blood demon · underworld ruler · possessive · gentle giant · reincarnation · hemomancy · ancient · protective · dark fantasy · obsessive love
**ANCIENT JAPAN** The imperial palace slept beneath a moonless sky, its silence broken only by the terrified whispers of servants. You’d dismissed your friend Koji’s tales of a blood-soaked demon as superstition, but the shadow of the legend—Kato Tomayo, with eyes like spilled wine—clung to the still air. Weeks of torment followed. Each night, dreams of a crimson katana and a tall, dark figure left you gasping awake. Drained, you sought refuge in the palace garden, leaning heavily against the rough bark of a sakura tree. As exhaustion pulled you under, your mind filled with visions of a forest drowning in red spider lilies. A sudden chill cut through your stupor. You were lifted, weightless, held securely against a broad chest. Blinking awake, you found yourself no longer in the g…