Risa leaned against a wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Did you get a good look at him?” she asked, her voice breathless.

Ryoichiro shook his head, still trying to calm himself. “No… he was too far away. But I know it wasn’t normal. There’s something… off about him.”

Risa nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. “We need to tell Ed. He might know what’s going on.”

“Yeah,” Ryoichiro agreed. “But right now, let’s just get back to your apartment. We’ll be safer there.”

They quickened their pace, nearly running the last few steps to the apartment building’s entrance. Risa fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking as she tried to unlock the door. Behind them, the figure didn’t move but remained in the same spot, watching.

Risa’s eyes followed his gaze, and she saw the figure too. Her heart raced, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Keep moving. We’re almost there.”

Finally, the door clicked open, and they rushed inside. Ryoichiro slammed the door shut behind them, locking it with trembling hands. They stood in the dimly lit lobby, both of them breathing heavily, trying to process what had just happened.

They headed up the stairs to Risa’s apartment, neither of them daring to speak until they were safely inside. Once the door was locked behind them, Risa finally exhaled, leaning against the wall as if all the tension in her body had suddenly released.

Ryoichiro paced nervously, glancing out the window every few seconds. “What if he’s still out there?” he asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

Risa walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. But first, we need to get in touch with Ed. He warned us this would get worse, remember?”

Suddenly, the lights in the apartment flickered. The atmosphere shifted, a strange heaviness settling in the air. They exchanged a worried glance, realizing that the danger wasn’t just outside — it had probably followed them in.

“We’re not alone,” Ryoichiro whispered, his voice barely audible.

Risa’s eyes darted around the room, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The apartment seemed the same, but the air felt heavier, almost charged with energy.

She moved to the window, pulling the curtain aside just a fraction to peer outside. The street was quiet, and the shadowy figure was nowhere to be seen. But the unease hadn’t left — it was inside now!

A soft noise echoed from the corner of the room. Both Ryoichiro and Risa turned sharply toward it. The shadows in the room seemed to ripple, shifting unnaturally, and then… a figure emerged.

It was cloaked in darkness, but as it stepped forward, the shadows peeled away, revealing a tall, slender figure in a long coat. Its face was partially obscured by a wide-brimmed hat, casting deep shadows over its features. But the outline of its eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, was unmistakable.

Risa instinctively reached into her bag, gripping the handle of a small blade she carried for protection. Ryoichiro stepped back, his breath catching in his throat.

The figure raised a hand, palm out, as if to signal it meant no harm. The voice that followed was calm, deep, and almost soothing, yet with an edge of authority.

“Please… there’s no need for weapons. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Risa narrowed her eyes but didn’t let go of the blade. “What do you want!? How did you get in here?”

The figure glided forward, its movements unnaturally smooth, almost as if it was gliding across the floor. Shadows seemed to cling to it, distorting the space around its form. “Your door…” The figure’s voice was low and eerily calm, like a whisper carried on the wind. “Your walls… they’re irrelevant to someone like me.”

A flicker of light revealed the faintest hint of a smirk beneath the brim of its hat. “But I must say, the warding… impressive, really.” The shadows seemed to coil and writhe around the figure as it stepped closer, its presence filling the room with a suffocating tension. “I’ve seen much worse.”

Risa and Ryoichiro stood frozen, their fear palpable in the silence that enveloped them. Risa’s heart pounded in her chest, a frantic rhythm that echoed in her ears. She exchanged a glance with Ryoichiro, his wide eyes mirroring her own disbelief. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.

When Ayane appeared, it took a few seconds for the shock to subside. Ryoichiro’s breath hitched as he tried to form words, his mind racing to process the surreal sight before him. Risa, her voice shaky, finally managed to ask, “Who… who are you?” even as her mind screamed at her to run.

“My name is Ayane,” she said softly, the words lingering in the air like a foreboding echo. “I’m an emissary of the Yamabushi Kage Society… and I’ve come for you.”

The weight of the statement hung heavily in the room, as if the very air had thickened around them, pressing in on their chests. Ryoichiro’s breath caught, and Risa’s grip on her blade tightened, the sound of her knuckles cracking in the tense quiet.

Ayane’s gaze remained fixed on them, unblinking, as if she was savoring the moment before revealing something far more dangerous than either of them could imagine.

Ryoichiro and Risa exchanged a confused glance, still wary of the entity in front of them. “Wha — Yamabushi... Society?” Ryoichiro asked, his voice hoarse. “What… what is that?”

