Behind the high stone walls of the Sarayashiki manor, silence is a golden rule. Okiku crosses the threshold, kicks off her shoes in the entryway, and hurries up the stairs. Every step echoes like an accusation.
Locked in her room, she presses her back against the door, clutching her little fox so tightly it hurts.
"Why... why did I react like that?" she whispers.
The slap she gave Kenji still burns in her palm. She can't stand the thought that this policeman saw something in her that her own family has spent years trying to suppress. Her memories of the clan are like scars: the disappointed looks during the ceremonies of the clan, the cousins whispering behind her back, and that constant feeling of being an anomaly. A Sarayashiki without a Gift. Dead weight.
And yet, Kenji spoke of "power."
A soft knock on the wooden door makes her jump.
"Okiku? It's me. Your mother." Her tone is gentle, but there's that usual hesitation, the kind that betrays deep discomfort.
"Mother... are you hiding something from me? Do I have... a Gift?"
On the other side, the silence becomes heavy. Okiku can almost see her mother's hand frozen on the doorknob. It isn't the silence of misunderstanding; it's the silence of a secret too heavy to carry.
"A-choo!"
The sneeze shakes me so hard I drop my cards. Yamazaki, slumped over the station table, stares at me with a mix of pity and boredom.
"You look like hell, Tanaka. And you lost the round, by the way."
I pick up my cards with a sigh. My mind is elsewhere, still stuck in the park with that fox girl.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll go grab your drinks."
I head out, hands shoved deep in my pockets. Almost immediately, a strange sensation washes over me. The streets are empty. Not just quiet, but deserted. The total absence of engine noise or human voices makes the air feel suffocating.
A heavy rumble vibrates through the asphalt. In the distance, a golden light flickers before dying out in a crash of glass and steel. At the center of a crater lies the shattered armor of Aurion one of the top-ranked heroes in the sector. He isn't moving.
My cop instincts are screaming "danger," but I force myself to ignore the panic. If I start running now, I'll never stop. I look away and pick up my pace toward the supermarket.
"Good day, Officer."
A melodious yet ice-cold voice rises behind me. I pivot. A woman is standing there. Her violet eyes are far too bright, her black hair streaked with blood-red highlights. She radiates a predatory aura that instantly gives me goosebumps.
"Are you looking for directions, citizen?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
She approaches, closing the gap between us in an oppressive way. She presses a finger to her lips, watching me as if I were some anatomical curiosity.
"I'm looking for a place to... rest. You seem so helpful. Won't you accompany me?"
She toys with a strand of my hair, her sharp nails grazing my neck. She isn't looking for a hotel. She's playing, prolonging the pleasure of watching her prey hesitate. My blood runs cold. This isn't a tourist; it's a predator playing with her food before she strikes.
"Sorry, I'm on duty. Take the first left for downtown."
I pull away abruptly and set off at a brisk pace, nearly a run. I don't look back, but I can feel her gaze piercing through my shoulder blades.
Suddenly, my nose starts to run. Warm, thick. I wipe it with my hand: blood. Fatigue, stress, or maybe the atmospheric pressure that seems to have shifted. I finally reach a vending machine. The supermarket is closed, its iron shutters pulled down.
I slide the coins in, my fingers trembling slightly. One tea, one soda, two coffees. In the machine's reflection, she reappears. She didn't walk; she simply glided behind me. Black horns now pierce through her hair, and a scaly tail lashes the air with hypnotic slowness. She isn't hiding anymore.
"Why are you running?" she asks. "Your heart is beating so fast... It's a delicious melody."
She leans in, her nostrils quivering. I set the cans on the ground, unable to move. A drop of blood falls from my nose, splashing into the can of green tea I just opened to calm my nerves. She freezes. Her pupils dilate as she stares at the red stain on my uniform. She pants, looking hungry, her claws slowly sliding out from her knuckles.
"Are you... hungry?" I ask in a hollow voice.
It's a stupid question, but it's the only one I can find to break the tension. I hold out the can of tea to her—the one where my blood has mixed with the liquid. She stops dead, destabilized by this absurd gesture of sharing. She takes the can, her clawed fingers brushing mine. She drinks. First a sip, then she drains the rest in one go.
Her eyes go wide. A shiver runs through her body. She isn't just drinking tea; she seems to be absorbing an essence she's never known. Her demonic aura wavers, softening for a fleeting moment.
"What is this...?" she whispers, her eyes misty.
"Green tea. It's supposed to be soothing," I say, dabbing my nose with an old cloth she handed me without even realizing it.
I gather the other drinks, taking advantage of her confusion.
"I have to go. My colleagues are waiting. Take care of yourself; things are weird out there today."
I walk away without running this time, so as not to trigger her hunting instinct. She stays rooted to the spot, staring at the empty can like it's a sacred object, tears in her eyes. She doesn't follow me.
When I push open the station doors, a roar of noise greets me.
"KENJI!" The Chief is on his feet, pale as a ghost. Yamazaki and the others rush toward me, patting my arms as if checking to see if I'm a phantom.
"You're alive?" the Chief yells. "Aurion was wiped out! Demons were spotted in the exact area where you were!"
I set the lukewarm cans on the table, my gaze vacant.
"Ah. So that's why there was no one on the streets."
Silence falls over the station. They all look at me like I'm an alien. Me? I just feel my cheek burning and my nose stinging.
"Anyone want their coffee?" I finally ask.