My eyes shot open, and were met with the deep darkness of night. The soft glow of the moon seeped in through my bedroom window as I bolted up suddenly in my bed and took in as much as I could of my room. Nothing seemed to be out of place, even though it was messy, but it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary had happened there hours before. My head sunk into my hands, a dull pain still lingered.

Was all of that just some really messed up dream? Did I get a concussion  when that guy hit me?

I massaged my temples slightly, wincing and trying to think back on the foggy memories that were quickly fading. I had soo many questions. Why did they have to rush off like that?

My chest tightened slightly as Ryuu's face flickered through my mind. I wonder if he's ok...

My hand absentmindedly rubbed the back of my stiff neck, and I froze. My heart began to pound erratically as my fingers glided across an unknown abrasion. I surged off the bed and charged into my bathroom, flicking the light on. Turning to inspect my neck, I can see a strange circular symbol carved into my skin and I let out a terrified gasp. I run back into my room, grab my phone, and return to the bathroom to take a photo so I can see more clearly what was etched into me. 

I stared at the photo wide eyed, my mouth falling open in disbelief as I took it all in. A giant flying dragon was crudely carved into the flesh on my neck and cascading down my back. Surrounding it were thickly printed foreign letters I couldn't read and it looked like gold flakes were sprinkled around the symbols. A flood of disbelief and terror washed over me as I realized what had happened earlier was certainly not a dream.

I yelped in panic as my phone started to vibrate. I really need to calm down ... I thought as I gazed at my phone and hurriedly answered the call.

"H-hello...," My gravely voice cracked as I answered.

"TAKASHI OH MY GOSH ARE YOU ALIVE?! I WAS ABOUT TO SEND OUT A SEARCH PARTY FOR YOU." My managers voice erupted over the phone, causing me to jump slightly and hold the phone away from my ear.

I sighed in disappointment as I realized I had let him down again, "I am soo sorry, sir, I slept way longer than I had planned and..." My voice trailed off. i didn't want to sound like I was making excuses.

"Takashi," Haruki's gentle voice came through the phone, "I just wanted to be sure you were alright. That's all that matters. Return when you are able to. You seem to have a lot on your plate right now."

His kindness floored me and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and appreciation welling up inside of me, "Thank you, sir. I am extremely sorry for letting you down and I will be at work tomorrow, I promise."

"Only if you are feeling 100% better," He replied with sincerity. "If you ever need anything, Takashi, just ask."

"T-Thank you..." I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how to correctly respond to such kindness.

"I'll let you rest, and be sure to let me know if you can't make it tomorrow," his kind voice seemed to relax me slightly and we said our goodbyes.

I let out a heavy sigh and slid down against the wall and onto the bathroom floor, resting my head in my hands. I can't go to the hospital, they will think I'm insane. I don't have the slightest idea how to get in touch with Ryuu, and honestly I'm somewhat scared to leave my apartment. I just want answers.

I gazed at my phone, and it blinked 10:04 pm across the screen. opening the browser, I started looking up random searches: demon tattoo, dragon symbol tattoo on neck, dragon tattoo ritual thing, I woke up with a huge scary tattoo of a dragon on me that I didn't want... yeah, of course I can't find anything. I don't even know what happened to me.

I leaned my head back on the wall and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. At least I'm not in pain anymore, I thought, as I slowly got to my feet. I had a bit of a lingering ache in my head and neck, but compared to the pain from before, this was nothing.

I made my way into the kitchen to find food and distract myself from the mark on my neck I could do nothing about. I opened the fridge and was greeted by a rotting onion, and when i opened the cabinet, a lone potato stared back at me, its multiple arms it had grown reaching out to me as I closed the door forcefully. My stomach growled angrily, and I let out a sigh. Before I had time to change my mind, I swiftly made my way to my room to change into the first thing I could find and grab my wallet. Slipping my shoes on, I made my way out the door, making sure to lock it securely behind me.

The corridor was dimly lit and eerily silent as I walked down the stairs and exited the building. The streetlights cast dark, ominous shadows causing me to second guess my decision to leave at this hour. I ignored my worries however as my stomach protested and trudged down the sidewalk, toward the convenience store a few blocks down. I left my bike since it wasn't too far of a distance and it would be more of a pain to deal with than it was worth.

As I was nearing the store, an ear piercing shriek and a sudden crash erupted from the alleyway near me. I jumped back in shock but then let out a sigh of relief when I saw two stray cats burst out, fighting each other as they quickly took off into the night.

My nerves can't take much more of this, I thought as I laughed nervously and arrived at the store.

Walking inside, I see a man in his late 50's dozing in an old office chair behind the counter. I make my way down an isle and peruse the instant noodle cups. I pulled out my wallet and my shoulders droop when I remember I spent the majority of my money on bandages for Ryuu. Just my luck. I sort through the change and have just enough for one instant noodle cup, so I grab one and head to the counter. The man jumps up from his snooze and swiftly completes the transaction.

"Be safe out there, boy," the man says as I turn to exit the store. I nod toward him and make my way onto the dimly lit sidewalk.

A crisp wind whistled through the trees scattered around, and brushed past me, making my skin tingle. The shadows danced in the dim moonlight and the surroundings gave off an even more eerie aura than before. I started to pick up the pace, feeling a sense of urgency. I need to get home. I'm not... safe...

As the words entered my mind, an ice cold hand reached out from the darkness and attached itself to my face, covering my mouth, keeping me from making a sound. A terrified chill went down my spine as a freezing breath brushed past my ear.

"Why are you out here alone, marked one? Where is your owner?" A wet sensation, like a tongue, tickled my ear and made me cringe. "This is ssssuch an unexpected ssssurprise."

As I heard those terrifying words whispered menacingly in my ear, my eyes widened in fear and confusion as I felt something razor sharp sink into the back of my neck where the dragon symbol was carved. Intense pain erupted in my veins as I lost all control of my body, numb to my very core, like a poison way being released into my blood stream.

Why... me... I thought, as tears glistened in the moonlight and silently rolled down my cheeks.