Chapter 23 - ISAAC

The return to the airship was heavy with tension, each step weighted by the chaos they had just escaped. The sky above mirrored their turmoil—a blackened, churning void streaked with angry flashes of lightning, as though the dark magic itself was tearing the heavens apart. Isaac shivered despite the humid air, a gnawing dread coiled in his chest like a bad taste he couldn't spit out.

When Isaac had lived in London, fear had been a distant thing, replaced by the monotony of days spent dodging his volatile father's moods and navigating the gray, industrial sprawl of the city. But this... this was different. This fear clawed at him, whispered of horrors yet to come, and clung to his skin like an oily film.

Inside the main command room of the airship, the tension thickened. Kai moved wordlessly to a chair and sank into it, dropping his head into his hands. His shoulders trembled slightly, though he made no sound. Bayu went to the sideboard, pouring himself a glass of water with unsteady hands and downing it in a single gulp. The room was too quiet except for the creak of the ship and the faint howling of the wind outside.

Isaac scratched at his arms, his nerves sparking with the silence. He felt like he would crawl out of his skin if someone didn't say something. "Guys..." His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, trying again. "Are we... do you think we're getting kicked out of the Aetherwing Brigade?"

Kai didn't respond, his face hidden in his hands. Bayu shook his head sharply, though his expression was grim. "We're not going down without a fight," Bayu said, his voice rough, as though he had swallowed something sharp.

Before Isaac could respond, the door hissed open. Everyone turned to see Tomoya stepping inside. He was pristine—no blood, no black sludge, not a single sign that he had been in the thick of battle. His dark hair fell in perfect tousled waves, and his expression was its usual, unreadable mask.

Rage ignited in Isaac's chest, burning hot and uncontrollable. How dare he walk in here, clean and calm, when the rest of them had been fighting for their lives? When they had watched Jabari die? When Kai was on the verge of breaking, and Bayu was barely holding it together?

"Where were you?" Isaac stormed up to him, his voice trembling with fury.

Tomoya stopped in his tracks, his dark, swirling eyes narrowing."Back off," he said evenly, his tone like ice.

But Isaac couldn't stop. His anger surged, and he shoved Tomoya hard, wanting to shake that cold, detached demeanor loose. He wanted to see cracks, to make Tomoya feel something.

"No way are you shutting me out this time!" Isaac's voice rose, his hands balling into fists. "WHERE WERE YOU?"

Tomoya staggered slightly but quickly regained his balance, his eyes flashing dangerously. He stepped forward, his face darkening. "Don't start swiping at me like a little cat, Isaac. It's pathetic," he said with a sneer.

The mocking words only stoked Isaac's fury. Before he could think, he grabbed Tomoya by the front of his uniform and shoved him back, slamming him onto the table. Papers, glass, and gadgets clattered to the floor, some smashing into pieces.

"Isaac!" Bayu's voice came sharp, but he didn't move to stop them. His wide eyes darted between the two of them, and for once, Bayu looked uncertain.

Kai didn't even look up. He sat as though frozen, trapped in his thoughts, his hands still covering his face.

"GET OFF ME!" Tomoya snarled, his voice breaking into a rare shout.

Isaac didn't move. He leaned closer, a feral grin spreading across his freckled face, blood still smeared across his cheeks and hands. "You'll have to make me," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.

Tomoya's expression twisted, his dark eyes lighting up with an almost feral gleam."Last chance," he growled.

"No," Isaac spat. His voice cracked as he pushed harder. "I know you're hiding something. Your cryptic behavior, your disappearing act. It wouldn't shock me if you were behind all of this—the monsters, the dark magic. Admit it!"

The words hung in the air like a slap, and Isaac immediately saw something shift in Tomoya's face. For a moment, something raw and vulnerable flashed across his features—so brief Isaac thought he might have imagined it. Then Tomoya stilled completely, going limp in Isaac's grip.

Isaac tightened his hold, his heart pounding. "Say something," he demanded.

Tomoya straightened suddenly, a dark grin spreading across his face. He tilted his head back and began to laugh—a low, hollow, raucous sound that sent chills down Isaac's spine. It wasn't joy or amusement. It was something twisted and unhinged.

Isaac froze, his hands still gripping Tomoya's crumpled uniform. He stared at the boy beneath him, feeling the rage in his chest turn cold, replaced by something else. Fear.

Tomoya's lips curled back to reveal fangs—sharp, bright white, and unmistakably predatory. The sight should have been impossible, should have belonged to a nightmare, but here it was, vivid and real.

A jolt of panic shot through Isaac, and he stumbled back instinctively. But Tomoya moved with unnatural speed, closing the space between them in a single, fluid motion. Before Isaac could shout or push him away, Tomoya's hands gripped his shoulders, firm but not rough, and he dipped his head, his fangs piercing into the soft skin of Isaac's neck.

The pain hit first, sharp and searing, like being stabbed with burning knives. Isaac gasped, his knees buckling as a strangled cry escaped his throat. His hands shot up to push Tomoya away, but the strength left him, his arms falling limp. The pain morphed into something stranger, deeper—a peculiar, heady pleasure that coursed through him, making his vision swim and his pulse slow.

A haze fell over Isaac, clouding his thoughts and blurring the edges of his panic. The sensation was horrifying, yet...intimate. He could feel the warmth of Tomoya's breath against his skin, the press of his body close, grounding and all-consuming. The pain ebbed into a rhythm, and something primal stirred in Isaac, a pull he couldn't name.

