I winced as I pressed my hand to my side, still feeling the lingering pain from where Azu had stabbed me. The wound wasn't as deep as I first thought, but it was enough to slow me down. Two days of searching and we were no closer to finding her. I'd have preferred doing anything else-training, resting, anything that didn't involve hunting down our teammate who'd betrayed us.

Sumire looked at me, her violet eyes full of concern. "Corey, you're hurt. We need help. We can't do this alone."

I sighed, frustrated but knowing she was right. "Fine. Go get Ruby and the others. I'll hold down the fort here."

She nodded, turning quickly to leave. "I'll be back soon. Just... don't do anything reckless while I'm gone, okay?"

I waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry."

As Sumire ran off toward Beacon, I found myself alone again, in the middle of the woods. The pain in my side was a constant reminder of how dangerous Azu had become. But beyond that, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. She had trusted me, and I had failed to see her for what she really was. Or maybe, deep down, I didn't want to believe it.

I leaned against a tree, trying to catch my breath. I was still processing everything that had happened-Azu turning on us, my own fears about my Semblance, the weight of the past I kept running from. I didn't know how to deal with any of it, but I knew one thing for sure: I had to bring Azu back, one way or another.

My mind wandered back to the moment when I first unlocked my Semblance, the overwhelming power that surged through me, the panic that followed. It felt like a shadow I could never escape, always lurking, always reminding me of what I was capable of. But here I was, with another chance to face that fear, and I didn't know if I had the strength to do it.

I gritted my teeth, pushing those thoughts away. This wasn't the time to doubt myself. Azu needed to be stopped, and whether it was my power or something else, I had to be ready.

The sound of footsteps broke my train of thought. I straightened up, expecting Sumire to return with the others, but the figure emerging from the trees wasn't her. It was Azu.

Her red eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and she looked more like a Grimm than ever before. Her human facade was crumbling, revealing the monster underneath.

"Corey..." she whispered, her voice laced with regret and something darker. "I didn't want to hurt you."

I tensed, my hand hovering near my weapon. "Then why did you?"

"I'm torn," she said, taking a step closer. "I thought I could escape what I am, but Salem... she's still pulling the strings."

I clenched my fists. "You betrayed us, Azu. After everything, you turned on your own team."

Her eyes flickered with pain. "I didn't want to. I never wanted to be this. But you don't understand what it's like... to be bound to something you can't control."

I felt my heart twist, the familiarity of her words hitting too close to home. "I understand more than you think."

Azu took another step, her expression softening. "Then you know why I can't stop. Salem won't let me."

"We can fight her," I said, though my voice wavered. "You don't have to do this."

Her eyes darkened. "I'm too far gone, Corey."

Before I could say another word, she lunged at me, her movements quick and precise. My claws extend from my gauntlet.

I kept my claws extended but lowered them slightly, trying to make my stance less threatening. Azu was hurt-emotionally more than anything else-and I couldn't blame her for feeling betrayed. But I wasn't the only one hiding things. We all had our secrets.

"Azu, I... I know I haven't been honest with you," I admitted, my voice soft but strained. "But I want to help you, I really do. You have to believe that."

Her wings, black and jagged, flapped in agitation as she hovered above the ground, glaring down at me. "Help me? How? You've kept your distance, Corey. How do I know you're not just afraid of me like everyone else?"

I felt my heart sink. She was right. I had been keeping her at arm's length ever since she revealed her past. I'd been too scared to trust her, and now it was blowing up in my face.

Before I could respond, Sumire burst through the trees with Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Weiss right behind her.

"Corey, you're hurt!" Ruby exclaimed, her silver eyes wide with concern as she took in the scene. She quickly noticed Azu hovering in the air, her Grimm wings casting a dark shadow over us.

Blake's amber eyes narrowed. "Azu? What's with the Grimm wings? What's going on here?"

Azu's eyes flicked to Blake, a mixture of bitterness and pain in her expression. "Did Corey not tell you everything about me?" she asked, her voice filled with accusation. "Didn't he tell you about his past?"

I winced at her words. She was throwing my secrets into the open, just as I'd feared. But before I could say anything, Azu flapped her wings harder, sending a gust of wind that forced Ruby and the others to take a step back.

"I've been hiding too, Blake," she continued, her voice trembling. "I'm not like you. I'm not just a Faunus-I'm a Grimm. A monster in disguise. And Corey's been hiding the fact that he's just as afraid of himself as I am of what I am!"

I clenched my fists, my claws digging into my palms as I stood there, exposed. Azu had laid it all out for them to hear, but I couldn't deny it anymore.

