Chapter 20: — “Sister’s Return” — (Season 1 Episode 8) — [THE LORE BEGINS]

Inside a small house, there was nothing but whispers. Whispers that crept along the walls, slithered through the cracks, and filled every inch of the air.

A witch sat in a crooked chair, hunched over a heavy book — the Kronorium.

She flipped three pages until the first glow appeared, a brilliant light beaming from the book and lighting the entire room in an eerie gold.

"Crimson feathers fall. The Tengu wakes. Only the heir can stop the storm."

“A demon is on the loose,” she whispered.

She turned more pages, faster now, until another glowing passage appeared:

"The selfless soul will bleed, in front of the one he loves.
And the demon will mark his soul as his collector."

“The selfless soul… the selfless soul…” she repeated, voice trembling. “The one he loves…”

Her eyes widened in realization. Her hands trembled as she clutched the Kronorium tightly.

“Riku… RIKU!”

“No… no no no! NO!”

She slammed the book shut, face pale with panic. Then, with urgency, she snatched a piece of parchment and a pen.

She wrote:

Dear Akari,
I need your help. Your sister is in danger.
I know you’re probably buried in prophecy exams at witch school, but this is serious.
Someone is after her friend — Riku. You remember him, right? Mika’s childhood best friend.
She moved in with him recently.
A tengu demon is coming for him. I saw it myself in the Kronorium.
I need you to move in with them. Protect him. Don't let my baby lose her only true friend.
Please, Akari. You know how much he means to her.
—Your loving mother,
Hanabira Haruka

She immediately hid the letter in an envelope with concern and worry for Riku.

She held the envelope close to her chest, closed her eyes, and began chanting softly:

"Winds of fate, heed my plea,
Carry this message across land and sea.
To the hands of my daughter swift and wise,
Let no demon see through my disguise.
Find Akari, my blood, my light,
Before the coming of endless night."

A small vortex of glowing wind wrapped around the envelope, lifting it gently into the air. Hanabira opened her eyes and whispered:

"Little paper, find her. Carry my voice before the demon claims the boy."

With that, the letter disappeared in a swirl of light, flying off with unseen wings.

"Please see my letter, Akari," she whispered to herself, her heart heavy. "Please... do what I couldn’t."

—

At a witch school, sat a quiet but focused girl. A gentle silence hung in the classroom while all the witches were buried in their books, studying for the final test, the prophecy exam, also known as the Prophecy Crucible.

"Make sure you study for the final exam, girls," the teacher said, breaking the silence. "This is important if you wanna graduate and earn your own prophecy book."

The students kept studying diligently until the bell rang, its loud toll echoing throughout the entire school.

The classroom quickly filled with the sounds of chairs scraping, bags zipping, and girls chatting and laughing as they packed up their things.

"Akari, can you stay for a minute?" the teacher asked politely.

"Uhh... sure, I guess?"

As the students filed out, Akari remained behind. The teacher sat in front of her, offering a warm smile.

"I just wanted to say that you’ve really improved, Akari. You've studied hard, I can see that. I just wanted to praise you for your effort. Nothing else."

"Oh, uhh... thanks, sensei. It means a lot coming from you," Akari replied, blushing a bit from her teacher’s praise.

"Of course, Akari. You've been one of the top students in my class. I bet you'll pass the exam with flying colors and earn your prophecy book on the spot," Ms. Takahashi said, continuing to praise her dedication.

"Thanks, sensei. I just do my best and try to pass."

"I can see that. Keep up the good work. You’re dismissed for today. I’ll see you next month, when the exam day comes."

"Yeah, heh. I’ll see you."

"Bye. Oh, and don’t forget to study hard!"

"Don’t you worry about a thing, sensei."

With that, Akari left the classroom and began walking home. The sun shone brightly, its rays piercing the clouds and painting the streets and grass with soft, golden light.

