The alarm screamed at 4:30 AM.
I rolled off the narrow bed, muscles already screaming. Everything hurt. My back. My arms. Places I didn't know could hurt.
*Day two of training. If yesterday was any indication, today's going to suck.*
Cold water hit my face like a slap. In the mirror, dark circles ringed my eyes. Stubble covered my jaw. I looked like hell.
*Feel like it too.*
The dormitory halls were empty. Gray stone. Flickering torches. My footsteps echoed like gunshots.
*How is this place so quiet? There's got to be hundreds of Wardens here.*
I found the training room by following the sound of metal on metal. Heavy doors marked with warning symbols. I pushed them open.
"Late," Aya said without looking up.
She stood in the center of a circular arena. Sword in hand. Sweat dripping down her face. Around her, training dummies lay in pieces. Wood. Straw. Fake blood.
*She's been here for hours. How long has she been awake?*
"Sorry. Still getting used to—"
"Excuses are for dead people." She spun, sword whistling through the air. Another dummy lost its head. "Grab a weapon."
The weapon rack held everything. Swords. Axes. Spears. Things I couldn't identify. I reached for a simple sword.
"Not that one."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll cut your own hand off." Aya walked over. Selected a wooden practice blade. "Start with this."
"Wood?"
"Wood doesn't kill you when you make mistakes." She tossed it to me. "And you'll make plenty."
The sword felt wrong in my hands. Too light. Too balanced. Like holding air.
*I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to embarrass myself.*
"Basic stance," Aya said. "Feet shoulder-width apart. Blade up. Don't grip it like you're strangling it."
I tried to copy her posture. Failed miserably.
"Your left foot's too far forward. Right shoulder's too high. And you look constipated."
"Thanks for the encouragement."
"Encouragement gets you killed." She moved behind me. Adjusted my stance with sharp pushes. "Better. Now swing."
I swung. The blade whistled through empty air.
"Pathetic. Again."
Swing. Miss.
"Worse. Again."
Swing. Miss.
"Are you even trying?"
*I am trying. It's harder than it looks.*
"Again."
We kept at it for an hour. Swing after swing. Each one feeling more clumsy than the last. Aya corrected everything. My grip. My stance. My breathing.
"Enough." She stepped back. "You're thinking too much."
"What do you mean?"
"Fighting isn't about thinking. It's about reacting." She raised her practice sword. "Attack me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Try to hit me."
*She wants me to attack her. After an hour of failing to hit air.*
I raised my sword. Stepped forward. Swung at her shoulder.
She wasn't there anymore.
Pain exploded across my ribs as her blade connected. I stumbled backward, gasping.
"Too slow. Too obvious. Try again."
*This is insane. She's going to kill me.*
I attacked again. Faster this time. Aimed for her hip.
Her sword slapped mine aside. The wooden blade cracked across my knuckles. Stars burst behind my eyes.
"Better. But still garbage. Again."
*She's enjoying this. Actually enjoying beating me up.*
Attack. Block. Hit. Pain.
Attack. Block. Hit. Pain.
Over and over until my hands bled and my arms felt like lead.
"Stop," a voice said.
Kael stood in the doorway. Clean uniform. Perfect hair. Looked like he'd just stepped out of a magazine.
*How does he look so good this early?*
"He's not ready for sparring, Aya."
"He needs to learn."
"He needs to survive the lesson." Kael walked over. Looked at my bloody knuckles. "Healing's part of training too."
He pressed his hands against mine. Warmth flowed through his fingers. The cuts closed. The bruises faded.
*Healing magic. Right. Because why wouldn't that exist too.*
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Kael smiled. "How's the adjustment going?"
"Everything's insane."
"That's normal." He picked up a practice sword. Tested its weight. "Mind if I show him something, Aya?"
She shrugged. "Your funeral."
Kael turned to me. "Attack me. Same as before."
*Great. Another person who wants to beat me up.*
I raised my sword. Moved forward. Swung at his chest.
He didn't dodge. Didn't block. Just... moved. Slightly. My blade passed through empty air inches from his body.
"Again."
I tried a different angle. Same result. The sword passed harmlessly by.
*He's not even trying. Just shifting his weight a little.*
"What are you doing?"