"I... I killed my father when I first unlocked my Semblance," I finally said, the words bitter on my tongue. "That's why I'm afraid of using it. I've been running from that part of me ever since."

The silence that followed was heavy. Ruby and her team looked between me and Azu, processing what we had both revealed.

Yang stepped forward, her voice softer than usual. "Corey, you should've told us. We're your friends-we could've helped you."

Blake's eyes shifted back to Azu, sympathy crossing her face. "And you're not a monster, Azu. You've been fighting alongside us, haven't you? That means something."

Azu's wings flapped again, more erratic this time. "How can you say that? I betrayed all of you! I hurt Corey!" Her voice cracked, and her wings faltered slightly as if the weight of her actions was pulling her down.

Ruby, always the optimist, stepped up next to me, her scythe still in hand but lowered. "Azu, it doesn't matter where you came from. What matters is what you choose to do now. You can still be one of us."

I looked up at Azu, my claws retracting as I slowly stood, despite the pain in my side. "Ruby's right. You still have a choice. Don't let Salem control you. Don't let her win."

Azu's wings stopped flapping as she stared at all of us. Her red eyes, once fierce and filled with anger, softened, and for a moment, I saw the human side of her, the side that had been trying to fight against her Grimm nature.

"I... I don't know if I can," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I stepped closer, reaching out a hand. "You can, Azu. We'll help you."

For a moment, it felt like everything hung in the balance. Would she accept our help, or would Salem's influence pull her back into the darkness?

"I'll be the head that reaches out to you Azu." I extended my hand to her. "Let us take you home."

She smacked it away. "How can I trust you? How can you trust me? I'm a monster, I hurt people." She was crying.

"Azul Hiden, I'll be there for you." I reached my hand out to her. "I'll be the hand that reaches out to you, if you fall I'll reach my hand out to you and pull you back up!"

Azu's gaze flickered between my hand and the ground, her expression a mixture of anguish and uncertainty. "But what if I fall again? What if I hurt you... or worse?"

I felt my heart race, the weight of her fears pressing heavily upon me. "That's the risk we all take when we care about someone. It's about trusting each other to get through the darkness together."

Her wings trembled, and I could see the conflict raging inside her. "You don't know what I'm capable of. I could hurt you all."

"Maybe, but you're not just that part of you," I replied firmly. "You're Azul Hiden-my teammate. You've fought for us, alongside us. You have a choice in how you use your strength."

Azu's breath hitched, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked into my eyes. "I want to believe that... but it's hard."

"Then let me help you believe," I said, my voice steady. "You don't have to carry this alone. None of us do."

The air felt charged with tension as she hesitated, glancing around at Ruby and the others, who stood silently, supporting my plea with their presence. Each of them held their breath, waiting for Azu to make a decision that could change everything.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Azu took a shaky step forward, her wings retracting slightly as if they were drawing in the hope we were offering. "What if I let you down?"

I shook my head, a small smile breaking through the heaviness of the moment. "Then we'll figure it out together. We've all made mistakes. You're not alone in this."

Azu looked at my outstretched hand, and slowly, cautiously, she reached out. When her fingers brushed against mine, I felt a surge of warmth, a glimmer of hope igniting within the shadows of her doubts.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice steadier now. "I'll try."

I squeezed her hand gently, feeling the weight of her anguish start to lift just a little. "That's all I ask."

As we stood together, our teammates surrounding us, I could sense a shift in the air. The darkness that had threatened to consume Azu began to recede, replaced by a shared determination.

"I'm still scared," Azu admitted, wiping her tears. "But I want to change. I want to be better."

"We'll help you," Ruby chimed in, stepping closer with a bright smile. "You're not just a Grimm. You're one of us now."

Blake nodded, her expression serious but warm. "Together, we'll face whatever comes. That's how it works."

"Right! And if anyone tries to mess with us, they'll have to go through the whole team!" Yang said with a grin, her fists clenched in excitement.

Azu's smile started to return, albeit shyly. "Thank you... all of you."

With that, we stood united, our bond strengthened by the trials we'd faced and the ones still to come. Together, we'd confront the darkness, not just for ourselves, but for each other.

"Let's head back," I said, turning towards the path. "We've got a lot to do, and we'll need each other more than ever."

As we began to walk back, I felt a sense of purpose growing within me. It was more than just about finding Azu; it was about all of us fighting to create a brighter future, not just for ourselves, but for all the lost souls who were searching for their place in the world.

And together, we would find it. It was the end of our break. Sumire looked at me with Dread in her eyes. "I'm going to die at the end of the semester. It's in the hands of someone close." I didn't know how to respond.

A/N: I don't own the Songs I use. Please don't sue me Toie.