September 2024 – Tokyo

The next day felt different. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, especially after yesterday’s encounter. Homura Ryuji, the most popular guy in school, kept staring at me during the entire first period. I wasn’t sure what his deal was, but I felt his eyes on me even as I tried to focus on my books. I didn’t want to deal with him, or anyone, today. I had bigger things on my mind.

By the time the bell rang for the last period, I could feel the weight of his gaze again. I needed to leave. Fast.

I didn’t even wait for the bell to dismiss us. I grabbed my bag, made up some excuse to the teacher about not feeling well, and bolted out of the classroom, my heart pounding with nerves. I didn’t know why, but I felt like I couldn’t stick around.

I took the back exit and started walking quickly, keeping my head down. The city was just starting to come alive—people bustling through the streets, heading to their after-school jobs or out for drinks. But I wasn’t part of that world. Not today.

As I walked down the sidewalk, trying to clear my head, I saw him. A man in a long, dark coat, standing on the corner, waiting. He was tall, his face shadowed, but I could tell something wasn’t right. I kept walking, but he stepped into my path, blocking my way.

“I need to talk to you,” he said, his voice calm but firm.

I stopped, sizing him up. Something about his tone told me he wasn’t asking. “Who are you?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gestured down the street. “There’s a café nearby. Why don’t we sit down and talk?”

I hesitated. There was something about him that made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t very well ignore him. I didn’t want to make a scene. “Fine,” I muttered, stepping aside as he led the way.

We sat in the dimly lit café, and as the waiter took our order, I tried to ignore the odd sense of urgency in the air. The man across from me was quiet, his eyes studying me with an unsettling focus.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he asked, almost as though he was reading my thoughts.

“‘One of them?’” I echoed, unsure where this was going.

“The awakened. Those with power,” he said, his voice lowering. “I know what you can do. You’ve been hiding it, but I can see through your mask. You can’t hide forever.”

I froze. How did he know? I wanted to ask him to explain, but before I could, he leaned forward, his smile widening. “Look, I’m from the Mafia. People like you, with power, are valuable to us. We don’t just want you for your abilities; we want you because you’re one of the rare few. You’ll either work for us, or we’ll make sure you regret not doing so.”

My stomach twisted, a knot forming in my gut. The Mafia? This couldn’t be real. “I’m not joining anyone,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

His eyes hardened, and the mood in the café shifted. The smile dropped from his face, replaced by something colder. “You can’t hide forever. If you don’t join us, the Mafia will find you. Trust me, you don’t want that. They’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse, and when you do, they’ll never let you go.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine. What was this guy playing at? The Mafia? It seemed so... far-fetched. But there was a part of me that knew he wasn’t bluffing.

I stood up, trying to walk away from the conversation. “I’m not interested,” I said firmly.

As I walked out of the café, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just begun. This wasn’t over.

The next day, I took a different route home. I wasn’t about to risk running into that Mafia guy again. It was better to stay low, avoid any further attention. But as I walked down an unfamiliar street, a strange sound caught my attention.

A voice—low, haunting, and full of melancholy. I turned the corner, drawn toward the source of the sound. Under a nearby streetlight stood a man, hunched over as if lost in thought. He was singing, but the song was… odd. The lyrics seemed almost like a chant, something that shouldn’t be sung in broad daylight.

“Hush now, my dear, don’t make a sound,

The shadows are creeping, they’re all around.

Close your eyes, the end’s near,

Don’t fight it now, don’t shed a tear.”

I couldn’t help but feel uneasy as I approached. The song had a hypnotic quality to it, pulling me in against my better judgment. The man’s voice was soft, almost childlike, but it held an eerie undertone.

“The clock is ticking, the hour’s at hand,

The reaper’s waiting, with his cold, bony hand.

So rest, little one, and know it’s true,

He’ll come for me—and he’ll come for you.”

Just as I reached him, the singing abruptly stopped. The man lifted his head, and his eyes locked onto mine. For a moment, everything else faded away. He knew who I was.

“You’re Tanaka Kaito, right?” His voice was calm, almost casual, as if we were old acquaintances. “I’ve been watching you.”

I took a step back, heart pounding. “Who are you?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he offered a small smile. “I think we should talk. There’s a park nearby. Follow me.”

I wasn’t sure why, but something in his tone made me follow him. As we walked, he began singing the same eerie song again, like it was some sort of ritual.

“Hush now, my dear, don’t make a sound,

The shadows are creeping, they’re all around…”

We arrived at the park, and I couldn’t take it anymore. “If you’re from the Mafia, I’m not joining. So back off.” My voice was sharp, no longer willing to be dragged into some dangerous game.

The man stopped, looking at me with an almost amused expression. “The Mafia? No, no. Let me enlighten you.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I’m from a different organization. We’re not a large group, but we are powerful. And we have government approval. We’re a faction made up of people like you—those who have powers. Powers that, if left unchecked, can destroy everything.”

He handed me a business card. “We’re not like the Mafia. But if you don’t join us, you’ll have to choose—either the Mafia or the government. If you don’t, both will come after you. The Mafia will hunt you, and if the government sees any CCTV footage, they’ll arrest you, and you’ll be subjected to experiments. Only we can protect you.”

I stared at the card, conflicted. This was way more than I could handle. I turned to leave, but he stopped me one last time.

“You’ll choose eventually. But make no mistake—you have to choose. Or they’ll both come for you.”