"Minimal effort, maximum result." Kael lowered his sword. "Aya's method works. Eventually. But there's a smarter way."
He demonstrated. Slow motion. How to read an opponent's body language. Where attacks would come from. How to move just enough to avoid them.
*This makes sense. Actually makes sense.*
"Your turn."
We practiced for another hour. Kael was patient. Gentle. Explained everything clearly. By the end, I was actually avoiding some of his attacks.
*I'm getting better. Actually learning.*
"Not bad," Aya admitted grudgingly. "Still terrible, but not completely hopeless."
*High praise from her.*
"That's enough weapons training for today," Kael said. "Time for the real lesson."
"The heck?"
"Spiritual energy manipulation." He led us out of the training room. "The thing that actually keeps you alive."
The next room was different. Circular. White walls covered in symbols. Crystals floating in the air without support.
*Everything here defies physics. I need to stop being surprised.*
"Sit," Kael said.
We sat cross-legged on the floor. The stone was warm. Comfortable.
"Close your eyes. Feel your breathing."
*Meditation. Why wouldn't monster hunting involve meditation.*
I closed my eyes. Tried to focus on breathing. In and out. In and out.
"Feel the energy inside you," Kael continued. "Everyone has it. Most people never notice."
*Energy. Like what I used against the Wraith.*
I searched inside myself. Looking for... something. Warmth. Light. Power.
There. Deep in my chest. A tiny flame flickering in the darkness.
*Found it. It's fucking real.*
"Good," Kael said. "Now try to move it."
*Move it how?*
I concentrated. Imagined the flame growing. Spreading through my body. Down my arms. Into my hands.
My palms tingled. Grew warm.
"Open your eyes."
Golden light danced across my fingers. Soft. Gentle. Beautiful.
*I'm doing magic. Actually doing magic.*
"Impressive," Aya said. "Took me three weeks to manage that much."
*Three weeks? I did it in ten minutes.*
"Natural talent," Kael nodded approvingly. "Very rare. Very useful."
The light felt good. Right. Like coming home after a long trip.
*This is what killed the Wraith. This power.*
"What can it do?"
"Depends on the person." Kael held up his hand. Blue light swirled around his fingers. "Mine's focused on healing and protection."
The light formed a small barrier in his palm. Solid. Real.
"Aya's is different."
She raised her hand. Silver light erupted from her fingers. Sharp. Cutting. It sliced through the air like a blade.
*Hers is made for killing.*
"What about mine?"
"We'll find out." Kael stood. "But that's enough theory. Time for practical application."
*Practical application. That sounds ominous.*
"We're going on patrol."
"Patrol?"
"Real mission. Low-level. Perfect for training." He headed for the door. "Gear up. We leave in ten minutes."
-
The gear room looked like a military armory. Weapons everywhere. Armor hanging from hooks. Technology I didn't recognize.
*How much does this stuff cost? Who pays for all this?*
Aya tossed me a vest. Black material that felt like silk but looked like steel.
"Spiritual armor," she explained. "Stops claws. Most of the time."
*Most of the time. Great.*
I strapped it on. It felt lighter than my old backpack.
"Weapons?"
"You're not ready for real weapons yet." Kael handed me a silver rod. "Focus your energy through this. It'll amplify whatever you can do."
The rod felt warm in my hands. Familiar. Like it belonged there.
*This feels right. More right than the sword ever did.*
"Where are we going?"
"Shibuya District," Aya said, checking her curved sword. "Three missing persons in the last week. Classic Wraith pattern."
*Missing persons. People like Kenji. People with families.*
"How do we find them?"
"Follow the despair," Kael said.
We took an elevator to street level. Normal elevator. Normal building lobby. But when we stepped outside, I realized we were in completely different part of the city.
*How is that possible? We went down from the Sanctum, not up.*
"Dimensional folding," Kael explained, reading my confusion. "The Sanctum exists in multiple locations simultaneously."
*Of course it does. Why wouldn't it.*
The street looked normal. People walking. Cars driving. Nobody paid attention to three people in black carrying weapons.
*Do we look normal to them? Some kind of illusion?*
"Perception filter," Aya said. "They see what their minds expect to see."
