The massive rock that had blocked their path was now sliding aside—revealing a hidden passage behind it.
Without saying a word, they stood up and walked toward the opening.
In front of them a spiral staircase, descending deep into the underground darkness.
They exchanged glances.
No one said a word.
Then—one by one—they began to descend… deeper than they ever imagined they'd go.
At the bottom of the stairs, far beneath the surface, an enormous cavern opened up.
The air was thick. Heavy.
At its center was a massive stone slab, shaped like a platform—not crafted by hand, but formed by nature itself.
Its edges were uneven, almost sharp, and the surface was cracked, veined with glowing neon-blue fissures that pulsed softly in the dark.
About three meters below the platform… flowed a strange blue liquid.
Thick and shimmering—it almost seemed to breathe.
It wasn't water—more like magic, in liquid form.
Occasionally, glowing bubbles would rise from it, silently popping and sending perfect ripples outward… each one smaller than the last, fading into infinity.
A narrow bridge led to the slab.
Formed naturally of stone, without rails or support—just a narrow path suspended above the glowing void.
With every step, it felt like you might fall…
…and fall forever, into that deep, humming pool of blue.
"Woooow!!!" all three of them gasped in perfect unison, eyes wide with wonder.
And there—at the center of the stone platform—stood someone.
A figure of average height, cloaked in long black robes.
A hood concealed their face, and their very presence felt… unreal.
Slowly, the figure turned toward them...
...and then, without a word…
extended their arms into a perfect T-pose.
"Welcome!"
they said, voice echoing through the cavern.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The laughter of the brother and sister echoed through the cave, shattering the silence.
Kai stood firmly, stretched his arms into a T-pose, and said in a serious voice:
"Look at him, he thinks he's Aizen—Yokoso, watashi no Soul Society!"
Right after him, Mei mimicked the pose with the same determination:
"It was all part of my plan!"
"HAHAHAHA! You're not even close to Aizen, not even worthy of his shadow!" Kai laughed at the man, clutching his stomach.
Kitsuna stood to the side, silent.
She didn't understand the jokes or the references from their world. Everything felt foreign and confusing.
"Stop laughing at me!" the man yelled angrily, trying to regain some authority.
"Or what, you'll unleash your Bankai?" Mei asked through laughter, as if taunting him further.
The man suddenly stomped his foot on the ground.
In that instant, from the glowing blue substance beneath their feet, a terrifying ROAR erupted.
The sound was deep and heavy, thundering through the cave and shaking its walls. The ground trembled, and the air grew thick.
"What is that?" Kitsuna asked, leaning against a stone as she felt the earth shift beneath her.
"That is my Master. If you anger him, he will come... and devour you," the man said, staring at them without blinking.
Mei brushed the dust off her shoulders, then spoke:
"Let's get down to business," she said more seriously now.
"Where is the diary?" the brother asked, stepping forward.
"I have One Piece of information about the diary. I don't know the exact location, but I can sell you what I do know..." the man said cautiously.
"How useful that information is?" Kai asked without hesitation.
"Very," the man replied bluntly.
"How much does it costs?" Mei asked, looking him straight in the eyes.
"My Master demands a sacrifice, if—" the man began to speak…
…but the sentence was never finished.
In the next moment, Kai quietly stepped behind Kitsuna, almost silently. No words. No warning.
And then—a kick.
Brutal, yet determined.
Kitsuna lost the ground beneath her feet. Her body was hurled toward the eerie lake of glowing blue liquid shimmering in the darkness below.
As she fell, in slow motion, her heart pounded against her ribs, and her soul… had already begun to tear apart.
Instinctively, she looked up, searching for salvation.
But what she saw was unforgettable.
Kai.
Her refuge. The one she trusted without hesitation.
Stood above her… with a smile.
Not just any smile—a DEMONIC one.
His lips twisted into a wide, malicious grin. His eyes—empty and glinting, as if savoring her suffering.
He said nothing.
Kitsuna trembled in pain.
Her eyes filled with tears, floating in the air as she descended.
Brother and sister…
Her comrades.
Her friends.
Had they really… betrayed her?
In her final moments, before the blue liquid swallowed her whole, a soft sob escaped her throat, more like a whisper:
"...Why?"
And then...
splash.
The blue liquid engulfed her, the surface closing above like a perfect grave for the girl.
Silence.
She was gone.
The face of the man standing on the slab furrowed into a frown. Confusion completely took over his expression—as if he didn't know what to do, he just stood frozen, powerless to move.
