Inner Demon: The Dark Bloods - Book I ✓

Chapter 1 - Echoes*

...... "A hidden realm exists. It is my prison of solitude. I can only slumber, awakening to the unknown, to gain strength, only to sleep again. But I have now reached the end.

My return shall be among the living.

My return shall signify death." ......

Reyna groaned, her voice hoarse, as she opened her eyes. The nurse's office was a familiar sight. It was a tiny room, but despite its small size, Nurse Kang managed to squeeze in a regulation hospital bed up against a beige wall. Aging brown curtains circled the bed, hiding Reyna from the rest of the room. A hand gripped the edge of the drapes and pulled them a few inches back. Green eyes peeked through.

"Dante?" Reyna said recognizing the face that looked at her.

"Reyna," he said and drew the curtains back so he stood next to the bed.

She sat up and looked at him, groaning as she realized what happened. "I fainted again, didn't I?"

"Yeah. During class." He grinned at her. "I carried you here. Miss Adin may have freaked out about that a bit."

She fell back on the bed with an arm over her forehead. "Did I...did I scream? In class?"

"Scream?" Dante's face wrinkled as if in recollection. "No. You just collapsed in your desk."

She shook her head. Reyna's throat was sore from the yell she was sure happened.

"Are you feeling okay now?" Dante's fingers gripped hers.

Reyna looked down at their hands.

Just do it. She pursed her lips together as her own fingers curled around—

"Kaori?"

Both students turned to Nurse Kang as she walked through the doorway.

"I see you are awake now," she said and eyed Dante with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Kang. I'm awake now, and please don't call me Eva." Reyna sat up, forcing Dante away from her. She also retrieved her hand from his.

Despite what happened, Dante chuckled. Reyna hated her middle name, and he knew it.

She shot him a glare that told him to shut up.

Mrs. Kang walked up to the bed and smiled at Reyna, the wrinkles by her almond eyes gathering into a bouquet of lines. "But Kaori is such a pretty name."

Reyna frowned and shook her head. "You know I prefer Reyna, Kang."

"Well you know I prefer Nurse Kang, but we both know neither of us is going to start using our preferred names. I'm sorry I stepped out, but I'm not sorry to say it was to phone your mom to let her know you haven't been stopping by to take your medicine."

She flinched.

"Are you serious?" Dante frowned at her. "You told me and Julie you were taking them!"

"I was coming kinda late in the mornings, and I didn't want to waste any more time stopping by to take my medicine." Reyna didn't look at them.

"You don't have to walk to school. There's a bus! I can also give you a ride if you want."

"But you come to school so early for your Student Council stuff, and I didn't want to make you late too and—"

"Alright already," Nurse Kang said. "I have you medicine here. Take it now."