Aiko was brushing her teeth when Mrs. Henderson started screaming next door. The dead kind of screaming that only happened when something hungry found fresh meat.
Her hand froze. Toothbrush still halfway to her mouth. Foam dripped onto the sink.
Not a normal scream. Not a "dropped the groceries" scream. This was the one. The sound that clawed its way out of her own childhood nightmares.
The barrier. Thin again. Just great.
"No," she mumbled, staring at her reflection. Pale. Too pale. "Not today. Not now. Please."
A crash. Glass shattering. Louder this time. The sound vibrated through the thin apartment walls. It was closer. Too close.
Her heart hammered. A familiar, sickening rhythm. A frantic drum against her ribs. She was tired of this. So, so tired of the world bleeding into hers.
But Mrs. Henderson. She wasn't tired enough to let someone die. Not yet. Not when she could do something. The thought was a bitter pill.
Aiko spat out the toothpaste. Rinsed quickly, violently. No time for self-pity. Or fear. Just the cold, hard necessity.
She yanked open her apartment door. The hallway felt colder than usual. A chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. Fluorescent lights flickered, mocking her, casting long, dancing shadows.
Mrs. Henderson's door was ajar. A sliver of darkness. The screams were ragged now. Dying. Becoming whimpers.
Aiko pushed through. The air hit her. Copper. Terror. A thick, cloying dread that coated her tongue. The smell of something ancient and hungry.
Mrs. Henderson was a crumpled heap. Pressed against the far wall. Her floral housecoat torn. Her eyes wide. So wide. Wide with something Aiko knew intimately. Pure, unadulterated fear.
A shadow writhed. Blacker than night. Too many limbs. Too many teeth. A low, guttural snarl that vibrated through the floorboards. It pulsed with malevolence. A Nox.
"Hey!" Aiko yelled. Her voice cracked. Sounded pathetic. Like a child trying to scare off a monster. But it was all she had.
The Nox paused. Its head snapped towards her. A jerky, unnatural movement. Red eyes burned. Like embers in a void. Two points of pure, concentrated malice.
It wasn't just random. It knew her. It was waiting. Its attention shifted entirely. From Mrs. Henderson to Aiko. The scent of her. The taste of her power.
Drawn by the last one. The kid. The small, lost spirit she'd helped cross over last month. A simple act of kindness. A terrible, terrible mistake.
Aiko felt the familiar burn. Deep in her gut. Her power. It always felt like tearing herself open. Like ripping a piece of her soul away.
Every nerve screamed. Run. Hide. Pretend this wasn't happening. Like she always tried to. Like she'd been taught to.
But the scream. Mrs. Henderson's scream. It echoed her own seven-year-old terror. The memory of claws. The cold touch of something unseen.
She wouldn't run. Not this time. Not when someone else was caught in her mess.
Aiko extended her hand. Focused. Tried to ignore the drain already beginning. The cold creep. The way her fingers tingled, then went numb.
Ancient words. Whispered. Not from her mouth, but from somewhere deeper. Older. A language of the soul. A forgotten song.
The air vibrated. Shook. The apartment itself seemed to groan. The Nox shrieked. A sound of pure agony. Like a thousand knives scraping a chalkboard. A chorus of suffering.
White light. Blinding. Exploded from her palm. Struck the creature. It was a pure, cleansing fire.
It writhed. Twisted. Contorted into impossible shapes. Tried to fight. To claw its way back. But her power. It was too much.
The Nox dissolved. Crumbling into dust. Spiritual ash. A faint, acrid smell. Gone. Like a bad dream. Vanished.
Mrs. Henderson gasped. Still trembling. Her eyes darted. From Aiko. To the empty space where the creature had been. Then back to Aiko. Recognition. And fear. A cold, dawning horror.
Aiko swayed. The drain was worse this time. A deep, aching void. Like a piece of her had been scooped out. Her vision swam. Black spots danced at the edges.
She leaned against the doorframe. Her breath hitched. A ragged, painful gasp. The price. Always a price. A piece of her life. Gone.
