Chapter 2: What Lurks At Night

PRESENT DAY

After walking away from that arrogant green-eyed girl, Kai was in deep thought. After all, it has been three years after her mother's death and three years that she'd become whatever she is. She does, in fact, have an idea. Kai thinks that she may have been given the role of becoming a Grim Reaper. The problem is, the Grim Reaper she knows is the one who takes and delivers souls to the afterlife, so why can she prolong those people who are at death's doorstep?

Perhaps she's doing this job wrong, Kai furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance. That creature is no help at all. It turns out that she had a link to it, but every time she asks, after a brief explanation of what happened that night, the creature has been silent.

Honestly, she still holds a grudge against the creature for killing her mom. It's just that the creature gives her a favor by taking one last time to her mother's soul. It was enough for her to know that somehow the creature has feelings. Kai hasn't gotten to that conclusion yet if it's a good kind or a bad one.

"Ah, I sure do hope that girl took me seriously. I do have a reputation at school so, I'll bet on it 50-50," lazily she said, as she heads to the convenience store to buy some frozen yogurt.

She needs the sweetness and cold for her patrol tonight. Kai hopes that maybe today is the day she will catch some sight of the first Guardian she'll see.

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Stealthily jumping from building to building, she chased after a Nightwalker. Kai remembers that even after the incident, she had always been sneaky. Kai remembers that time her sister run ahead to gain distance from her. She quickly runs to be beside her, was surprised her sister never heard her footstep and surprised her sister with a deep, loud 'BOO!'

Kai ended up with a bruise on her right eye. She smiled wistfully. 'My sister can be a brute, and she's damn way too good at it.' Kai was always the one at the receiving end of it.

Nightwalkers are the same. You can never hear them coming. They lurk in the darkest corners and wait for the right opportunity to surprise you with their sharp claws. It actually what you may last see in your life. And they don't waste their food. If you ever encounter a Nightwalker, pray that some Guardian will be there or a Grim Reaper.

Getting closer to the Nightwalker's back, Kai tried for a swing with her scythe, but the creature just crouched down before jumping. Making Kai's attack futile.

"Damn it, you sneaky bastard. Why can't you just die for me, huh?" I said, aggravated while umping down the alley to follow it. Kai has been chasing this bastard for 3 hours now, and still, she only manages to slice its arm. Not what she was aiming for, but she won't be choosy as Nightwalkers are very protective of their legs.

Targeting their legs is even harder than trying to behead them.

Free falling, she landed with a thud, Kai's worn black rubber shoes snapped. She groaned in annoyance. "For every time that I've worn you for just playing around the park, now that we're chasing some monster, this is where you decided to break?" she snapped, groaning in utter annoyance at the situation. Wasting not a second to get back up to the game, she runs after the Nightwalker.

Kai's chanting on her head not to mind her broken soles. Yeap, the wet feeling of her socks should be forgotten right now. No matter how uncomfortable she's getting.

Just in time, the Nightwalker jump up a metal door from the alley and straight-up stick to the wall with the use of its claws. "Oh no, you don't" Kai, seeing her chance, throws her scythe above her while speeding straight to the Nightwalker.

The Nightwalker screeched at her but a speeding punched silenced it and replaced it with a piercing scream - which is so much worse in Kai's opinion.

"Damn! You don't hold back at all do you?" she taunted as the creature tried to scratch her chest as it lost its grip on the wall and falls down on the wet muddy cement.

Kai wasted no time, her falling scythe headed straight towards her right hand. Without further ado, she grabbed it and slammed her foot on the Nightwalker's knee. Before a scream could find its way to the creature's throat, she brought down her scythe, and with a swing, the Nightwalker's head landed beside the dumpsters with a thud. A decaying smell oozed out as black icky blood gushed out the creature's neck.

Kai sighed in exhaustion and in disbelief. "Who did you target this time? You better have not eaten that arrogant girl from school or I'll chop the rest of your body even if you are already dead."

Kai has to warn the girl of her untimely death. Yes, she had a vision of her death, but her name hasn't come up yet on the death card. Every Grim Reaper has a Death Card. She had only met two, but the twins did have a Death Card, each one of them. It's what tells them who died timely, who has tick their last tock. And not by being slaughtered by evil creatures who lurk in the dark, which may Kai add, normal human, cannot see.

