Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

The night air was cool and still as Cain and Kiyomi began the slow walk back toward the dorms. Crickets chirped faintly in the grass nearby, and the lamps lining the path gave off a soft yellow glow. Neither of them spoke for the first few steps, the silence carrying the weight of everything that had happened on the training grounds.

Cain finally broke it, his tone calm but direct. "Why were you looking for me?"

Kiyomi hesitated for only a heartbeat. It was so small most people would have missed it, but Cain was not most people. He saw the way her shoulders stiffened before she tilted her head slightly, feigning casualness.

"I was not looking for you," she said lightly, her voice as smooth as always.

Cain gave her a flat look but stayed quiet. He was patient, waiting for her to fill the silence.

Kiyomi folded her arms loosely. Her tail flicked behind her once, a subtle betrayal of the tension she hid so well. She could feel the ache crawling through her body again, the sharp, restless hunger that had been gnawing at her for days. It was worse now, always worse when she was around people for too long. Kitsune instincts were cruel like that. The hunger was never satisfied unless…

She shoved the thought away before it could finish forming.

She was not going to tell him that. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Instead, she let her lips curl into a faint smirk. "What if I told you I was curious about you?" she said, voice dipping lower, softer. "What if I told you that if you keep acting the way you have been, I might just fall in love with you?"

Cain rolled his eyes before she had even finished speaking.

"Right," he muttered, his tone dry. "If you cannot be bothered to tell me the real reason, then so be it."

His dismissal cut sharper than she expected, though she refused to let it show. Instead, she looked forward, her steps silent along the path, pretending the awkwardness did not bother her. But her hands betrayed her, fingers fidgeting with the edges of her sleeves as though searching for somewhere to put the restless energy crawling under her skin.

Cain stayed quiet beside her, gaze ahead, his face unreadable.

Then a voice slid into his mind.

"Well, this is interesting," Gaius murmured, his tone curious rather than amused. "A Kitsune. And a virgin one, at that."

Cain stiffened faintly but kept his expression neutral. "What about it?" he asked silently, not moving his lips.

Gaius chuckled softly. "Simply that it explains quite a bit. Her charm skills… they are not even a hundredth of what they could be. Untouched Kitsune are always like this. Their power does not reach its full potential until they… change that status, so to speak."

Cain's eyes narrowed slightly, though he kept walking at the same steady pace.

"Good to know," he thought back, his tone flat.

"Quite," Gaius replied. "Most people assume the opposite, but the truth is, their magic becomes far more dangerous once they have taken that step. She is playing with far less than her full deck right now."

Cain stayed silent after that, his gaze sliding toward Kiyomi out of the corner of his eye.

He had heard the rumors about her long before this conversation. The whispers of reckless behavior, of her supposed habit of wrapping people around her finger only to discard them when she grew bored. The image of a girl who cared for nothing and no one.

But looking at her now, he was not so sure.

She was quiet as they walked, the faintest crease between her brows betraying thoughts she would never share out loud. Whatever she carried, it was heavy. That much he could tell.

The women's dorms came into view, lights glowing warmly through the windows. Kiyomi slowed slightly, her steps losing some of their usual confidence.

"Curious about me, huh?" Cain said at last, his tone even but not sharp.

Kiyomi smirked faintly, but it felt smaller than usual, as though even she knew it was only half real. "Maybe," she said. "Maybe not."

Cain studied her carefully, his sharp gaze catching what others might have missed. The faint flicker of something deeper in her golden eyes. A weariness she tried to hide behind the teasing remarks and easy smiles.

He let out a slow breath, his shoulders easing slightly.

"Look," he said quietly, his voice losing its edge. "I do not know what it is you are carrying. But if you ever need someone to talk to… I am here. No judgment. No expectations. Just someone to talk to. That is all."

Kiyomi froze for half a second before her expression smoothed over again.

Cain did not wait for a reply.

He turned and started back toward his own dorm, the cool night air brushing against his sweat-damp hair as he walked. His footsteps faded slowly into the darkness, leaving Kiyomi standing at the entrance to the women's dorms with her arms folded loosely.

She stared after him for a long moment, her tails flicking once, sharply, before going still.

The ache in her chest had not disappeared.

But for the first time in days, it felt a little less heavy.

She looked up at the stars scattered faintly above the academy grounds, her lips pressing into a thin line as Cain vanished from view.

He had not asked again. He had not pushed.

And maybe that was why she wondered if, someday, she might actually take him up on his offer.

Even if the thought scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Though unintentional, Cain had made a lasting impression on her. Given the raw vitality that he emanated without even trying, perhaps she could even ask for his help without going too far.

However that was something she would have to contemplate further before she committed to anything.

She still couldn't quite put her trust in a Sinthorne just yet. What if he was just as evil as his brothers. Only time would tell