Hana stood in the dim light of the warehouse, her fingers brushing the smooth, cold surface of the Soul Ledger in her jacket pocket. She felt the familiar weight of it, but something inside her had shifted. Her heart raced as she replayed Sato's words in her mind.

The Reapers. The Ledger. The curse.

Her lips tightened into a grim line as she thought about all the lives she had taken, the power she had wielded. But now, as she stood on the edge of yet another fight, a dark realization dawned on her.

She couldn’t use the Ledger again.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, clenching her fist around the notebook. The memories flooded back. The last time she had used it—she had felt something change inside her, something break. The Ledger had been clear from the start: you could only cheat death so many times. Each time, it took a little more from you. And now, she wasn’t sure she had anything left to give.

Sato watched her closely, his eyes narrowing as he picked up on her hesitation. "What’s wrong?"

Hana bit her lip, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. Trusting Sato had never come easily, but he was all she had now. She couldn’t do this alone, especially not with the Reapers hunting her.

"I..." She hesitated, her voice softer than usual. "I can’t use the Ledger again."

Sato raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "What do you mean? You’ve been using that thing to kill for years. What’s changed?"

"It’s not that simple," she snapped, frustration boiling over. "It’s not just a tool, Sato. The Ledger—it’s alive, in some fucked up way. Every time I use it, it takes something from me. And after the last time... I don’t know what it will do if I use it again."

Sato’s expression darkened, understanding dawning in his eyes. "So you’re saying... it could kill you?"

"Or worse." Hana let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through her hair. "I don’t even know what 'worse' is at this point, but yeah. Something bad."

Sato looked at her, his face unreadable for a moment. Then, he spoke slowly, cautiously. "So, what’s the plan? We can’t take on the Reapers without some kind of advantage."

Hana met his gaze, her eyes filled with determination. "We’re going to have to outsmart them. The Ledger’s out of play, but I’m not powerless without it. I’ve survived this long, and I’ll keep surviving. We just need to be a step ahead of them."

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Sato folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "You think you can do that without the Ledger? These aren’t ordinary people, Hana. They know what they’re doing."

"Yeah, well, so do I." Hana’s voice was sharp, her confidence returning. "I’ve been one step ahead of death for years, Sato. This is just another game. And if I can’t use the Ledger, I’ll find another way. There’s always another way."

Sato nodded, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "I hope you’re right."

"Trust me," Hana said, her lips curling into a smirk. "I’ve been outsmarting people like them for a long time. I’m not about to let some Reaper scum take me down now."

There was a tense silence between them for a moment, the weight of the situation settling in. Hana could feel the pressure building, but she refused to let it crush her. She had survived too much, fought too hard to give up now.

But deep down, the fear gnawed at her. What if she couldn’t do it? What if the Reapers were too strong? What if, without the Ledger, she was just another target, waiting to be taken down?

No. She wouldn’t let herself think like that. She couldn’t afford to.

"Alright," she said, breaking the silence. "First things first. We need to figure out who’s leading the Reapers. If we can take out their leader, the rest will fall apart."

Sato frowned. "You really think it’s that simple?"

"Of course not," Hana shot back, rolling her eyes. "But it’s a start. We don’t have the luxury of time, Sato. We need to move fast."

He nodded, his expression grim. "Agreed. But finding the leader of the Reapers won’t be easy. They’re a secretive group, and they don’t just show their faces to anyone."

"Well, then we’ll just have to make them show themselves." Hana’s eyes gleamed with determination. "We’ll draw them out. Make them come to us."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Sato asked, his tone skeptical.

Hana grinned, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Oh, I’ve got a few ideas. But first, we need to gather some intel. I know a few people who might be able to help."

Sato raised an eyebrow. "People? What people? You’ve been on the run for years. Who the hell do you trust?"

Hana shrugged. "I don’t trust anyone. But that doesn’t mean I can’t use them."

Sato let out a dry chuckle. "Typical Hana."

"Hey, if it works, it works," Hana said, smirking. "Now, let’s get out of here. We’ve got work to do."

As they made their way out of the warehouse, Hana couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that hung over her. The Reapers were coming, and without the Ledger, she was vulnerable. But she refused to let that fear control her.

She was Hana. She had survived hell, and she would survive this. With or without the Ledger.

As they walked into the night, Hana’s mind was already working, formulating plans, strategies, contingencies. She wasn’t going to be caught off guard again. The Reapers might think they had the upper hand, but she was going to show them just how wrong they were.

And if Sato was right, if there were others like her out there—others who had been marked by the Ledger—then she was going to find them. She was going to make sure they knew what they were up against.

Because the Reapers weren’t just coming for her.

They were coming for all of them.

And Hana wasn’t going to let them win.