’They don’t accept the darkness...’

The thoughts that birthed that were non-existent. It was more of a realization that came from the soul.

The dark White walked over the streets of the city, and everything that came close to him ran away in fear.

Supernaturals and the students alike could feel the darkness, and when they saw it, it was so petrifying that they either collapsed, losing consciousness, or ran away in fear.

’They don’t accept the darkness...’

It realized, as it stood there quietly, before turning its back, walking back to a place he barely felt in his memory.

_______

TAP!

TAP!

TAP!

TAP!

The sound of the button being tapped four times echoed out, and in the next moment,

GRUUUUUM!

The vault door made a heavy droning sound as it opened.

His ghostly claws wrapped around it, then pulled as he quietly stepped in.

What he saw was her, covered in eyes, lying on the ground.

He paused at the entrance, unmoving, watching as all the eyes turned to him, and she slowly stirred from her seat.

It was a petrifying aura.

Like the aura of death, brushing against her skin from the mere look she gave the being before her.

Fear gripped her to her core, but then her eyes widened.

Unbelievable as it was, every one of her eyes was pointing to the same truth:

This was the same person she had shared the vault with the night before.

He remained there, as if waiting for her permission to step in, and Zisel exhaled deeply, breathing out her fear before asking,

"Will you come in?"

It paused at that moment, its hair stilling, then it began to move forward, stepping into the vault.

She watched him pass by, towering beyond any human being ever could.

And all doubt vanished when he returned to the same spot from yesterday, back against the wall, knees drawn up, his body swallowed by the shadows.

Zisel’s eyes picked up on the vault door.

He hadn’t closed it, and it made her rise, shutting the door.

Then she walked straight to him, kneeling before him as her hands grabbed at his.

’Cold... They’re so cold.’

A deathly coldness clung to her as she guided his hands aside and slipped into his embrace, her back against his chest while his arms wrapped around her once more.

It was a cold embrace, but she had never felt more familiar with a presence than she did right now.

Silence enveloped them as Zisel slowly lifted her gaze, her fingers gently tracing the deathly cold skin of his face.

"You’ve become a monster... like me."

She whispered, settling back into his embrace and falling quiet.

’They accept the darkness...’

The thought came, less of a thought, but more of a realization.

The crimson eye turned to look down at her, the girl with eyes beneath him, wrapped safely and without the slightest fear in his embrace.

’No... Only, she accepts the darkness.’

The realization corrected itself, and quietly, the monster that he had become folded around her, like a hand wrapping around a dying flame to prevent the air from blowing it out.

The silence lingered for a long time as they quietly waited until.

PSSST

CRACK!

The faint crackling and steaming echoed out, drawing Zisel’s attention.

She watched as the six horns on his head slowly dipped back in. The side horns were fully retracted, while the front ones settled to their normal size.

What followed was a glow of life returning to his skin, his pale white face changing to black, while his dark hair whittled away, slowly taking back the colour of white and curling.

The eyes on his face began to retreat into his skin, the rest disappearing until only his two normal eyes remained, the darkness slowly clearing away to reveal the blue beneath once more. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The garment of darkness retreated, and soon, all that remained was White having returned to his normal.

His blue eyes remained unfocused for a while, until it seemed as though light returned to them, and quietly, he blinked twice, becoming aware of the world around him once more.

To her, lying in his arms, and her head raised at him.

There was an influx of memories of what had happened, along with an unbearable feeling.

It felt wrong to his consciousness to sit together so close, and she seemed to sense the flicker in his eyes.

"You’re okay now. I’m sorry."

Zisel said, rising and leaving his embrace, yet all of a sudden, a hand came around her waist, gently pulling her back into his embrace as he whispered,

"Stay."

He said, and she smiled sweetly, falling onto his chest.

Within White’s head,

’What is this?’

Pulling her back was never a conscious decision of his, almost like his body had been faintly taking over, the second she rose from his embrace.

[Don’t fight it.]

The system panel flashed, and he froze in his tracks.

[It’s the darkness you accepted into your soul. The full awakening of your Embrawyr Form. It’s already beyond a good thing that it allowed you to stay in your normal form.]

[And her, that you’re trying to push away, was the only thing that felt accepted by its darkness.]

[Push her away, and it’ll take over you to keep her close.]

The system panel flashed the warning, and White fell quiet, his head replaying the influx of memories.

How he had nearly died at the hands of the Inumaki and Rukun, how he had questioned the darkness itself on how to find it, and how, in the end, he had accepted it completely.

He had really embraced the darkness and allowed its entrance, and now, it was obsessed with the one in his arms and could forcefully overtake his body to keep her by his side.

’Zisel...’

White thought, looking down at the lady who had the eyes on her skin, all slowly began to close, revealing one thing:

"It’s morning."