16

The old subway entrance was tucked between two crumbling buildings, its rusted gate locked shut with chains that had long since fused together from exposure. A faded sign above it read: "Shin-Sumida Station -> Closed Indefinitely."

Despite the warning, the metal doors at the bottom of the steps were slightly ajar.

Kaede whistled. “Ominous. I like it.”

"Too bad we’re not going in," Ren said immediately.

"Aww, come on, just a peek?"

"No."

Kaede huffed. "Tsubasa, back me up."

Tsubasa, who had been staring at the dark entrance like it personally offended him, took a step back. "Absolutely not. That’s how horror movies start."

Kuroya peered inside. “It’s empty.”

Kaede gasped. “Did you just volunteer to go in?”

“I said it’s empty.”

"Which means it's safe!"

"Which means we don’t need to waste time checking."

Yuna sighed, tapping on her phone. "No reports of elemental or rogue ability activity here. We’ll mark it as clear and move on."

Kaede groaned but didn’t argue. “Fine. But if this turns out to be some secret ghost-infested tunnel, I’m blaming you guys.”

“Duly noted,” Hikaru said, grinning.

With that, they moved on.

***

The next checkpoint was a back alley behind a row of old apartment buildings. It smelled like damp concrete and oil, and the only light came from a single flickering streetlamp. A cat watched them from atop a pile of crates, tail flicking lazily.

“I swear, if something jumps out at me, I’m quitting,” Tsubasa muttered.

Hikaru gave him a playful nudge. “That’s the spirit.”

"I mean it."

Yuna checked her notes. “This area has had reports of electrical malfunctions and strange noises at night. Some residents claim to hear footsteps when no one’s around.”

Kaede shivered dramatically. “Love that.”

Ren, who had been scanning the alley, suddenly paused. “…Did anyone else hear that?”

The group froze.

Tsubasa’s face paled. “Hear what?”

A long silence.

“…Never mind,” Ren said, turning away. “It was probably just the wind.”

"You can't just say creepy things and brush them off!"

Hikaru laughed. "Guess that’s our cue to move on before Tsubasa has a heart attack."

And so, the team continued their patrol, completely unaware of the many pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows.