CHAPTER-2

Reika's fingers clenched around the black envelope.

It bit into her skin like ice, a cold that didn't just sting—it sank into her bones.

Her heartbeat pounded loud in her chest. But she didn't open it.

Her eyes locked onto the boy standing before her, his silhouette carved in the flickering light like a shadow given form.

He didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Didn't even blink.

The silence stretched long—thick, suffocating. Something about him twisted the air around them, like the calm before a storm that knew it would kill you.

The katana in his hand still dripped black blood. The stench was sharp, metallic, sickening.

Reika finally broke the silence. "Who are you?"

Her voice was steady, but hollow. Like it wasn't really hers anymore.

The boy's lips curled into a smirk. Nothing warm about it.

His silver hair hung messy over his eyes. Calm. Still. Too still.

"Souta," he said. "Souta Arakawa."

Reika froze.

That name.

That name had weight. It echoed with stories whispered in alleys and dark corners. She knew it—but didn't show it.

Her fingers curled tighter around the envelope.

Souta's eyes flicked to it. His smirk deepened.

"This isn't a game," he said. His voice—smooth, low, dangerous. "If you're scared, now's the time to walk away."

Reika's grip tightened, the sharp edges digging into her palm.

"I'm not scared," she snapped. "I'm not afraid of you."

His smirk widened—something wolfish behind it.

"Good," he said. "I hate cowards."

The air pressed in closer. Tense. Unforgiving.

Reika's pulse was thunder in her ears. But she didn't look away.

"What happens if I accept?" she asked.

Souta stepped forward.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Predator-like.

"If you accept," he said, "you learn how to survive. In a place where the weak die. Always."

He tilted his head, katana glinting.

"If you don't..." He shrugged. "You'll die anyway."

No hesitation. No bluff. Just fact.

Her breath caught.

This wasn't a warning.

It was a promise.

"Why would I join your 'Tenshiko Academy'?" she said. "I'm not interested in saving anyone."

"Then don't." Souta's voice was flat. Empty. Like it didn't matter to him either way.

"But you will crave it."

Her chest tightened. "Crave what?"

He leaned in, eyes sharp like knives.

"The blood," he whispered. "The kill. You'll want it, Reika. Just like the rest of them."

Her hands trembled. Not from fear—but from something darker. Something true.

That part of her she tried to bury. The one that wanted power. Control. Revenge.

She swallowed hard. "Where is this academy?"

Souta grinned. He knew she'd ask.

"Hidden," he said. "Beyond this rotting world. Safe from the Shikiban."

The word made her stomach twist.

Shikiban. They came 2000 years ago. Inhuman. Beautiful. Terrifying.

Too perfect. Too strong.

People made mistakes around them. Trusted them. Worshipped them.

And died for it.

They fed on humans. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally. Fed on fear, on pain. They could eat normal food, pretend to be like everyone else—but it weakened them.

Even the military struggled to kill them. Bullets weren't always enough.

She had barely survived one.

Now he was offering her a chance to face them again.

But this time, with power.

Real power.

She straightened, knees still shaky, but her eyes didn't waver.

Souta stared right through her. "But if you join… there's a test."

Her voice was barely a whisper. "What kind of test?"

His smile sharpened.

"Pass, and you live," he said. "Fail… you don't."

Reika's jaw tightened.

No second chances. No reset button.

"What if I fail on purpose?" she asked.

He didn't blink. "You won't."

And somehow, she knew he was right.

She looked down at the envelope. Black, cold, shimmering faintly with something not quite natural.

The seal pulsed. Like a heartbeat.

Hers?

Or someone else's?

She tore it open.

Inside, a single sheet of parchment. Words in a language she shouldn't have understood—but did.

"Kagetsu Reika, you are summoned to Tenshiko Academy. The choice is yours. But once you enter, you will never be the same."

Her breath hitched.

The city around them suddenly felt smaller. Tighter.

A prison.

And this envelope—the key.

Souta watched her, silent.

Waiting.

Testing.

Her mind screamed. Her body was frozen.

But her soul?

Her soul burned.

For once—she wanted more.

Reika raised her eyes. "When do I start?"

Souta's grin spread. Sharp. Dangerous.

"Now."

The streetlights shattered.

Glass rained like silver dust. The world tilted.

Something slammed into her chest—an invisible force, heavy and cold.

She staggered.

Fell.

Everything blurred. Spun. Vanished.

Then a voice. Cold. Close. Final.

"Survive this, Kagetsu Reika."

And the darkness swallowed her whole.