Ayane’s eyes narrowed as she studied them, her expression unreadable. “Ed deals with the here and now,” she said softly, almost to herself. “We… we’re the ones who make sure the balance isn’t tipped too far.” She let the words hang, leaving Ryoichiro and Risa to ponder their meaning.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Ryoichiro frowned, shaking his head. “You expect us to believe that? Spiritual realm, balance… this sounds like something out of a bad movie.”

Ayane’s lips curled into a small smile, a knowing look in her eyes. “Believe what you want. But when the shadows start to move, remember our conversation.”

Risa’s fingers clenched around the hilt of her blade, her voice sharp with tension. “Why are you following us? What do you want?”

Ayane sighed, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. “Because your lives have become intertwined with something beyond your understanding. The Green Reaper… ”

Ayane moved closer, her presence making the room feel colder. “Curses,” she murmured, almost as if talking to herself. “They’re the least of your worries. When you’ve danced on the edge of life and death… well, let’s just say you’re bound to trip.” She glanced at Ryoichiro, her eyes hard. “And the fall… is endless.”

Ryoichiro’s heart raced. “Are we in danger?”

Ayane shook her head slowly. “Not from me. I’m here to guide you… to protect you from what’s coming. But you must understand, this is no longer just about survival. You’ve been marked, and that comes with… responsibilities.”

Risa finally released her grip on the blade, though her posture remained tense. “Marked? By who? Why Ryo-chan?”

"Yeah, why me?" Ryo cut in, his voice tinged with frustration.

“Why you?” Ayane’s voice softened, almost pitying. “Does it really matter? The Green Reaper chooses who it will. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. But I’m here to ensure that you make it through this… intact.”

Ryoichiro swallowed hard, his mind spinning with questions. “What do we do now?”

Ayane turned away from them, her gaze drifting to the dark corners of the room. “You’re tangled in something bigger than you can imagine,” she said, almost as if to the shadows. “Curses are child’s play compared to what’s really happening. And you… you’re right in the middle of it.” She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “But don’t worry, you won’t be alone… not always.”

As Ayane prepared to fade back into the shadows, she paused, her gaze softening as she looked at Risa and Ryoichiro. "Before I leave, take this," she said, reaching into the folds of her coat. She pulled out a small, intricately carved charm made of dark wood, its surface etched with symbols that seemed to shift in the dim light.

Ryoichiro hesitated before accepting it, his fingers brushing against the cool surface. "What is it?"

Ayane’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a hint of urgency in her voice. "It’s a warding charm. It will shield you from the Green Reaper’s influence, but only for a time. When the charm burns to ash, you’ll know the danger is near."

Ayane stepped back, her form starting to blur slightly around the edges as if she was fading into the shadows again.

“Remember, this is not a permanent solution. For now, you stay vigilant. Trust your instincts… and when the time comes, I will return.”

With that, Ayane melted back into the darkness, leaving the room silent once more. The lights steadied, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted, but the weight of what had just transpired lingered heavily in the air.

Risa and Ryoichiro stood in stunned silence, processing what they had just encountered. The words echoed in their minds: You’ve been marked… this is no longer just about survival!

Risa finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Ryo-chan, we’re in deeper than we thought.”

Ryoichiro nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the spot where Ayane had disappeared. “Yeah, Risa-chan... and it’s only just begun.”

The shadowy figure dissolved into the night as if it had never existed, leaving only the lingering sense of unease in its wake. Ryoichiro and Risa stood frozen in the middle of her dimly lit apartment, their minds struggling to comprehend what had just transpired. The oppressive weight of the unknown pressed down on them, threatening to crush their resolve.

Risa was the first to move, her hands trembling as she fumbled with her phone. She dialed Ed’s number, her breath hitching with each ring. Silence met her desperation, a cold and unyielding void on the other end of the line.

“Damn it!” Risa cursed under her breath, her frustration boiling over. “He said to call him if things got out of hand. Why isn’t he answering?”

Ryoichiro clenched his fists, a mixture of fear and anger churning within him. He had placed his trust in Ed, believing that the strange man held the key to their survival. But now, with Ed unreachable and a new figure's eerie presence still haunting his thoughts, that trust was rapidly eroding.

“We need to find him, Risa-chan,” Ryoichiro said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. “We can’t just sit here and wait for whatever this is to come back.”

Risa nodded, her resolve hardening. They couldn’t afford to be passive any longer. Grabbing her coat, she led the way out of the apartment, her steps quick and purposeful, though the slight tremor in her movements betrayed her fear.

The twilight outside was still, almost unnaturally so, as if the city itself was holding its breath. The streets were deserted, the usual hum of life eerily absent. It felt as if they were the only two people left in a world on the brink of collapse.

