I stood by the window, staring out at the street. Yuki sat cross-legged on the couch behind me, her arms draped over the backrest, watching me with that unreadable look she'd mastered.
"You've been pacing for hours," she finally said, her voice cutting through the silence.
I turned to her. "I'm trying to figure out what to do next."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "And? Any brilliant ideas?"
"I don't know," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "But I know one thing—this wasn't random. Azazel didn't just show up for fun. Someone wanted me dead."
Yuki's face hardened, her jaw tightening. "You're probably right."
I sat down across from her, meeting her gaze. "Do you know who he is? Azazel?"
She tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "I've heard of him. He's a contracted hunter—a demon from the Void. They call him the Hunter for a reason, Adrian. Once he's after someone, he doesn't stop until they're dead."
The anger I'd been holding back bubbled to the surface. "So someone found out about me, knew where I was, and sent him to kill me."
"That's the only thing that makes sense," she said. "But whoever it was... they had to be powerful to summon him. This wasn't some random amateur with a grudge."
I stood abruptly, the old chair groaning beneath me. My heart was pounding, my thoughts racing. I had to know why. I couldn't sit here and do nothing. Without a word, I started toward my parents' room.
"Adrian!" Yuki called after me. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for answers," I said over my shoulder.
She followed me, leaning against the doorframe as I rummaged through drawers and cabinets. "You're not going to find some magical letter explaining everything, you know."
"I have to try," I snapped, frustration lacing my voice.
We worked in silence for a while, sifting through the remnants of their lives. Old photos, letters, notebooks—it all felt so normal, so mundane, and it only made the pit in my stomach grow. If they had secrets, they were buried deep.
Eventually, I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands clutching a small notebook I'd found in my mom's dresser. "I can't just sit here, Yuki," I said, my voice low.
She stepped closer, her expression softening. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I need to go. Whoever sent Azazel isn't going to stop. If I stay here, I'll put them in more danger."
Her eyes widened. "Adrian, no. That's exactly what they'd want. You'd be walking into a trap."
"I don't have a choice," I said firmly. "I can't protect them from here. But I can find whoever's behind this and stop them before they try again."
Yuki crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "And what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for you to come back?"
"I need you to watch over them," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "You're the only person I trust with this, Yuki. Please."
She stared at me for a long moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You're an idiot," she said finally. "But fine. I'll stay. I'll watch over them. But if you don't come back, I'm dragging you out of the Void myself, got it?"
I couldn't help but smile, despite everything. "Got it."
☉☉☉
I leaned against the cold stone of London Bridge, the city humming around me with its usual, comforting chaos. The familiar buzz of car engines, distant laughter, and the occasional siren did little to settle the storm brewing inside me. Everything had taken a turn I couldn't have anticipated. The cola can in my hand was slick with condensation, the droplets rolling down my fingers as I absentmindedly fiddled with the ring hanging from my necklace.
It felt like I was living in a dream, or maybe a nightmare—one where demons were real, hidden worlds existed beneath our feet, and ancient gods still walked the earth. How had my life derailed so quickly? A few weeks ago, my biggest concern was passing my exams. Now, I was caught up in something that felt too big, too overwhelming to even comprehend. Now both my grandfather and Yuki are gone, I haven't seen Dylan since that day we had left school... almost like he just vanished.
Now what I didn't understand was if people and demons were after me, why didn't they leave me with something to protect myself? I haven't seen anything for a week, the days just passed day by day as I went to class and came home and
I sighed heavily, staring out at the Thames as it flowed under the night sky, it's dark waters rippling with the reflections of city lights. "What the hell is going on?" I muttered, the words slipping out more as a plea than a question. I didn't expect an answer.
But then I got one.
"You're just going to stand there all night?" The voice was so deep, that it resonated and it seemed to echo inside my head rather than around me.
I froze, my heart stuttering in my chest. I looked around quickly, but the bridge was nearly deserted. Just a few shadowy figures in the distance, too far to have spoken to me. Panic started to creep in, and I instinctively clutched the ring on my necklace, my fingers curling tightly around the cool metal.
"Who's there?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tremor of fear was unmistakable.
"Who's talking to me?"
The voice chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through me in a way that made my skin crawl and my pulse race. "Relax, child. Do not be afraid."
My eyes widened, this voice sounded very familiar. "You are the one who helped save my parents... what do you want?"
"Right, lets get straight to the point." The voice's tone was smooth, almost amused, as if this were all just a casual conversation. "My name is Kalus, and as my first follower I am going to give you alittle gift."
"Kalus? Alright what is this gift?" I sipped my coke as I felt something be dropped into my pocket. Pulling it out I found an obsidian rock with a glowing purple rune etched onto it. It looked like two horns over a circle.
The voice sighed, the sound tinged with exasperation. "This is one of my Rune's, it will help you become stronger. Now young, Adrian. I have been waiting for you for a long time, and under my watch I will not allow you to be weak. All you have to do is crush it."
