ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴀᴛ ᴅᴀᴡɴ |Nanami Kento X Reader|

13 - You stayed

Drawing in a calming breath, you willed your body to take a step further, wishing no one would notice you were struggling to keep walking. You barely dared glance at Nanami who was now muttering as if in a trance, his eyes blinking so quickly it felt like he was seconds from fainting again. That thought sent a spike of dread all the way down to your stomach. You were only a couple steps away from the gates, but the truth was unavoidable, you were never going to make it all the way there.

Sweat running down your back, you gripped the blond man's arm tighter, in hope it would change anything about the way his weight weirdly kept growing heavier, when you suddenly tripped on someone's cape in front of you. Silently cursing, you paused, aware of the curious looks weighting on you. Was this the occasion to give up and flee ? You doubted anyone would try to stop you, given how everyone here felt like they would watch the mountain explode without so much as a reaction.

You stared at Nanami's face, his brows pinched in a pained scowl, and irritation flared to life in the pit of your belly. No, you were definetely not doing it for him, you were doing it to protect Amane, that was the only reason that was now forcing you to push on your legs, desperatly trying to pull Nanami up. Grunting, your eyes darted to the shape in his back, that has grown larger as seconds passed. What the fuck was he changing into ?

Just as you were struggling to get the man to move, unease crept through your chest and you stopped dead in your tracks. A hush had fallen upon the bustling scene as you stood amidst the crowd. It was as if the world had momentarily muted itself, and a wave of silence enveloped you. In that instant, you became acutely aware of the weight of gazes upon you, the intensity of their focus palpable.

Turning your head, you followed the collective gaze of the onlookers and saw them parting, creating a path through the crowd. An air of anticipation crackled, and your heart quickened with debilitating fear.

As you watched, a figure emerged from the crowd, moving purposefully towards you. The crowd instinctively made way, their eyes fixed on this approaching presence and you became keenly aware of your own vulnerability, standing at the center of this spotlight. You needed to do something, anything ; or the one coming for you – the gates' guard you guessed, was definitely going to call for the monster that had slaughtered that human before and you had no desire of following the same destiny.

Every muscles in your body knotted as you looked for anything to use to defend yourself, your stomach hollowing as the steps got closer and you started wondering if you were even capable to fight against a beast 4 times your size. As determination tugged on your chest, you felt a soft touch on your shoulder and you whipped your head, meeting a yokai's calm stare.

The man standing before you looked as old as the world and felt as if the barest of movement would send his body crumpling on the floor but for some reason his presence had an undeniable vibrancy and grace. His stature was diminutive, his frame compact and stooped with the weight of years. But it was his face that held your attention, adorned with the unmistakable signs of time's passage. The most striking feature was his large, expressive gray eyebrows, reminiscent of thunderclouds hovering above his deep-set eyes.

His hair, a silver-white cascade, framed his face in unruly waves. Tufts of fur peeked through here and there, hinting at his otherworldly lineage. From his temples, two triangular fox ears, soft and velvety, protruded ever so slightly.

Clad in simple, worn robes, he gave you the barest of nods and his red eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief as he noticed your gobsmacked expression.
"What a fool you are." He sighed, theatrically shaking his head, his unruly white hair gracefully falling on his shoulders. "I told you to be careful with my patient. Is there anything you can do without being awfully clumsy ?"