Chapter 6: The Sacrifice
Yui had always known how to listen—
not just to sounds, but to things that were never spoken.
The silence of love.
The weight of pain.
And now—
the breath of the curse.
That night, the library was almost empty. Outside, light rain was falling, as if even Tokyo was moving slowly. Yui sat alone with an old Japanese folklore book open in front of her. The pages had turned yellow, but the words felt alive.
Her eyes stopped on one line.
“When a curse is tied to love, its most powerful form is born through sacrifice.”
Yui’s hand trembled.
She remembered Ren’s face—his controlled silence, the tiredness in his eyes. She remembered Mika’s smile, which was no longer human. And Akari… who was breaking while trying to survive.
That was when Yui understood.
The curse had begun with a kiss.
It had spread through eyes.
And now—
it needed a sacrifice.
Ren was alone that night. In the back garden of the campus, where lanterns once burned, there was only darkness now. On his phone was an unread message from Kaito, and a missed call from Akari—but he did not open anything.
His mind was full of noise.
“Ren.”
He turned around.
Yui was standing there.
“What are you doing here?” Ren asked.
Yui gave a small smile. “I was looking for you.”
She stepped closer. Ren noticed—her eyes were calm. No fear. No confusion. Only acceptance.
“You are all suffering,” Yui said. “And this is partly because of me too.”
Ren shook his head. “You’re blaming yourself for nothing.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Yui said softly. “There is only one way to save you.”
Ren frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Yui placed her bag on the ground. From it, she took out a small knife—clean, simple. Like part of a ritual.
Ren stepped back. “Yui, stop.”
But Yui’s eyes stayed on him.
“You know,” she said, “how long I’ve loved you?”
Ren stayed silent.
“You never looked,” Yui said with a smile. “Maybe that’s why my love stayed pure. No demand. No possession.”
She turned the knife toward herself.
“Yui!” Ren shouted.
“This curse lives on love,” Yui said. “And when love becomes sacrifice… that’s when it shows its true face.”
For a moment, everything stopped.
Then—
the knife fell.
Blood dripped onto the ground.
Mixing with the rain, it began to look black—
as if the curse accepted it instantly.
Ren fell to his knees. “No… no…”
Yui lay on the ground. Her breathing was slowing, but there was peace on her face.
“Stay alive,” she said one last time. “That is enough.”
Her eyes closed.
And at that very moment—
the air grew heavy.
The campus lights went out one by one. The drops of blood on the ground began to spread—like they were alive. Somewhere far away, the black line on Akari’s lips burned. Mika suddenly lifted her head and took a deep breath—like someone had given her new strength.
The curse roared.
Yui’s sacrifice did not make it weaker—
it made it stronger.
And now the Black Kiss was no longer just a curse.
It had become a promise.
Written in blood.
