The camera weaves through a labyrinth of narrow, winding alleyways, the walls on either side closing in like the jaws of a trap. Trash litters the ground, and the distant hum of the city feels like a world away. At the heart of the slum, a dilapidated shack stands out among the crumbling structures, its tin roof barely clinging to the warped wood beneath. The shack's door, a surprising contrast, is made of reinforced steel, though it's clear the rust is winning its battle against time.

A sudden, loud banging echoed through the alley, disturbing the fragile peace. Inside, Ed jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. He’s lived in this place long enough to know that unexpected visitors are never good news. Silently, he slipped out of bed, his bare feet padding across the cold, uneven floor. Peeking through the threadbare curtain covering the small window, he saw two figures outside — one familiar, the other less so.

With a deep sigh and a grimace, Ed unbolted the heavy door. The hinges creaked in protest as he swung it open.

“Somebody better be dying,” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep and irritation.

Before he can say more, Ryoichiro pushed past him, stumbling into the shack and collapsing onto the bed. His eyes were wide, still haunted by whatever happened earlier.

Ed’s mouth twisted into an annoyed scowl, but the fight drained out of him as he resigned to the intrusion. “Well, come on in,” he said with a shrug.

Risa followed, hesitating just long enough to shake the dirt from her boots. She paused at the threshold, her hands moving in a quick sign of the cross followed by a Buddhist prayer motion before she steps inside.

“I’m so sorry about this, Ed-san,” she said, her voice a mix of exhaustion and urgency. “But we had an incident.”

Ed narrowed his eyes at her. “How’d you even find where I live anyway?”

Risa shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting around the room, taking in the strange assortment of occult artifacts that line the shelves. “Uh, Theo told me.”

Ed’s confusion deepened. “Who the hell is Theo?” he asked, his tone sharp with suspicion. He turned away, rummaging through a messy cupboard to pull out a pitcher of water. He poured a glass and handed it to Risa without waiting for an answer.

She took the glass gratefully, gulping down the water in one go before replying. “You know, Theo, the bartender.”

Realization dawned on Ed, and his expression darkened. “I’m gonna kill that bastard for selling me out,” he growled, his voice low and vengeful. “I should've seen it coming. That son of a bitch would sell his own mother for the right price. How much did he squeeze out of you? Five grand? Ten?”

“Ed-san! Please, this is important!” Risa’s plea cut through his anger, bringing him back to the moment.

Ed’s eyes flicked between the two of them, sensing the gravity of the situation. He set the pitcher down and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What the hell happened?” he asked, his voice a little softer, though the edge remains.

Ryoichiro finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “Ed-san...”

Ryoichiro’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white as he struggled to keep his voice steady. The room seemed to close in around him, the weight of what they had witnessed pressing down like a suffocating fog.

“We need to stop it,” he said, his voice cracking under the strain. He looked up, his eyes haunted and desperate, his resolve barely holding him together. “Whatever it takes, Ed-san. I can’t take this anymore.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and final, as if they were the last bit of strength Ryoichiro had left to give.

Ed’s eyes narrowed as he studied Ryoichiro’s trembling form. The desperation in his voice was undeniable, and it was clear that whatever they had encountered had pushed them to the brink. He uncrossed his arms, pushing away from the wall, and nodded slowly, his mind already racing through the possibilities.

“Alright,” Ed said, his tone more serious than before. “We’ll do it. But you two better be ready because this isn’t something you can half-ass.”

Risa, still shaken but resolute, took a step forward. “Ed-san, I couldn’t get the artifact you asked for. The seller we were supposed to meet fell through because the one I usually deal with decided to go on vacation. I mean, seriously, who goes on holiday when lives are on the line? A black market esper dealer, of all people! But anyway, I’m rambling. Maybe you have something similar in your collection? I see a lot of powerful objects around here.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ed cut her off with a short, bitter laugh. “You’re already wearing one.”

Risa blinked in confusion. “What? No, I don’t — ”

Ed’s laugh died away, leaving a heavy silence in the room. His eyes locked onto Risa’s, and he nodded toward the beads around her neck. “Those beads are more powerful than anything I’ve got stashed away here. Palo santo, sacred wood — ideal for spiritual purification and energy cleansing. They could be what we need.”

“Those beads... they’re more than just protection,” Ed said, his voice low. “I didn't bother to tell you at the bar — the way they’ve been reacting to the energy around you.”

Risa’s hand instinctively went to her neck, fingers brushing against the smooth, weathered beads. She had worn them for years at the start of her deep dive into the occult, never realizing their significance until now. Risa’s eyes narrowed in frustration as she held up the beads. “For real? These? You could have mentioned that earlier instead of sending me on a wild goose chase for an artifact that might not even exist!”

Ed’s gaze was intense, his voice urgent. “Those beads will work, but only if we move fast. We don’t have time to second-guess ourselves.”

Ryoichiro looked up, his eyes pleading. “What do we need to do?”

Ed didn’t hesitate. “There’s a place nearby, an old, abandoned shrine. It’s been forgotten for decades, but the ground there is consecrated. The energy there will amplify the ritual, make it more likely to succeed. But we have to move fast — if that thing follows us, the shrine is the only place where we might stand a chance of containing it.”

Ryoichiro, who had been silent, looked up with newfound determination. “Then let’s go. We can’t waste any more time.”

Ed nodded sharply. “Grab what you need and follow me.”

The three of them quickly gathered their belongings, Risa clutching the beads tightly while Ryoichiro pocketed some chalk Ed pointed at him and a few other items from Ed’s stash that might be useful. Ed led the way, moving with a purpose that belied the slum’s chaotic maze of narrow alleys.

