I sat on my bed. I put my head into my hands and I don't know what was wrong with me. First I lost control of my rage, now I'm struggling to fight, I'm suffering a hard loss, am I losing myself?

Amber looked at me. “Corey?” She held onto a drawing I made when I was her age.

“Yeah?” I looked at her, putting aside my doubt.

“What are these?” She handed me a drawing of a Crescent Moon and someone attacking in that pattern.

“I drew these before I joined the White Fang, before I unlocked my Semblance. I called it Crescent Frost.” I smiled at that.

Amber sat beside me, clutching the drawing as if it were a piece of treasure. "Crescent Frost? It sounds... beautiful, but also dangerous." She looked up at me, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Did you ever get to use it?"

I shook my head, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "Not in the way I imagined. Back then, it was just a dream. A way to protect people, to stand for something. But after I joined the Fang..." My voice trailed off, the memories too heavy to finish the thought.

Amber tilted her head, her innocence cutting through my guilt. "You can still make it something good, right? It’s your power. It doesn’t have to be tied to the bad things."

I stared at the drawing in her hands, the sharp arcs and flowing lines representing a part of myself I hadn’t revisited in years. Could she be right? Could I reclaim this part of me, and reshape it into something meaningful?

"Maybe," I said finally, my voice soft. "But right now, it feels like I’ve lost the person who drew that. Crescent Frost feels... distant."

Amber frowned, her small hands pressing the drawing back into mine. "Then find him. You're Corey. You're my big brother. If anyone can bring that person back, it’s you."

Her words struck something deep inside me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel alone in my struggle. I looked at the drawing again, the crescent arcs glimmering with the possibilities of a past I could reshape.

"Thanks, Amber," I said, pulling her into a gentle hug. "Maybe it's time I started finding my way back."

She hugged me tightly. "You’ve got this. And if you need help, I’m here."

I smiled down at her. Despite everything, her faith in me never wavered. It was time I started believing in myself, too.

I looked at my desk with the broken Fated Hour. Maybe I could fix it? No, I needed to make it better. I could rebuild it. I sat down and began to repair them. It will take me weeks to do it.

Ankh looked at me from the garden. “Hey Dip shit!”

I flipped him off. “You're not even my real dad!”

Ankh smirked, clearly enjoying getting under my skin. "Watch your tone, boy. You’re in my house now."

I clenched my jaw, my claws twitching slightly. The nerve of this man—acting like he owned me, like he had any authority. My cat ears flattened against my head, and I could feel the familiar heat rising in my chest, the one that came just before I lost control.

Amber peeked out from behind the doorway. "Corey," she called softly, her voice trembling slightly.

I forced myself to take a breath, my claws retracting halfway. I couldn’t lose it—not in front of her. Not again.

Ankh, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me, took a step closer. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He sneered, clearly enjoying the jab.

My hands gripped the edge of the desk, the sharp edges of the broken Fated Hour biting into my palms. "You’re not worth it," I growled through gritted teeth.

"That so?" Ankh chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "You’re just a broken kid pretending to be a hero. You think fixing that toy will make you whole again?"

My vision blurred for a second, and I could feel the feral side clawing to the surface. My body tensed, my mind screaming at me to lash out, to make him regret every word.

Amber’s small hand rested on my shoulder, pulling me back from the edge. "Corey, don’t," she whispered. Her voice was like a tether, grounding me.

I closed my eyes and exhaled shakily, forcing the rage back down where it belonged. "You’re lucky I’ve got better things to do," I muttered, turning my back on Ankh.

"Yeah, keep running, kid," Ankh called after me.

I ignored him, focusing on the broken Fated Hour in front of me. Amber stayed by my side, her presence enough to keep the beast at bay—for now.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

I nodded, though my hands were still trembling. "I will be," I said, more to convince myself than her. "I just need to fix this. To fix... something."

Amber gave me a small smile, her faith in me unwavering. "You’ll figure it out, Corey. I know you will."

I didn’t answer, but her words lingered, a quiet promise that maybe—just maybe—I could. Ankh slapped Amber. I turned around and my feral side came to a rolling boil.  My robotic arm was inches from his throat.  This felt familiar to me,  this was the way I unlocked my semblance.  He kicked me.  "Where's that fire?" His hand was on my throat. 

