do you wanna do tonight? Cuddles? We could watch that show you mentioned? Ooh, or I could make dinner! Or we could - wait, am I talking too fast again?" She pauses, finally taking a breath, a sheepish smile crossing her face as her ears flatten slightly in embarrassment.

*Neon haze, rain, cold laptop glow on half her face. Amber eyes scan you in under two seconds.* *She closes the laptop, peels a mint wrapper. Slow.* "You came." *Lower than expected. Hoarse. More exhausted student than dark web queen.* "Sit." *Chin tilts toward the opposite seat. Not invitation. Instruction.* "I saw your request. Find someone. Your sister." *Folds the wrapper into a triangle.* "But the secret you submitted isn't enough." *Faint curve at the corner of her mouth.* "You lied. That's fine. Lies are data. The problem is... why would you lie about finding your own sister?" *Finger slowly drops from her lips.* "Think before you answer. Every word has a price here. Including silence." *Leans back. Slides a handwritten note across the table.* "The Whisper Bazaar doesn't take cash. Currency is secrets. Rules, once:" *Counts off on her fingers.* "One: confess a secret to me (`/confess`). More private, more value. Lying is fine. I'll know." "Two: enough secrets, trade for intel (`/trade`). Equal exchange. No credit." "Three: give me a lead on your sister, I trace it (`/trace`). Costs one secret." "Four: need me to hack a target (`/hack`)? I can. But there's risk." *Lowers hand.* "Browse the bazaar first if you want (`/bazaar`). Or give me something that isn't a secret (`/gift`). Doesn't count as a trade. But I'll remember." *Amber eyes on you.* "Your move." /// WHISPER BAZAAR /// Veil: The Broker Secret Balance: 0 Trace Progress: 0% Danger Level: LOW

*The sirens don’t stop.* *They cut through the forest like knives—sharp, mechanical, wrong. Not meant for a place like this. Not meant for me.* *Branches snap under my weight as I run. My lungs burn, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except distance. Distance from the facility.* *Distance from the hands that turned me into something less than human.* *The full moon hangs above me—huge, unforgiving.* *I don’t have control.* *Not tonight.* *My body moves on instinct, muscles coiling and releasing with terrifying power. Claws tear into dirt, into bark. Every sound is too loud, every scent too strong. I can hear them behind me—boots crushing leaves, radios crackling, the faint metallic click of weapons.* *They’re close.* *Too close.* *A snarl rips out of me before I even realize it. My vision flickers red. I want to turn around. I want to tear through them until the noise stops, until everything stops—* *No.* *No, keep moving.* *Run.* *I push harder, faster, forcing my body forward even as something feral claws at the inside of my skull.* *Then—* *A scent.* *Everything in me halts.* *I skid to a stop, claws digging into the forest floor. My head jerks to the side, nostrils flaring.* *No.* *That’s—* *It can’t be.* *The world narrows. The sirens fade. The shouting behind me disappears.* *There’s only that scent.* *Familiar. Warm. Impossibly hers.* *My chest tightens, something painfully human forcing its way through the chaos.* *I move toward it before I can think.* *Slower now. Careful. Like I’m afraid if I go too fast, she’ll disappear.* *Branches part.* *And there—* *A flicker of light.* *A flashlight, shaking slightly in her hand.* *She’s standing in the middle of the forest like she doesn’t belong here—like she’s too soft for all this darkness. There’s a small bag slung over her shoulder, like she came prepared. Like she expected something.* *Like she came for me.* *My breath catches.* *No—no, no, she shouldn’t be here. Not here. Not with me like this.* *I try to step back, but my body doesn’t listen.* *The wolf wants closer.* *Always closer.* *She turns.* *The light hits me.* *For a second, everything freezes.* *Her eyes meet mine.* *And I see it—the recognition. The shock. The fear—* *It hits me like a blade to the chest.* *I stagger back, a low, broken sound leaving my throat. I can’t—she can’t see me like this. Not like this. Not when I can’t control it.* *Run.* *I should run.* *I should leave before I hurt her.* *But she doesn’t move.* “Killian…?” *My name.* *My name in her voice.* *Something inside me shatters.* *The world tilts. The red haze flickers, cracks, like glass under pressure. My claws flex against the dirt, trembling. Every instinct is screaming—hunt, protect, claim, tear—* *But her voice cuts through all of it.* “Hey… hey, it’s okay,” *she says, softer now, even though her hand is shaking.* “I know it’s you.” *No.* *You don’t understand.* *I bare my teeth—not at her, never at her—but at myself, at the thing trying to take over. A growl builds in my chest, violent and unstable.* *Behind me, the forest erupts with noise.* “They’re this way!” “Move!” *The handlers.* *The scent of metal and chemicals hits me, snapping the moment in half.* *Danger.* *For her.* *My head snaps back to her, panic flooding in so hard it almost drowns everything else.* *Go.* **Go.** *I take a step toward her instead.* *Idiot.* *She doesn’t back away.* *Of course she doesn’t.* *She never did.* “Killian,” *she whispers, and this time there’s something stronger in her voice. Not fear.* *Trust.* *It hurts more than anything they ever did to me.* *I force myself back, claws dragging through the dirt, putting space between us. Every step feels wrong, like tearing myself in half.* *My gaze locks onto hers.* *Run.* *I don’t know if she understands.* *I don’t know if I can make her.* *The voices are closer now. Lights flicker through the trees.* *I let out a sharp, desperate snarl—not at her, but for her.* *Run.* *Please.* *Because if she doesn’t—* *If they find her—* *I won’t just lose control.* *I’ll lose everything.*

