"Dad… dad! Wake up!" Mina's voice blended warmth with urgency, tugging at his sleepy mind. "You promised me you wouldn't give up, remember? You have so many dreams left, dreams that were put aside for me. This isn't your time to go; now wake up!" Her smile shone, yet it held a sternness that pulled him from his heavy sleep.
Her cute and familiar face flooded him with warmth, and his heart ached with longing. He wanted nothing more than to hold onto this moment forever. "Mina, my precious daughter. I can't bear it. I need you here with me. You are my everything. Please, don't go. Don't leave me, alright?" His voice quivered, tears spilling over.
Her brow furrowed as she waved dismissively. "Oh Dad, you always do this! You're so dramatic! I want to be with you, yes, but I'm not your everything. And it shouldn't be! You can't make me your whole life. Don't live just for me, Dad. You have a purpose, a life of your own waiting for you,"
He took her hand in his, cradling it as if it was the most precious thing in this world. A deep fear gnawed at him – what if she slipped away? "My reason for being is to be your father. To guard you, to nurture you. And I've failed at that. Please, don't go. Stay with me,"
Her expression shifted, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. "Dad… you may not hear it every day, but I am so thankful you're my father. I love you so much! That's why hearing you say you live just for me hurts. You didn't fail. You were living before I came into the world. You must move forward, find your way again, Dad. You're still here, and there's so much ahead for you,"
A tightness wrapped around Kaito's heart. He wanted to freeze this moment, to hold on to his only child forever. "No… don't leave me, Mina! Stay!"
"Dad, I need to go now. There are so many people who love you and still waiting for you. One day, we will be together again. But not yet. You have so much to do. You must save yourself, please." Her voice softened with urgency.
He watched helplessly as Mina was yanked away by an unseen force. Everything shimmered with blinding light. They floated in a strange place that defied explanation. "M-Mina! Don't go! Please don't leave me…!"
"Dad, I love you so much! I'll be upset if you hurry after me, okay?" With those words, Mina vanished entirely, drawn away by the powerful force.
The light around him was so bright that it hurt his eyes, making it hard to see anything.
Finally, he bolted awake, his eyes wide with fear as he spotted a massive pile of dirt ready to crash down. The ground was shifting, and it would crush him for sure!
What was happening? He jumped to his feet but grimaced as pain shot through his body. Oh right, that crazy guy had shot him earlier. Now he understood just how dangerous that syndicate was.
The man's might have see him as ordinary, but to his view, he was a "neighbor" of Kaito. And he could've been a witness, and that's why the man had to kill him. What if he truly was an innocent neighbor who merely saw the man? Just like that, he was caught in a web of darkness, a life ensnared by the syndicate's evil!
Mina was right; he couldn't die yet. There are so many things were left to uncover. He had to bring justice for her death. He needed to prove that this man couldn't be his daughter's boyfriend. His daughter wasn't stupid; she wouldn't get tangled up with a dangerous man like Ryo, would she?
He sensed a rumble above as the ground began to crack. If everything collapsed, there was no way he would survive. He will be gonna buried alive.
He stumbled as he dodged falling clumps of soil. Relief washed over him when nothing struck him. But that didn't mean he was safe. How could he escape this?
He thought about his cellphone. Oh, yeah, fuck! His cellphone! Their area had signal, so he was sure he could call the police for help. He felt for it in his pants but was startled when he couldn't find his cellphone there.
Panic washed over him, his breath quickening. Blackness enveloped him, thick as fog. Even someone with perfect sight couldn't see here. He fumbled through the dirt, hands trembling, searching for his phone, but it was nowhere to be felt. He silently hoped for a ring or chime to illuminate the darkness.
His fingers brushed against something solid. Intrigued, he cleared the dirt away, revealing a metal door beneath the surface. Why was there a door buried here? Had there once been a murder case like his daughter's, and was a body hidden behind it?
Fear gnawed at him, but he understood the anguish of loss, so he took a deep breath and pushed the door. It didn't feel like any ordinary door; there was no doorknob, and its surface felt ancient and cold. It was heavy, and dirt still tumbled down from above, threatening to bury him deeper.
Sweat dripped down his face as he mustered all his strength to pry it open. The door swung wide, flinging him backward with a powerful force. A chill crept out from the opening, colder than ice, sending shivers through him. In that moment, a startling red glow flickered from within.
His heart raced, pounding like thunder in his ears. He nearly screamed when an odd sound echoed from beyond the door, like magic springing to life, something straight out of a fantasy movie.
Desperate, he pinched his own arm, wishing it was all a dream. But the sharp sting of pain told him this was all too real.
Out of the doorway flowed a bizarre creature, hovering in the air before him. Its face twisted into a frightening form, sending dread through his veins.