I was thrown to the ground.  "Be a good pussy and die!" He told me.  Maybe he was right. I lay there while he attacked me. Maybe this was my fate.

I laid here as he beat me. My Golden Aura flickers with every hit. Then my rage took hold.

Each blow was like a hammer driving me further into the ground. My Golden Aura flickered, barely holding, each crack feeling like a reflection of my own fractured mind. Ankh’s words echoed in my ears, feeding the storm brewing inside me.

“Be a good pussy and stay down,” he spat, delivering another kick to my ribs.

My body screamed at me to fight back, to let the rage take over, but something held me down. Not his strength—it wasn’t that. It was the weight of the memories pressing on my chest.

Beacon. Azu. Sumire.

Their faces flashed in my mind. I could still see the Razorwing, its claws tearing through them, the screams I couldn’t silence. The guilt. The shame. My hands clenched against the ground, trembling.

“You’re useless,” Ankh sneered, looming over me. “What kind of Faunus are you? Nothing but a scared little kitten.”

I closed my eyes tightly, my claws digging into the dirt. The rage inside me boiled, threatening to spill over, but it clashed with the fear, the doubt, the crushing weight of my failures. My breath came in short gasps, panic threatening to consume me.

Then, a voice cut through the chaos.

“Corey!” Amber screamed, her voice filled with desperation. “Get up! Please!”

Her cry snapped something loose. My eyes shot open, golden light flickering faintly around me. The image of Amber’s tear-streaked face replaced the haunting memories. I couldn’t fail her. Not like I failed them.

Ankh laughed, his foot pressing down on my robotic arm. “Oh, did that get to you? Too bad you’re too weak to do anything about it.”

Weak. That word hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t weak. I couldn’t be weak—not anymore.

The rage surged, overpowering the fear. My Golden Aura flared violently, cracks sealing as a fiery energy coursed through me. My claws extended, gleaming in the light. I grabbed Ankh’s foot with my robotic hand and twisted sharply, sending him stumbling backward.

I got on all fours and growled like a beast. “You're…. A monster!” Amber looked afraid of me.

“Did you hear that my Daughter called you a monster?” Ankh laughs.

“She's right, I am a monster. But don't forget, so are you!” I only had one set of claws to fight with. I was struggling to focus on Ankh but my vision was red.

Ankh circled me, his laughter echoing in my ears, mocking me, taunting me. My breath came in ragged gasps as I struggled to hold onto the last thread of my sanity. The beast within me clawed at the walls of my mind, screaming for control, but Amber’s frightened voice pierced through the chaos.

"Corey, stop! Please, stop!"

Her plea struck like a bolt of lightning, momentarily snapping me back to reality. I shook my head, trying to clear the haze of rage, but the feral instinct was overwhelming.

Ankh smirked, his taunts continuing. "Go on, lose yourself. Show her what you really are. Show her the monster."

I lunged at him, claws swiping through the air. Ankh dodged narrowly, his grin widening. He thought he had me where he wanted.

"You’re too far gone, boy," he sneered. "You can’t even aim straight."

I growled, my robotic arm slamming into the ground as I missed again. The impact sent cracks spider-webbing through the dirt floor, the force shaking the room. Ankh's smug expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

We tumble into his garden. I growled even more. “You damn Pussy, you're like your father: Useless and six feet under!”

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn't care what happened to me after this. That abusive asshole that my mom married is going down. I was foaming at the mouth. Blake looked at me with Sun, and her parents. I circled him once more. This time my Semblance was activated, I created a few copies of me.

“Damn Pussy, you think your little parlor trick is going to help you?” Ankh grabbing a rake.

Ankh lunged at me with the rake, swinging it wildly in an attempt to break through the circle of clones I had created. Each of my copies mirrored my movements, snarling as they encircled him, their golden glows flickering ominously. I could feel the raw power of my Semblance coursing through me, fueled by rage and something deeper—a need to finally end this.

“Corey, stop!” Blake’s voice rang out, cutting through the chaotic noise. “This isn’t you!”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second, her words digging into the storm in my mind. My claws were extended, my copies ready to pounce, but I could feel the weight of their eyes on me—Blake, Sun, Kali, Ghira, and Amber. They weren’t just watching. They were pleading.

Ankh smirked, mistaking my hesitation for weakness. “Listen to your little girlfriend, Pussy. Walk away like the coward you are!”

