Zayne lay in his hospital bed, staring up at the harsh fluorescent lights buzzing above him. A strange tugging sensation pulled at his awareness, and when he turned his head, he saw his shadow stretching unnaturally across the floor, slithering toward Robin.
His eyes widened. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed under his breath. "Don't go near her! If she kills you, I might die along with you, and I really don't wanna die again."
The shadow froze mid-motion before retreating, curling back into his body like smoke being pulled into a vacuum. Zayne exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Of course. The sentient magic parasite can't talk but can move around and do whatever it wants."
Robin didn't seem to notice—either that or she was purposely ignoring it. He wasn't sure which option unsettled him more.
After several days of awkward small talk with a woman he barely remembered, Zayne was finally discharged. The moment he stepped outside, he let out a deep breath, relieved to be free from the sterile walls of the hospital.
Back at his dorm, he wasted no time shooting off emails to his professors about his sudden absence, keeping the explanations vague. With that done, he took a long look around his room—at the scattered books, the half-finished cup of instant ramen on his desk, the posters peeling slightly at the edges. It all felt... off, like he was stepping into someone else's life instead of his own.
Before he could think too hard about it, exhaustion pulled him under, and he drifted into sleep.
The next day, Zayne woke up just in time for class, seamlessly slipping back into his usual routine. He took his usual seat in his first lecture, arriving early, as he often did. One by one, students trickled in, filling the room with idle chatter and shuffling backpacks. Everything felt normal—until she walked in.
Ash.
Zayne stiffened but kept his expression neutral. The last time he'd seen her, she had put a hole clean through his chest. But he looked different enough now—white hair, pale eyes—so he could just pretend not to know her.
Just stay put. Just blend in. She won't—
Much to his dismay, she made a beeline for the empty seat next to him. And, even worse, she stared at him. The entire class.
When the lecture ended, he hurried out, hoping to put some distance between them, but she followed. Zayne sat on a bench outside, flipping through his phone, pretending not to notice her. But when she plopped down next to him, still staring, he exhaled sharply.
"Okay, I was ignoring you before, but seriously, what do you want?"
Ash cocked her head, studying him like a puzzle she was trying to solve. "How are you alive right now? I know I put a hole clean through your chest."
Zayne sighed, already knowing this wouldn't be easy. But he had no problem lying through his teeth.
"That's a pretty morbid joke," he said, forcing a chuckle. "I've never seen you before in my life, so kindly leave me alone, crazy lady."
Ash narrowed her eyes. "Hmm. Sure you don't. You smell exactly the same... but there's something different. Something foreign."
Zayne grimaced inwardly. Of course she has my scent. She's a glorified puppy.
"Look, I don't know anything about this 'scent' thing, but you're creeping me out. So scram before I report you to campus security."
Ash leaned in slightly, her expression amused. "Wow. That's funny, because the guy I killed said something real similar. Something about me 'awakening' something in him. Right before I threw him into a wall."
Zayne flinched, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, I cope with hum—"
He caught himself and quickly straightened. "I mean, I don't know what you're talking about. I'd never say something like that to a lady."
Ash sighed as if tired of the charade, then, in a flash, her claws extended, pressing lightly against his throat. "Dude. Drop the act. Tell me what's really happening."
Zayne threw his head back in frustration. Why couldn't she just take a damn hint?
"Fine," he muttered. "Look, I was dead. Now I'm not. And I'm really trying to lay low because people are actively trying to kill me. So if you don't mind, kindly remove the claws from my neck before you blow both our covers. This is literally how you got caught in the first place."
Ash tapped her claws against his skin, considering his words. After a moment, she pulled her hand away.
"Well," she said, stretching her arms lazily, "I did confirm you were dead. And now you're back. So I guess you should fly under the radar for a while before the clan gets involved."
Zayne let out a slow breath. "Thank you. See? I knew you could be reasonable. Now go. I wanna be alone for a while."
Ash smirked, standing up and brushing herself off. "Fine, fine. But just so you know—this isn't over."
Zayne rolled his eyes as she walked away. Of course it wasn't.
Zayne flipped through the apps on his phone, his mind racing. "It's a good thing she's kind of dumb," he muttered to himself. "It would've made so much more sense for her to just drag me to whatever clan she was talking about and turn me in, but I'm glad she didn't." He let out a breath, still unsure of how to feel about the whole situation. "Guess I'm lucky for now."
The next day, as Zayne walked out of his dorm building, he spotted Ash standing just outside, waiting for him. The moment their eyes met, she pounced, her barrage of questions coming instantly, but he didn't even bother to respond.
She kept following him, peppering him with more inquiries, her voice persistent but ignored. Zayne remained focused on his phone, playing a game, not even acknowledging her presence.
In class, Ash sat quietly beside him, but the moment the bell rang, she was back to her usual pestering self. "Come on, just tell me how you came back to life. Anyone would be curious about that."
Zayne kept his eyes glued to the screen, ignoring her again. She wasn't going to get any answers out of him. But she wasn't about to give up so easily.
"Come on," she pressed, "Just tell me. Maybe I should report you to the clan after all. You don't want that, do you?"
Zayne finally sighed, looking up from his phone with a bored expression. "Wow, that's low. Even if I wanted to tell you, there's not much to say. I was dead, everything was dark and cold, and then I woke up in a hospital. After that, some nut tried to kill me, but a friend of my sister stopped him, and now I'm here." He shrugged, his tone flat. "That's it. I wish I got some special powers, but I don't."
Ash raised an eyebrow, peering down at the ground for a moment before glancing back at him. "So your dancing shadow doesn't count as a supernatural power?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Zayne didn't even look up this time. He stomped his foot on the ground, and the shadow stopped squirming beneath him. "Nope, not at all. He has a mind of his own," he said nonchalantly, returning his focus to his game.
Ash studied him for a moment, clearly not satisfied, but decided to back off—for now. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" she muttered, though there was a hint of curiosity still burning in her eyes.