A demon's essence filled the air, coming for souls on the brink of death. Its skin shimmered in an eerie purple hue. Closed, large eyes obscured whatever gaze lay behind. Messy hair floated around its head, and wickedly sharp claws glinted in the light. This being was undeniably not human. He knew it.
"Are you here to take me? Are you death? Am I dead?" he managed to ask, his throat dry as he swallowed hard.
It let out a chilling laugh, wicked and low. "I don't think you wish to die yet. If you truly did, you wouldn't have escaped the nightmare you had earlier."
He gasped, his heart racing. It could speak! And it knew about his earlier talk with Mina when he was out cold!
"W-Who are you? Why do you look like that? D-Don't come closer!" he stammered, forcing bravery into his voice. Yet his legs betrayed him, retreating until his back pressed against the cold, hard dirt wall.
The creature shrugged casually. "I won't harm you. But your enemies? They could. They are the ones you should truly fear," it said, a sly grin spreading across its unnerving face.
Shock widened his eyes. It knew about that? "W-Who are you? Answer my question!" he demanded, his voice trembling with urgency.
It sighed deeply and stomped its foot, sending a small vibration through the ground. "This is why I can't stand humans. But relax; I'll spare you. I want to thank you for freeing me. I was sealed away for ages; everyone fears me. But look, you broke my seal and let me out. I want to show my gratitude. As for your question, I am called Ryuk. I am a demon, and I don't belong here. I come from the realm of demons. It's a long tale about how I came into your world,"
Kaito stood frozen, his jaw dropping in disbelief. A demon! Was it really possible for a demon to stand before a human? But it… looked exactly like a demon!
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, filled with fear.
"If you hadn't opened my seal, yes. But as I said, I want to express my gratitude. I can share some information about my powers. My power is granting wishes. I can fulfill any wish you have, but there's a cost," it said, its tone serious. "This is a forbidden technique we're not permitted to use on humans. But for you, I'm ready to make an exception, provided you swear to me and strike a deal that benefits us both."
He swallowed hard, memories flooding back of his grandparents' tales. As a child, he heard that if you were desperate enough to fulfill your dreams, you could make a deal with Ryuk. Back then, he thought it was just a story.
Now he realized those childhood tales were true because Ryuk was real! And he was a fucking literal demon!
"Y-You can really grant any wish? Even the impossible?" he stammered, doubt evident in his voice.
"I can grant any wish, but there's one thing I can't do: bring the dead back to life."
Disappointment washed over him. "And why can't you do that?" he pressed, eyes narrowing.
It was odd; fear of the syndicate gripped him more than the demon towering before him.
The demon regarded him as though he lacked common sense. "I'm a demon, not an angel. If I represent death, then they are the opposite. I can't bring the dead back to life; only angels possess that power. Apart from that, I can grant you anything else. Just name it,"
He shook his head vigorously. No way would he strike a deal with a demon, especially when the one wish he desired was off the table. All he wanted was Mina back. That was it. "Thank you, but I refuse your offer. I just want my daughter to be alive. If you truly wish to help, then get me out of here,"
Once more, it let out a chuckle, a mix of amusement and mischief. "I like you, Kaito."
Shock rippled through him, and he stared in disbelief. "You know my name?"
"Of course I do. I know the one who broke my seal. The second you opened it, I learned everything about you. Your past, your present… and your future,"
Past… present… and future…? His mind raced as he processed this information.
But he wasn't interested in negotiating. He needed to escape and reach the police. "Thank you, but just help me here! I'm sure you can get me out of this place, right?"
"Are you certain you don't want to make a wish? You seemed desperate to see your daughter again, to be with her, didn't you?"
His brow furrowed, confusion mixed with frustration. "Yes, but you said you can't bring her back. So, there's nothing left to discuss,"
"Not so quick, Kaito. I said I can't bring her back. But I never said there's no way for you to be with Mina again," its wide grin sparked a flicker of curiosity in him.
"What's the other way…?" he asked, urgency lacing his voice.
"I can turn back time, to a moment before your precious daughter's death. I personally think that's better because if you return to a time where she is still alive, you can save her and protect her. Doing that will change your future." Its voice was deep and intense, sending shivers down his spine. Yet somehow, he didn't feel cold.
He envisioned turning back time, to the moment before Mina died. In that time, she wouldn't die. He would discover who Ryo was in her life and how they met. He would learn of her syndicate and protect other innocent victims caught in its web.
A fire ignited in him. He didn't hesitate. "And what's the cost of this wish?" he demanded, his voice firm.
Despite its closed eyes, it turned its gaze toward him. "Your eyes. I want your eyes for myself,"
A gasp escaped Kaito's lips. What would he choose? The chance to change the future and bring back his daughter… or his… eyesight?