"Are... are you alright, Mrs. Henderson?" Aiko managed. Her voice was thin. Barely a whisper.
The old woman scrambled back, pressing herself harder against the wall. "What... what was that?" Her voice was a terrified squeak. "What did you do?"
Aiko forced a weak smile. "Gas leak. Must have been. You know, old pipes." The lie tasted like ash. "You hit your head, maybe?"
Mrs. Henderson stared at her, eyes wide and unblinking. She knew. Aiko could see it. The old woman had seen something impossible. Something that would haunt her.
"No gas," Mrs. Henderson whispered. Her gaze flickered to the shattered vase on the floor. "The vase... it flew."
Aiko's smile tightened. "Wind. Freak gust. Happens." She pushed herself off the doorframe, trying to look normal. Like a normal twenty-year-old. Not a cosmic janitor.
Then she saw it. In her peripheral. A figure. Black. Standing in the hallway. Just outside the door.
Tall. Dark hair. Eyes like winter storms. Watching her. A silent, unmoving sentinel.
Aiko's breath hitched again. This wasn't a trick of the light. This wasn't her imagination.
She blinked. Turned her head. But when her gaze landed, only shadow remained. A lingering chill.
Aiko shivered. It had been there. She knew it. It felt like a predator. Or a judge.
"I... I need to call someone," Mrs. Henderson stammered, fumbling for her phone. Her hands shook violently.
"Yes, yes, call the paramedics," Aiko said quickly. "And the police. For the... break-in." She needed to get out. Needed to process. Needed to scream herself.
She backed out of the apartment, pulling the door almost shut. Leaving Mrs. Henderson to her terror. Leaving the shattered vase. Leaving the lingering scent of copper.
Back in her own apartment, Aiko slammed the door shut. Leaned against it. Her legs felt like jelly. Her entire body ached.
The drain. It was always worse when the Nox were stronger. This one had been stronger.
She stumbled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face. Her reflection stared back. Dark circles under her eyes. A faint, almost imperceptible shimmer around her skin.
She was changing. Every time she used her power, she changed. A piece of her humanity chipped away. Replaced by something... else.
"Stupid," she muttered to herself. "So stupid, Aiko. You promised."
She had promised herself. After the incident when she was seven. After the doctors. After the therapists. After the nightmares. She promised she would never use it again. Never let them see. Never let herself be seen.
But the screams. They always got to her. The lost spirits. The ones trapped. The ones suffering. She couldn't ignore them. Not really.
She closed her eyes. The memory flashed. A small, pale face. A child's spirit. Lost in the subway station. Crying for his mother.
Aiko had seen him. Felt his despair. Reached out. Just a touch. A simple nudge. And he was gone. Crossed over.
She'd thought it was a small thing. A kindness. A secret act of mercy.
But then the barrier had started to thin. More spirits. More Nox. And now... that figure in black.
It felt like a consequence. A direct result. Like she'd broken a rule she didn't even know existed.
Aiko walked into her small living room. The morning sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. It looked so normal. So utterly, painfully normal.
She sank onto her worn sofa. Pulled her knees to her chest. Hugged them tight. Trying to make herself small. Invisible.
The apartment building was old. The walls thin. She could hear the faint sirens now. Distant. Getting closer.
The police. The paramedics. They would ask questions. Mrs. Henderson would be hysterical.
"Gas leak," Aiko practiced under her breath. "Freak gust of wind. I just heard the screams."
It was a flimsy story. But it was all she had. They couldn't know. No one could know.
She closed her eyes again. The image of the figure in black flashed behind her eyelids. Those eyes. Like winter storms. Cold. Calculating.
It hadn't moved. Just watched. Like it was assessing her. Measuring her.
A Reaper? She'd heard the whispers. The legends. Beings who maintained the balance. Who harvested souls.
But this one hadn't helped. It had just watched. Like she was prey. Or a problem.
Aiko shivered again. It wasn't just the cold drain from her power. It was a deeper chill. A premonition.
