Thumping. His heart beats as fast as a horsefly's wingflaps. At the same time, he could hear it echoing within his head like a migraine as he pants through the hotel's yard, surrounded by the white hue of the park lamps, as he runs aimlessly to an absolute path of nowhere.

  But once his stamina reaches its limit, he stops by a post lamp, leaning onto it as his eyes stares at the ground. His stare is blank, irises dilluted like an eclipse, no spark of light reflecting off of it.

  As he keeps on staring at the dirty ground, his mind wanders to its own  timeline.

  What is this feeling?

  The wind breezes, causing the purple trees and grasses to rustle as the lamp light hits his back.

  Unbeknownst to him, the mysterious tattoo of a Kitsune mask on his nape sets of an eerie black-ish purple glow, while his teeth starts to grit onto each other, all now sharpened into that of a fox's fangs.

  As he clenches his brow, his eyes sharpen into a glare. Though, the dirt soon glares back. That Archangel is grinning at him. With that big-ass, plastic-filled lips of his and with that tacky and edgy tattoo below his eyes.

  The sight, the memory, the reminder of that damn bird's face... It's pissing him off.

  So he stomps the ground where the Archangel's face emerged. But when he lifts his shoes up, he's still there planted on the dirt. And so he stomps again, and again, and again, and again. Till eventually, his blue shoe practically turns brown.

  Finally, the sight of the Bird's face is gone. But the memory of it still lingers.

  So he stiffen his fingers, causing his nails to grow razor sharp. He then starts to claw the post lamp's pole, creating an ear-piercing sound even his ears couldn't bear. But still he keeps on going, his claws creating a trail as they goes, leaving a mark as if he's marking a territory.

  After everything I told him... That... Fucking... ASSHOLE!

  He starts to growl in tandem of letting his teeth clank against each other. His fingers start to elongate, becoming more and more claw-like as the skin of his hands starts to grow out midnight-blue furs that fades into white starting from his elbows.

  I'll skin that bird and cook him myself... Even if I have to die doing so...

  His eyes are now outlined with striking blue shadows. Below each corners of them, fiery dots like ones embedded onto Kitsune masks are burned onto his skin, as bright as the blues that make up his eyes.

  But as fast as it happens, it dissapears. Ren is still leaning onto the post lamp, his beastly transformation undone as if it never happened.

  W-What the hell am I doing..?

  His glare soften. His rageful grit now turned to a frustrated and confused one. His ears now weeping as he lets out a frustrated sigh.

  I've never felt this way before... What the fuck's wrong with me..?

  He puts his hand over his mouth, shaking as the corner of his eyes start to bud up beads of tears.

  No... What was I thinking?

  Is this how envy feels like?

  Is this how he's been feeling all this time..?

  This doesn't feel nice at all...

  I don't want this...

  Make it stop... Please...

  "Ren?"

  Azayaka's voice. Ren immediately shoot his head up, his tear-blurred eyes seeing a feminine figure in front of him, smiling at him.

  Without thinking twice, his hands move to wrap around her, pulling her deep into his embrace.

  "Aza... Aza!" He could only utter her name as he tightens his hug. Her scent, her warmth and her body hugging him back, it's killing all those thoughts that poisoned him a moment ago.

  "Yes, Ren... I'm here... I'm here," Her gentle words slathered with her beautiful enchanting voice lulls his ears.

  Yet, something feels off.

  Her hair... It normally reaches her her back, but his hands doesn't feel any friction of it.

  Did she just cut it short?

  Ren releases his embrace, then wipes the tears away from his eyes.

  His vision now clear, he sees that she is Azayaka... but... her hair, it's length is now cut to her chin. She's now wearing a black turtleneck paired with tattered black jeans, differing from the sight he just saw. And her smile, it's... different. She do so with her eyes open wide enough for it to be... Unsettling, to say the least.

  "Your hair... When did you cut it?" Ren asks as he takes a small step back.

  "Oh, I just got it this afternoon. I thought you might like it," She answers so nonchalantly, her finger twirling her messy side bang, "Back in the days, I've never grown my hair past this length, right?"

  Ren is taken aback. He is staying silent, only wiping off what's left of his tears.

  Yet she catches wind, "But..." She whispers as makes an unsettling approach, she slowly walks closer to him, eventually leaning her face close in a child-like manner, "Why were you crying, Ren? Did someone... Hurt you?"

  "N-No... I-"

  When he tries to make distant, she grabs both of his wrists, keeping him inplace, "It's okay! Be honest with me," And her smile grows wider and wider, "We're bestfriends, right?"

  "I... I-I..." Stuttering is all he could do. Remembering that sight, it's the least of what he wants to do.

  Noticing the gloom in his eyes, she looks down upon the dirt as her grip grows in strength, "I know... What you're feeling, Ren."

  She then pulls him into a hug, then she whispers to his ears, "You want to hurt someone, don't you?"

  As if the whole world is engulfed in an eclipse, Ren widens his eyes. Thousands of noises enter his ears— screamings of help, disgust, fear and lust, the gentle sound of a burning flame, and the falling strikes of thousand thunders. The mark on his nape starts to emit an ominous aura again. His whole sensation of the world has grown blank. He could only feel the warmth that is in front of him. Even if he tries, he can't even move, so he melts into this Azayaka's embrace as she whispers once more, "You don't have to worry about that anymore, Ren," She pats his back gently, then she snuggles her cheek to his, "I'm here... I'm really here..."

  Before he could answer, a sharp gust of wind cuts through the thousand noises entering his ears. Before he knows it, a dagger has pierced through the side of short-haired Azayaka's head, only for her to scatter into a flock of purple butterflies.

   Azayaka, her hair now long, is standing in front of him, her blade pointed towards the other Azayaka, now reformed and unscathed, standing with her hands in her pocket as she puts on a needless smile.

  Upon closer inspection, he sees that the Azayaka guarding him has several love marks on her neck.

  "You... Who are you..?" As she glares, Long-haired Azayaka prepares her second blade, twirling it around with deadly precision before positioning it near her hip.

  "Heh... Heheheheheheheh... What are you talking about, silly?" Keeping her uncanny smile, Short-haired Azayaka leans herself forward, readying her blades behind her back, "As you may see... I'm Azayaka," She tilts her head, as if judging her opposition, "The real one."

-----

  AN: I suppose I'll put a break of this arc here :P

Hiatus break wohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo