Chapter Seventeen
A Pact Created
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Yushin had apologized for the interruption after I mentioned feeling sick to my stomach, which made sense since I had consumed way too much of the Underworld’s alcohol. When I woke up the next day, breakfast sat next to my bed with a glass of orange juice and a little note that read, “Hope you’re not hurting too much~ <3.”
The breakfast was simple: eggs, bacon, and colorful fruit that resembled dragon fruit but had a unique shade of red and black. The fruit was cut into small pieces, fading in and out of those colors. My head was pounding with agitation and a definite hangover. I reached over to drink the orange juice, which, by the way, was definitely not orange juice. It was something much stronger but delicious, with the color of orange juice but an entirely different taste—perhaps an Underworld variant similar to the dragon fruit.
The room was quiet, and I felt awful. At least nothing was swirling anymore, and I could barely remember last night. The only thing I could recall was Yushin coming to ask for help. I decided to take a bath and get ready for the day.
Once I was finished getting ready, I began to make my way to the stairs when I noticed Kurai’s door slightly ajar. I thought about what Yushin had said, referring to Kurai as a Banished Kitsune rather than just a Nogitsune. There wasn’t much difference, but it did involve the kind of power they had and how humans perceived them. One was considered a god, while the other was seen as an evil spirit.
I approached his door and knocked gently, wanting to thank him for helping me get home and to question him about Yushin's statement. Inside, I heard classical music playing and poked my head in. I saw Kurai sleeping wildly on his bed—a typical guy. Arms and legs sprawled out, blanket in disarray, chest exposed to the world.
Deciding not to bother him, I smiled and went to shut the door when I heard him call my name.
I glanced back through the door and saw Kurai sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
"Mmm, Snow, are you okay?" he asked sleepily, yawning.
His sleepy voice saying my name sent all the blood rushing to my cheeks. I nodded and replied quietly, "I was just coming in to thank you."
Kurai stretched out his arms, his robe readjusting on his body and revealing his chest again. I quickly looked away, pulling my head back outside the door as if I were intruding on something private.
I closed the door slightly and thanked him again, "I appreciate your help getting home last night and making sure I was okay. Thank you."
As I went to shut his door and leave, I felt it stop just before closing. His warm hand wrapped around my wrist, keeping me from leaving. I knew that if I turned around, my face would be brighter than the sun—if there was one in the Underworld.
"Um, about last night, can I talk to you?" he asked softly.
My heart was pounding louder than a smoke detector, and I was sure this fox-man could hear it. Embarrassment and nerves tangled inside me, and I didn’t want to discuss what Yushin said. Swallowing hard, I turned to face Kurai, deliberately ignoring his exposed chest and locking eyes with him. When our gazes met, I could read everything in his eyes—guilt, shame, and fear. What could have possibly gone wrong?
Curiosity gnawed at me about why he was banished and what Yushin meant by "Kitsune," but I decided it could wait. I didn’t want to make him feel worse for not sharing his past immediately. The weight of his guilt seemed to stem from not telling me everything, and his emotions were a tumultuous roller coaster. Perhaps he needed more time to collect his thoughts, so I said, “Kurai, I can feel your emotions as if they were mine.”
He stared blankly at me, tilting his head. “Yeah, it’s weird. I still don’t understand it.”
I nodded, stepping back and gently pulling my wrist from his grasp. “I hadn’t shared this with anyone else, but it’s like... this connection I feel with you. I can sense your emotions, and they blend with mine. Sometimes, your feelings overwhelm my own. Right now, I can feel your anxiety, shame, and fear. I don’t know what happened, but I don’t need to.” I offered him a soft, genuine smile and rested my hand on his, trying to comfort him. “You don’t need to tell me everything about yourself right now. I’m okay with that. If you’re not ready to share, that’s fine. I wasn’t here to question you. I have to go help Yushin, wherever he is…”
As soon as I mentioned Yushin, Kurai's swirling emotions shifted sharply to jealousy. Before I could react, he pulled me into his room with an intensity that was both aggressive and controlled. His arms moved swiftly, shutting the door behind me and trapping me between his muscular frame and the solid wood. The proximity of his body, the heat radiating from him, and the fierceness of his gaze made my knees weak. I felt myself melting under his touch, the blend of his protectiveness and barely restrained passion making my heart race even faster. I thought I had done a well enough job to keep my emotions of nervousness down, but the half-naked nogitsune decided against it.
