Whispers of Shikiban:The king walk among us

Reika's fingers tighten around the black envelope. The cold sensation seeps into her skin, sending a strange chill through her veins. Yet, she doesn't open it. Instead, her empty eyes flicker toward the silver-haired boy standing before her.

His posture is relaxed, but something about the way he stands feels dangerous—like a blade ready to strike. The katana in his grip, still slick with the Shikiban's blood, gleams under the dim light. Dark silver patterns coil along its sleek black blade, reflecting the faint glow of the flickering streetlamp. A metallic scent lingers in the air, sharp and bitter.

Reika's voice is quiet, but steady. "Who are you?"

The boy smirks, tilting his head slightly, silver strands falling over his sharp, pale features. "Souta," he says, amusement lacing his tone. Then, with a slow, deliberate smile, he corrects himself, "Souta Arakawa."

The way he says his name—calm, confident, almost playful—feels like a challenge. His gaze flickers toward the envelope in her grasp, then back to her face.

"You know," he muses, tapping the hilt of his sword, "this invitation isn't for cowards. If you're scared, just run away."

Reika's grip on the envelope tightens. A slow heat crawls up her spine, not fear—but anger. Her jaw clenches, dark eyes glinting. "I'm not a coward," she bites out.

Souta's smirk deepens, silver eyes gleaming as if he has been waiting for that reaction.

She swallows back her irritation and keeps her voice even. "What happens if I accept it?"

Souta exhales softly, taking a step closer. The subtle movement shifts the air around him, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

"Listen, Kagetsu Reika," he murmurs, voice smooth yet sharp like shattered glass. "If I hadn't arrived when I did, you would be dead."

His words cut through the night, sinking into her bones like ice. Before she can respond, he leans in slightly, his next words barely above a whisper.

"And maybe I can kill the Shikiban, but you—you will stay dead."

A distant, hollow ringing fills Reika's ears. She already knows the truth. If he hadn't stepped in, she wouldn't be standing here now, gripping this envelope like it holds the weight of her existence. The realization doesn't terrify her as much as it should.

A bitter laugh escapes her lips, hollow and sharp. She traces a finger along the envelope's surface, feeling its rough texture beneath her bruised fingertips. "Why would I join this… Tenshiko Academy?" Her voice is empty. "I don't care about saving people."

Souta doesn't seem surprised. Instead, he tilts his head, watching her like a cat sizing up its prey. His lips curve into a smirk—cold, knowing. "Then don't," he says simply.

A breeze sweeps through the empty street, rustling the stray papers littering the ground. The streetlamp above them flickers, casting erratic shadows along the pavement.

"But you'll feel it," he continues, silver eyes locking onto hers, "the thrill in your veins when you kill those Shikiban."

A strange sensation twists in Reika's chest. The thrill of killing… It sounds foreign. But something dark, something deep within her, stirs at his words.

She has spent years being powerless. Years drowning in a slow, suffocating void.

And now, here is this boy—offering her something different.

She exhales sharply, shaking away the creeping thoughts. "Where is this organization?"

Souta hums, shifting his weight slightly. "It's hidden," he says smoothly. "A place separate from this world. So the Shikiban can't find us."

Reika nods absently, pushing herself up from the rusted bench. Her legs still feel weak, but she ignores it. The streetlamp flickers again, her shadow stretching unnaturally long behind her, swallowed by the night.

Souta's gaze never leaves her. "But if you join," he continues, "you'll have to pass a test."

Reika's head snaps toward him. "A test?"

He nods, expression unreadable. "If you pass, you become one of us. If you fail…" A pause. Then, his smirk returns, sharper this time. "You die."

The casual way he says it sends a shiver down her spine.

Reika clenches her fists. "What kind of test?"

"You'll find out soon."

A gust of wind howls through the street, rattling a nearby signpost. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barks, its echo swallowed by the city's night. Reika barely notices—her thoughts tangled in the weight of his words.

Her entire life has been nothing but suffering, nothing but an endless void of pain.

Maybe this is it. Maybe this is her way out.

Souta's voice cuts through the silence, steady as ever. "Every two years, many people between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one are selected. People like you. Those with hidden strength… potential." His gaze pierces through her. "And if you pass the test, we will awaken your power. Upgrade your strength."

Reika's fingers curl tighter around the envelope. It feels heavier now.

A choice.

A path she has never imagined.

Her lips part, voice barely above a whisper.

"When do I start?"

Souta's smirk widens. "Now."

Reika hesitates for a moment, her heart racing in her chest. Her eyes flicker between the envelope in her hands and the boy before her. Everything inside her screams to run, to leave this twisted offer behind. But something deeper pulls at her—something she can't ignore.

What's one more leap into the unknown? What's one more chance at a life that could finally mean something?

She swallows hard, but before she can speak again, the world around her twists.

The streetlights flicker violently, then shatter, glass raining onto the pavement with a sharp, shattering ring. The ground beneath her feet trembles, an unnatural force rippling through the air like a storm about to break.

Reika's breath hitches. "What the hell—?"

A sudden, crushing force slams into her chest. The breath is knocked out of her, her body collapsing onto the cold concrete. An invisible weight bears down on her, pressing against her ribs, as if something unseen has wrapped around her entire being.

Her vision blurs. Her heartbeat pounds in her ears like war drums.

Then—

A voice, distorted, inhuman, slithers into her ear.

"Let's see if you survive, Kagetsu Reika."

Her eyes widen.

Darkness surges forward, swallowing her whole.

And then—

Everything turns black.