Kaito Tanaka had spent his entire life fading into the background. Not the kind of fading that made him mysterious or intriguing—no, he was the invisible kind.
The sort of person people bumped into in the crowded hallway, muttered "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there," and walked on without a second thought. Average grades. Average looks. Average… everything. If mediocrity had a face, it would be his: pale, unremarkable, utterly forgettable.
So it made perfect sense that when his class trudged up the winding mountain trail for some supposedly "spiritual history experience," nobody even blinked when he slipped behind a thicket of trees to nap.
Nobody noticed when he wandered farther off the path, past twisted roots and overgrown vines that clawed at his pants. Nobody noticed when the forest swallowed him whole, leaving him alone in a quiet world of chirping birds and rustling leaves.
"Figures," Kaito muttered under his breath, brushing a branch out of his hair. "I skip a boring field trip just to end up starring in Survivor: Loser Edition."
The air smelled faintly of damp earth and decaying leaves. A thin mist curled around the moss-covered stones, softening the edges of the forest. That's when he saw it.
A shrine.
Not the kind of neat, well-kept shrine the tourist brochures bragged about. This one had been abandoned for centuries. Its wooden gates sagged crookedly, splintered edges poking into the air like warning fingers.
Moss crawled across every surface, swallowing carvings and inscriptions in emerald waves. Spiderwebs stretched across the beams, glinting with trapped dew in the pale sunlight that filtered through the trees. The whole structure leaned slightly to one side, as though daring him to step inside and face whatever secrets it held.
Kaito's stomach twisted in equal parts fear and curiosity. Every instinct screamed at him to turn around, retrace his steps, and disappear back into the forest. But something tugged at the center of his chest, a whisper he couldn't ignore.
Hesitating only a heartbeat, he took a cautious step forward. Then another. And another. Curiosity, or maybe foolishness, yanked his feet toward the shrine like an invisible string.
Inside the shrine, at the heart of the ruin, lay a girl draped across the cracked stone floor.
No… not a girl. A woman.
Her black wings were shredded, feathers torn and frayed as if they had been ripped apart by some unseen force. A tail, thin and whip-like, lay limp against the cold, moss-stained stone.
From her forehead jutted crimson horns, curved and sharp, catching what little light filtered through the broken roof. And yet, despite the damage, despite the blood and grime, her face was heartbreakingly beautiful. Delicate features marred by exhaustion and pain, eyes half-lidded as if weighed down by the world itself.
Kaito's breath caught in his throat. Every instinct screamed at him to run. But something rooted him to the spot.
She stirred slightly, raising a gaze that cut straight through him. Golden flecks danced in her black irises as she whispered, "…A mortal?"
Kaito froze, the words barely forming. "H-Holy crap… you can talk?" His voice cracked, disbelief mingling with awe.
A faint, tired smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "So… humans still stumble into this place. Good. I thought the world had forgotten me." Her voice was soft, melodic, yet laced with centuries of sorrow.
Kaito's heart pounded like a drum in his chest. His mind screamed run, run, run! but his legs betrayed him, kneeling before her in spite of everything. "You're… hurt. Do you need—uh, water? A bandage?" He held out his hands awkwardly, as if offering a peace treaty.
She chuckled softly, the sound fragile, like wind through dead leaves. "So pitiful… yet you came closer. Not to kill me. But to help. Perhaps… that is enough."
Her hand, cold as freshly fallen snow and trembling like a leaf in the wind, lifted slowly and pressed against his chest. Kaito froze, every nerve in his body screaming danger. For one heart-stopping second, he was certain she would tear his heart from his ribcage.
Instead… she leaned forward, her lips brushing lightly against his forehead. The touch was impossibly soft, impossibly warm.
The world around him tilted, colors and shadows twisting as if reality itself had been nudged off balance. Heat roared through his veins, his skin prickling as a strange, spiraling glow erupted across his chest, curling like firelight just beneath his skin.
His heart hammered against his ribs, both terrified and exhilarated, and her voice, soft, haunting, almost a caress, echoed directly inside his mind.
"What is happening to me? What are you doing?" He blurted out in fear.
"You will understand… when they desire you."
Before he could speak again, she was gone. Not in the simple sense of stepping away. No, she dissolved, a cascade of shimmering sparks scattering into the air, drifting like fireflies before sinking deep into his flesh. Each one burned warmly where it touched, embedding itself as if claiming a permanent home.
Kaito stumbled backward, his chest heaving, hands trembling as he tried to process what had just happened. "W-Wait! What the hell was that supposed to mean?!" His voice cracked, echoing across the empty ruin.
Silence answered him. The shrine was empty. The succubus: the impossible, terrifying, but mesmerizing lady had vanished completely.
Shakily, Kaito turned his gaze to the cracked mirror relic leaning against the altar. Its surface was dulled with age, flecked with moss and dust, but when he peered into it, he froze. His reflection stared back… sharper. Brighter. His usually dull, forgettable features now carried a strange intensity, a spark of life he hadn't known he possessed. Almost… handsome.
He blinked once, then shook his head, disbelief etched across his face. "…Nah," he whispered, voice small. "Must be because of the lighting from the roof."