Her phone buzzed. She jumped. Almost dropped it. Mei. Her best friend.
Mei:OMG did you hear Mrs. Henderson screaming? What happened?!
Aiko hesitated. How much could she tell Mei? Nothing. She always told Mei nothing. Mei was her anchor to normal.
Aiko:Yeah, sounded bad. Think it was a gas leak. Cops are here now.
She hated lying to Mei. Mei, who was so bright and normal. So blissfully unaware of the shadows that lurked just beneath the surface of their city.
Mei:A gas leak??! That's terrifying! Are you okay?
Aiko:Yeah, fine. Just woke me up. Gonna grab coffee.
A lie. She was far from fine. Her entire body hummed with residual energy. Her head throbbed. And that figure. It was still in her mind.
She needed coffee. Strong. Black. Something to ground her. To remind her she was still human. Mostly.
Aiko stood up. Her legs were still shaky. She walked to the window. Looked down at the street.
Police cars. An ambulance. Neighbors gathering. Whispering. Pointing at Mrs. Henderson's door.
She scanned the crowd. Looking for him. The figure in black. He wasn't there.
But she felt him. A faint prickle on the back of her neck. Like a cold breath.
He was still watching. She was sure of it.
Aiko pulled on a hoodie. Grabbed her keys and wallet. She needed to get out. Needed fresh air. Needed to pretend.
Stepping out into the hallway, the scent of copper was fainter now. Masked by the sterile smell of disinfectant from the paramedics.
She glanced at Mrs. Henderson's door. Closed now. A crime scene tape might appear soon.
Aiko walked down the stairs, avoiding the elevator. Too many people. Too many eyes.
As she reached the ground floor, she saw a police officer talking to the building manager. Their voices were low. Concerned.
She slipped past them, trying to be inconspicuous. Just another resident. Nothing to see here.
Outside, the morning air was crisp. But it didn't clear her head. The image of the Nox's red eyes. The drain of her power. The figure in black.
She walked towards her favorite coffee shop. The one with the grumpy barista and the surprisingly good latte art.
The city was waking up. Cars honking. People rushing to work. A normal, bustling Tokyo morning.
But Aiko saw the cracks. The shimmering distortions in the air. The faint outlines of spirits moving through the crowd. More of them than usual.
The barrier was definitely thinning. And it was her fault.
A pang of guilt hit her. A sharp, bitter taste. She had tried to do good. To help. But all she'd done was open a door.
A door for things like the Nox. And things like him. The watcher.
She reached the coffee shop. The bell above the door jingled. The familiar aroma of roasted beans. A small comfort.
The barista, a young man with bright pink hair and a perpetually bored expression, looked up. His eyes widened slightly.
"You're... you're the girl from the news, right?" he asked, his voice a little too loud. "The one who 'saved' that woman from a gas leak?"
Aiko winced. So it was already on the news. Great. Just great.
"Yeah, that's me," she mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just a neighbor trying to help."
"Wild stuff," he said, shaking his head. "Never seen anything like it. Everyone's talking about it."
Aiko forced a smile. "Just a weird morning."
She ordered her usual. Black coffee. Extra strong. She needed all the grounding she could get.
While she waited, she felt it. A shift in the atmosphere. A sudden, overwhelming presence.
Every spirit in the coffee shop. Suddenly focused on her. All talking at once. A cacophony of whispers. Demands. Pleas.
Help me.I'm lost.Find him.She killed me.
The voices crashed over her. A thousand different stories. A thousand different pains. They clawed at her mind. Overwhelming her senses.
Aiko clutched her head. Her vision swam again. The bright lights of the coffee shop blurred. The smell of coffee turned sour.
"Hey, you okay?" the barista asked, his bored expression replaced by concern.
"Bathroom," Aiko gasped. "Be right back."
She stumbled through the small café, bumping into a table. A few customers stared. She ignored them. She had to get away from the voices.
She burst into the tiny bathroom. Locked the door. Leaned against the cool tiles. Her breath came in ragged gasps.