The night air was thick and oppressive, the narrow streets twisting and turning like the coils of a serpent. The deeper they ventured into the slum, the more the buildings seemed to close in on them, the shadows growing longer and darker. Finally, they reached the shrine. The air was still, and the silence here was unnerving, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

The shrine stands like a forgotten relic, hidden deep behind a crumbling stone wall within the labyrinth of the slum, its presence almost swallowed by the overgrowth that surrounded it. Ancient, weathered stones form its foundation, cracked and etched with cryptic symbols that had faded over the centuries. Vines twist and coil around the crumbling walls, their tendrils seeming to pulse with a faint, otherworldly energy.

A narrow path, barely discernible under layers of moss and fallen leaves, leads up to a small, arched entrance, framed by gnarled trees that seemed to bow in reverence. The air is thick with a sense of solemnity, as if the very earth remembered the sacred rituals once performed within.

Inside, the shrine is bathed in a dim, ethereal light that filters through gaps in the stone ceiling, casting eerie shadows that dance across the walls. The floor, though cracked and worn, bears the remnants of ancient symbols, their purpose long forgotten but still potent with latent power. At the far end, a modest altar stands, draped in tattered cloth and surrounded by offerings that had decayed into dust, their spiritual essence lingering in the air.

The silence of the night was profound, almost unnatural, as if the shrine existed in a space between worlds, untouched by time. The very air seemed to hum with an unseen energy, a subtle vibration that hinted at the deep, mystical forces that had once been invoked here. This was a place where the boundaries between the physical and the spiritual had worn thin, a sanctuary for those who knew how to tap into its ancient power.

Ryoichiro and Risa, especially, were clearly in awe, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“This is it,” Ed said, his voice low as they stepped inside the shrine. The interior was simple, the floor cracked and covered in dust, but the remnants of old offerings and faded murals on the walls hinted at its once-sacred purpose. “The ground here is hallowed. It’s old, but it’s still potent. If we’re going to do this, we have to do it now.”

Risa looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the ancient space. “Why here, Ed-san? What makes this place so special?”

“This isn’t just some hocus-pocus,” Ed muttered as knelt on the floor. He asked for the chalk and began to draw the containment circle, his movements quick and precise. “This shrine was dedicated to an ancient guardian, one who held back malevolent spirits for centuries. That power still lingers here, but it’s weak, fading with each passing year. If we don’t do this right, we’ll be waking it up with half its strength — and that could be worse than the thing we’re trying to stop.”

“Tell us what to do, Ed-san,” Risa said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

Ed’s hand paused for a moment before continuing. “First, we’ll need to finish the containment circle. The palo santo beads will be the focus, the anchor. But this ritual isn’t meant to be done on the fly. We’re taking a huge risk.”

Risa knelt beside him, her voice barely a whisper. “Risk? What kind of risk?”

“If we don’t do this exactly right, the spirit could break free, stronger than before. We’ll be the ones trapped,” Ed replied, glancing up at her with a grim expression. “And this whole neighborhood could pay the price.”

Ryoichiro joined him, helping to complete the intricate design on the floor. “And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then we’re out of options. This place is our best shot — if the ritual fails, the entity will go on a rampage, and there won’t be any stopping it.”

Silence fell over the room as the weight of his words sank in. Ryoichiro’s breath hitched, and Risa felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. But there was no other choice. They had already come too far to turn back now.

Risa took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Ed nodded and handed Ryoichiro the chalk. “You’ll need to finish the circle. It has to be perfect, not a single break or smudge. Risa, you’ll place the beads in the center and chant the incantation. I’ll be reinforcing the barriers and handling any… disruptions.” He handed Risa what looked like a shopping list, though it was filled with cryptic symbols and nonsensical scribbles.

Risa stared at the words, silently mouthing them, her lips moving like an actress rehearsing her lines for Romeo and Juliet, trying to get the pronunciation just right.

Ryoichiro’s hand shook as he took the chalk, but he forced himself to focus. “Ed-san, what if it doesn’t work?” he asked again.

Ed’s eyes were hard as steel. “Then we’ll have to fight it off, whatever it is. And pray it’s not too late.”

Ryoichiro’s hand trembled, the chalk barely touching the ground, as a flood of memories paralyzed him. Flashes of blood, a scream that still echoed in his ears, and the sight of many lifeless eyes. He had failed them then. He wouldn’t fail again.

He knelt beside Ed’s rough sketches and began to draw, his movements deliberate and careful despite the rising panic in his chest. Each line Ryoichiro etched into the floor felt like a lifeline, a fragile thread between them and the terror that awaited if they failed.

They worked in tense silence, the only sounds the scratch of chalk on stone and the soft murmurs of Ed’s incantations. The circle, once completed, seemed to hum with a low, almost imperceptible energy, as if the shrine itself was waking from its long slumber.

“Risa,” Ed said, standing up and looking at her with a grave expression. “The beads. Place them in the center.”

She nodded, stepping into the circle and kneeling in the middle. Risa swallowed hard, taking the beads from around her neck. Carefully, she placed the beads on the ground, right at the heart of the design. The moment they touched the stone, the air seemed to shift, growing heavier with a palpable tension. She could feel the energy pulsing through them, the sacred wood thrumming with a warmth that belied its age.

Ed glanced at the door, his senses on high alert. “Alright, we’ve got minutes, maybe less, before it knows what we’re up to. Get ready.”

Risa clenched the beads in her fist, her eyes sharp with determination.

"Time to end this!"