The next morning, the classroom buzzed with whispers as Shin Kazumi took the podium, his silver-ringed hand resting casually on the desk.
The girls whispered behind notebooks.
"He's hot."
"Like movie-star hot."
"Did you see his eyes?"
But Reiko didn't swoon like the others.
She couldn't stop staring at his hand.
That ring.
That silver band with the black symbol etched deep — like a twisting eye, or a spiral devouring itself.
He taught with grace, his voice smooth, clear, charismatic. But every time his gaze met Reiko's, she felt a chill run down her spine — like he could see through her skin.
After class, he approached her.
"Reiko," he said, folding his arms. "A moment."
Kino stepped beside her, protective as always. "We're busy."
But Shin's smile didn't fade. "I think Reiko will want to hear what I have to say."
He leaned in, voice low.
"You're looking for the Blood Key, aren't you?"
Reiko's heart skipped.
She said nothing. Her lips were dry.
Shin stood upright. "If you want answers, meet me at the school archives. Midnight. Bring no one else."
He turned and left, his shoes echoing down the hallway.
---
Midnight – The School Archives
The air was thick with dust and memory.
Shelves stretched up like the ribs of a sleeping beast, filled with yellowed books, sealed scrolls, and locked drawers. Reiko stood alone, flashlight in hand, her fingers trembling.
"You came," Shin said, stepping from the shadows like a phantom.
"I want to know what's happening to me," Reiko said. "And who you really are."
Shin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he led her deeper into the archives — past the sealed section, where only staff were allowed.
He stopped at a forgotten drawer and pulled out a heavy, rusted folder marked:
Vessel Log – 1920–Present
He placed it on a table and opened it slowly.
"There have been twelve Vessels in the last century," he explained. "Women chosen to carry a seal… a curse. Your mother was one. She was also the last."
Reiko stared at the documents. Black and white photos. Names. Seals. Medical records.
"Why are you helping me?"
Shin's expression darkened.
"Because I failed the last one."
He placed a photo in front of her. A young woman, smiling faintly.
"Miyako Takahashi," Shin whispered. "She begged me to find the Blood Key. I never did. And now…"
He looked at Reiko.
"You are all that's left."
---
They worked together through the night, Shin flipping through ancient books, Reiko decoding sketches. Between them, something tense but curious formed — not quite trust, but something leaning toward it.
Until Reiko found it.
A torn page, shoved between two outdated history books.
A map — of the school grounds — but underneath, sketched in red ink, a second layout. Older. Hidden.
It marked a chamber beneath the old gymnasium.
The Sanctuary of Blood.
Shin's voice grew serious. "That's where the Blood Key was once hidden. But to reach it…"
He looked at her.
"You'll have to open the gate."
"What gate?"
"The one that leads into your mother's memories."
---
Later that night…
As Reiko returned to her room, exhausted and unsettled, she found a note under her door.
No sender.
Just one line:
"He wears the ring of betrayal. Trust him, and your blood will burn."
She stared at it, heart pounding.
Outside her window, the wind stirred.
A feather drifted down.
And somewhere deep beneath the school, something awoke.
---
To Be Continued…