Ash walked past Rei without so much as a glance at her outstretched hand. Her fingers hovered in the air for a moment before falling limp by her side. He could feel the weight of her gaze on his back, the expectations and the unspoken demands. But he didn''t stop. He couldn''t stop. Not now. The murmurs of the crowd faded into the background as he kept moving, his footsteps echoing in the silence that had somehow enveloped him. His gaze was fixed ahead, his mind elsewhere—far from the school gates, far from the stares, far from her.
He could feel their eyes boring into him—some with disdain, others with amusement. A few whispered, their voices thick with judgment. Yet, he felt nothing. No anger. No humiliation. No gratitude. Just emptiness. The same emptiness that had settled over him every time they tried to define him, every time they attempted to strip him of his humanity with their expectations.
Why did she do that?
The question echoed through his mind, but he didn''t have an answer. He didn''t know why Rei felt the need to interfere, to act like the hero, the one who could save the day. She always did this, always stepped in at the last moment, pushing him down to elevate herself. She was the perfect picture of righteousness, her facade unbroken and pristine. The savior of the school, adored by everyone. The shining star of their generation—always rescuing the weak, always basking in the applause.
It should have been admirable, shouldn''t it? Ash''s chest tightened with a strange, bitter feeling that stirred deep inside him. Did she really think of herself as a savior? The thought gnawed at him. Or was there something else beneath that perfectly composed mask? Something darker? Something... more calculating?
He stepped through the school gates, the sound of his footsteps lost amidst the fading voices behind him. For a moment, he almost wanted to turn around. To look at her, to confront her, to demand answers. But no. That wasn''t what he wanted. What was there to say to someone who never understood what it meant to be truly weak?
He stole a glance over his shoulder, just for a moment. Rei was still standing there, her face a perfect picture of righteous indignation. But something was off. The way her lips curled, just slightly. The way her gaze flickered toward the gathered students, gauging their reactions, reading them like an open book, rather than focusing on him.
It was subtle. Barely noticeable. But it unsettled him. Something didn''t add up.
Later that evening, as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting long shadows over the courtyard, Takeshi stood before Rei, his usual swagger absent. The arrogant smirk that often played on his lips was gone, replaced with a quiet, unreadable expression. Here, in the shadows, the true face of the Tsukihime clan was revealed—not the imposing, untouchable heir they presented to the public, but something else. Something more… obedient.
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"Was that satisfactory?" Takeshi asked, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His voice was calm, but there was a faint edge to it, as if he still didn''t fully understand the reasons behind Rei''s actions.
Rei''s lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in it. "You did well," she said, her tone cool and calculated. "They admire me even more now."
Takeshi snorted, shaking his head with a dismissive laugh. "I still don''t get it. Why bother with that weakling? He''s nothing." His voice carried a hint of distaste, though it was more for Ash''s perceived weakness than for any personal animosity.
Rei''s smile didn''t waver, but the coldness in her eyes deepened. "Because the weaker he looks, the brighter I shine. The more helpless he appears, the more they''ll revere me." She paused, her gaze shifting slightly, as if lost in thought. "And admiration is power."
Takeshi''s chuckle was hollow, almost mocking. "Hah… I almost feel bad for him."
"Almost isn''t enough," Rei said, her voice devoid of sympathy. It was a command, an order. "Bully him more."
Takeshi hesitated, the edges of his smirk faltering. There was something about Rei''s tone, the chilling finality in her words, that made him pause. But he nodded, reluctantly acknowledging his place. His clan served the Tsukihime, and that meant obeying Rei—no matter the cost.
As Takeshi walked away, his mind lingered on the thought that had just taken root. How long would Ash stay at the bottom?
Unbeknownst to them, Ash sat in his small room, his hands steady as he bandaged his bruises with practiced ease. The quiet of his room, the dim light from a single bulb overhead, provided a stark contrast to the chaos of the day. His body ached, every muscle screaming in protest as he moved, but it was the ache of his pride being stripped raw that truly cut him. He was nothing in their eyes—less than nothing. He was the punching bag, the scapegoat, the one they would always look down on.
And yet, as his fingers worked on the bandages, something else stirred within him. A single ember smoldered in the pit of his stomach, burning hot and steady. It was the only warmth he could feel in a world that had left him cold.
They thought he was weak. They thought he was helpless. They thought he was a puppet to be manipulated, a tool to be used. But they didn''t know.
Not yet.
Ash stood up from his cot, his movements slow but deliberate. The night outside was still, the world unaware of the storm brewing inside him. He looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror on the wall. The bruises, the cuts—they were just temporary. He knew that. But what they had done to him, what they thought of him, that was something else entirely.
He didn''t belong to them. Not anymore.
The ember inside him flickered, then flared brighter. Ash''s eyes hardened. He had a plan. A slow burn, a quiet revolution that would start from within.
They would learn who he was in time.
And when they did, they would regret ever thinking him weak.