The Okamoto family was gathered at home.
They had received relatives visiting from the United States—Sakura's uncles and her cousin Jiji—who were staying in Tokyo for fifteen days of vacation. Though Japanese by nationality, they had moved to the U.S. hoping to give Jiji, their only son, a better future.
Jiji was the same age as Sakura, and an undeniably handsome boy. His physique revealed his obsession with exercise at a single glance. Immediately, just by looking at him, Tanaka felt a surge of envy. Being so close to Sakura—and though they were only cousins—Jiji was attractive, Sakura was beautiful, and it was no surprise that her family often teased them about what a lovely couple they would make.
"Good morning. You must be Tanaka Itsuki, my daughter's classmate. I know because Sakura has spoken about you often. Please, come into the dining room—we're serving a mid-morning snack. Sit wherever you like", Sakura's mother said kindly. At that moment, Tanaka realized that Sakura's beauty had been inherited more from her mother than her father.
"Thank you very much," Tanaka replied, giving a small bow as was customary in his country.
Sakura came closer. She had gone to her room to change clothes, leaving Tanaka alone in the living room with her family. He felt uneasy—not because Sakura's family made him uncomfortable, but simply because he never enjoyed visiting other people's houses. He much preferred being the host at home than being the guest elsewhere.
"Come, sit next to me", Sakura offered, taking his hand to lead him to the table, which was already set.
"Yes."
The snack was eaten mostly in silence.
When they finished, an unexpected conversation began.
It involved Tanaka—and his superpower.
"So tell me, Tanaka… how does it feel to have the demon Erevos as your power?", Sakura's mother asked with unsettling calm, as if it were the most ordinary topic to bring up at such a moment.
Itsuki's eyes widened. He nearly spat out the black tea he had been sipping when he heard the disturbing question.
Erevos? Was that the name of his inner demon? But how could Sakura's family possibly know about his powers, when they had only just met—and even Sakura herself had just learned about them?
"I'm sorry, dear. I know it was a little reckless to ask about your power. But you must understand—ever since I was ten years old, I've been a seer. It's very easy for me to learn things about someone without them telling me. Just by looking at you, I knew you were the heir of Erevos, a powerful demon well-known in Japanese legend—feared by many, even those who don't know his true story," Sakura's mother explained, sipping delicately from her teacup.
Sakura gently patted her friend's back as Tanaka coughed, choking on his tea from the shock.
"What did you say? You… you know the story of my power?", was all Tanaka managed to say once he finally caught his breath.
Sakura's mother took a long sip before answering. Her voice was soft, yet every word carried a tension that made the skin crawl. Everyone at the table listened closely, as if she were about to tell a ghost story they had all been yearning to hear.
"Erevos… is not just a name, Tanaka. It is an inheritance. A curse passed down from generation to generation, choosing those who—at their weakest moment—are claimed by the darkness."
She placed the teacup gently on the table. The atmosphere thickened, and even the wind outside seemed to stop, listening for the story.
"Centuries ago, long before the cities we know existed, there was a forgotten temple in the mountains of Akita. There, monks practiced forbidden rituals, trying to summon the energy of the most dreadful and powerful evil spirits. They claimed they sought balance between light and shadow, but in their ambition, they tore open a rift to something that did not belong in this world."
Sakura swallowed hard, while Jiji stiffened in his chair after returning with more mooncakes from the kitchen, just in time to sit down and listen to the tale of Tanaka's power.
"From that rift emerged Erevos—a demon that did not devour flesh, but souls. His form has never been fully described, for those who saw him clearly lost their sanity. All that is known is that he was like a living shadow, a void walking the earth, with eyes like black moons that drained away reason."
Sakura's mother lowered her voice to a near whisper:
"He did not kill immediately. That was his game. Erevos fed on fear. He visited families at night, like a sickness no one understood. First, silence would consume the house. Then clocks would stop, mirrors would reflect figures that weren't there, and the victims' dreams would repeat the same nightmare over and over. Until finally, one member of the family vanished before the others' eyes—swallowed by a black void."
A shiver ran down Tanaka's spine.
"The monks tried to seal him with a sacrificial ritual. They chose a child…", Her eyes glimmered with sorrow. "That child became the first vessel of Erevos. Since then, from time to time, the shadow is reborn within a human heir. A boy who carries both the power and torment of being the container of darkness—destined only to evolve, growing stronger, and more indifferent to others."
Her gaze locked directly on Tanaka.
"That boy… is now you."
A heavy silence fell over the table. The only sound was the porcelain rattling in the mother's trembling hand.
"What? You're telling me that… what awakened inside me yesterday wasn't a superpower, but that I've been possessed by the evil spirit of a demon who feeds on others?" Tanaka asked, bracing himself to know more about his new life.
Sakura's mother—Tomoyo—nodded.
"That's right. With each new host, Erevos has grown stronger, even altering his form and appearance during the host's transformation. And now, you are his perfect refuge. He will remain inside you for a long time—so long as he feels comfortable. If not… he will kill you, should you displease him."
Tanaka swallowed, lowering his head. He fought back the urge to cry—not out of fragile masculinity, but because tears had always been his greatest weakness.