Mei looked at her brother, her voice calm but sharp:
"I'm glad she's gone, but did you really have to push her like that?"
"What did you expect, a speech?" the brother replied without a hint of remorse.
"You could've at least said 'sorry' before you pushed her," the sister said, a little disappointed.
"Yeah, yeah, I totally should've pulled off this move," the brother said sarcastically, then demonstrated what he meant.
Kai raised his right hand high above his head. His fingers were tense, the movement precise and controlled. He held the pose briefly, then sharply brought his hand down.
His chin was lifted, gaze firm and direct.
He spoke loud and clear, with full authority:
"Kai vi Britannia commands you: DIE!"
He held the pose for a few moments until the man spoke again.
"Whispering Owl… She knows EVERYTHING!"
"Huh?" the brother and sister exchanged confused looks.
"Talk to her through your dreams. For that, you'll need a special potion called Sleeping Titan," the man said, then slowly turned as if addressing an invisible camera.
"With Sleeping Titan, you'll fall asleep in an instant. For guaranteed nightmares—order today! Grab 20% off!
(P.S. The company is not responsible for loss of soul, identity, or sense of time.)"
"…Was that an ad?" Mei asked, blinking in confusion.
"Forget it—did he say guaranteed nightmares?" Kai asked, eyes locked on the man.
The man approached them with quiet steps, his face still hidden beneath the hood.
"Before you can speak with Whispering Owl, you'll have to face your shadows," he said calmly.
"That will be easy. With our minds connected, we can beat anything," Kai said with a smile, placing his hand gently on Mei's head and giving her a soft pat.
The man handed him a vial filled with a dark liquid.
"This one's on the house," he added quietly.
Kai accepted it without a word.
As the man walked back toward the slab, crossing the narrow bridge, he paused and said one more thing—without turning around:
"With your shadows... you'll face them ALONE.
There are two ways to defeat them:
1. Confront them.
2. Join them."
Mei and Kai looked at each other.
"Do you think we'll make it?" Kai asked softly.
"I know I will. The question is... will you?" Mei replied, with a faint, confident smile.
"Heh... don't worry about me..." Kai answered.
Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him:
"Wait… who's your Master?"
The man paused. No turning, no change in tone.
He simply said:
"Calamity."
After that, the brother and sister returned home.
They walked into their room and lay down on the floor.
Doggie and Kitty were already there, waiting in silence.
"Come here, Kitty!" Kai called out.
Kitty immediately got on all fours, not wanting to disappoint her owner, because she knew what would happen if she disappointed him.
She lay down next to him like a real kitten—except she was way too big to be a cat.
Kai rested his hand softly on her stomach and started to stroke her.
Kitty flinched at his touch, but had to pretend she liked it.
Kai rose from lying down and settled into a sitting pose, and then he began: "You know cats don't wear clothes," freaky smile formed on his face.
Kitty's face showed a sudden fear as her owner came near and tenderly placed his hand on her crop-top.
"No…" Mei said.
Kai scrunched up his face in a little pout, then plopped back down and kept stroking Kitty's belly.
"Can I at least take off her skirt?" he asked his sister.
"No..." sister said.
Kai just sighed.
The door to their room quietly creaked open, and Lily stepped in carrying a basket of freshly washed clothes.
"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
The brother completely ignored her. He was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
"What's Whispering Owl?" he mumbled.
Lily paused. Blinked once… then again.
"Whispering Owl is one of the Ten Calamities," she finally said, setting the clothes down on their beds.
"That word again... Calamity. Who are they?" the sister asked, sitting up straight.
Lily sighed softly, as if repeating a story she had heard countless times.
"Long ago, during the Demon Conquest, those beings appeared… Calamities. Huge, beast-like creatures, pure forces of destruction. They burned cities, tore the sky apart, and killed everything in their path. Until a great elf, Frieren, stopped them. His statue still stands in the square, by the fountain."
She paused for a moment, then looked at them.
"In short… Calamities exist only to destroy. And in your case… Whispering Owl is a giant, all-knowing owl with six eyes."
"I want to see it!" Kai shouted, his eyes shining.
"Me too!" Mei agreed, smiling.
Kai pulled out the same potion he got from the strange "Aizen" man from his pocket and took a sip. Then he closed it…
"I don't feel—" he mumbled before falling asleep.
"What's that potion?" Lily asked, but like before—she got no answer.
"Give it here," Mei said, taking the bottle from her brother's hand. She took a sip too and then curled up next to him on the floor.
Soon, they both were asleep. Peacefully. Side by side.
"Huh?" Lily said, confused.