The voices were quieter in here. Muffled. But still there. A persistent hum behind her eyes.
Aiko splashed water on her face. Again. And again. Trying to wash away the feeling. The connection.
She looked up. Into the mirror. Her reflection stared back. Wide-eyed. Terrified.
And behind her. In the mirror. He was there.
Tall. Dark-haired. With eyes like winter storms. He wasn't a ghost. He wasn't a Nox. He was something else entirely.
He stood silently. Just behind her reflection. Not in the room. But in the mirror. Watching.
Aiko spun around. Nothing. Just the small, empty bathroom.
She looked back at the mirror. He was still there. A faint, almost transparent presence. Like a distortion in the glass.
He raised a hand. Slowly. Deliberately. Pointed. Not at her. But at her chest. Over her heart.
A chill seeped into her bones. A message. A warning.
Then, a flicker. And he was gone.
Aiko stared at her reflection. Alone again. But not really.
He was real. And he was here. He knew.
She felt a sudden, intense wave of nausea. The coffee shop. The spirits. The Nox. This figure. It was all connected.
Her phone buzzed again. Mei.
Mei:Seriously, are you okay? You sound weird. And the news is saying Mrs. Henderson's apartment is a crime scene now. What happened??
Aiko stared at the message. Crime scene. They found something. Or someone.
She couldn't go back out there. Not yet. Not with him lurking. Not with the voices.
Aiko slid down the wall, sitting on the cold bathroom floor. Her head in her hands.
This wasn't just a "weird morning." This was her life. And it was falling apart.
She had to get a grip. Had to figure this out.
The Nox. The spirits drawn to her. The figure in black. It was all because of her. Because she couldn't stop herself from helping.
Her empathy was a curse. A beacon. Drawing in everything she tried to avoid.
She needed a plan. A real plan. Not just running and pretending.
A knock on the bathroom door. "Miss? Are you alright in there? Your coffee's ready." It was the barista.
Aiko took a deep breath. Forced herself to stand. She had to face it. Whatever "it" was.
"Coming," she called out, her voice shaky.
She opened the door. Stepped back into the bustling coffee shop. The voices were still there, a low hum, but she pushed them down. Focused on the mundane.
The barista handed her the cup. "Here you go. You look a little... green."
"Long night," Aiko said, forcing a smile. She took a sip of the coffee. It tasted like burnt regret. And desperation.
She walked out of the coffee shop. The city still hummed with life. But now, she saw the undercurrent. The shadows. The spirits. The thinness of the barrier.
She walked aimlessly for a while. Her mind racing. Trying to connect the dots.
The Nox. The stronger ones. They weren't just random. They were hunting. And they were hunting her.
She remembered the way the Nox had turned. The way it had fixed its eyes on her. The way it had known her.
It wasn't just attracted to her power. It was attracted to her.
Aiko's blood ran cold. The kid. The subway spirit. When she helped him cross over, she must have left a trace. A scent. A beacon.
And the figure in black. He hadn't been there to help. He had been there to watch. To observe the anomaly. Her.
She was a problem. A breach in the system.
The thought hit her with the force of a physical blow. She wasn't just a medium. She was a threat. To the balance. To the rules.
And someone was coming to fix it.
She walked past a park. Children laughing. Dogs barking. Normalcy. Aiko longed for it.
But she knew it was gone. Forever.
Her life had changed. Irrevocably.
She looked up at the sky. A clear, blue Tokyo sky. Unaware of the chaos brewing beneath.
Aiko closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. She had to fight. She had to survive.
And she had to figure out who that man in black was. And what he wanted.
Because she had a feeling, a cold, creeping certainty, that he was going to be a much bigger problem than any Nox.
She opened her eyes. And in the reflection of a shop window, for a fleeting moment, she saw him again. Standing across the street. Unmoving. Watching.
Then, just as quickly, he was gone.
Aiko clutched her coffee cup. Her knuckles white.
The dead don't sleep. And neither, it seemed, did the ones who watched them.