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Chapter Nineteen
Tokyo
A s she fires the arrow, Kai uses his arm to shove me out of the way, slamming me into the wall. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs. “Run!” he yells, his voice sharp and commanding, but my feet refuse to move.
“Stacy, what the fuck is this about?” Kai demands, his voice cutting through the bass thundering around us.
She slips the mask over her face, her blue eyes wide and glassy. A single tear slides down her cheek, illuminated by the pulsing red lights. The contrast is almost haunting. “Revenge. Justice. Who fucking knows anymore?” Her voice cracks.
“The fuck are you talking about?” Kai steps closer, his hands raised slightly as if trying to calm her.
“Kai,” I whisper, trying to get his attention, but he motions behind him with his hand, signaling for me to leave. I grit my teeth, torn between running and helping him. My gaze shifts to the neon tip of an arrow glowing on the far side of the room. If I could get to it, I might have a chance to stop her. My focus darts between the arrow and Stacy, my heartbeat a drum in my ears.
“You never loved me,” she spits, her voice rising. “You only used me. But now I see why. You’re sick. A sick bastard who fucks his little sister.”
The music seems to drop, the bass holding its breath along with everyone else. The words hang in the air, cutting deeper than any arrow.
Pushing off the wall, I move quickly, grabbing the discarded arrow just as Stacy fires another in my direction. I duck behind one of the grotesque, pulsating vessels, not that I could tell the difference between them. My chest heaves, adrenaline flooding my veins as I grip the arrow tightly.
Through the smoke and flashing lights, I can barely make out their figures. Stacy reloads, her movements jerky as she searches for me. I can’t hear the exact words of their argument, but I can feel the tension between them like a physical weight.
Then, something cold wraps around my ankle. I look down, my breath catching. A rave-goer lies sprawled on the floor, her mouth torn from ear to ear. Four arrows stick grotesquely from her back, her blood pooling around her. She opens her mouth, a wet gurgling sound escaping before her head slumps against the ground. Her grip on my ankle loosens, and I stumble over her, forcing myself to move.
No one hurts Kai.
No one.
My grip tightens on the arrow as I push forward, the world narrowing to Stacy and the bow in her hands. Her voice cuts through the pounding bass. “You love her,” she accuses, her tone venomous.
“She’s my sister,” Kai shouts back, his voice raw, strained. “Of course I do.”
The words sting more than they should, a dull ache settling in my chest. Love because I’m his sister? That’s not why. It might have started that way but that’s not what this is. Not anymore.
“NO!” Stacy screams, her voice cracking as she pulls back the arrow. “I saw you kiss her! You don’t love her, you want her.”
Kai raises his hands in surrender, his posture stiff, his mouth opening as if to respond, but no words come out. Even now, not even death could make him admit the truth out loud.
“But you won’t have her,” Stacy snarls, her voice trembling with rage. “And she won’t have you.”
Her fingers release the bowstring just as I leap forward, grabbing a fistful of her blonde curls. Her scream pierces the air as I yank her head back, but the arrow flies regardless. My gaze follows its glowing trajectory in slow motion, helpless as it pierces Kai.
He staggers, the impact forcing him backward. His body falls, blocking my view of where the arrow hit. My stomach drops, my pulse roaring in my ears.
“KAI!” I scream, my voice cracking as I grip the arrow in my hand tighter. Rage floods through me, boiling over as I pull Stacy backward, slamming her to the ground. Her eyes widen in shock, but I don’t hesitate. “KAI!” I scream, my voice cracking as the arrow in my hand lifts, trembling with the force of my grip. Without hesitation, I bring it down, the sharp tip piercing her neck with a sickening crunch. Stacy’s body collapses against mine, her weight dragging me down as warm blood gushes over my hands. The metallic tang fills the air, choking me.
“KAI!” I shout again, twisting the arrow deeper into her throat. Her eyes widen, her lips parting in a desperate, sputtering gasp. Her trembling hands claw at mine, nails digging into my skin, but her strength fades with each passing second. “KAI!” My voice is raw, the pounding of my heart drowning out the music.