*Mind reading now too?*
"Your confusion is obvious," she added. "Try to look less lost."
We walked through the city. Everything seemed peaceful. Ordinary. But underneath, I felt something else. A tension. Like the calm before a storm.
*Something's wrong here. The air feels thick.*
"You feel it too," Kael nodded. "Good instincts."
*Feel what exactly?*
Then I saw it. A woman walking alone. Middle-aged. Shoulders slumped. Face blank.
*She looks... empty.*
Behind her, barely visible in broad daylight, a shadow flickered. Followed her. Waited.
*Wraith. It's already attached to her.*
"There," I whispered.
"Where?" Aya looked around.
I pointed at the shadow. "Following that woman."
Kael and Aya exchanged glances.
"You can see it in daylight?" Kael asked.
"Is that bad?"
"It's impossible," Aya said. "Wraiths are barely visible even at night. In daylight, they should be completely hidden."
*Why can I see it then?*
The woman turned down an alley. The shadow grew darker. More solid.
*It's getting ready to feed.*
"We have to help her."
"Wait," Kael grabbed my arm. "This is your first mission. Stay behind us. Watch. Learn."
*Watch her die like Kenji did? No.*
"She doesn't have time."
The shadow pounced. The woman screamed.
I ran.
*Move. Don't think. Just move.*
Behind me, Aya cursed. Kael shouted something. I didn't care.
The alley was dark. Cold. The woman was on the ground, shadow writhing around her. Her eyes were going blank.
*Like Kenji. Just like Kenji.*
I raised the silver rod. Golden light erupted from it. Brighter than before. Hotter.
The Wraith shrieked and recoiled.
*I can hurt it. I can actually hurt it.*
But then it looked at me. Really looked. And smiled.
*Wraiths don't smile. Do they?*
"Renji!" Aya's voice behind me. "Get back!"
The Wraith lunged. Not at the woman.
At me.
*Why is it coming for me? They feed on despair, right?*
I threw myself sideways. Claws raked the air where I'd been standing.
*It wants me specifically. But why?*
The creature landed in a crouch. Studied me with burning red eyes.
Then it spoke.
"Kuroda," it hissed. "We remember."
*It knows my name. How does it know my name?*
"Kuroda blood. Kuroda power." The Wraith circled me. "Master wants you alive."
*Master? What master?*
Before I could ask, Aya's scythe took the creature's head off. Silver light blazed through the alley. The Wraith dissolved into smoke.
*It's dead. But what did it mean?*
"Idiot!" Aya grabbed my shoulders. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking about saving her life."
"You almost got yourself killed."
*But I didn't. I saved her.*
Kael knelt beside the unconscious woman. His healing light played over her body.
"She'll be fine. Shaken, but fine." He stood up. Looked at me strangely. "That was... interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"Wraiths don't usually talk," he said slowly. "And they definitely don't know people's names."
*The thing knew me. Knew my family name.*
"What did it want?"
"Good question." Kael's expression was unreadable. "Very good question."
The woman stirred. Opened her eyes.
"What... where am I?"
"You fainted," Aya said gently. "We're paramedics. You're going to be fine."
*Paramedics. Right. The perception filter.*
We helped her to the street. Called her a taxi. Watched her drive away safely.
*She'll never know how close she came to dying. How close I came to failing again.*
"That was sloppy," Aya said as we walked back. "But effective."
"Beginner's luck," I said.
"Maybe." Kael was quiet. Thoughtful. "Or maybe something else."
*Something else. What did he mean by that?*
We made it three blocks before the screaming started.
*Multiple screams. Coming from everywhere.*
"What the hell?" Aya spun around.
People were running. Panic spreading like wildfire. Cars crashed into each other. Windows shattered.
*What's happening?*
Then I saw them. Shadows pouring out of every alley. Every doorway. Dozens of them.
*Wraiths. More than I've ever seen.*
"This is impossible," Kael breathed. "They don't hunt in packs this size."
*But they are. They're hunting together.*
The creatures moved with purpose. Coordination. Like they were following orders.
*Orders from who?*
A Wraith landed on a car ten feet away. Looked directly at me. Smiled with too many teeth.
