The Darkness Awakens

The alleyway ripples with an overwhelming surge of darkness, as if the shadows themselves were alive and hungry. They rise, engulfing everything in their path, an inescapable flood of blackness. Katsuki's lips curl into a grim smile, and before Hikari can even register what's happening, his hand shoots up, summoning a barrier of pure yokai energy. It crackles with fierce energy, the very air warping as the shadows slam into it with a deafening roar. The shockwave reverberates through the alley, rattling the walls and leaving the ground beneath them shaking.

The figure, unfazed by the collision, steps forward with a slow, deliberate pace. Its voice cuts through the chaos like a blade.

"I see now… you're the yokai hybrid of war." The figure's gaze narrows, contempt dripping from every word. "God damn it, I thought I'd be able to avoid you. But I guess this was inevitable."

In a flash, the figure's hand reaches out, grabbing the demon by the throat. Hikari watches in stunned silence as it absorbs the creature, twisting and distorting with unnatural speed. The demon's form disappears into the figure, its body contorting grotesquely like something from a nightmare, melding into a shape that defies all logic.

"Shit." Katsuki growls under his breath. He grips Hikari tighter, his fingers like iron on her arm. "Alright, Hikari. Hand on tight!"

Before she can even process his words, the world around them blurs into motion. Katsuki launches forward, his legs pumping with impossible speed. One moment they're in the alley, and the next, they're blasting out into the bright afternoon, the harsh sunlight now a stark contrast to the suffocating darkness they'd just escaped. The wind howls around them, and the streets blur like a fast-moving river. Katsuki moves like a bullet train, the air vibrating around them, a sonic boom ringing in their wake.

Hikari's breath hitches, adrenaline coursing through her veins. "What the hell is happening?!" Her words are barely audible over the wind, panic rising in her chest as her thoughts spin.

Katsuki, with that same cocky grin, throws a glance over his shoulder. "We're in a high-speed chase with a demon, Hikari!" His voice is almost casual, as if this were just another day. But for Hikari, it's anything but.

Her heart races. She's not just running from something—she's running with a new student she met hours ago, a guy she barely knows, and now, she's being chased by something from her worst nightmares. Her mind spirals. A demon. An exorcist. What the hell is going on?

"Is this really happening?" she thinks to herself, barely able to grasp the wildness of the situation. The reality she once knew feels like it's slipping away, replaced by something darker, stranger, and completely out of her control.

She grabs onto him tighter, her fingers digging into his jacket as the wind whips through her hair, her feet barely touching the ground. "Sutaro! Explain what the fuck is going on!"

Sutaro's eyes are focused forward, but his voice cuts through the chaos. "What's happening is we've just run into a Wendigo."

Her mind reels. "A… Wendigo? You mean those things from legends? The ones tied to cannibalism and madness?"

Katsuki's grin sharpens, his eyes blazing with an intensity that matches the raw energy crackling around them. "Exactly. The Wendigo is a spirit, one that possesses humans and turns them into these insatiable, emaciated monsters driven by hunger. They feed on the darkness of human nature. The ones that survive… they become even more powerful, more insane. And right now, we've got one of the worst kinds after us—this bastard fused with the demon in the alley to make himself even stronger."

Hikari can barely wrap her head around it. "A Wendigo… and a demon… combined?" The absurdity of it all slams into her like a punch to the gut. She feels like she's stuck in a nightmare, or worse, a movie, and none of it is real. But the cold terror creeping up her spine tells her otherwise.

Her mind races back to what her grandfather used to say about the supernatural. "So grandpa… you were right… it does exist, huh?" The words escape her, shaky and in disbelief. It feels surreal—like she's been thrown into a world she wasn't prepared for.

But there's no time to process it further. Katsuki's expression hardens, eyes narrowing in determination. "Alright, Hikari, hold on tight. This is gonna be insane."

Before she can ask what he means, she's airborne. Her stomach drops as Katsuki hurls her 50 feet into the air with one fluid motion, and for a heartbeat, time seems to freeze. Panic surges through her. Her heart races, her breath caught in her throat as tears blur her vision. She's terrified of heights, and now she's falling, the ground rushing up to meet her faster than she can comprehend.

"No! No no no!" she screams, her body rigid with fear.

But in the blink of an eye, Katsuki's already moving, his speed beyond anything Hikari can process. He's not just running anymore. He's a blur. His body vibrating with unreal speed, the air splitting with the force of his movements.

