Whispers of Shikiban:The king walk among us

Reika's eyes flutter open, but everything around her is a blur. The air smells of aged wood, and she feels an unfamiliar softness beneath her. Her head spins, disoriented, as she tries to piece together her fragmented thoughts. The walls are rough-hewn, dark wood with a timeworn texture, and the faint light from a small lamp casts long, eerie shadows on the floor. She blinks, trying to clear the fog in her mind, but it clings stubbornly.

Where am I?

Her hand moves to her side instinctively, but she freezes when she notices her clothes have been changed. Gone is the torn, sweat-drenched shirt she had been wearing, replaced by a black nightdress that feels too delicate and foreign to be hers.

"What the hell...?" she whispers to herself, eyes narrowing as confusion bubbles within her.

She brushes her fingers over the smooth fabric of the nightdress, an uneasy sensation creeping under her skin. Swinging her legs off the bed, the cold wooden floor sends a chill through her. She stands unsteadily, glancing around the small cabin, but there's no sign of the chaos she remembers—no sign of Souta, or the violent confrontation that brought her here.

Her eyes catch a small dish of food on the table: a steaming cup of rice, tender teriyaki chicken, neatly arranged chopsticks, a glass of water, and an oddly pristine glass of apple juice. Her stomach growls involuntarily, the scent of the meal enticing her despite the storm of questions in her mind.

Before she can reach for it, a mechanical voice rings out through the room, cold and emotionless. "Eat this, Kagetsu-san."

Reika's spine stiffens at the sudden, disembodied voice. Panic rises, but she forces it down.

"What just happened?" she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper, as the robotic tone continues to echo in the otherwise silent room.

"Eat your morning meal, Kagetsu-san," the voice repeats, monotone and unwavering.

Morning? Reika's heart skips a beat. Her mind scrambles, searching for the thread that links her present to the past, but it's like trying to catch fog. Fragmented flashes of Souta, darkness, and betrayal flicker in her mind, but they vanish just as quickly.

The voice breaks her spiraling thoughts once more. "Please eat."

Grudgingly, she sits at the small table. Her hands are stiff as she picks up the chopsticks, the cold surface of the table pressing against her palms. She takes a bite of the rice; it's warm, soft, and comforting, but her mind is elsewhere. What is this place? Why am I here? No answers come.

The voice interrupts again. "Kagetsu-san, there is a uniform beside the cabinet. Please take it and wear it."

Uniform? The word feels foreign, out of place, yet she obeys, pushing herself up and walking to the cabinet. A sharp scent of freshly pressed fabric fills the air when she opens it. Inside is a black, three-piece uniform, its clean, sharp lines almost glowing in the dim light. A small badge gleams on the left side of the top. Beside it, a pair of black boots and a long white coat.

"Nice uniform," she mutters, feeling a knot of unease twist in her stomach. The fabric feels stiff and sharp against her skin as she pulls it on, a perfect fit despite her resistance.

Stepping outside, the chill of the air bites at her exposed skin. She pulls the sleeves of the coat tighter around her, eyes scanning her surroundings. The narrow alleyway is dimly lit by flickering lanterns, casting long, shifting shadows on the walls. She isn't alone. At least 100 people stand around her, all in identical black uniforms, their faces as stoic as her own. The only movement is the subtle flicker of their eyes, filled with quiet uncertainty.

What is this place?

Before she can dive deeper into her thoughts, the voice cuts through the silence. "Follow the alley. You'll find a large door. It will open for you."

No explanation, just a command. Her mind races, but she moves forward, stepping carefully, avoiding eye contact with the others. The tension in the air is palpable, a heavy weight hanging between them. Whispers pass, but they aren't words of comfort. Fear simmers just beneath the surface.

They reach a massive hall, its ceiling high enough to vanish into shadow. The temperature drops, an unnatural chill settling into her bones. The floor under her boots is smooth, but each step echoes unnervingly loud, reverberating through the cavernous space.

The voice speaks again, colder than before. "All Kageshiki, please line up. No talking."

The word Kageshiki strikes her with a sense of unease. The others move without a word, falling into tight rows with eerie precision. Reika joins them, her body stiff, her mind struggling to comprehend the surreal situation. A lump forms in her throat.

What the hell is going on?

The door creaks open, and a man steps into the room, his presence overwhelming. He's older, his sharp features framed by a white uniform that almost seems to glow under the harsh, sterile light. His badge gleams with authority, and he radiates power, a silent threat hanging in the air.

Behind him stand ten others—five to his left, five to his right—each wearing a golden badge, their eyes cold and calculating, watching the crowd. Reika's eyes narrow when she spots him. Souta. Standing at the front of the group, a twisted smirk on his face as if everything is unfolding exactly as he planned.

Is he mocking me? Does he know something I don't?

Her fists tighten, but she doesn't look away. Her heart pounds in her chest, a whirlwind of questions swirling inside her, but now is not the time to ask.

The man steps forward, his voice slicing through the room like a knife. "Welcome to the Tenshiko academy. I am Shijume Kenjiku, the owner of this place."

His voice is calculated, deliberate, and it cuts through the silence with chilling precision.

Behind him, a murmur spreads through the crowd, but Kenjiku's gaze silences it with a mere glance.

"This academy is part of an organization that remains unknown to the public," he continues, his words cold, almost ceremonial. "When Shikiban attack, it is the hunters—Kageshiki—who protect humanity."

Reika shudders at the mention of Shikiban. Monsters? Is this what they're training for?

"Shikiban are monsters," Kenjiku says, his voice unwavering. "They are beautiful, so captivating that people fall in love with their appearance... but once they realize the truth, it's too late. They're already dead, the victims of the Shikiban's whispers."

Reika's heart skips a beat at the thought of these monsters, hiding in plain sight, their beauty masking the danger they pose.

"The Kageshiki's job is to destroy them," Kenjiku continues, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, piercing, assessing. "To survive, you will sacrifice everything. Your life. Your morals. Your very soul."

The room grows colder with every word.

"Training will be brutal. Hand-to-hand combat, Shikiban movements, strategies. You will face tests that push you to your limits. There are five levels. In the first level, you'll face weak Shikiban. If you have enough strength, you can kill them with your bare hands. But remember, their bodies will vanish after you kill them. You must absorb their energy with a special knife we'll give you. This energy will make your knife stronger. The further you go, the more dangerous the Shikiban will become. If you survive all five levels, you'll become a true Kageshiki."

The weight of his words settles on Reika's shoulders. Her pulse quickens, her mind racing to process this new reality.

A voice from the back of the room breaks the silence. "What happens if we fail?"

Kenjiku's eyes lock onto the boy who spoke, and his smile is devoid of warmth. "If you fail... You will be known as a coward."

The boy falls silent, his face pale, and Reika can't help but smirk darkly.

What have I gotten myself into?

Her gaze flickers back to Souta. His smirk hasn't wavered, but she feels an unsettling sense that he knows more than she does. His eyes meet hers, a silent challenge in the depths of his gaze.

The tension crackles between them.

Kenjiku steps forward once more. "The test begins tomorrow. Prepare yourselves."

As the crowd begins to disperse, the weight of his words sinks in. But Reika can't look away from Souta. His gaze remains locked onto hers, and for a brief moment, she feels like he's reading her every thought.

Tomorrow.

The test begins tomorrow.

And everything she thought she knew is about to change.