The clones vanished in an instant as I surged forward, faster than he anticipated. He swung the rake, but I caught it mid-strike with my robotic arm, the wood splintering in my grip. His smug expression finally cracked, revealing a flicker of fear.

I shoved him backward, sending him tumbling into the dirt. Standing over him, I raised my clawed hand, the rage bubbling just beneath the surface. I could end this, end him.

But then Amber’s voice cut through the haze.

“Corey!” she cried. “Please don’t! You’re not like him!”

Her words hit me like a tidal wave. My breathing slowed, my raised hand trembling as the feral instinct wrestled with reason. The world seemed to hold its breath as I stood there, towering over the man who had tormented me and my family for so long.

“You think you’ve won?” Ankh spat, his voice venomous. “You’ll always be nothing, just like your father!”

I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body screaming for release. But I didn’t strike. Instead, I turned my back on him, my claws retracting with a metallic snikt.

“You’re wrong,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “I’m better than you.”

He got up and I heard a clicking sound from behind me. “What will it be, Pussy?”

My mom saw us. “Ankh, Corey stop this!” She demanded.

I growled more and got back down. “I didn't hear any bells!” My Aura was low, and I knew if he Pulled the trigger, I'm done.

“Angela, I'm just teaching your boy here a lesson in respect.” Ankh lied of course. He kicked me into the fence.

I'm foaming even more.  The metallic taste of blood lingered in my mouth as I hit the fence, the impact rattling my entire body. My Aura was barely holding on, flickering weakly as the feral rage inside me threatened to take full control. I could hear my mom shouting, her voice breaking with desperation.

“Ankh, stop it! You’re going too far!”

“Too far?” Ankh sneered, turning his head toward her without lowering the gun. “This boy needs to learn his place. You’ve coddled him too long.”

Foam gathered at the corners of my mouth as I growled again, my claws twitching at my sides. The humiliation, the pain, the sheer audacity of him standing there like he was in the right—it pushed me to the brink. My breathing grew heavier, the animal inside clawing to get out.

“Corey, please!” my mom cried, stepping closer. “Don’t do this! You’ll lose yourself!”

The tension in the air was suffocating. My body trembled as I struggled to push myself up, my claws digging into the dirt for leverage. Amber appeared at the edge of the garden, her small frame shaking as she watched in horror.

I looked at her, and in that moment, something inside me shifted. I couldn’t let this continue—not for her, not for my mom, and not for myself.

I lunged at him. My vision was completely red. It was one swift strike with my claws and…. Ankh lay there motionless. I became the monster that I didn't want to be. My Claws were covered in blood.

Mom, Amber, and everyone look at me. I killed my stepfather. “I…. I….” I stopped myself.

I collapsed to my knees, exhaustion washing over me. My mom rushed to my side, her hands hovering as if she wasn’t sure where to touch without hurting me more.

“Corey, are you okay?” she asked, her voice trembling.

I nodded weakly, looking up at Amber. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Amber ran to me, hugging me tightly despite the dirt and sweat covering me. “You’re my brother,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I don’t care what happened. You’re still my brother.”

I cough up some blood. I don't feel sad, guilty or even any remorse. “I am Corey Gold Tokiwa-Silver, I killed my stepfather.” Mom helped me off of my knees. “I plead guilty to taking the life of a human.”

Ghira looked at me. “Son, you did it to protect your family. I can't let you walk free either…”

Kali interrupts him. “Just pardon him. He didn't do it intentionally, we have known him since the day he was born.”

My ears dropped a bit. “I'm admitting to murdering a man. I shouldn't be pardoned.”

Kali stepped closer, her expression a mixture of concern and firmness. “Corey, you may think you deserve punishment, but we know the truth of what happened. You acted out of love and protection for your family. None of us would have done differently in your shoes.”

Ghira sighed heavily, his gaze softening. “It’s not easy for any of us, son. But you didn’t kill in cold blood. You did what was necessary in a moment of crisis.”

Amber wiped tears from her eyes, her voice trembling. “You’re still my brother. Nothing changes that.” Her words hung in the air, full of pain but also an unshakable bond.

I felt the weight of her words settle in my chest, and for the first time, I realized that no matter how dark the situation seemed, I wasn't completely alone. The people who mattered the most to me still saw me for who I was.

Kali’s eyes softened, her tone gentle. “You don’t have to carry this burden alone, Corey. We’ll stand by you.”