"No," he said, his voice a low, husky whisper. He looked down at me, his deep amber eyes filled with a pained expression. The intensity of his gaze seemed to pierce through me, revealing the turmoil within him. His emotions were a storm, and I could feel the waves crashing over me, blending with my own.
“Snow?” I heard a voice on the other side of the door, which completely twisted Kurai’s anger.
“Yushin?” I murmured, still trapped between the Nogitsune’s arms.
He no longer felt shame or guilt; shyness and jealousy now colored his emotions.
"I really think I need to talk with the Spirit—"
"I said no," Kurai interrupted, his voice growing louder, tinged with anger and jealousy.
“Snow?! Are you in there?!” Yushin’s voice called through the door.
Annoyed, Kurai removed his hands from the door, shook his head, and quickly grabbed my hands, pulling me away. With a swift motion, a fiery portal appeared before us, and he pulled me through just as the door to his room began to open.
The world spun around me as Kurai, and I stepped through the portal. A wave of dizziness washed over me. I closed my eyes, gripping Kurai’s hand tightly as we were transported to another realm. When the spinning sensation finally ceased, I hesitated before opening my eyes, unsure what I would see.
When I finally dared to look, my breath caught in my throat. We had emerged in a place that seemed to be frozen in time, a stark contrast to the vibrant world we had just left. The air was heavy with the scent of ash, and an unsettling silence enveloped us.
“Kurai? What are you doing?!” I huffed, “You can’t just push me through a portal - that’s as bad as Yush-”
“Don’t speak his name,” Kurai sighed, running his hand through his midnight-black hair.
I glared at him before shaking my head and looking around the familiar ruins. “Why are we back here?” I asked him. “Are we training already?”
“No, Snow, come with me.” He reached for my hand and began pulling me, “Do you have your dagger?”
“I. Uh, do,” I replied, reaching for my bag with the other hand.
We approached what must have once been a beautiful shrine. Now, it lay in ruins, the stone statues of fox spirits shattered and scattered across the ground. The altars were desecrated, covered in dark, ominous symbols that sent shivers down my spine.
I took a hesitant step forward, my foot crunching on the charred remains of leaves and branches. The forest around us was a graveyard of blackened trees, their skeletal branches reaching out like the fingers of ghosts from some forgotten nightmare. The streams, which Kurai told me once sparkled with clear, fresh water, were now dry or filled with murky, contaminated liquid.
“What exactly happened to your homeland?” I asked him, remembering how he had first brought me here.
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“A Demon,” he stated clearly. “The same one that is going after you—I knew I recognized it somewhere,” he murmured as he gently ran his hands down one of the statues.
I could feel the intensity of his anger as he spoke. The land was a haunting testament to the destruction the demon had wrought. As we walked, I could almost hear the faint echoes of the past—the cheerful chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind, now replaced by a haunting stillness.
“Kurai, that’s terrible,” I murmured.
"It's stupid," he grumbled, his dark hair shadowing his eyes again. "I was forced into this contract to leave my home and family. My parents... they made a deal that involved you. Your parents, Ren? And Sayuri? They're your parents, right? Elder Rumaki, yeah..." His gaze darkened as he turned to face me, locking eyes.
"That... No, you can't know that. I hardly know you," I murmured, bewildered.
"And yet, somehow, I know everything about you," he replied. "The day I was forced to meet you, I relived everything from my past and yours. I'm going to overwhelm you, but you need to listen." The Nogitsune stepped closer, resting his hands on my shoulders and looking me over.
"Your parents? They were killed by demons."
My voice caught in my throat. I stared at Kurai, utterly heartbroken. So he knew my parents? The same parents that were killed about ten years ago? Are the same ones connected to this contract with me? What was this about a contract?!
Suddenly, Kurai's hands moved from my shoulders to my arm, grabbing where the demon had attacked me. With his other hand, he lifted my shirt to expose my side. "This demon, Snow, this one right here... I knew this mark—this blood, it was familiar. When I heard what happened from Yushin the other night, I offered to try something out on him—as he was a Spirit Walker. I never had the opportunity to heal a Spirit Walker. But this demon, this was the assailant of your parents."
