Case 4,
The Potter's Field Incidents,
Hajime's POV
My eyes diverted from left to right. Nah, I don't know this place. He told me many more things about himself. His name is Nijiro Kise, a specialist and detective in supernatural events. Not to mention he's still 16, and Second Year on his Senior High School.
Green trees. Green trees. Green trees. My mind is going blank from this repeating terrain. He said we'll be meeting this "informant" of his, but all I see is trees, and I don't even know where we're going.
"We're here." He signalled from the front seat of the car. It's stopped, and near a long stairway leading to a shrine.
"What are we doing here? Gonna go ask for some divination? Haha," I chuckled. Wait. Is he... perplexed...?
"We are." I paused. WE ARE?! I mean, theses weird powers do exist, but divination? I think there's more of these weird powers in this world, and I'm just too naïve to even realize them.
"Let's go."
I followed through. As we reached the top, there's a little kid waiting outside.
He looked about 14 or 13, and he wears a shrine maiden's clothes, which is weird for a guy. His eyes glistens with its left golden and right grey color. It changes as he blinked; left side golden, right side grey, or left side grey, right side golden, and even full grey and full gold.
"Yo-Heng!" Kise called out, running towards his direction while waving his hand like a little kid, then going for a tight hug.
I stood at the gate while the two gets themselves immersed in their conversation. Meanwhile, the two approached me while Yo-Heng examines me from head to toe. "He doesn't seem to be any spirit of some kind. His power is probably similar Seid."
Similar to who? Are they talking about my curse? "Uhm...do you know anything about this curse?"
"Huh?" Yo-Heng looked like he left his brain inside the shrine.
"Haah?" Kise looked annoyed when he said it.
"What?" Seriously, what do they mean by that?! I'm baffled. I need help! Anyone?
"It's not a curse, Hajime, that's a blessing."
In that moment he said it, everything this "power" bestowed upon my life flashed before my eyes. Is this what they call a blessing? This "power" of theirs ruined my life! "If this is a blessing, then why does it only bring misfortune? Hah, funny how you can call this curse as a blessing!"
Both seemed offended, unable to speak as if they're petrified. See? It's rude calling someone's curse a blessing and with a smile, to be worst!
"Hajime..." Yo-Heng seemed to calmed down. He took a deep breath. "...it's not a curse. It's just that...that...you grew in the wrong environment. It's up to you how it will affect you." His voice is too calming and gentle, as if it has a drug in it.
Somehow, I felt understood...and not alone...
"Ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhh! Stop with that, it's not the reason we're here, idiot." He flicked me in the forehead. This insensitive idiot.
"How are we getting a divination, anyways?"
"I will do it." The kid blurted out. This...kid?! Like, literally? "Come with me."
I shifted by gaze back to Kise, while he just smiled at me and followed Yo-Heng, leaving me no choice but to chase after them. It's not like I'd be purified by this shrine, aren't I?
He led us to a small place behind the shrine. More like a stockroom. The view from outside looks really wierd, and it's probably because the forest behind looks really creepy.
Yo-Heng seemed to noticed me looking so he spoke, "Don't think of going there, that's someone else's territory. He's quite strict with people or ghost passing by." I shivered. More like, another exorcist? You mean, an smart one compared to Kise? Someone who wouldn't think twice when killing me?
"Oh, hehe..." I laughed awkwardly, while Kise sighed and did a facepalm. Seriously, I cannot live my life with an idiot like this.
As we enter, someone was already inside. It's a guy, in fact. He looked like he prepared all the things needed while we haven't arrived just yet. There's a small circle and small woods with red strings and wierd papers attached to it around the outside of the circle. In a middle was a crystal ball and 2 small pillows on both sides. Probably where they sit on.
"Let's start." Yo-Heng and the other guy went to the center as they start. The guy sat while Yo-Heng started to dance weirdly—more like a shrine dance but it looked off.
His movements are very graceful and as he dance, fire somehow appeared on top of the woods placed near the circle. After the face ended, Yo-Heng went to sit and placed his hands near the crystal ball as it glows so bright that it could blind me.
As I open my eyes once again, everything was done. Was it? I looked back at Kise, but he just smiled once again. This guy... whatever.