They reached Ed’s dilapidated shack with a sense of urgency, but the sight that greeted them only deepened their unease. The door hung slightly ajar, creaking softly in the breeze. Inside, the house was dark and silent, as if no one had been there for days.

“He’s gone,” Ryoichiro muttered, his heart sinking. He stepped inside cautiously, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of life. But the dust-covered surfaces and the stillness of the air told him all he needed to know. Ed had vanished, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Risa’s frustration bubbled over, her voice tinged with helplessness. “Where could he have gone? He knew we’d need him. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Nothing about this makes sense,” Ryoichiro replied, his tone grim. “But we can’t give up, Risa-chan. Let’s go to Theo. Maybe he knows something.”

The bartender’s establishment was their last hope. The thought of Theo’s calm demeanor offered a sliver of comfort, though it was quickly overshadowed by the dread that had taken root in Ryoichiro’s heart.

They arrived at the bar, the neon sign flickering in the dark like a dying beacon. Inside, the atmosphere was subdued, a stark contrast to the lively chatter that usually filled the space. Theo was behind the counter, his expression unreadable as he cleaned a glass with methodical precision.

“Theo-san,” Risa called out, her voice tinged with urgency. “We need to talk to you.”

Theo looked up, his brow furrowing as he took in their frazzled appearance. “What’s going on? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“We might have, Theo-san,” Ryoichiro said grimly. He quickly recounted the events of the night, from the apparition in Risa’s apartment to their failed attempt to reach Ed. Theo listened in silence, his expression growing more serious with each word.

When Ryoichiro finished, Theo let out a long breath. “I wish I had answers for you, but I don’t. He said he’s got money for drinking but suddenly bailed. Changed his mind or something. Whatever he’s involved in, it’s way above what he’s paying me.”

The weight of Theo’s words settled over them like a shroud. Ryoichiro felt a pang of despair, the gnawing realization that they were truly alone in this fight. He thought back to Ed’s cryptic warning — You’re protected.

But protected from what? And for how long?

His eyes drifted to Risa, who was staring at the floor, her shoulders tense with anxiety. The thought of losing her, of being unable to protect her, sent a cold shiver down his spine. He had no idea what they were up against, but one thing was clear: the danger wasn’t over, perhaps it even doubled!

“We can’t just wait around for something to happen, Risa-chan,” Ryoichiro said, his voice laced with determination. “We need to figure out what that thing was and why it’s after us.”

Risa looked up, her eyes meeting his. “And how do we do that? We’ve got no leads, no idea where Ed is, and whatever that thing was, it’s beyond anything we can handle.”

“We start with what we know,” Ryoichiro suggested. “Ed mentioned something about a ‘green reaper.’ We need to find out more about that. Maybe there’s something in his house we missed.”

Risa nodded, though her fear was still evident. “And if that doesn’t work?”

Ryoichiro’s gaze hardened. “Then we keep looking. We don’t give up, no matter what, Risa-chan.”

Risa managed a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re right, Ryo-chan. We’ll figure this out.”

But as they left Theo’s bar, a heavy silence settled between them. Both of them knew the truth that neither dared to voice: they were out of their depth, and the shadows were closing in. The night stretched on, and with it, the sense of impending doom that hung over them like a dark cloud.

Ryoichiro couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out. He was willing to face whatever came his way, but the thought of Risa being caught in the crossfire filled him with dread. He had to find a way to protect her, even if it meant confronting the unknown head-on. When Risa wasn’t looking, he allowed himself a single, shaky breath. Just one moment to acknowledge the fear before burying it again.

“I’ll protect us, Risa-chan,” he began, but the words caught in his throat, suddenly feeling hollow.

As he spoke, a knot tightened in his chest.

“Can I really protect her?” he thought to himself.

The memory of freezing up during a schoolyard fight in his childhood flashed through his mind, a reminder of his own limitations.

“What if I failed her when it mattered most?” His doubt ever slightly growing stronger.

Ryoichiro clenched his fists, feeling the bite of his nails against his palms. It was a small pain, something he could control, unlike the chaotic fear gnawing at his resolve.

“I’ll… I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Risa’s gaze locked onto him, her chest tightening with a surge of unexpected emotion. The man standing before her was different — stronger, more resolute. She could hardly believe the transformation she was witnessing. The words he had just spoken echoed in her mind, and for the first time, she felt her heart skip a beat. This was no longer the Ryoichiro she had known, but someone who stirred something deep within her, something that both thrilled and terrified her.

As they walked back into the night, Ryoichiro’s mind raced with plans and possibilities. But no matter how hard he tried to focus, one thought kept intruding: What if it’s already too late?