Chapter 6: Chrysanthemum Shadows

It started as a routine assignment—or at least, that's what Suzu had called it. Routine. Nothing about the job felt routine when Chou and I were sent to investigate a series of disappearances linked to an abandoned estate on the city's outskirts.

"Creepy old mansion. Possible kidnappings. This is like a bad horror movie," Chou said, adjusting her gloves as we stood at the wrought-iron gate.

"You're the one who said you wanted something exciting," I muttered, pushing the gate open. The metal creaked loudly, echoing into the cold night air.

Chou smirked. "True, but I didn't mean something that felt cursed."

The estate loomed ahead, its dark silhouette framed by overgrown bushes and chrysanthemums that seemed to thrive in the untamed garden. The flowers' pale petals glowed faintly under the moonlight, adding an unsettling beauty to the scene.

"Do you feel that?" Chou whispered, her hand brushing my arm.

I stiffened. "Feel what?"

"Like… we're being watched."

"Focus," I said sharply, shaking off the eerie sensation crawling up my spine. "Let's get inside and figure this out."

The interior was worse than the exterior. Dust coated every surface, and the air smelled of mildew and decay. The floorboards creaked under our weight, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere deeper in the house.

"Okay, this is definitely cursed," Chou muttered, sticking close to me.

I shot her a look. "You're supposed to be the confident one."

"Yeah, well, even I have my limits," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

We moved cautiously through the house, our footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust. The missing individuals were our priority, but the longer we searched, the more it felt like the house itself was alive—breathing, waiting.

"Wait," Chou said suddenly, grabbing my arm.

"What?"

She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. Unlike the others, this one was pristine, its surface polished and untouched by dust.

"Doesn't that seem… weird to you?" she asked.

I nodded, my hand tightening around my weapon. "Stay close."

We approached the door, and as I reached for the handle, I felt a strange resistance, as if the air itself was pushing back.

"Hana," Chou said quietly, her usual bravado replaced by something closer to fear. "Maybe we should—"

Before she could finish, the door swung open on its own, revealing a room bathed in dim, golden light.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of chrysanthemums, their pale petals scattered across the floor. At the center of the room stood a figure—an older man with sharp features and an unsettlingly calm expression.

"Well," he said, his voice smooth and measured. "You've come far. Most don't make it this deep into the estate."

I raised my weapon, my heart pounding. "Where are they? The missing people?"

The man smiled faintly, his gaze shifting to Chou. "Ah, and you must be the lively one. I can see why they paired you together. Such… complementary energies."

"Answer the question," I snapped, taking a step forward.

He didn't flinch. Instead, he gestured to the flowers around him. "They're here. All around you."

Chou frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Do you know what chrysanthemums symbolize?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Death," I said, my voice cold.

The man's smile widened. "Precisely."

What followed was chaos.

The man lunged at us without warning, his movements unnaturally fast. Chou shoved me out of the way, narrowly avoiding a blow that shattered the floor where I'd been standing.

"Shit!" she yelled, scrambling to her feet.

I fired a shot, but the man seemed to dissolve into a swirl of petals, reappearing behind us with a laugh that made my skin crawl.

"Divide and conquer," he said, his voice echoing unnaturally.

Before I could react, the room seemed to shift, and I found myself alone.

The silence was deafening.

I moved cautiously through the distorted space, my weapon at the ready. The golden light was gone, replaced by an oppressive darkness that seemed to press against my chest.

"Chou?" I called out, my voice trembling despite myself.

No response.

The air grew colder with each step, and faint whispers began to fill the void. They were indistinct at first, but as I strained to listen, I realized they were saying my name.

"Hana…"

"Hana…"

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep moving. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, until they were all I could hear.

"HANA!"

A flash of light blinded me, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in the room—with Chou standing over the unconscious body of the man.

"Welcome back," she said, grinning shakily. "Took you long enough."

"What—what happened?" I stammered.

She shrugged. "I don't know. One second you were here, the next you were gone. He tried some freaky mind tricks on me, but I guess I'm too stubborn for that crap."

I stared at her, a mix of relief and disbelief flooding through me. "You… you took him down on your own?"

"Well, yeah," she said, her grin widening. "What did you expect? I'm awesome."

I laughed—an unsteady, shaky laugh that felt like it might turn into a sob at any moment.

Chou's expression softened, and she reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "Hey. You okay?"

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. I'm okay."

As we stepped out of the mansion and into the cool night air, I realized something had shifted between us. The bond we'd been building—fragile and tentative—felt stronger now, like the roots of a flower finally taking hold.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn't alone.