A Few Hours Earlier
The Mikazuki Mansion in Shinjuku, Masaru's room was rather quiet and grey than usual.
"Damn it… I feel so weak! What the hell is happening to me!?" Masaru growled, his voice hoarse as he braced himself against the edge of the bathroom sink. A violent cough erupted from his chest, and with it came a mouthful of blood that splattered into the porcelain basin below. He stared at it, panting, dazed. His reflection in the mirror looked worse than he expected pale, dark circles under his eyes, and a kind of emptiness in his gaze that hadn't been there before.
Ever since that incident at the underground spring, something had changed inside him. He felt constantly drained, as though something was feeding off his strength from within. At first, he assumed he was just pushing himself too hard, but vampires didn't get sick. That was something Akane had been very clear about.