I felt completely shattered. This demon killed my parents and now is trying to kill me? "W-w-what?" That was the only word I managed to get out. And on top of that, Kurai had a normal conversation with Yushin after exposing him like he did? I was surprised that Kurai hadn't attacked the Spirit Walker.
He examined the wound mark on my side. "That's why this hasn't healed yet. This is the mark of the demon that killed your parents and wiped out our village."
Terror gripped me as he spoke; my entire body trembled. Tears began to flow more heavily, and I clutched a pillow close to my body. "That village you showed me... Was that what happened?" I asked, trying to calm myself, but I couldn't. I had been told my parents died in a car accident, but was there more to the story?
“This dagger,” He murmured, holding it up to one of the only intact statues left. “It was part of the contract. It has the power to show memories, to reveal the past."
He placed the dagger on the shrine and touched the blade. Instantly, a misty light enveloped us. I stood beside Kurai, watching scenes unfold like a ghostly playback of history.
Two Kitsune figures stood side by side. Their faces, strikingly similar to Kurai's, were illuminated by the shrine's soft glow. They stood atop the sacred structure, calling out to the ghostly figures surrounding us as the scene unfolded.
"This contract will redeem the demon spirit within my son," the man declared to the crowd of fox spirits, who responded with a cacophony of arguments and calls.
A black-robed figure stood holding a small basket with its back to me. Driven by curiosity, I approached the figure. I found myself face-to-face with a woman I had never seen before. Her hair was as red as the blood moon that hung above the Underworld, and her eyes matched in a fiery red-orange hue. She stared intently at the man addressing the group.
Confused, I glanced at the basket resting on a rock beside her. Inside was not a loaf of bread but a baby with a tuft of white hair. The child's eyes, a striking lavender like mine, gazed upwards.
"Who... is this?" I whispered. As the words left my mouth, the scene around me began to distort and freeze. "Kurai?" I called out, but the Nogitsune, now as ghostly as the other kitsune, did not respond. "Kurai?" I questioned again, approaching him, but there was no reply.
"He cannot hear you," a soft voice whispered.
"What?" I gasped, looking around.
"It's so good to see you, Snow," the whisper came again, the voice gentle and familiar, as if I had heard it before. “You’ve grown so much,” the voice said softly.
I locked eyes with the woman speaking to me, her red eyes touching mine. She was beautiful, with long, flowing red hair almost blending in with the wind. Her eyes were a mix of sorrow and warmth.
“Snow, my dear child,” she whispered as her ethereal hand caressed my cheek. “To shield you from the pain and danger that we suffered, you don’t know how hard this was to do,” she whispered, approaching me. The woman pulled me into her, and though I didn’t feel a physical body, I sensed a warmth and presence that was undeniably real.
“Who are you?” I questioned, my eyes full of concern. “N-no, my mother is Sayuri. She’s from the human world.”
Another sad smile: “I know you don’t understand right now,” she whispered. But it’s really not safe here. He’s going to find you. Please, you must return home with Kurai and not return to the Land of the Kitsune—you do not want to be seen.”
“What?” I questioned, gasping a bit. “Bu-but no, I have questions! How do I stop this demon? Who are you really? I need answers!” I cried to her.
“You’ll find them in your own time, Snow. It’s not the right time for you to see this,” she whispered. Now go. He’s almost here. He knows how to find you.” Her sweet voice turned into a panic.
With that, the warm spirit began to fade, and things began to swirl black. The ethereal kitsune spirits around me began to disappear. I turned to look back at Kurai, who unfroze and started talking as if none of that happened.
“This Fire Opal is our contract—tinged with your blood and mine. It was a tribute from our Clan to thank your parents for helping us,” he said, unaware of what had just happened. “Between our blood, that explains why I could hear you and was forced to protect you. Between the mix of all of our blood, I was pushed into this role as your ‘guardian’—in exchange for the lives they protected,” Kurai explained.
Now that I was out of the memory with Kurai, the wind grew cold. I gazed around as it began to howl, and the ice and cold grew once more—as if the Underworld’s curse was expanding to the Kitsune World. “Kurai?” I murmured, concerned for the woman’s warning. “Kurai!”