"So, what did you see?" Kise looked eager for an answer.
"Yo-Heng nodded. The sanctuary we knew is no longer a place for protection. It has became a place where evil takes root—a sanctuary for the devil's spawn." Somehow, he looked troubled. "The Potter's Field Farmer. It's an evil spirit that takes human souls and imprisons them in a grave until their body decays and the spirit becomes vulnerable."
I went baffled, "What do you mean by decay? Bodies decay long, and what's the reason for taking those people?"
This time, Kise intervened. "That evil spirit is after people who don't have many family members left, and taking them one by one. Taking people with family members could raise suspicion, so they have to start with orphans and old people with no relative left." He left a serious look in his eyes, "It takes a lot of days before a body decomposes because the soul lingers a few days before death, but when the soul leaves the body forcibly, the body decomposes about 3-5 days, at most."
"Take care of Yo-Heng for me," said Kise as he handed a small red bag to the other guy who helped Yo-Heng. The guys replied with a very faint smile and took the red bag in hand.
I walked silently. It's not because I'm being awkward, it's because I just lost the energy to talk. My eyes slowly drifted to sleep as we're both in the car. My eyelids seemed magnetizing itself and my brain is on force shutdown. I wasn't sleepy, I'm tired.
As my whole existence fully entered the land of dreams, my head that was leaning into the door bounced off then threw me back, hitting my head on the glass.
"The fu—" I stare at him with a devil's eye, ready to wipe his existence from the world's records. He wasn't budging and just smiled it off to me awkwardly.
"Idiot." I faintly hear his mock.
My tongue clicked on its own; probably out of reflex. "That was fast."
He knocked on the door from outside. His waving at me, already came out. "It's a secret," he hushed, his face near me, and only the window was able to separate us.
"What's your deal?" A sigh left my mouth as he smiled back at me. "I'm tryna be a gentleman," he chuckled as he slowly opened the door so I could come out.
The air felt different outside as always—more hotter, but refreshing. To be honest, it's my first time riding a car in my whole life. Ever since I was a kid, I spent my life with the traditional transportation mean as my car, the great ol' carriage.
"So, what's the plan?"
His index finger spins the key on his slender hand—he's likely to be devising a plan. "Whatever. Let's just come uninvited." He dragged me to the city in the sanctuary near me place, Rusteu, the City of Silence of the Sanctuary. His hand was so strong that I can't have him to let go of my hands while his fast-paced walking made it looked as I was harassed, bringing us unwanted attention from all over the place. "It's here." he pointed.
The house was all black, and walls made of cobblestones prevented us from coming closer, but fortunately, the dark iron gate was already rusting and seemed to break easily. The windows are tinted black, and the doors and wooden floors are crafted from dark oak wood. The only thing that differs is the normal oak tree beside it, giving emphasis. Beside the gate lies a signage; "Only thy ghost shalt pass, living shalt not be permitted."
"First step: Get inside. Second? Kick their asses. Third, go home and take the money." His hands waved in the air as if he's already had the money fanned for himself. "I believe long might not be able to cross this gate... I wonder what else we could do...?"
I cursed my hand into a fist, then slowly took three deep breaths. "It's my turn?" My soul felt the arrogance. If only ghosts can pass, then I can. Possibly.
As my hand had in contact with he shabby gate, it felt weird. It didn't break. Rusted and withered, but still unbothered. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, pulling more harder. Was it because of my muscular strength, or it's simply impossible?!
"Idiot." Kise laughed once again, mocking me this front this time. My patience snapped as I kick his back with full strength, throwing him to the gate and breaking the barricade. "Huh, guess YOU'RE essential in a lot of ways.
I chucked with my pitiful eyes downgrades his idiocy. The ground rumbled as the door slowly opened, revealing a girl with maid dress, carrying a plate with a hidden dish inside. Could she be a ghost or something?
"You...visitors....Me....My name ..."
My mind focused on her accent. Her face slowly darkened, her eyes turned bright red, and her hand reveled a butcher knife and the plate on her hand had a head of an old man hidden inside. Blood was still looking fresh and bloody as the gore spreads into the whole property, and a barrier-like thingy appeared out of nowhere and covered the entire house.
"Hear....me....? My...name...my name...is..."
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