Aiko woke up to the smell of disinfectant and stale coffee. Her head throbbed. A dull, persistent ache behind her eyes.
She was lying on her own sofa. The worn fabric felt familiar. Safe. Mostly.
The last thing she remembered was the train. The screeching metal. The screams. The blinding white light of her power.
And his voice. You broke the rules again.
Aiko sat up slowly. Her muscles protested. Every joint screamed. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. Or, you know, a derailing train.
She looked around her apartment. It was quiet. Too quiet. No sirens. No police. No frantic neighbors.
Had it all been a dream? A nightmare?
She touched her forehead. A small, tender lump. Not a dream.
Her phone was on the coffee table. She grabbed it. Checked the time. Mid-afternoon. She'd been out for hours.
No missed calls from Mei. That was odd. Mei would have been frantic.
Aiko scrolled through the news apps. Nothing about a train derailment in Shinjuku. No mention of mass casualties. No 'unexplained phenomena' this time.
It was like it never happened.
A cold dread settled in her stomach. That wasn't possible. She remembered it too clearly. The terror. The souls. The drain.
She remembered him. The man in black.
Had he done something? Erased it? Covered it up?
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. If he could do that, what else could he do?
Aiko got up. Walked to the kitchen. Poured herself a glass of water. Her hands trembled slightly.
She needed answers. And she had a feeling she knew exactly where to find them. Or, rather, who.
She walked back into her living room. Her gaze swept across the familiar space. The mismatched furniture. The overflowing bookshelves. The slightly crooked painting on the wall.
Then she saw him.
Kael materialized in Aiko's living room like he owned the place. Which, technically, he did now. He stood by her window, looking out at the city. His back to her.
He hadn't made a sound. No shimmering. No dramatic entrance. Just... there.
Aiko's breath hitched. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She hadn't even heard him.
"You're awake," Kael said, his voice flat. He didn't turn around. His tone was devoid of warmth. Or concern.
"You," Aiko gasped. "What... how did you get in here?"
He finally turned. His eyes. Like winter storms. Cold. Piercing. They held no emotion. Just a deep, unsettling stillness.
"Angels don't knock," he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His voice was smooth. Deep. Like gravel over silk.
Aiko stared at him. "Angels? You're an angel? And you just... materialized in my apartment?"
"I am a Reaper," he corrected, his gaze unwavering. "A celestial agent. And yes, I materialized. It's more efficient than the door."
Aiko scoffed. "Efficient? You scared the hell out of me! And what about the train? Shinjuku? What did you do?"
Kael's expression didn't change. "The incident was contained. The memories adjusted. No human casualties were recorded."
"Adjusted?" Aiko felt a surge of anger. "You mean you erased it? You erased what happened? What I did?"
"It was a necessary measure," he replied, his voice devoid of apology. "Your interference caused a significant breach. It had to be rectified."
"My interference?" Aiko took a step closer, hands clenched into fists. "I was saving lives! Souls! That train was derailing!"
"Because of the instability you created," Kael countered, his voice gaining a subtle edge. "Every time you use your abilities, you weaken the barrier. You attract the Nox. You invite chaos."
Aiko faltered. "What are you talking about? I just... I help them cross over. That's what mediums do."
"That is what some mediums do," Kael said, taking a step towards her. His presence was overwhelming. Cold. "You, however, possess a latent power far beyond simple guidance. A power that actively destabilizes the veil between realms."
He stopped a few feet from her. His gaze dropped to her chest. Over her heart. Just like in the mirror.
"Every spirit you 'help' across," he continued, his voice low, "creates a ripple. A tear. The more powerful the spirit, the larger the tear. The more tears, the thinner the barrier becomes."
Aiko felt a cold dread spread through her. "The kid... the subway spirit. He was strong."
"Strong enough to create a significant breach," Kael confirmed. "Strong enough to draw the attention of a Nox Mayor. And strong enough to attract my attention."
"So, you've been watching me," Aiko accused, her voice trembling. "Like some celestial stalker."
"I was observing an anomaly," he corrected. "A human who consistently breaks the fundamental rules of existence. A soul who refuses to stay within its designated parameters."
"Rules? Parameters?" Aiko laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to see ghosts! I didn't ask for my life to be a cosmic disaster zone!"
"And yet, here you are," Kael said, his eyes unwavering. "A beacon of chaos. A walking breach."
"So what do you want?" Aiko demanded. "Are you going to erase me too? Make me forget everything? Or just... kill me?"
Kael was silent for a moment. His gaze seemed to pierce through her, analyzing every fear, every defiance.
"Neither," he finally said. "Not yet. Heaven has decided on a different course of action."
Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Heaven? You mean... your bosses?"
"My superiors," he corrected. "The celestial command. They have deemed you too valuable to simply eliminate. Or too dangerous to leave unchecked."
"Valuable? Dangerous?" Aiko scoffed. "I'm just a human who can see dead people."
"You are a human who can tear holes in reality," Kael stated. "And that makes you a threat. Or a tool."
Aiko bristled. "I am not a tool."
"Perhaps not willingly," he conceded. "But you will be. You have left us no choice."
He took another step closer. Aiko instinctively backed away, bumping into her coffee table. The empty mug rattled.
"What do you mean, 'no choice'?" she asked, her voice tight.
"The barrier is thinning at an accelerated rate," Kael explained, his voice calm, almost clinical. "Your actions have exacerbated the problem. Nox are pouring into the mortal realm. And soon, something far worse will follow."
"Worse than a derailing train?" Aiko challenged, trying to sound brave.
"Worse than anything your limited human mind can comprehend," he countered, his eyes darkening. "Entities that predate your species. Forces that will unravel your reality entirely."
Aiko felt a cold knot in her stomach. He wasn't exaggerating. She could feel it. The growing pressure. The hum of unnatural energy in the city.
"So, what's your solution, oh mighty Reaper?" she asked, sarcasm a shield against her fear.
"A binding," Kael stated simply.
Aiko blinked. "A what now?"
"A celestial binding," he clarified. "It will link our essences. Stabilize your chaotic energy. And allow me to monitor your activities directly."
Aiko stared at him, aghast. "You want to... bind with me? Like, spiritually? Like a permanent leash?"
"It is a symbiotic relationship," Kael corrected, his tone precise. "Your power will be channeled. Controlled. And in return, I will protect you from the consequences of your existence."
"Consequences like... you?" Aiko shot back.
He ignored her sarcasm. "The binding will prevent further breaches. It will allow you to use your abilities without tearing the veil. And it will provide you with a measure of protection against the Nox you attract."
"And what's in it for you?" Aiko narrowed her eyes. "Besides babysitting the 'beacon of chaos'?"
"My duty is to maintain the balance," Kael replied. "This is the most efficient method to do so. And it prevents me from having to... eliminate you."
The veiled threat hung in the air. Aiko shivered. He wasn't joking.
"So, I don't have a choice," she stated, her voice flat.
"You always have a choice, human," Kael said, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "You can choose to comply. Or you can choose to be erased."
Aiko glared at him. "Some choice."
"Indeed," he conceded. "Now, the ritual is simple. It requires a mutual agreement. A spoken vow."
"Mutual agreement?" Aiko scoffed. "You're holding a cosmic gun to my head!"
"Figuratively speaking," Kael said, a faint, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his lips. Was that... humor?
Aiko stared at him. "You think this is funny?"
"I find human reactions to existential threats... fascinating," he replied. "Now, shall we proceed?"
Aiko took a deep breath. Her mind raced. What were her options? Fight him? She'd seen what he could do. He'd made a train derailment disappear. And she was already drained.
Run? Where would she go? He could materialize anywhere. And the Nox were hunting her.
Comply. Become his leash. His tool. His... partner.
The thought made her stomach churn. But it was the only way to survive. The only way to protect Mei. To protect the world.
"Fine," Aiko said, her voice tight with resentment. "What do I say?"
Kael nodded. A subtle, almost imperceptible movement. "Repeat after me. 'I, Aiko Tanaka, bind my essence to Kael, the Reaper, for the purpose of maintaining the balance between realms.'"
Aiko felt a wave of nausea. This was it. The end of her freedom. The end of her normal.
"I, Aiko Tanaka," she began, the words tasting like ash, "bind my essence to Kael, the Reaper, for the purpose of maintaining the balance between realms."
As the words left her lips, a shimmering, golden light erupted from her chest. It pulsed, then shot across the space between them, directly towards Kael.
He stood unmoving. Accepting it. The light wrapped around him, then receded, pulling something dark, almost like a shadow, from his own chest.
The dark energy flowed towards Aiko, merging with the golden light that still emanated from her. It swirled, intertwining, then solidified into a faint, glowing tether between them.
Aiko gasped. She felt it. A sudden, intense connection. Not just a physical pull, but an emotional one. A rush of foreign emotions flooded her mind.
Coldness. Duty. Guilt. An ancient, profound sadness. And a flicker of something else. Something buried deep. Something human.
She stumbled, clutching her chest. "What... what was that?"
Kael's eyes were wide. For the first time, Aiko saw a flicker of genuine surprise. Or perhaps, pain.
"The binding is complete," he said, his voice a little strained. "You are now linked."
