The moon loomed in the sky, shimmering on the still streets. It was eerily peaceful as the wind whispered through the trees. But that calm was an illusion for Kaito Ryūzaki. All of his senses were sharpened, sound travelled in crisp clarity, every rustle of the wind, every distant noise.
Treading through the alleyways in near silence, his black cloak billowing behind him like the shadows. It felt like the world was always somewhere distant, muted, as though he was separated from the very stuff of life. He had explored the Earth for centuries, shying away from attachment, refusing to connect with anyone. He swore the oath after he failed, the oath that he would never take another master.
He still felt the lingering pall of his first failure that choked off any chance for moving on. Hikari… her name resounded in his mind like an incantation he was powerless to break. He had been her savior, her Shinigami, her guardian. But that all had the trappings of tragedy. He had let her down and the world had never been the same.
His silver eyes narrowed as he halted in front of a tiny café. It was a spiritual energy he had been following, an energy that had brought him here. It was faint and sorry, but it was there — something in the air stirring, something that spoke to him. But this night he had been wandering for so long that something was different.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud crash. Kaito's gaze darted to the road ahead, where a figure stumbled into sight. A girl, barely nineteen, dark hair matted to her pale face, body shaking as though from a near-fatal injury. She had been struck by a car — blood had soaked the pavement, and her breath was shallow, frantic.
Kaito's heart skipped a beat.
It was her. The same feeling. And the same life-or-death moment. His pulse began to race, his instincts assessing the situation. Before he had time to think, his feet were moving. He moved forward on soundless feet, a shadow slicing through the dark.
Just as Kaito made his way to her, the girl's eyelids waved open. Her eyes locked with his for an instant before rolling back in her head. She was blurring -- her life passing in front of her in an eye blink.
"No," Kaito whispered, kneeling next to her. His fingers ran across the surface of her skin, a jolt of energy coursing through her. He could sense her life force, strong yet transient, like a wax candle battling the wind.
The world frozen around him as he hovered over her, his own heart beating in his chest. He couldn't let this happen. Not again. Not like with Hikari.
Kaito slammed his palm against the girl's chest with a sudden burst of spiritual energy. A pulse of light shot from his fingertips, and the girl's body convulsed as the energy leapt through her. He was doing so much to save her, but deep down he knew the choice wasn't his to make. It had never been his.
The girl's eyes flickered open again, this time falling upon Kaito with a stare of confusion and fear. Her words were little more than a whisper. "Who… are you?"
There was a pause before Kaito replied, his tone sharper than he meant. "My name is Kaito Ryūzaki. And I am your Shinigami."
And at his words, Emiko's breath caught, her mind racing to comprehend. "Shinigami?" she repeated weakly, confusion and disbelief warping her features. She felt her heart pounding as the realization dawned on her. "Why… are you here? I don't even know you."
Kaito's silver eyes softened for a moment. All those fears that had been locked up for years started crawling back to him. He had never wanted this. He had never wanted to connect with anyone again. But, upon looking at her—vulnerable, fragile—he understood that fate had backed him into a corner.
"I have no choice," he said softly, though the words tasted strange on his tongue. "You were about to die. I couldn't let that happen. Not again."
Images of Hikari—her smile, laughter—flashed through his mind, of that awful moment when he hadn't been able to protect her. That was a wound that would never heal. But now, to be standing in front of him, Emiko's presence pulled at something else. He could sense it — the same pull, the same urgency. Was this fate? Or was it his curse?
Emiko's breath evened, but her strength was draining. "Am I going to… die?" she said, her eyes round with fear.
"No." Kaito's voice was firm. "Not while I'm here."
His hand remained on her chest, subtly luminous with spirituality. Gradually, the wound started to heal, each second stronger her heart was beating. This wasn't enough to mend her fully, but it was a start. Still, his energy drained you. He'd given too much too soon.
Kaito reclined, breathing to himself. Emiko blinked a couple of times, still dazed, but her force was coming back. As she looked up at the street and the tall dark figure on his knee in front of her, her eyes widened.
"Who… are you really?" she said again, a tremor in her voice. There was no doubt about the seriousness of her predicament. She felt the strange presence that was radiating from him, the force he possessed. It was unique to anything she had experienced.
Kaito stood from his seat and loomed over her. "I told you. I'm your Shinigami. Your protector."
Emiko's eyes darted with skepticism, but something inside her awakened. An odd warmth, a feeling of security in his presence. She didn't know what was happening, but what was clear was that her life was just changed forever.
"Shinigami. …" she repeated, the word thickening the air between them. "Are you... real?"
Kaito didn't answer. So he looked instead to the horizon, where ominous clouds were starting to form. The night, however, was far from over and the danger just beginning. But for the first time in forever, he had felt something inside him spark — a flicker of hope, as delicate as it was.
"You're not alone anymore," he said softly, as if to himself. "I am not letting anyone hurt you.
And so, their journey began.