I took a shaky breath, the blood still fresh in my mouth. Despite everything, despite the guilt that lingered, I felt the spark of something I hadn’t expected: hope. “I don't want to cause anyone more pain. But what happens now?”

Ghira shook his head. “We’ll figure this out together. No one has to make this decision alone. But one thing’s for certain—you're not going to face this alone.”

As the words echoed in my ears, I felt a tiny sliver of relief. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way forward from all of this. But for now, all I could do was lean on the family I had left, and hope I could somehow make things right.

I have done it again. I killed my step dad this time. I don't feel bad. My mom looked at me. “You took a life in rage.”

“He slapped Amber and he Targeted me.” Everyone walked away. I didn't want to take a life but my feral side took it.

I fell to my knees and coughed up a decent amount of blood.

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I knelt there, clutching my chest. The exhaustion finally caught up to me, every ache and bruise screaming for attention now that the adrenaline had drained away. My breathing was shallow, uneven, but I didn’t try to stand. Not yet.

Amber lingered nearby, her wide eyes fixed on me, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Corey…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, smearing blood across my skin. “I’m fine,” I muttered, though we both knew it was a lie.

My mom stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, her expression torn between anger and sadness. “You’re not fine,” she said quietly. “You’ve crossed a line, Corey. One you can’t come back from.”

I forced myself to look up at her, the weight of her words heavy in the air. “I know,” I said, my voice hoarse. “But I won’t apologize for protecting Amber. For protecting you.”

She shook her head, tears glistening in her silver eyes. “This isn’t what your father would have wanted for you. He believed in strength, but he also believed in control. Killing out of rage... it’s not who you are, Corey.”

I clenched my fists, my robotic arm sparking slightly from the strain. “Maybe it is who I am,” I said bitterly. “Maybe I’m just a monster pretending to be better than him.”

Blake stepped forward then, her amber eyes locked onto mine. “You’re not a monster, Corey,” she said firmly. “You’re someone who’s been pushed too far, too many times. But that doesn’t mean you have to give in to this side of you.”

I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “It’s easy for you to say. You’ve never killed someone like this.”

Blake’s ears twitched, her voice softening. “You’re right. But I’ve come close. And I know how hard it is to come back from the edge. But you can. You have to, for Amber. For yourself.”

Amber stepped closer, her small hand gripping my arm tightly. “You’re not a monster,” she said, echoing Blake’s words. “You’re my brother. And you’re still here. That’s what matters.”

I stared at her for a long moment, her unwavering faith in me cutting through the fog in my mind. Maybe I wasn’t beyond saving. Maybe there was still a part of me worth holding onto.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment. Sun appeared, his face grim as he crouched beside me. “Corey, you’re coughing up blood. You need a doctor.”

I let out a weak chuckle, the effort making me wince. “I’ll be fine. Just need a minute.”

“No, you don’t ‘just need a minute,’” Sun insisted, his tone unusually serious. “You’ve been through hell, and your Aura’s completely gone. You need to rest. Let us help you.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t need anyone’s help, but the truth was, I was too tired to fight anymore.

“Fine,” I muttered, letting him and Blake help me to my feet. “But don’t expect me to stay down for long.”

Blake gave me a small, encouraging smile. “We wouldn’t dream of it.”

As they led me back toward the house, Amber stayed close, her hand never leaving mine. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to lean on the people around me. I wasn’t sure what came next, but I knew one thing for certain—I wasn’t going to face it alone.

_________________________________________________________

~A Few days later~

I woke up and I saw the only Fated Hour I had was rebuilt.  I didn't work on it. Who rebuilt my weapon? I slide it on my left arm. I felt balanced with the weight of it.

Who fixed this? I'm the only one that knows how my weapon works. Mom looks at me. “You're finally up, I was worried sick.”

“Why am I a free man when I took the life of someone?” I looked at her.

“The Belladonnas know that you didn't kill Ankh in cold blood. They know deep down you're a good person.” She answered me. “Ankh was a good person while I was still dating him.”

Her cat ears droop slightly. “I lost Sento when you… unlocked your semblance. You couldn't control your Semblance when you first unlocked it. Now looking at you, you have grown a lot. You lead a team, you left the White Fang on your own.”

I didn't know what to say. I felt lost still, I suffered from losing Azu and Sumire. I can't control my rage, and I'm Emotionally damag