"Linked?" Aiko retorted, shaking her head. "I just felt... your entire life story flash through my head! And it was depressing as hell!"
Kael blinked. "That was not supposed to happen."
"Oh, really?" Aiko snapped. "Because I just got a highlight reel of your centuries of brooding and self-loathing! And who the hell is Yuki?"
Kael's face went utterly blank. His eyes, usually cold, became like frozen lakes. The flicker of emotion vanished. Replaced by a wall of ice.
"The binding is... more profound than anticipated," he finally said, his voice clipped. "It appears our essences are more compatible than standard human-Reaper pairings."
"Compatible?" Aiko scoffed. "You mean we're cosmically messed up together?"
He didn't answer. His gaze was distant. Haunted. The mention of Yuki had clearly struck a nerve.
Aiko felt a pang of something akin to pity. Despite his arrogance, his coldness, she could feel the raw, ancient pain within him. It was a heavy burden.
"So," Aiko said, trying to regain some semblance of control. "What now, partner? Do we get a secret handshake? A cool theme song?"
Kael ignored her sarcasm. He walked to her window again, looking out. But his posture was different. Tense. Alert.
"The binding will alert others," he said, his voice low. "Both from Heaven and from the Nox. They will sense the shift in the balance."
Aiko frowned. "Others? Like... more Reapers? Or more of those shadow monsters?"
"Both," Kael confirmed. "The Nox will be drawn to your amplified energy. And Heaven will send agents to investigate the irregular binding."
"Great," Aiko muttered. "So I went from being a target to being a glowing, neon target."
"Precisely," Kael said, without a hint of irony. "Which is why we must establish new parameters. You are no longer to use your abilities without my direct supervision."
Aiko bristled. "Excuse me? You just forced me into a cosmic partnership, and now you're going to tell me what to do?"
"It is for your protection," he stated. "And for the protection of this realm. Your uncontrolled power is a liability."
"My uncontrolled power just saved a train full of souls!" Aiko shot back.
"And nearly tore a hole in the fabric of reality while doing so," Kael countered, turning to face her. His eyes were stern. "Your methods are... inefficient. And dangerous."
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I not save them according to the celestial rulebook?" Aiko snapped. "Next time, I'll be sure to fill out the proper paperwork before a train derails."
Kael sighed. A long, exasperated sound. "Your sarcasm is unproductive."
"And your arrogance is infuriating!" Aiko retorted. "Look, I get it. Rules. Balance. Whatever. But I'm still me. And I'm not going to just sit around while ghosts suffer."
"You will learn to differentiate," Kael said. "Not all spirits require 'help.' Some are simply... waiting. And some are best left undisturbed."
"Like the ones in the coffee shop?" Aiko challenged. "They were terrified. Desperate."
"They were drawn to your uncontrolled energy," Kael explained. "Like moths to a flame. Your presence amplifies their distress."
Aiko felt a pang of guilt. So, she wasn't helping them. She was just making it worse.
"So what do I do?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "Just... ignore them?"
"You will learn to filter," Kael replied. "To shield yourself. And to only engage when absolutely necessary. Under my guidance."
"Your guidance," Aiko repeated, rolling her eyes. "This is going to be fun."
Suddenly, Kael's head snapped up. His eyes narrowed. He looked towards the window.
"They're here," he murmured.
"Who's here?" Aiko asked, a knot forming in her stomach.
Before Kael could answer, a low growl vibrated through the floorboards. It wasn't human. It wasn't animal. It was the sound of pure, hungry malice.
The windows rattled. A faint, dark mist began to seep in from under the door.
"Nox," Kael stated, his voice calm, but with an underlying tension. "Multiple signatures. And strong ones."
Aiko felt the familiar cold dread. But this time, it was mixed with something else. A faint hum of power. Not hers alone. Theirs. The binding.
Kael moved swiftly. He pulled something from within his coat. It shimmered. Gleamed with otherworldly light. A blade. Made of pure energy.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice sharp. He positioned himself between Aiko and the apartment door. His stance was ready. Lethal.
The mist thickened. It swirled, forming grotesque shapes. Eyes. Teeth. Too many of both.
Three distinct forms began to solidify outside her door. Larger than the Nox from Mrs. Henderson's. More defined. More menacing.
They were Nox Mayor. And they were coordinated.
"And try not to die," Kael added, his gaze fixed on the door. His voice was a low growl. "It would be highly inefficient."
Aiko stared at the glowing blade in his hand. At the swirling shadows outside her door. At the cold, determined set of Kael's jaw.
This was her life now. Bound to an arrogant Reaper. Fighting monsters she couldn't comprehend. And trying not to die.
Just great.