The Wendigo catches up in a flash, its voice a guttural growl of triumph. "I FINALLY CAUGHT YOU, YOU DAMN EXORCIST! DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD BEAT ME?!" It barrels forward, the hunger in its eyes palpable. "I'LL FEAST ON YOUR FLESH AND SAVORY EVERY BITE!"

But Katsuki isn't finished. He skids to a complete stop, his movements so fast they break the sound barrier, sending a shockwave through the street. The Wendigo, unable to stop its momentum, flies forward, crashing into the ground.

Katsuki's grin widens as he watches the creature tumble, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Let's see you savor this," he says in a mocking tone.

Before Hikari can even process what's happening, Katsuki accelerates once more, turning himself into a living projectile. He explodes into motion, slamming into the Wendigo at a speed that leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. The creature's body shatters like glass under the force, and with a sickening crack, it's obliterated.

Katsuki hovers over the wreckage, an air of satisfaction surrounding him. "I'll tell you though," he mutters with a gleam in his eye, "I definitely savored that defeat of yours."

But then Hikari's scream pierces the air. She's falling.

Katsuki's head snaps up, his eyes widening. "Right. Almost forgot about her."

In an instant, he's above her. There's no time to even register the speed at which he moves. One second she's plummeting, and the next, he's there, his hand outstretched, catching her with a force that nearly knocks the breath out of her.

They land with a soft thud, and for a moment, the world spins around Hikari. She's alive, heart racing, but safe. For now.

Hikari crumpled to the ground, her hands pressing into the pavement like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to reality. Her chest heaved with each breath, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Tears streaked down her face, but they weren't from fear anymore. It was sheer relief.

"OH MY GOD, I WAS SO HIGH!!! I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIEEEEE!!!" she screamed, her voice cracking as she clutched the earth beneath her like a lifeline.

Katsuki stood a few feet away, rolling his eyes with that trademark smirk of his, looking entirely unphased by what had just happened. "Relax, it wasn't that high. Only about fifty feet~" he said nonchalantly, his tone dripping with casual arrogance.

Hikari whipped her head around, fury burning in her chest. "Only fifty feet?!" she shrieked, her heart still thundering in her ears. "SOME PEOPLE HAVE A FEAR OF HEIGHTS!!!"

Her breath came in ragged bursts, trying to slow the adrenaline that was still wrecking havoc on her body. Katsuki didn't seem to get it—didn't seem to understand the terror she'd just experienced. He sighed, shaking his head as he morphed back into his usual form, his grin never fading.

"I've always thought fear of heights was a dumb fear," he said, as if that made it all make sense.

Hikari stared at him, incredulity painting her features. "Well, damn, you're cold," she spat, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You think you're so cool with that stupid transformation of yours?"

Katsuki gave her a lazy shrug, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. "I never said I was cooler," he said with a wicked grin. "I'm just saying you need to grow some balls."

Hikari shot him a murderous glare. "Oh, fuck you, Katsuki."

But Katsuki wasn't done. His eyes narrowed as he shifted gears, turning the conversation back to something more serious. "Anyways, if you were able to see my turbo form, the alleyway demon, and the Wendigo… that means you've got something special," he said, a slight edge to his voice. "You possess a rare gift called 'Supernatural Affinity.'"

Hikari blinked, confused and a little skeptical. She raised an eyebrow. "Supernatural Affinity?" she repeated, the words hanging in the air like a question mark. She crossed her arms defensively, still trying to process everything that had happened. "How do I know you're not just bullshitting me?"

Katsuki shrugged, a careless grin still playing on his lips. "I mean… after everything you've seen, I'd say that's proof enough."

Hikari clenched her jaw, a strange, twisting mix of disbelief and frustration bubbling up inside her. "But just yesterday, I couldn't see any of this… this supernatural shit! So what suddenly changed?" she demanded, her voice rising with panic. "How the hell did this happen?!"

Katsuki's expression softened just a fraction, though his tone remained as cool as ever. "Well, Supernatural Affinity can awaken in weird ways," he explained, his hands slipping casually into his pockets. "It's tied directly to the supernatural. When it awakens, it's… strange. It's never really the same for anyone."

Hikari's mind was spinning, trying to latch onto any scrap of logic in the chaos that had been her day. Her eyes narrowed in thought. What the hell could've triggered this? She went over everything in her head, trying to connect the dots, but then something clicked. A memory, vivid and sharp, flashed before her eyes.

She was back there, an hour ago, waiting near the front gate after school, the noise of her tapping foot barely audible over the quiet tension in the air. Her phone had felt like an anchor in her hand, but her eyes kept scanning the street for Katsuki. She remembered the strange sound, like a distant wail, that had drawn her attention toward the alley.

