Chapter 13.
Kaito stood there with his eyes fixed on the body lying still on the floor. It was Angel. His chest tightened just watching him like that. He couldn't tell what was so fun about any of this. Usually, they all jumped into Hiro's mind games, helped stir the madness and pushed the victim over the edge… but today felt different. He didn't join. Taros didn't either.
Only Renn was inside with him. And Angel?
He kept twitching, his body reacting like he was being burned from the inside. His hands moved to his back over and over again, like he was trying to reach a wound no one else could see.
Kaito hated this feeling of helplessness. He wished he could see what was happening in that twisted world, but Hiro had locked him out. That was the rule…no entry if you refused to play.
So he stood still, his hands clenched at his sides, jaw tight. He didn't want to interfere. But something felt wrong.
"How the hell did Angel manage to piss Hiro off this bad?" Taros asked from beside him. He was trying to act normal, but his voice gave him away.
Kaito let out a breath. "I don't know, man. I thought Angel would calm down after what happened with Renn at the cafeteria. Guess I was wrong."
"You think this is fate?" Taros asked suddenly, like it had been sitting on his chest for a while. "Meeting all four of us in one day? That doesn't happen. Not by chance."
"Fate?" Kaito muttered with a slight shake of his head. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "Angel is just stubborn and reckless. He doesn't think things through. He's messing up everything."
"It's fate, Kaito," Taros said, not backing down. "I really believe it is."
Kaito gave a half-smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Let's hope it's not," he said and turned away, eyes falling back to Angel's body lying still on the ground. A sinking feeling hit his chest. Something didn't feel right. He sniffed the air, and his frown deepened. "Wait, is…"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Taros said. "It's fa—"
"No. Not fate." Kaito cut him off sharply. "I mean literally. Look at him. He's bleeding."
Taros looked again, more closely now. "You think Hiro's actually hurting him in there?"
Hiro was grinning, completely lost in his twisted creation. His mind was wrapped in the world he built, feeding off the fear, the panic, the pain. He loved watching people fall apart.
"It might not be Hiro," Taros said, glancing at Renn. "Look at Renn. His eyes are gone white. He's deep in it. I think he's the one doing the damage now."
Kaito's jaw tightened. "We need to stop this."
"I'll ask Hiro to let us in. We need to know what's going on before this turns into something worse," Taros said and got up quickly.
Kaito nodded, his eyes never leaving Angel. His body looked tense even in that limp state. Kaito felt it again, that twist in his gut. He wanted to believe he didn't care, but he did. And that bothered him more than anything.
Taros came back, shaking his head. "He said no. Said we'd ruin the fun."
"Of course he did," Kaito muttered. He didn't say more, but his fingers started tapping against the armrest, faster with each passing second. His mind was racing. Angel was in trouble, and somehow, it mattered to him. Too much.
When did this start? Since when did he start worrying about someone else?
"Kaitooooo!"
The voice hit him like a slap, sharp and urgent, echoing in his head with a force that made his heart stop for a second. It was familiar—too familiar.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up. He shot to his feet, eyes wide, chest rising and falling. Across the room, Hiro stood too. The message had reached him as well.
"Angel," Kaito breathed, the name barely leaving his lips.
He didn't know why this was happening to him. Every time Angel got hurt, something inside him twisted and burned. He hated how it made him feel—vulnerable, raw—but he couldn't deny it anymore. The pain wasn't even his, but it felt like it was.
"Stop the game," Kaito said, his voice low but heavy.
Everyone turned to him, confused. None of them could see what was happening in that other world, but they could tell from Kaito's face that something wasn't right.
"What?" Hiro blinked at him, not sure he heard correctly. He nudged Renn, snapping him out of the trance. Renn's eyes blinked into focus again.
"Kaito wants me to stop the game," Hiro said, raising his brow.
"Why would you want that now?" Renn asked, irritated. He was clearly enjoying himself.
Kaito asked himself the same question. Why now, after all this time? They'd done this kind of thing before, pushed people to the edge, watched them break—but this felt different.
"The boy is hurt. I can feel it," Kaito said, his voice a little shaky.
"He'll be fine," Renn muttered, leaning back. A boy filled his glass with wine. Renn took a sip, calm and collected, like this was just another boring afternoon. "Why are you acting like this over some human? What does he matter?"
"He's bleeding. Look at him!" Kaito snapped, pointing at Angel's still body. His chest was rising, but barely.
"Our brother has the healing powers," Renn said, gesturing to Taros. "Let him handle it."
"Don't pull me into this," Taros stood up, his face tense. "This wasn't my plan. If something happens to that boy, you two better deal with it."
"And since when did we start doing things this way, brothers?" Hiro added, still smiling, still treating it like a joke.
"Let the boy out," Kaito said firmly, walking up to Hiro and standing in front of him. His eyes didn't flinch. "Do it. Now."
Hiro stared at him like he'd lost it. He dragged his hand through his long hair, a lazy smirk still lingering on his face. "You're joking, right? What's gotten into you, bro?"
"What's so special about the boy?" Renn jumped in, his voice sharp with irritation. "You keep shielding him like he's royalty. You even made him your damn roommate."
Low voices filled the room as the others began to murmur among themselves. They were just as confused. It wasn't every day the Alpha of the West chose to protect someone, let alone a newcomer.
"I don't owe any of you an explanation," Kaito said, already walking toward Angel's body. "End this stupid game. Now."
Hiro looked over at Taros and Renn. They exchanged a brief look, then gave him a small nod. Hiro closed his eyes and took a breath, then turned and walked past the rest of the alphas.
It was done.
Kaito didn't waste a second. He dropped to his knees, gently scooped Angel into his arms, and held him close. Angel's body was limp, his skin pale, shirt soaked in blood.
Within six minutes, they were back at the dorm. Taros had followed silently behind, and opened the door before Kaito could even ask.
Kaito laid Angel on the bed, his heart hammering in his chest. He watched the boy's chest rise and fall, slow and weak.
"How do we stop the bleeding?" Kaito asked, crouching beside the bed, eyes fixed on Angel's lifeless face. Even though the game was over, Angel hadn't woken up.
"I'll take care of the wounds and try to wake him," Taros said, already moving beside the bed. His face softened as he looked at Angel. So small. So breakable. He didn't look like someone who'd stand up to an alpha. But he did.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Kaito asked, his voice strained. He knew Angel would probably be okay, but he couldn't stop the fear bubbling up inside him. "Will he recover? Will he wake up? Will—"
"Calm down, Kaito," Taros said quietly, eyes closed as he focused. "You're distracting me. I need to concentrate."
Kaito nodded quickly, pressing his lips together. He tried to stay quiet, but after a moment he couldn't help himself.
"Shouldn't we take off his shirt?" he asked. "It's soaked with blood and dirt. He must be uncomfortable."
"Good idea," Taros said softly, nodding. He gently reached out to remove the shirt.