His arm moves, his bloodied hand lifting weakly to give me a thumbs-up. The sight steadies me, pulling my focus back to him. I glance down at Stacy just as the light fades from her eyes, her head lolling forward. My breath catches as her hands slip away from me, her nails leaving stinging trails on my skin.
Then I feel it, Kai’s large hand wrapping around mine, his grip firm and grounding. “Let go,” he says softly, his voice steady despite the chaos around us. “It’s done.”
For a moment, I can’t move, my grip frozen on the arrow buried in her throat. The weight of everything; Stacy’s blood on my hands, the screams in the distance, Kai’s injured but resolute figure—presses down on me. But his hand squeezes mine, and his calm pulls me back from the edge, just like he did that night. The night I killed our father.
“It’s done,” he repeats.
My fingers release the arrow, and Kai gently moves between us. Despite everything Stacy has done, I watch as he carefully pulls her body toward him. His hands, bloodstained and shaking, brush her blonde hair away from her face. He leans in, whispering something I can’t hear, and tucks a strand behind her ear. Slowly, he lays her down on the blood-slicked ground, closing her eyes before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
It’s such a Kai thing to do. Where I’m fire, all rage and destruction, he’s calm, beautiful, with a ferocity that strikes only when it’s needed. His heart is so much bigger than mine, even after everything we’ve been through. He remains kind and I, a selfish bitch.
I stand frozen, staring at my hands, sticky with Stacy’s blood. I can’t look at them for long. Kai rises, his towering frame filling my vision as he cups my face with both hands. His bloodied thumbs brush against my cheeks, smearing red across my skin, but his touch is impossibly gentle.
“Come back to me,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine. His voice cracks at the edges. “You were protecting me. Protecting us.”
I nod, the words catching in my throat as I bite back the sob threatening to break free. I won’t cry. Not now. Not here. Not until he’s safe.
We stay like that for a moment, eyes locked, the world around us fading into the background. Then, slowly, my bloodied hands lift, trembling as they rest on his chest. Amongst the carnage, the chaos, my lips find his. Whatever happens tonight, I need him to know. I love him. So fucking much.
I want him.
Need him.
His comfort.
His love.
Call me reckless, stupid, selfish, irresponsible—call me all of it. None of it matters anymore. As my tongue brushes against his and my fingers tangle in his navy curls, I lose myself in him. The screams, the slaughter, the blood—all of it fades. If we’re going to die, dying together is the only way I’ll go.
Kai’s hands move down, his grip firm as he lifts me, his strong arms wrapping around my thighs and swinging my leg over his hip. My moan melts into his mouth as he presses me against the cold, blood-slicked wall. His hand moves between us, his touch both desperate and deliberate.
“I love you, Tokyo,” he breathes against my lips. His voice is raw, stripped bare of any hesitation. Just like the night I left him. He didn’t see it coming, I’ve always wondered if it would have changed our last night together. “If this is how I spend my last night on earth, I’d rather be with you.” His hand slides my bodysuit aside, parting my lips and his fingers slip inside, instantly igniting a warmth that spreads through me.
“And inside you,” he adds, his voice dipping lower, his forehead pressing against mine.
My head leans back against the wall as his lips trail down my neck, his teeth grazing my skin. The tension in my body gives way to the overwhelming need coursing through me. His fingers move faster, curling inside me with a desperation that matches the pounding in my chest. My acrylic nails dig into his shoulders as my hips grind against his hand, chasing the release I need.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he pleads, his eyes burning into mine. “Tell me I mean something to you. Tell me being away from me killed you as much as it did me.”
“Kai,” I gasp, my voice trembling. Words fail me. Nothing I could say would ever be enough to match what I feel for him. My body answers for me, arching into him, my legs trembling as warmth floods through me.
“More,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the chaos around us.
“Anything you want.” His hand pulls away, and I whimper at the loss, but before I can say anything, he’s there. The world narrows to him and the way he fills me with one thrust. Deep inside me, he starts slow, savoring for a moment before the adrenaline and hunger takes over. His thrusts become deeper and harder, each desperate thrust pulling me further from reality and deeper into him.
