The Flames Within
Emiko still felt the rush of battle in her veins.
In the middle of the courtyard, she stood there, her breath coming, her hands alive with the oddness of the energy that had stirred in her. And yet, it was something she had never felt before—something like a fire raging inside her, a fire that just needed to break free.
Saya brushed herself off, twisting her neck with a smirk. "That was different."
Kaito stood beside her, arms crossed. "No doubt. That wasn't just instinct." He glanced at Emiko, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What did you feel?"
Emiko opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself. She struggled to find the right words. Like a switch finally flipped deep in her being, her body responded with speed and precision—with a sense that, for just a moment, she had transcended her vessel, her humanity.
"It was as though …" She stopped, searching for words. "Everything slowed down. Not in a dreamlike way, but — I knew what was coming before it happened."
Saya's smile disappeared, gave way to something more contemplative. "Precognition?"
Kaito shook his head. "No, not quite. If she had real precognition, she would have seen my next move, not just responded to it." He looked at Emiko closely. "It's less like… superpowers and more like… heightened perception. Like your body and mind aligned for a moment."
Emiko licked her lips, staring at her hands. "Then why did it stop?"
"That's the actual question," said Saya, circling her slowly. "If you can access that power again and remember it, you'll be a true threat on the field of war."
Kaito sighed, massaging his neck. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." This was just a spark. There's a long way to go before she can control it."
Emiko clenched her fists. Control it…
She didn't want a short-lived taste of power. If this power could make her stronger — if it could save her against the Council and keep those around her safe — she had to learn to wield it.
"Then teach me," she replied firmly.
Saya raised an eyebrow. "Teach you what?"
Emiko met her gaze. "How to control it. How to keep it from fading."
Kaito exhaled. "That's easier said than done."
Saya shrugged. "It's possible. But it won't be easy."
Emiko sat up straighter. "I don't care."
Kaito smirked. "Well, at least you aren't folding. But before we start throwing you into more battles, you need a rest."
Emiko's shoulders sank just a little. She didn't want to stop — not when she had only just felt something inside her stir awake. But she knew burning herself too thin wouldn't be beneficial either.
She nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
Saya grinned. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, we work you even harder."
Emiko didn't know if she should be excited or terrified.
The Council's Watchful Eyes
If you go far away from the city, you will come to a large temple-like building on the elevated mountains, where the Council of the Shinigami will be seated.
Dimly illuminated by floating lanterns, a circular chamber contained six figures seated upon tall thrones. They were the embodiment of authority, a force that inspired both fear and reverence.
One figure stared at them, head down.
Tsubaki.
One of the elders, a woman with long silver hair and a voice like ice, finally spoke. "Is it true? Has she begun to awaken?"
Tsubaki nodded without his expression showing anything. "She has potential. More than I expected."
A murmur swept the Council.
Another elder, a kindly, old man with piercing, hawk-like features leaned forward. "Then she is a threat."
Tsubaki's eyes did not waver. "Not yet. She is still learning. But if she keeps going this way, she could be a problem."
The Council was joined by a third member, whose deep red robes suggested that he was also a shinigami; he let out a light chuckle. "Then we should act now. Squelch the spark before it becomes a wildfire."
A silver-haired woman raised her hand. "No. Not yet."
The room fell silent.
That made her turn her icy gaze at Tsubaki. "Continue watching her. … Not yet, just don't intervene, but if she gets too powerful…" She let the sentence hang.
Tsubaki bowed slightly. "Understood."
When he left he felt the weight of the Council's expectations bearing down on him.
Emiko… what will you do next?
A Night of Restlessness
Back in the dojo, Emiko lay on her futon and stared at the ceiling.
She must have been drained. Her body ached, her muscles burned, and yet — sleep would not come.
She was haunted by flashbacks to the battle.
That illusion of ephemeral control over subject matter.
She closed her eyes and attempted to grasp that feeling again, but it was like trying to hold onto smoke.
"Still awake?"
She whipped her head around to see Kaito at the door.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Can't sleep."
Kaito came over and leaned against the wooden pillar beside her. "Makes sense. You're overthinking."
Emiko exhaled sharply. "Yaya said I had to control it. But I don't even know how I turned it on."
Kaito shrugged. "That's normal. Any kind of power like that doesn't spring from training—it's the result of experience. You'll figure it out."
Emiko turned to him. "How did you unleash your power?"
Kaito was quiet for a moment, then he gave a dry laugh. "Through a lot of pain."
She frowned. "Pain?"
He nodded. "Real battles. Real loss. There's no shortcut, Emiko. You'll find it, or you won't, when it's the right time.
Emiko curled her fingers into fists beneath the blanket. And I need to fight real battles.
Kaito studied her expression, and sighed. "Just take your time, okay?"
She nodded slightly, but deep down she sensed she couldn't afford to wait.
Not when she felt the storm on the horizon."
The Call to Action
Morning arrived sooner than Emiko anticipated.
She did not have time to dwell on her sleepless night before Saya and Kaito were waiting for her outside.
Today, though, something was different.
A tension in the air. A shift in the atmosphere.
Instead there was Kaito, arms crossed and smirk gone.
Saya's tawny eyes were practical. Focused.
"What's going on?" Emiko stepped forward and said.
Saya's voice was serious. "A message came this morning."
She was holding a tiny piece of parchment, the wax seal was familiar.
Emiko's stomach twisted. "From who?"
Kaito's eyes darkened. "The Council."
Emiko's breath hitched.
Saya passed her the piece of parchment. "It's a summons."
Emiko swallowed, the letter heavy in her hands.
A direct message from the Council could only mean one thing —
They were watching her.
And they were getting ready to act.
She inhaled deeply, fingers tightening on the parchment.
No more training.
No more waiting.
The fight was coming.
And it was one that she had to confront.