Moon loomed in the midnight sky. Its silver light blanketed streets of Kurohama. Streets were abandoned. Cold mist snaked through alleys. It curved around streetlamps. The mist formed ghostly tendrils. City's heartbeat had slowed. There was faint hum of neon signs. Distant growl of a lone motorcycle could be heard.
Kaoru Tenjou tightened his grip on schoolbag. He trudged home. Silence felt oppressive. It was unnatural to him. Kaoru had learned long ago to ignore strange sensations. These sensations haunted city after dark. Kurohama had always been peculiar. Shadows lingered too long here. Whispers carried on wind. It was just another night for him.
Until he heard the scream.
It wasn't human. It couldn't be. The sound was guttural wail. It sounded like metal scraping against bone. It was raw and primal. Kaoru froze. His heart hammered in his chest. The scream echoed again, this time closer. His instincts screamed at him to run. But then he saw her.
A girl stumbled into street. She clutched her side. Uniform was torn. Blood dripped from a jagged wound on her arm. Her eyes were wide with terror. She looked over shoulder. She expected something to emerge from shadows. And it did.
Creature slithered into dim light of streetlamp. Form was grotesque amalgamation of limbs and teeth. Body pulsed with an otherworldly glow. Black veins writhed beneath translucent flesh. It had no eyes. Yet Kaoru felt its gaze. Gaze was cold and hungry.
The girl collapsed to her knees. She was gasping for air. "Help me," she whispered, voice barely audible. Kaoru's legs refused to move. His mind screamed at him to turn away. It wanted him to run home and forget what he'd seen. But something rooted him to spot, a mix of fear and a strange, inexplicable pull.
Then sudden movement. Kaoru's body acted on its own dropped his bag. He ran forward grabbing a piece of rebar from nearby construction site. Swung it wildly, it hit the creature's side with loud thud. The creature barely flinched. Instead, it turned attention to him. Mouth split open revealing many jagged teeth. Kaoru's breath caught. Creature roared, breaking the night.
"Get back!" voice barked.
A figure descended from above, landing between Kaoru and creature. The newcomer wore a black coat. It billowed like smoke. In their hand was a blade. The blade seemed to shimmer and shift. It was almost alive. The blade's edge glowed. Eerie blue light cast shadows on walls. These were fleeting shadows.
Stranger raised their weapon. With single, fluid motion they cleaved through creature. It let out final ear-piercing shriek. It started to dissolve into black mist. The remnants scattered like ashes in the wind.
Kaoru stared. His mind was struggling. He was trying to process what he'd witnessed. The stranger turned to him. Their face was partially obscured by shadow of hood.
"You shouldn't be here," they said. Voice was low and commanding. "This is no place for the living."
Kaoru opened mouth to respond. But no words came out. He glanced at girl. She was unconscious. Her body was cradled in stranger's arms. Before he could speak, figure stepped back into shadows. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
A moment passed. All was still. Kaoru stood in empty street. Faint smell of ash lingered in the air. He looked at hands. They were trembling. They were slick with sweat. His mind was filled with questions but one thought drowned the rest. The world he knew was about to change forever.