His eyes fluttered closed as he sank into the feeling, lost in the paradox of terror and bliss. His heart beat sluggishly, a thrumming in his ears that matched the soft sounds of Tomoya drinking from him. It was messy, terrifyingly so—Isaac could feel the blood trickling down his neck, warm and sticky—but there was something electric in the moment, something he couldn't untangle.

It wasn't until a voice cut through the haze that Isaac began to return to himself.

"TOMOYA, STOP! TOMOYA, STOP!"

The voice—Bayu's—was frantic, edged with panic. Isaac barely registered the sudden shift as Tomoya was wrenched away from him, the connection broken. He stumbled, collapsing onto his knees as dizziness and weakness overtook him.

His trembling hand went to his neck, feeling the punctures—wet and sore, throbbing faintly. The spell of the moment shattered, replaced by confusion and shame that mixed with something darker, something lingering.

Isaac looked up, his vision blurry, to see Tomoya standing a few feet away, blood smeared across his lips—his blood.

The sight sent a jolt through him, and his senses snapped back fully, the surreal intimacy of moments before replaced by cold, hard reality. Isaac's stomach churned, and he sank lower, his hands shaking.

"Isaac, are you okay?" Bayu's voice was urgent, but Isaac couldn't respond. Words failed him. He could only stare at Tomoya, who wore a strange grin, calm and detached as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Bayu's grip tightened on Tomoya, who remained pliant but defiant. His dark eyes sparkled with something unreadable. Bayu shook him roughly, his voice breaking. "Tomoya, what did you do?"

Tomoya licked his lips leisurely, his tongue swiping across the blood staining his mouth. He hummed, tilting his head. "Elven blood tastes so good."

Bayu's grip faltered for a second, his expression twisting in shock. "Tomoya, what have you done?"

Tomoya rolled his eyes, unbothered by the alarm in Bayu's voice. "Relax. I'm half werewolf, half vampire. Isaac's not going to die, and he's not going to turn into a vampire. That's not how this works."

His casual tone sent a chill down Isaac's spine.

Tomoya's gaze shifted to the floor, where a crack ran jagged through the wooden planks. "Although..." He dragged the word out, his voice teasing as he looked back up at Isaac, locking their eyes. "I may have accidentally mated him."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Kai snapped out of his stupor at that, his amber eyes sharp with new clarity. "Mated?" His voice was low and cold, sending shivers through Isaac's already trembling frame.

Tomoya shrugged lazily, wriggling against Bayu's hold. "When werewolves choose a mate, they bite them. It creates a bond—lets them hear each other's thoughts, feel their emotions. It's... a thing. But," he continued, with an airy wave of his hand, "it probably won't take. Two reasons: one, the other party has to feel some kind of connection back, and two, I'm only half werewolf. So honestly, who knows?"

Tomoya's dark eyes landed back on Isaac, and his voice dropped, taunting. "Think of it as a punishment, Isaac. For pushing me too far."

Isaac flinched, his chest tightening as the weight of Tomoya's words sank in. A punishment? The lingering pull he felt, the sense of belonging to Tomoya, made his stomach twist.

Kai stepped forward, his face impassive but his eyes blazing. "No, Tomoya. You've just proven something to me."

Tomoya quirked a brow, curious despite himself.

Kai's lips curved into a brilliant, unsettling smile. "You really do want to be part of Squad 14. You've extended a bond towards Isaac."

Tomoya barked a laugh, sharp and incredulous. "Oh, Kai." He elbowed Bayu sharply, slipping out of his grip with ease. Bayu let out an exasperated yell as Tomoya raked his fingers through his dark hair, his expression smoothing back into its usual smugness. "You just won't give up on me, will you?"

Isaac barely had time to process the chaotic mess of emotions surging through him when Tomoya's form began to shift. It happened quickly, unnervingly fluid, as if his very body rejected the constraints of humanity. His lithe frame contorted, bones snapping and reshaping with sickening speed. Sleek, obsidian fur rippled across his skin, and his limbs elongated and reformed into the powerful structure of a wolf.

The airship's dim light caught on his lupine features—sharp, gleaming fangs, glowing golden eyes that pierced through the gloom, and a wild, feral grace. For a moment, Tomoya stood still, his chest rising and falling heavily as he glanced at each of them, his wolf form almost daring them to act. Then, with a guttural growl, he bolted.

He darted toward the airship's exit, claws scraping against the floor with a series of harsh, grating sounds. The door hissed open just in time, and Tomoya was gone—a streak of black fur disappearing into the turbulent night.

Isaac stood frozen, his mind struggling to comprehend what he'd just witnessed. The room felt unnaturally quiet for a heartbeat, and then Kai moved.

"You're not disappearing this time!" Kai's voice rang out like thunder. Without hesitation, he launched after Tomoya, his boots pounding against the floor as he sprinted for the exit.

Isaac's heart jumped in his chest. He tried to follow, to stand and go after them, but as soon as he pushed himself up, the world tilted violently. His legs wobbled beneath him, refusing to hold his weight.

"Wait—" he tried to call, but his voice came out weak, a pathetic whisper drowned by the pounding in his ears.

The edges of his vision darkened, blurring into shadow. He felt the room spin wildly, his stomach lurching as though he'd been thrown into free fall. The faint scent of blood—his blood—lingered in the air, mingling with the acrid tang of fear and tension.

Isaac blinked rapidly, trying to steady himself, to regain control. But it was futile. His body betrayed him, sinking to the ground as his knees gave out.

The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was Bayu's shocked face, his hand reaching out as if to catch him. Then the world went black, the sounds of chaos fading into silence.