"What kind of rune is it?" I asked first.
"The rune of darkness."
"Alright," I shrugged. It is not like I cared either way, just cause it is dark doesn't mean I have to use it for evil. I tried crushing the rune and to my surprise the obsidian rock crumbled easily. Wow... am I actually that strong?
"No you are not, now why don't we give your new gift a run? I sense a monster heading this way."
"Wow hold on, I am not ready, I do not know how to even use the rune!" I tried to reason as I saw something swimming in the river below heading toward me at a very high speed. I tired to reach for my ring but forze, ever since that night no matter what I had tried the ring wouldn't budge. I tired everything but for some reason I couldn't get that sword to appear again.
"Gues I am going to have to do this the old fashioned way." I muttered as I watched the creature leap out the river and be pushed upward by a torrent of water as it landed on the bridge dripping wet. The monster looked humanoid, a really jacked humanoid turtle with long black hair. Though that bald spot on his reminded me of another monster.
"Is that a Kappa?" I asked confused. The Kappa looked at me as it spat onto the floor, giving me the most nasty look I ever seen. "Hell is wrong with it?
"Well, Kappa's are known as angry turtle monsters," Kalus's voice echoed in my mind, smooth and detached. "It'll be a good test for you."
"Test?" I hissed through gritted teeth, sidestepping as the Kappa lunged at me, its claws slashing the air. "I don't even know how to use the rune!"
"That's the point," Kalus said with a dark chuckle.
"Great," I muttered. The Kappa landed a few feet away, crouching low like a predator sizing up its prey. Its muscles bulged under its slick, wet skin, and its eyes gleamed with malice. I didn't need Kalus to tell me I was in serious trouble.
The creature snarled and launched itself again, faster this time. I barely managed to dive out of the way, rolling across the damp stone of the bridge. My hands scraped against the rough surface as I pushed myself up, my heart pounding.
Think, Adrian, think!
The Kappa turned toward me, its long hair dripping water as it spat on the ground. Its lip curled into a sneer, as if mocking me. My hand instinctively went to the ring on my necklace, I wanted to summon that sword again, but nothing even happened.
"Figures," I muttered.
The Kappa charged again, and I ducked under its claws, my instincts screaming at me to keep moving. But I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed a plan—or a miracle.
As I dodged another swipe, I felt it—a faint pull deep in my chest, like a thread being tugged. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. Something had changed the moment I crushed that rune.
"Stop running," Kalus said, his tone sharp. "You won't survive by cowering. Stand your ground."
"And get ripped apart? No thanks!" I shot back, but the pull in my chest grew stronger, insistent. The Kappa lunged again, and this time, I didn't move. I raised my hands instinctively, and something inside me snapped.
Darkness erupted around me, swirling like a living thing. It wasn't like before, when I used the sword. This was raw, untamed, and it felt alive—hungry. The shadows lashed out on their own, striking the Kappa mid-air and throwing it back onto the bridge with a sickening crack.
I stared at my hands, the black energy coiling around my fingers like smoke.
"Well, well," Kalus purred. "It seems you're finally figuring it out."
The Kappa staggered to its feet, blood dripping from a gash in its side. It roared, the sound echoing off the stone, and the river below surged upward, forming a wall of water that loomed over the bridge.
"Of course it can control water.," I muttered, bracing myself. The shadows around me pulsed, responding to my unease.
The wave came crashing down, but before it could reach me, the darkness surged upward, forming a barrier. The water slammed into it, splitting and cascading harmlessly to either side. The Kappa snarled in frustration and charged again.
"Now's your chance," Kalus urged. "Finish it."
"How?" I shouted, but there was no answer. The shadows writhed around me, eager, waiting. The pull in my chest was stronger now, almost overwhelming. I clenched my fists, focusing on that feeling, and the darkness obeyed.
As the Kappa closed the distance, I thrust my hands forward. The shadows surged out like a tidal wave, enveloping the creature. It thrashed and roared, but the darkness held it tight, I tright tightning the shadow against its body clamping my hands clenching as I felt it struggle through the shadow like I was clutching some worms in my hand.
I could feel my hands try and be repeled apart like magnets as I struggled to contain the monster inside the shadow blanket, suddenly I felt this irritation build up in my nose and I couldn't hold it back and sneezed hard causing my arm muscle to spasm as me hands clasped hard togeather as the Kappa screamed as the shadow constricted and tightened before disappearing, the Kappa gone.
The bridge was quiet, the river below calm once more. I sank to my knees, breathing hard, as I stared at where the Kappa had vanished. I felt so weak at the moment, that last move really drained me "W-what happened?"
"What happened is that you somehow managed to banish that Kappa to the Void without dying." Kalus seemded surprise.
"So what now? Any other test?"
"What's next is that if you want to go to Ogygia you better head to the Airport."