"What the…?" she had muttered under her breath, curiosity forcing her to step closer to the shadows.

That's when it had happened. The world shifted around her in an instant. The warmth of the afternoon sun was replaced by an eerie, suffocating coldness. The sky turned from bright blue to pitch black, the full moon now casting an ominous glow across the alleyway. Shadows writhed along the walls, stretching unnaturally, and an unnatural silence blanketed the air.

Her heart had hammered in her chest as a chill ran down her spine. "What the hell…?" she had whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

Then the memory hit her—stepping into that alley, the moment the sky turned dark. That's when it happened. That's when her Supernatural Affinity had awakened.

She blinked rapidly, her chest tight, as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. It all made sense now. She whispered to herself in disbelief, her voice a shaky whisper, "It all makes sense now…"

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed as he gave Hikari a skeptical glance. "What makes sense?" His voice was casual, as if he hadn't just witnessed her world turn upside down.

Hikari shot him a glare, annoyance bubbling beneath her breath. "Mind your business, damn it!" she snapped, her fists clenching at her sides.

Katsuki raised his hands in mock surrender, his usual smirk slipping into an expression of nonchalance. "Alright, my bad," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Hikari let out a long, irritated sigh and leaned back against a nearby car, the cool metal offering her some comfort as she tried to ground herself in this new, bizarre reality. "So… this supernatural bullshit… what's the deal with it?" Her voice wavered between skepticism and curiosity, the weight of the world pressing against her shoulders.

Katsuki adjusted his glasses, the lenses glinting under the pale moonlight. He took a deep, slow drag from his vape, the smoke curling around him like a dark cloud. His eyes never left Hikari as he spoke, his voice smooth but edged with something she couldn't quite place. "The supernatural… it's everything that shouldn't physically exist, but somehow does." He exhaled a cloud of vapor, watching it dissipate into the night air. "Things and beings that defy the laws of nature. The only people who can see and interact with them are the ones who possess a rare gift—Supernatural Affinity."

Hikari's eyes widened slightly, her mind struggling to catch up. She scratched the back of her head, a nervous habit she didn't even realize she had. "So the supernatural is real?" Her voice was quiet, almost as if she couldn't believe her own words. "My grandfather always told me stories about it… but I never actually believed him."

Katsuki chuckled softly, the sound dark and knowing. "That's how it is for most people," he said, almost as if he were speaking from experience. "They don't believe it until they're forced to. But once you unlock that affinity…" He paused, taking another slow drag from his vape, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Either you go insane, or you live long enough to see yourself become one of the monsters."

Hikari stood up straight, her gaze drifting to the sky as she processed what he'd just said. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by the strange new world she was now a part of. "Okay," she murmured to herself, her voice distant. "So supernatural stuff is real. It's a lot to take in, but… I'll figure it out." She trailed off, her words hanging in the air as she tried to steady her racing thoughts.

But before she could finish her sentence, a sudden jolt of sensation shot through her. Her breath hitched in her chest as a vivid image exploded in her mind—a flash of bright cyan flames dancing within her, flickering like a dying fire. Her heart slammed into her ribcage, each beat echoing with an unfamiliar intensity. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her vision blurred as an icy grip seemed to clutch her heart, freezing her from the inside out. Her body trembled, and then, just as quickly as it had come, the vision vanished, and she was back in the present, gasping for air.

She stumbled back, her hand clutching her shirt as her breath came in shallow, panicked gasps. "Shit… what the hell was that…?" Her voice was hoarse, her pulse erratic, as she tried to make sense of the sensation that had flooded her.

Katsuki smirked, his eyes gleaming with something that bordered on amusement. "Ohhh, you must've just had a vision of your aura~" he said, his voice low and teasing.

"Aura?" Hikari's voice cracked slightly, still reeling from the sudden rush of sensations. She looked at him, desperate for some kind of explanation, something to tether her back to reality.

Katsuki shrugged, the casual movement somehow making him seem all the more dangerous. "I'm not exactly great at explaining things, but I know someone who can teach you about all this." He glanced at her, his smirk widening as if he were about to drop some grand revelation.

Hikari, still trying to steady her breathing, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who's that?"

Katsuki's grin widened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "My sensei. Sylvia Bloodwood~"

The name hung in the air, thick with mystery, and for a moment, Hikari was left to wonder just what kind of world she had just stumbled into.

To be continued…