Haunting Memories

The city was alive with noise—distant laughter, the hum of traffic, the heartbeat of the living. But in this alley, under the flickering glow of a dying streetlamp, time stood still.

Haruna stared.

Midori stood before her, pale, translucent, dead—but not gone. The dim light barely touched her, her form flickering faintly, like smoke caught in the wind.

Haruna licked the last trace of blood from her lips, her expression unreadable. "You're still haunting me, huh?"

Midori smirked, tilting her head. "You make it sound like I had a choice."

Haruna exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "Why are you here, Midori?"

Midori took a slow step forward, her gaze drifting down Haruna's body, stopping briefly at the faint red marks on her throat—the aftermath of her hunt.

"You always did like your prey pretty," Midori murmured, amusement flickering in her dark eyes.

Haruna scoffed. "Jealous?"

Midori's smirk deepened. "Not at all."

Silence.

For a moment, it was almost like before—before the war, before the bloodshed, before Midori had died and left Haruna with nothing but memories and regret.

Haruna's fingers twitched at her sides. "What do you want, Midori?"

Midori's expression shifted—something darker creeping into her gaze.

"I came to warn you," she said. "Something is coming, Haruna. Something worse than the werewolves. Worse than anything we've faced before."

Haruna frowned, her stomach twisting slightly. "Kikidori already knows about the werewolves. He's figuring it out."

Midori shook her head. "No. This isn't about the wolves. This is about something… deeper."

Haruna's fingers clenched. "Then stop talking in riddles and tell me what the hell you mean."

Midori's form flickered slightly, her presence growing colder. "The afterlife isn't just owned by vampires, Haruna. It's… unbalanced. Something is waking up. And when it does, even the dead won't be safe."

Haruna's breath hitched. "What does that mean?"

Midori's expression darkened. "It means you need to prepare. Both of you. Because soon… death won't mean anything anymore."

Haruna's mind reeled. Death… meaningless?

That wasn't possible.

Midori sighed, her gaze softening. "You always thought eternity was just a cycle, didn't you? That we'd just keep going, moving, changing."

Haruna didn't respond.

Midori took another step forward—so close, yet untouchable. "But what if eternity… stops?"

The words sent a chill through Haruna's spine.

For the first time in centuries, she felt something unfamiliar.

Fear.

Midori gave her one last look—a look that almost felt like goodbye.

Then—she was gone.

Haruna stood there, the city pulsing around her, but inside—

Everything had gone cold.

The End of Chapter 17.