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CHAPTER EIGHT
YOUR EYES SLOWLY OPENED, feeling as though you've been jolted awake from a deep slumber. the room spins around you, and your head throbs with a dull ache, as if someone had slammed it against a wall with great force. each movement sends waves of dizziness through you, making it difficult to focus. you find yourself lying on the bed, limbs heavy and sluggish, unable to muster the energy to sit up.
a familiar voice breaks through the haze of your thoughts, pulling you back to the reality. "how are you?" he asks, concern evident in his tone. you don't bother to turn your head to see who it is; you recognize the voice immediately. instead, you keep your gaze fixed on the plain white ceiling above you, unable to muster a response.
"did i wake you up? or... you just woke up?" the voice continues, gentle and patient, but you remain silent, unable to muster a reply. the room feels stifling, suffocating even, as if the very air weighs heavy on your chest.
"it's been weeks..." the voice trails off, filled with an unspoken weight of emotion. "do you want to go outside?" the question hangs in the air, and your heart begins to race at the mere mention of the word. outside. the very thought fills you with a sense of unease, a simmering anger rising within you for reasons you can't quite comprehend.
"or..." the voice falters as your vacant gaze finally meets his. there he stands, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, his teeth flashing in a fang-like grin. you take in his appearance, noticing the familiar black attire of his gang uniform, the tokkō-fuku that makes him a member of toman. despite the darkness of his clothes, they pale in comparison to the striking contrast of his long white hair, flowing down his back like a waterfall of snow. his turquoise eyes, a mirror to your older brother's, stare at you.
"it's fine," he says, his voice calm. "even if brother said he's going to kill me if i let you out since you aren't completely healed yet, i can take all of his scolding and a little bit of... beat up..."
your brother, mucho, has become exceedingly protective since the accident, especially towards you, the only girl in the family. Ever since then, he's kept you under constant watch, confined to your room like a bird in a gilded cage, ensuring your safety, but deep down, it's what you've always wanted, to avoid going outside for now.
"I don't want to," you reply, the words clipped and cold, causing him to simply nod in response.
"if that's the case, then okay. i understand," he responds, his tone measured. "the thing is, mucho told me to keep you watched, b-"
"i'm really fine. you can just go and... come back late whenever you want to. i'll cover for you," you cut him off, already anticipating his next words. this scenario has played out multiple times this week alone, and you've grown familiar to it now. despite the gaps in your memory, you've become familiar with his behavior, perhaps more than you'd care to admit.
