Volume 1: THE PROPHECY
Chapter 2:the beginning of endurance
The golden-orange hue of the evening sun spilled across the old city streets. School bells echoed distantly behind them as students poured into the roads. Rei, Itsuki, and Yuki walked through the quiet lane behind Eigen Gate School — a path flanked by aging buildings, narrow alleys, and cracked sidewalks.
The trio moved in silence. Or rather, Rei and Yuki were quiet. Itsuki, as usual, couldn't keep still.
He leaned toward Rei, whispering with exaggerated suspicion. "Hey… what if she's trying to kidnap us?"
Rei gave no reaction. His eyes were half-lidded, expression blank, face etched with the fatigue of someone who hadn't slept in years.
Itsuki leaned closer, lowering his voice like a detective in a noir film. "Seriously, Rei. Think about it. Wears a café uniform, lives alone in an old house, no parents in sight — classic setup. First it's cookies, then emotional manipulation, and next thing you know, you're in a soup pot labeled 'handsome high school boys.'"
A breeze shifted the air. Yuki slowed down.
She stopped walking.
Her silhouette caught the fading sunlight perfectly — her short black-blonde hair glinting gold, green eyes narrowed and unreadable. Without turning her head, she spoke.
"Why would I need to kidnap someone…"
Her voice was smooth, teasing.
"…when I have the potential to make them fall for me?"
She winked. Her café jacket flared gently as she turned and walked ahead again.
Itsuki froze.
Rei's mouth twitched faintly, uncertain if he'd just witnessed flirtation or the beginning of a nightmare.
"…It's already late. We should move," Rei said, monotone.
Yuki paused as if something in her brain misfired from his deadpan reply. She blinked once, then started walking again.
Rei trailed behind the two, hands in his pockets, muttering internally.
What am I going to do with these two idiots… especially the 'handsome' one…
The city unfolded around them — a slice of old life still clinging to charm. The scent of baking bread and roasted coffee drifted from nearby windows. Birds scattered into the air. A boy chased a ball across the road. A cat stared at Rei with pity.
Itsuki stretched his arms toward the sky like a man freshly released from prison.
"Ahhh… that smell. Freedom, sunlight, fresh air, girls… wait—no girls. Lame."
He squinted at Rei. "Oi. Did you always have that creepy aura, or is that part of your prophecy package?"
Rei didn't turn his head. "It's called trauma."
Itsuki let out a whistle. "Nice. Mind if I borrow some for a school drama?"
"Get therapy."
Itsuki laughed, jogging ahead while flapping his arms. "You're just jealous of my charm. Admit it, Rei. I'm the spark to your depression."
"You're the fuel to my headache."
"Aww, thanks!"
They rounded a bend into an older section of town, buildings weathered with age. At the corner stood a rustic café: wooden panels, rusted lanterns, flowerpots on windowsills. Above it, a small house with a faded sign read:
Kōhī Yume — Coffee Dream.
Itsuki stopped to stare at the house. A sudden pain pinched his chest. Strange. Fleeting.
He frowned and quickly looked away.
Yuki smiled, pointing up. "That's my place. Café below, house above."
They entered the café. A brass bell jingled.
Inside was a world of warmth: roasted beans, faded curtains, hanging ornaments, and a vinyl record humming a soft melody.
An elderly woman stepped out from behind the counter. Her hair braided with red string, her eyes pale with blindness.
She walked straight to Itsuki — and hugged him.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA!!" Itsuki jumped, flailing.
Yuki hurried forward. "Grandma! Not again—he's not who you think!"
The old woman chuckled. "Forgive me. I always do that when Yuki brings someone new."
"She's blind," Yuki explained. "But she hears everything."
Itsuki whispered, "Probably hears dreams too…"
Rei muttered, "Then she knows you're an idiot."
"Hey!"
"Upstairs," Yuki said, leading them up creaking wooden stairs. The home above was humble but warm, the scent of cinnamon lingering in the air.
In the living room, a painting hung above a small tea table. A woman with soft eyes held a baby.
"That looks like you," Rei said.
"My mom," Yuki said quietly. "I never met her. They passed when I was little. That's all I have."
She excused herself to fetch drinks. The grandmother sat before them.
"Your names?"
"Rei."
"Itsuki."
"You came because of the dream."
Rei tensed. "You know about it?"
The old woman nodded slowly.
"I had it as a child. Black fields. Shadows. A door. So tall it scraped the sky. A lock made not of metal, but… living skin."
She raised a trembling hand. "It pulsed when I touched it."
Itsuki's face twisted. "Like… human skin? Ew."
"And a voice spoke. Ancient. Not language — but meaning. It always said: 'You are not the prophecy.'"
Rei felt a jolt. Pain bloomed in his chest, where the hidden scar pulsed.
A vision surged.
A girl. Mist. Her lips moved: Save us all...
He gasped quietly.
"I searched for answers," the grandmother continued. "Legends tell of a sorcerer, a thousand years ago, who fought something beyond human, demon, or divine. And then… vanished."
Itsuki leaned toward Rei. "She talks like a possessed audiobook."
"Don't even think about it," Rei warned.
Too late.
Itsuki started waving, jumping, and dancing in front of her.
"I'm not with him," Rei said.
Yuki returned with drinks. "ITSUKI!! She's blind, not deaf!"
"Testing her spiritual aura!"
Before more chaos could unfold, the grandmother froze. Completely.
"Grandma…?" Yuki whispered.
No reply.
Light flickered.
Red mist seeped through the windows and floorboards.
Rei clutched his chest. The voice again: Save us all...
Yuki trembled. "What is this…?"
Rei's voice barely audible: "…It's happening again."
The red mist thickened — not fog, but something living. The house twisted. Walls became red mirrors. Floors reflected wrong angles.
The grandmother's chair was empty.
"She's… gone?" Yuki whispered.
A crash from below.
"The café," Rei said. "We're not alone."
In the kitchen, they armed themselves: metal rod, frying pan, old baseball bat.
They crept down to the café.
A creature stood waiting — tall, deformed, black rock skin, red glowing veins. One eye burned.
Itsuki screamed, "MONSTERRRRRR!!"
The demon charged.
Rei struck with the bat — straight to the glowing forehead.
WHAM!
The demon flew backward.
"You just batted a demon?!" Itsuki gasped.
They tried escaping. Opened the back door — only to re-enter the living room. Again and again.
"We're in a loop," Rei muttered. "Mirror world."
Claws echoed.
The demon returned — half-crushed, but still alive.
"I'm done running," Rei said, stepping forward. His eyes glowed faintly.
The battle began.
Objects floated. Gravity twisted. They attacked — frying pan, rod, bat — again and again.
More demons spawned. Four now.
Then — a sword flashed.
A figure appeared. White hair. Black energy blade.
"Who is this guy?!" Itsuki cried.
The man spoke: "Raiga. You've got one minute. Find the cursed object."
They searched. Nothing.
Rei had a vision. The painting.
"That one!" he shouted.
"No! That's my mom!" Yuki screamed.
Raiga: "This isn't real."
Rei and Itsuki held her back. Raiga sliced the painting.
The red world shattered.
The café was back.
Yuki dropped to her knees.
Rei collapsed. Itsuki lay flat.
Raiga turned to leave.
Rei looked up. "Are you… the—"
To be continued...