She followed her usual path home, stopping briefly at a store to grab a Dorayaki, her favorite snack. After paying, she stepped outside, pulled out her broom, and took off into the sky. She soared across the clouds toward the small village where she lived.

When she arrived, she landed gently on the ground, unharmed. She walked inside, placed her broom in the closet, and slouched down onto the couch, exhausted from the day.

Until—

"Ugh. I forgot to check the mail. Like always," Akari groaned. She didn’t want to get up, but she did anyway.

She stepped outside and opened the mailbox, grabbing a handful of letters, bills, and flyers.

"Bills, useless flyers… whole lotta crap," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she sifted through the pile.

"Crap, crap, useless… what the hell?"

She froze when she saw one flyer smeared with a pile of mud. Disgusted, she walked over to the garbage can and threw the stack away.

Leaning against the wall, she let out a sigh of relief. "There. Done."

But as she glanced into the garbage can again, she noticed one letter sticking out. It read:
Akari (IMPORTANT)

Eyes widening, she snatched the letter from the trash and hurried back inside.

She dropped onto the couch and opened the envelope. It was a letter, from her mother.

Dear Akari,
I need your help. Your sister is in danger.
I know you’re probably buried in prophecy exams at witch school, but this is serious.
Someone is after her friend — Riku. You remember him, right? Mika’s childhood best friend.
She moved in with him recently.
A tengu demon is coming for him. I saw it myself in the Kronorium.
I need you to move in with them. Protect him. Don't let my baby lose her only true friend.
Please, Akari. You know how much he means to her.
—Your loving mother,
Hanabira Haruka

Akari’s heart raced. She couldn’t believe what she had just read. Mika’s childhood best friend was in danger?

Of course she remembered Riku. All Mika ever did was talk about him when they were kids in elementary school. They’d spent every day together, until the family had to move to another prefecture. And now Mika had moved back in with Riku… permanently.

She couldn’t sit still and do nothing.

"No no no no. No no no no. NOOO! I can’t let this happen. I CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN!!"

She burst into her room, throwing open drawers, packing clothes, her spell book, everything she could possibly need.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her broom, locked the door behind her, and shot into the sky, heart pounding.

"Come on, come on, COME ON!!" she whispered, panic rushing through her with every beat of her wings.

—

Back at Riku's home, Riku and Mika sat on the couch playing UNO. They kept glancing at each other, both clearly hiding tricks up their sleeves.

"UNO!" Riku shouted.

ALREADY?! Maybe he is good at UNO…

Mika flipped through her two remaining cards and smirked when she saw the Draw Two.

You're going down, Riku!

"Draw two!" Mika yelled, slamming the card onto the table.

"Are you… ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!" Riku cried out, frustrated.

"Hahaha! Told you I was better than you at UNO!"

"Oh no you’re not."

Riku drew two cards from the pile, and that was it. He was absolutely done for. None of the three cards in his hand matched the color on the table... red.

"What? No red? HAH! That means I win!" Mika shouted, slapping down her last card and throwing her arms in the air.

"Whatever," Riku muttered, crossing his arms in defeat.

"Ooh ooh ooh. I'm better than you, Riku. IN YOUR FACE! HAHAHA!"

"Stop bragging, Mika. You won. You proved your point. Can you stop dancing like a five-year-old already?"

"Fine! But I’m still better than you at UNO. Maybe we should rematch so I can beat your butt again—"

Suddenly, loud banging came from the front door, startling them both.

"Jesus!" Riku exclaimed.

"OOH, GUESTS!" Mika shouted excitedly.

"I didn’t invite anyone over though."

"Huh? Oh..." Mika paused, tilting her head. "Then who could it be?"

"I dunno," Riku muttered, scratching his head. "Maybe someone knocked on the wrong house?"

The knocking grew louder, faster, and more intense. Riku's patience wore thin.

"ALRIGHT! I’LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!" he yelled, clearly annoyed.

Riku stood up from the couch and walked toward the front door.