In return, they get to have a second life, in short, reincarnation.

Kai straightened her scythe and hit the butt of her weapon to the floor three times. A bluish light suddenly encircled the corpse, the line glowed brightly as the corpse slowly faded into glittering dust as the wind blew them away. The same as the head of the creature beside the dumpster.

An eery feeling out of nowhere spiked from her. The hairs at the back of her neck standing up as she became aware of the feeling of being watched. Kai always knows if someone is watching her, for her to suddenly feel it must mean that whoever's watching her has not arrived that long.

Kai pretended to not notice the figure from above the fire escape. She pretended to look around as she twirls her scythe as it slowly glowed and disappear. To her wrist was now a tattoed bracelet, which she covered with the bandages wrapped around her arm by tugging it up. No one will notice how long the bandages anyways, as she wears her dark gray hoodie.

It makes her teary that right now she's broke that can't even replace her second rubber shoes. Kai got to make do with her other rubber shoes which are white. She can't help but slapped her hand on her forehead. Just imagine how much cleaning she would have to do especially at times like this where everything is wet and muddy?

A sudden thud makes her look at the spaces between her fingers.

Landing in front of her is a long-haired male wearing a nice leather jacket, combat pants, and shoes. Lois can't help but drool at the clothes. Can't blame her, her clothes don't exactly strike fear to a person, she only receives a criticized look and disgusting sneers. Can't blame them again, worn-out shoes and faded hoodie? Kai looks like a homeless man, to be honest.

If she can't even intimidate a normal bystander, how can she even do that in the face of her enemies?

She waved and grinned at the unknown person. "Hi there, I hope I didn't destroy your party. I've already taken dibs on that one." She said lightheartedly while gesturing at her back where the corpse of the Nightwaker had been.

The male, who seemed to be in his twenties, smiled politely at Kai. " Yes, I see that. It just comes as a surprise to me, that there's a Grim Reaper in this area," he said calmly.

Kai was confused. "Are you perhaps a gifted to have the knowledge of the other side?" she asked politely as possible. Kai has no idea who this person is, and she can help it, she won't make an enemy out of this guy. Her gut is telling her that this guy in front of her, is a lot stronger than she is right now.

The guy smiled and waved his hand off with elegance. "Perhaps you can say that. I am actually new to this area, Seren City, right?" he walks closer to Lois until they are only a meter apart. Kai guard is up, yeah tell her she is paranoid but she damn well wants to still live. A chuckle resonated around the empty alleyway. "Oh kiddo, I thought kids these days, hmm what do they call it? Chill?" the guy jokingly said and Kai's shoulders slumped a bit. A sigh escaped her lips.

"No disrespect sir, but if being chill I get a stab in the chest the minute I do so? I'd rather have a stick in my ass, thank you very much." Kai said seriously that the guys just stared at her for a full minute.

A nerve pops up at the side of her head. Does this guy think I'm joking? Kai almost died in her second year of being a Grim Reaper. Some weird kid who can see and hurt the Stygian creatures thought she was one of them. Like which part of her scream 'monster', well apart from the scythe the same height as hers. The kid formed a sword and stabbed her! And she had the decency to be scared and run away from Kai. Kai was even annoyed at the sudden memory.

The guy laughed at Kai's words, which made her cross her arms and huffed.

"I like you kid. What made you think about those words, huh?" the man asks, being more approachable and friendly now that the man had seen that Kai is no treat, yet.

Kai sighed, "As for someone who is a lot older, you know much more that there are more dangerous things out there that lurk in the dark. Even more so than the monsters, I kill." she said meaningfully because indeed, there are much eviler than those creatures from the other side.

A thin line appeared on the man's lips and nodded solemnly at the kid's voice. The man could tell that the kid is more matured than her age and much more experienced than the other kids at the school he is teaching. And they are doing the same as the kid in front of him who is wearing worn-out clothes.

"I think an introduction is a must, little kid. My name is Finn Fritz, a Guardian and a teacher to where Guardians studies."

Kai's jaw must have fallen right down on the floor. She can't believe that a powerful Guardian is in front of her and he's smiling!