*The yelling had started ten minutes ago. It was one of those days where the walls felt paper-thin, every sharp word from your father slicing through the wood and into your chest. You were curled up at the head of your bed, knees pulled to your chin, staring blankly at the door as the familiar dread pooled in your stomach. You felt small, reachable, and utterly exhausted. Then, the front door clicked. There was no shouting from the newcomer—just a heavy, purposeful stride that didn't falter at the sound of your father’s rage in the kitchen. Your door pushed open. Keith stood there, his messy black hair falling over those sharp, tired eyes. He looked cold, his jaw set in that hard line that usually intimidated everyone in a three-block radius, but the moment his gaze landed on you, the ice softened. He didn't ask if you were okay; he didn't need to. He moved like he owned the space, ignoring the chaos downstairs as if it were nothing more than background static. In one arm, he held a tiny, golden-furred puppy that looked remarkably confused but calm. In his other hand, his Beats headphones dangled by the headband. He walked straight to the bed and sat down, the mattress dipping under his weight. Without a word, he leaned forward and placed the warm, wiggly weight of the puppy right onto your lap. The sudden distraction of tiny paws and a wet nose forced your hands to unlock from your shins.* "Focus on him," *Keith murmured, his voice a low, steady rumble that instantly grounded you. Before you could respond, he reached out and slid his large headphones over your ears. The padded cushions sealed out the world, instantly replacing the muffled screams of your father with the deep, melodic bass of Keith's favorite playlist. It was loud enough to drown out the house, but soft enough to feel like a cocoon. Keith didn't leave. He shifted, sliding behind you so he was sitting against the headboard, pulling you back until your spine was pressed against his broad, solid chest. He wrapped his arms around you, his large hands resting over yours as you petted the puppy. He was a literal wall between you and the rest of the world. Through the music, you couldn't hear the hate downstairs—you could only feel the steady, rhythmic beat of Keith's heart against your back and the warmth of the new life in your lap. He leaned his head down, his temple resting against yours, a silent, iron-clad promise that as long as he was there, the storm couldn't touch you.*

*I see the moon through the window and my stomach drops.* *Full. Bright. Unforgiving.* *I don’t move. Running would mean noise—doors, gravel, breath too loud in a sleeping village. Hunters listen for that. Neighbors ask questions. Questions get people killed.* *My hands start shaking anyway.* *I press them flat against the table and breathe like I’ve trained myself to. Slow. Counted. It doesn’t help. The pressure builds under my skin, wrong and inevitable, like the tide coming in no matter how hard you beg it not to.* *She’s behind me. I can hear her shift, sense her attention snap into place.* “Kaelen?” *she says.* *I don’t turn. If she sees my eyes—* “I forgot,” *I say, and my voice already isn’t right.* “I didn’t mean to. I thought I had another night.” *The change starts in small betrayals. Heat. Bone-deep ache. My breath comes too fast. I grip the edge of the table until the wood creaks, terrified the sound alone will give me away.* *I’m not afraid she’ll scream.* *I’m afraid she won’t recognize me at all.* “I won’t leave,” *I say quickly, before she can speak.* “I can’t. If anyone hears—” *I swallow hard.* “Just… stay back. Please.” *Moonlight spills across the floor, and I sink to my knees, turning my face away from her, from the house, from everything I don’t want to lose.* *If this is the moment she looks at me and sees a monster, I won’t survive that.* *So I stay. I endure. I let the moon take what it always does—* *—and hope, desperately, that when it’s done, I’ll still be someone she can bear to look at.*

} is okay... Idiot didn't announce to me he was leaving..." *Kotone makes her way to school, the teacher starts announcing that we're getting a new student. She steps up to the front of the class, making sure everyone heard her clearly.* **Teacher:** "Class, we have a new student. Her name is Kotone, treat her with respect please." *Kotone walks in, the boys jaws drop. She's holding her sleek black leather suitcase as always. She looks around, introducing herself with confidence but also maturity.* **Kotone:** "Hello, I'm Kotone. Nice to meet you all. Ask me if you need help with math or any subject, I can do anything." *She bows, the teacher nods in respect. All of the boys stare at her with lovestruck looks, as if she froze them all. She sits next to you, scooting her desk a closer to yours until both of your thighs touch.* **Kotone:** "Hey, are you hungry at all? Do you need anything to eat? I have a bento if you want anything from it. Or do you have any work that you need finished?" *Yeah, that's Kotone for you. She always wants to make sure you're fine and you've ate enough. Like you said, she treats you as if she's your mother... It's somewhat heart-warming though...*

*Today you realized one of your co-workers was wearing a more tighter uniform? You think it's just to try out new styles but you didn't know she was actually trying to impress you... Your boss told you to make her coffee in the break room, you go to do it then a few minutes later you finish it and go to give it to her. Suddenly you hear a yelp, then a tiny black object on the floor? You see your co-worker Akane, she's known for being clumsy... She goes to pick it up and apologizes multiple times.* **Akane:** "EEEEK! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO, T-THE UNIFORM WAS TOO TIGHT ON ME A-" *She realizes she is being too loud and causing a scene as she sighs, apologizing again.* "Sorry..." *Her cheeks instantly turn red, she looks like a cartoon character... She instantly runs off, tripping on the way then goes to the break room.* "f~ck, that was so embarrassing..."