The screams, the pounding bass, the bloodstained walls—it’s all a blur. None of it matters. Only this. Only us.
“If we die,” I whisper, my voice catching as I cling to him, “we die together.”
“No other way ,” he replies, his breath hot against my ear. “With you to the end.”
He is desperate and demanding, his movements rough and urgent, seeking his release and dragging me with him. It isn’t long—this isn’t meant to be gentle or drawn out. I lift my hips to meet his, his nails digging into the mesh of my bodysuit, biting into my skin as he pulls me closer. The warmth coils deep inside me, each thrust unraveling me further as he continues his harsh rhythm, the sound of our bodies blending with the pounding techno music that vibrates through the air.
“Cum with me,” he breathes, his voice low and strained. His lips brush along my jaw, planting heated kisses that travel down my neck. When his teeth sink into my skin, sharp and possessive, my body obeys without hesitation. My walls pulsate around him, warmth rushing through me as I tumble over the edge, taking him with me.
“Mmm,” he groans, his breath shuddering as his movements still, his hips pressing deep into mine one last time. “Fu—“ His voice cracks, followed by another low moan as his body shudders, his release consuming him.
The bass drops hard, a deafening pulse of sound that shakes the walls. Neon lights flicker in erratic patterns, casting fractured shadows across the space. I lean back against the wall, my legs trembling as the aftershocks of him linger.
More commotion erupts behind us, pulling us out of the moment. A couple stumbles into view, the girl’s skin-tight white outfit soaked in blood. Her long braid is yanked violently by a hand emerging from the entrance. The man with her falters, his grip on her slipping as she is dragged backward. My breath catches as I watch a knife plunge into her chest, then her stomach. She jerks violently, her scream swallowed by the relentless pounding of the music. The man collapses to his knees, his hands trembling as he reaches out to stop the attacker, but it’s futile.
“Shh,” Kai murmurs, his voice steady despite the horror. Gently, he places me on the ground, my thighs trembling as his cum slips from me, sticky and warm. Pressing my legs together, I glance at him as he tucks himself back into his pants, his movements deliberate and calm. He steps away, moving toward Stacy’s lifeless body, and grabs the bow and arrow she left behind.
With a sharp motion, he signals me to stay quiet and crouch down. My heart pounds, but I do as he instructs, pressing myself into the shadows.
We watch as a cloaked figure strides inside, their knife gleaming under the fractured neon light. They move with an eerie calm, their presence unsettling. The mask over their face shifts slightly as they crouch beside the man, tilting their head as if studying him. The man looks up, his sobs growing louder, his bloodied hands trembling. Whoever this figure is, they know each other.
The cloaked figure’s voice carries faintly over the music, low and mocking, though the words are lost to the noise. The man shakes his head, his body wracked with sobs, trying to speak, to beg. The figure doesn’t hesitate. With a swift motion, the knife slices across his throat.
Blood sprays in an arc, catching the light as the man collapses forward, clutching his neck. His body convulses, his eyes wide with terror, but his movements grow weaker and then still. The cloaked figure stands, giving the man’s body a sharp kick, rolling it to the side. They linger for a moment, watching the blood pool beneath the lifeless man, before slipping back into the shadows, exiting through the entrance without a word.
Kai doesn’t move immediately, his grip tightening on the bow as his eyes scan the room, ensuring the figure is truly gone. Once the sound of footsteps fades, he turns to me. His jaw is clenched, his expression grim but steady. I nod, crawling out of the shadows to stand beside him.
We step into the open together, and the rave is unrecognizable. The heart above pumps violently, spewing streams of thick liquid—paint or blood—onto the floor below. The dome’s sky, once filled with color and light, is now a suffocating black void. Only a few faint neon lights flicker weakly, casting distorted shadows across the chaos.
“Do you know where to go?” Kai asks, his voice close and low, cutting through the oppressive atmosphere.
“The entrance,” I reply, gripping his hand tightly. Lifting his hand, I press a kiss to the small smiley face tattooed between his index finger and thumb.
“Let’s go.”