"Kuroda," it hissed. "Come with us willingly. Others live."
*They want me. All of this is because of me.*
"Don't even think about it," Aya said, reading my face.
"People are dying because of me."
"People die anyway." She drew her scythe. "That's what we're here to stop."
*But how many will die while we fight?*
More Wraiths surrounded us. A dozen. Two dozen. Their eyes all fixed on me.
*This is bad. Really bad.*
"Any bright ideas?" I asked.
Kael raised his hands. Blue light flared around him. "Just one."
*What?*
"Run."
*Run? That's the plan?*
Before I could argue, he grabbed both of us. The world blurred. Colors streaked past. My stomach lurched.
*Teleportation. Of course.*
We materialized on a rooftop six blocks away. The city spread out below us. Chaos everywhere.
*How many Wraiths are down there?*
"At least fifty," Kael said grimly. "Maybe more."
*Fifty. All because of me.*
"We have to call for backup," Aya said.
"Already did." Kael showed his phone. "Every available Warden is en route."
*Will it be enough?*
A roar echoed across the city. Deep. Primal. The sound of something big waking up.
*That didn't sound like a Wraith.*
"What was that?" I asked.
Kael's face went pale. "Something that shouldn't exist."
*Great. More impossible things.*
The roar came again. Closer this time. Buildings shook. Car alarms wailed.
*Whatever it is, it's coming this way.*
"We need to go," Aya said. "Now."
*Go where? There are monsters everywhere.*
That's when I saw it. Rising above the city skyline. Massive. Ancient. Wrong.
*That's not a Wraith. That's something else entirely.*
The creature had too many arms. Too many eyes. Its shadow covered entire city blocks.
*What the hell is that thing?*
"Wraith Lord," Kael whispered. "But they're supposed to be extinct."
*Extinct. But it's right there.*
The monster's gaze swept across the city. Searching. When it found our rooftop, it smiled.
*It's looking for me too.*
"Kuroda!" it bellowed. Its voice shattered windows for miles. "COME HOME!"
*Come home? What does that mean?*
The creature took a step forward. The building it stepped on collapsed like cardboard.
*It's heading straight for us.*
"Ideas?" I asked weakly.
"Yeah," Aya said. "Pray."
*That's not helpful.*
The Wraith Lord took another step. The rooftop shook beneath our feet.
*We're going to die. All of us. Because of me.*
But then something impossible happened.
The monster stopped. Tilted its massive head. Like it was listening to something.
*What's it waiting for?*
A figure appeared on a distant rooftop. Too far away to see clearly. But the Wraith Lord saw them.
*Who is that?*
The creature made a sound like laughter. Then, impossibly, it began to shrink. Fade. Within seconds, it was gone.
*It just left. Why?*
The figure on the distant rooftop raised their hand. Waved.
*At us? At me?*
Then they were gone too.
"What just happened?" I asked.
Kael and Aya exchanged another look. The kind that meant they knew something I didn't.
*They're hiding something from me.*
"That," Kael said slowly, "was a message."
"What kind of message?"
"The kind that means you're more important than we thought."
*Important how?*
Before I could ask, my phone buzzed. Text message from an unknown number.
*Who has my number?*
I opened it. Four words that made my blood freeze.
*WE KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING.*
*Who sent this?*
I looked up. Kael and Aya were watching me intently.
*Do they know about the message?*
Another text arrived.
*TRUST NO ONE.*
*Trust no one? Even my teammates?*
I pocketed the phone without showing them.
*Someone's playing games with me. But who? And why?*
Below us, the city slowly returned to normal. Emergency sirens wailed. People emerged from hiding.
*How many died today? How many because of me?*
"Come on," Kael said. "Let's go home."
*Home. The Sanctum. Where I'm supposed to be safe.*
*But what if I'm not safe anywhere?*
As we teleported away, I caught a glimpse of movement in the shadows below. Someone watching. Waiting.
*The figure from the rooftop? Or someone else?*
*How many people are interested in me? And what do they want?*
The questions burned in my mind as the world blurred around us.
*Trust no one.*
*But if I can't trust my teammates, who can I trust?*
And what happens when the real enemy reveals themselves