Persona - Mask of Origins

"Now they're back to red. I have to say that blue eyes suit you more."

 

He smiled, "Thanks. Well I got what I needed, we should go back now." He hefted up the heavy box of herbs and grinned, though fanged. "I'll be human soon again."

 

"Good to hear." Yuki said as she walked with him back to Toji's.

 

Zain immediately continued to Toji's lab-ish room and started to boil down the herbs. His nose telling him when they were ready to add to the cure.

 

Toji stood to the side for the most part, but helped when Zain asked for help.

 

Zain sat back after they'd all been added to the cure, it nearly smelt the same, but the blood of the shadows was what he'd need next. Zain remembered what they smelt like, but he remembered also how much of a fight they put up. To get their blood, he'd need a lot of help restraining them. "Toji...how well do you fight?"

 

"I'm good at hand to hand combat, but if you want help fighting shadows, you might be better off asking Yuki. I've got no experience fighting shadows."

 

Zain growled at the thought of having Yuki fight shadows. "She's my sister. I cannot ask her to put herself in harms way for me. You on the other hand, mean very little to me. It'll be alright, they are like fighting people, but with sharper claws, fangs and other strange extremities. I will teach you." Zain stood, his red eyes dull from staring and sniffing at the herbs all day.

 

"I guess if there's no other choice."

 

He relaxed, "Good, I'll see you again when the sun sets. You can ask Yuki for daytime training, but at night, I will train you as a shadow." He dreaded his own physical changes but if it was only to regain his humanity, he'd do anything. Leaving Toji, he fell on the couch and fell asleep.

 

Toji sighed as he tidied up the lab. He then went to train with Yuki.

 

Zain slept uneasily. Shiv still invaded his dreams even though she was dead. Sweat beaded on his skin and he twitched, fighting through his dream. She still called him a betrayer of his kind. A pained whimper escaped his lips.

 

Yuki came back in and comforted Zain.

 

He jerked awake, sweat dripping from him and gripped Yuki's arm tightly. So...it never ends with the nightmares on my side either, huh? I'm such a pathetic shadow...

 

Yuki sighed.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you, Zain."

 

He laughed nervously. "You sound like you like that thought." Pulling away from her, he wiped the sweat from his face, the moment of his blue eyes faded away quickly as he pulled his hand from his face. "Callen...that's his name! I've got to go!" Jumping up, he pulled on his jacket and bolted out the door and down the street.

 

Yuki wondered where Zain was going.

 

Zain hurried to the cemetary and found him...Callen. Panting, he watched the man stand and lazily look at him with those horrid rust red eyes, "Callen Kirykuu. You...you're the one she..." Callen's smile was fanged as he moved to embrace Zain in a hug. His face buried in Zain's neck, "You're just like how I remember. How long has it been since I last saw you...Zain Menlow?" Zain felt his fear creep up his spine and turn his eyes blue again. "F-f-f-ift..." he couldn't speak. "That's right, fifteen years have passed since I last saw you. How you've grown. And...how more delicious your blood smells." Zain's eyes widened and he felt Callen bite him.

 

Yuki went looking for Zain. Toji went with her to make sure nothing happened to her.

 

Zain's fear held him to Callen as he fed from him. Callen pulled away briefly to see Zain's blue eyes staring at him, "Did you forget our relationship Zain?" Zain couldn't breath. Callen wasn't an ordinary shadow and he had forgotten. "You...you...y-you..." Callen sighed and nuzzled his wound, "Yes, I feed from human shadows. The further they slip into being a shadow, the more delicious their blood is. Now stop prolonging my long awaited dinner." He bit him again and Zain could do nothing but stare at the sky, believing he'd run to his death.