He continued, “A life for a thousand lives,” He said, staring at the dagger now in his hands. “The day we found out about your parent's death, after my 15th birthday, and on the day of your 16th, things changed for everything. We prepared for war - thus the beginning of the contract.”
“KURAI!” I snapped, “We need to go now!” I started, feeling the fear growing inside me once more.
“What?” he asked, finally bringing his attention to the swirling darkness rolling our way. “What happened?”
“Get us out of here!” I called him.
“What? I-I can’t,” he stuttered, finally realizing what was happening. “I can’t. Can you make a portal?” he questioned.
“What do you mean you can’t make a damned portal?! You just made one a few minutes ago!” I snapped at him.
He gazed around the area, trying to figure out what was happening and see where he could escape. “I have an idea. Come on,” he said, reaching out to me. He pulled me and began to pull me along with him.
I heard the laughter of the dark shadow. “I knew it,” it whispered directly to me—as if it were in my head. Would you like to see how I slaughtered this entire realm?” The demon’s voice entered my head.
“Get out of my head!” I growled, feeling a growing pain in me.
How can I end your mother’s life with my own hands?
“Get out!” I snapped, holding my head and coming to a stop.
“What are you doing?” Kurai snapped. “Stop… standing! And let’s go!”
Flashes of red snickered through my head, watching as claws surrounded me and the darkness I was used to. “Get out!” I howled, feeling something crack.
I found her running. To take the soul of a Reaper was the most delicious thing I’ve ever got to do.
I could feel something inside my body burning. My vision faded in and out, and I’d see Kurai, and then I’d see the flashes of red again - bodies falling to the ground with screams for help. My heartbeat went, and I could feel their pain as each one of them fell from the darkness. I stood still as I watched each kitsune fall to the ground to their death. I couldn’t move; I was pulled back into that memory and saw everything. I could barely hear Kurai over the demon-shadow’s voice.
They pleaded for mercy, promising they would do anything. So, I agreed and took all of their souls—except one.
The one? Did he mean... Kurai?
Kurai, the Nogitsune. The first Nogitsune was born centuries ago, an embodiment of trickery and death.
I stood there, the wind whirling around me, making my hair dance in the cold air, now seeing Kurai. I saw him trying to escape the whirling darkness but calling out for me simultaneously.
“The Banished Nogitsune,” The demon’s voice sounded. “The one who was supposed to protect the Tribe, keep the Girl Alive, and be the hero of the Kitsune.”
A figure appeared in the window's tornado, his body hovering slightly. All I saw was that face again, the same one that exposed itself the first time.
Kurai immediately turned toward the spirit. His Nogitsune form started to heat up, and flames flickered across his body.
“The one who was supposed to save the King and the Queen, yes?” the demon mocked.
Kurai laughed, his amber eyes glinting wickedly. "So you've decided to show yourself again, even after the beating you took last time?" His hands were fully ablaze as he looked up at the figure.
"But instead, you chose to let them all burn," the shadow whispered into the tornado wind.
The demon's eyes narrowed, its sinister smile never wavering. "You think this time will be any different, Kurai? Your flames won't save you."
Kurai's harsh and unyielding laughter echoed in the air. "We'll see about that," he retorted, his voice dripping with confidence. I was able to get you away once; how about permanently?”
The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with the promise of an impending clash. The spirit's form flickered, its ethereal presence growing darker, more menacing.
I stared at the spirit a few feet away, Kurai standing protectively between us. I was angry—no, I was stunned. Every bone in my body ached with a rage I'd never felt. My emotions surged, transforming into a seething fury.
This was the thing that took everything from me.
Kurai’s flames intensified, casting long, dancing shadows around us. His presence was a beacon of defiance against the evil force before us.
"Snow," Kurai's voice cut through the turmoil, firm and resolute. "It's not real," He called out to me. "I can almost promise you that he hasn't found us. Let's go!"
I stared at the demon, locking gazes as my anger swirled. I trusted Kurai, and I took a deep breath as I tried to calm myself.
"It's all in your head," I heard Kurai once more as he rested his hand on my shoulder. "Part of the mark's tricks."
I was pulled away from the scenario through the burned Kitsune forest as the Demon's Laughter filled my head.
See you soon, Little Snow. And thanks for letting me know that Yushin was still alive.