Yuto's breath caught in his throat, the border between dream and waking life dissolving around him. Lantern in hand, he blinked, trying to make sense of the sight before him. The stairwell he'd entered from the subway was gone, replaced by a stone path sloping down into a city of impossible architecture and floating lanterns. Pagodas clung sideways to bridges that reached nowhere, and thin streams spiraled skyward, reflecting the wavering light.
Those same whispers from the blackout now became sharper, shaped into words that seemed to skim just above the threshold of understanding. Lanterns bobbed on invisible currents, brushing his hair and sending flickers of warmth down his neck.
"A little overwhelmed, are we?"
The voice snapped him from his stupor. Yuto spun around and nearly collided with a small, squat figure: a tanuki or at least what looked like one standing upright, fur dusted with glowing motes. Its eyes were bright with mischief, and it wore a tattered sash embroidered with ukiyo-e waves.
Yuto's mind fought to process what he was seeing. "Tanuki…?" he whispered. Words from old folklore surfaced, colliding against the raw sensation of danger and amazement.
"Call me Koma," the tanuki said proudly, twirling a leaf between nimble fingers. "Not every day a human stumbles through the barrier especially one carrying a real lantern, none of that battery-powered nonsense. You must be special! What's your name?"
"Uh… Yuto. Arai."
Koma flicked his tail. "Yuto, then! Welcome to the Hidden City. The way you're staring, you'll catch bugs with your mouth."
Yuto shut his jaw, heartbeat wild. The city's spirits drifted between market stalls and shadowy arches: wisps of smoke, fox-masked children, a floating kite that winked as he looked its way. It was just like his dreams, only fuller more real than real.
He took a trembling step forward, clutching his lantern. "Is this… still Tokyo?"
"In a manner of speaking. The part that everyone forgot how to see." Koma's tone grew suddenly serious. "Careful with that light. The old spirits will be curious, and that means the Assembly will want to see you."
"The Assembly?" Yuto echoed, voice cracking.
Koma grinned, wide and toothy. "All in good time. But first, let's steer clear of the Night Parade. Sometimes they don't like newcomers." He scampered off with surprising speed, gesturing for Yuto to follow.
They wound through alleyways of lacquer and paper, scents of spicy incense and rain-damp earth hanging thick. Yuto stumbled, senses battered by sights and sounds he couldn't hope to name. Koma explained little, but every so often he'd toss comments over his shoulder:
"That blue smoke? Kitsune traders. Don't stare too long."
"Shrine on the left never enter if you hear bell chimes and you're alone. Trust me."
Somewhere above, distant thunder rolled. Lanterns bobbed lower, their paper skins trembling with nervous energy. Koma led Yuto across a narrow bridge arching above another world beneath them, ghostly figures floated in lazy circles, whispering songs that made the skin prickle on Yuto's arms.
Finally, they stopped before a heavy wooden door carved with thousands of tiny names.
"Assembly's headquarters," Koma explained, solemn for the first time. "They might not be ready for a human Mediator, but with that lantern and those dreams… well, it's out of my paws."
Before Yuto could argue, Koma knocked three times, sending ripples of golden light through the ancient wood. Yuto swallowed, his free hand trembling at his side.
The door swung open, spilling forth warm light and the scent of blooming plum. Inside, shadowy figures awaited some spectral, some solid, all with eyes that had seen more lifetimes than he could imagine.
Koma whispered, "Brace yourself. Once you cross this threshold, your life's never the same."
Yuto stepped forward, the memory of his dream's torii gate flashing bright behind his lids. The city beneath Tokyo was no longer just a dream he was about to discover why he, of all people, had been chosen.
End of Chapter 2