Kaein's POV
By the time my mother started talking, I was already half gone in my head. She stood near the board, papers in her hand, that sharp expression on her face she only got during briefings. The kind that said you mess up once and I'll end you myself.
"These demons aren't like the ones you've fought before," she said. "They're sly. They move through towns pretending to be people, students, teachers, even guards."
Takeshi made a face. "Aren't they like the ones who acted like humans? The cosplay demons. Great."
"Not cosplay," she said, giving him that look that could melt skin. "They copy behavior. Speech. Clothing. They adapt fast, but this time they can't stay human for long."
Daichi leaned on his chair. "Why high schools though? Why not, I don't know, city halls like before?"
"Because high schools are full of unstable emotions," my mother said simply. "Fear, jealousy, anger. It makes feeding easier."
That got my attention. I blinked. "Feeding? You mean they eat…?"
"Yurp not flesh," she said. "They feed on energy. Human emotion, life force, whatever you want to call it. The moment they stop feeding, their disguise starts to rot. The body can't hold the human shape anymore. It starts to split open. You can literally see the human skin peeling off them."
The room went quiet for a second.
Shion frowned. "So they can't stay human unless they keep eating people's emotions?"
"Exactly," my mother said. "They latch onto humans through contact some do it through friendship, some through love, some by pretending to protect. They drain slowly. The victim won't even notice until it's too late."
I rubbed my jaw. "And if they don't get enough?"
"They revert," she said, voice low. "Back to their real form. And when that happens, they lose control completely. They go feral."
I felt something twist in my chest. The image of Ren's face flashed in my head how his eyes had glowed faintly when the sun hit them. I told myself I was overthinking, but it stuck like a splinter I couldn't dig out.
"So basically," Takeshi said, "we're dealing with emotional vampires who suck feelings instead of blood."
"Crude," my mother said. "But not entirely wrong."
Shion leaned forward. "And how do we spot them before they revert?"
"They slip," she said. "They can't maintain perfection. Their reflection blurs, shadows move differently, sometimes they blink too slow or their voice changes mid-sentence. The problem is, it's subtle. You have to pay attention."
"Sounds fun," I muttered.
My mother ignored me. "They've been seen mostly near the east villages. But last week, two bodies were found near Seiran High. Both drained dry. We suspect one of the demons went undercover there."
"High school," Takeshi said, groaning. "Why is it high schools? Can't demons ever go to tax offices?"
"They're young-looking," she said. "That's where they blend easiest."
I couldn't help it I snorted. "Demons playing teenagers. That's new."
My father cut in for the first time. "Kaein. You're the right age for that environment. You'll go undercover at the next High with Shion and maybe Daichi."
I looked up fast. "Wait what?"
"It makes sense," he said. "You will blend. You'll act as transfer students, keep watch, and report anything unusual."
"That's not even our district," I said.
He shrugged. "It is now."
My mother glanced at me. "You have a problem with that?"
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to say I didn't feel like babysitting hormonal teenagers while demons sucked souls behind vending machines. But mostly, I just didn't trust myself near anything that involved pretending to be normal.
"No problem," I said finally.
"Good," she said. "You leave tomorrow morning."
The meeting moved on. People talked logistics, fake IDs, covers. I barely heard any of it. My brain was somewhere else, replaying her words. They copy behavior. They adapt fast. They can't stay human if they don't feed.
It shouldn't have meant anything. But then I remembered the night before Ren's hands warm, his skin almost too warm. The faint glow under his lashes. The way his body seemed to hum when I touched him, like something was alive just under the surface.
No. I shook it off. It couldn't be that. Ren wasn't he couldn't be.
I stared down at my hands, realizing they were trembling slightly. I clenched them into fists under the table.
"Hey," Daichi whispered. "You look like you're about to puke."
"Just tired," I said.
"Yeah, sure. You always look tired when your mom's talking."
I shot him a look. "I'm fine."
He smirked. "You say that like it's supposed to convince someone."
What if the one we were hunting wasn't at the school yet? What if he already was?
I pushed the thought away. It didn't help.
I lay down, eyes open, watching the ceiling until it blurred. The next morning couldn't come fast enough.
B
ecause part of me already knew what tomorrow would bring. And I didn't want to be right.