There she stood—Akari, looking visibly worried and nervous. Riku didn’t recognize her. They hadn’t seen each other since they were toddlers, and they’d both changed.

"Can I help you?" Riku asked, voice sharp with annoyance.

"Hey..." Akari said awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck. "You must be Riku, right? Aozora Riku?"

"Yes. I’m Riku..."

"You might not recognize me, but I... uh..." Akari continued, still scratching the back of her neck.

"Go on!" Riku said, giving her a sharp, annoyed look.

"I... I’m Mika’s sister," she finally said, awkward and uncertain.

Riku’s eyes widened. That name. That face. Suddenly, it clicked—Akari. Mika’s sister. The witch. She used to hang out with them sometimes, when she had time.

"A-Akari? Hanabira Akari? The witch, right?" Riku asked, stunned.

"Yeah. It’s me. I... I came here to—"

"See Mika, right?" Riku cut in.

"Yeah, also that, but—"

"MIKA! YOUR SISTER CAME TO VISIT!"

Mika heard Riku from the living room, blinking in disbelief.

"That’s impossible. I haven’t seen my sister in months. Plus, she’s supposed to be busy with—"

"AKARI?!" Mika cried, rushing to the door.

Silence fell as the sisters locked eyes. Mika was shocked, confused… but joy flooded her expression.

Akari spoke first, softly breaking the stillness.
"Y-Yeah. It’s me. Hey, sis..."

Mika’s eyes welled with tears, happy ones. She couldn’t believe it. Her sister was really standing there.

"Akari... I... I missed you so much..." Mika said, her voice cracking. "What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be home studying witch school or whatever?"

"Yeah... but I came because I have something important to tell you... both of you..."

"Tell us what?" Riku asked, concern replacing his annoyance.

"It’s... a lot. May I come in?"

"Sure... come in..."

Riku and Mika led Akari into the house. They made their way to the couch. Akari sat across from Mika. An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air.

Riku eventually returned with two cups of hot chocolate, one for Mika and one for Akari.

"T-Thank you," Akari muttered.

"EEEPP! CHOCO MIIIILKKK?!" Mika squealed. "THANKS, RIKU!"

Riku didn’t reply. He simply sat down next to Mika, facing Akari.

"So... what are you doing here? Why do you have bags with you? And what did you wanna tell us?" Riku asked calmly.

"I’ll tell you in a minute," Akari replied, her voice shaking. "Just... don’t freak out, okay?"

Riku and Mika glanced at each other, confused, but turned back to Akari.

"I came home from witch school today, checked the mailbox, and got a letter from our mom..."

"Ooh, a letter? I bet Mom misses you, sis..." Mika said, giving a little smirk.

"It’s not that, Mika. It’s more serious..." Akari said, trying hard to hold her tears back.

"Serious? What do you mean?" Riku asked, now deeply concerned.

"Well... you know how our mom’s a witch, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, she... uhh..." Akari’s voice cracked. A single tear escaped down her cheek.

"You’re dying, Riku..." she said quietly.

Riku’s eyes widened. His jaw dropped. "W-What?"

Mika sat still, smiling nervously, not believing a word of it.

"Hahaha! Where did you hear that from? Riku dying? Oh, that’s a good one, Akari. Good one!"

"Mika..." Riku looked at her with a serious expression, his eyes already damp. "I don’t think it’s a joke..."

Mika’s smile disappeared. Her face went pale.

"W-What?"

"How do you know? HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" she yelled, on the verge of tears.

"Your mother is a witch, Mika. A powerful one. She knows what she’s doing. And when she says something… it’s true..."

"B-But... I just—"

"It’s true, Mika," Akari said, interrupting. "It was a prophecy. Mom saw it herself."

"But..." Mika turned to Riku, panic flooding her face. "HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!"

"CALM? WHO SAID I WAS CALM?!"

"YOU’RE JUST SITTING THERE, TAKING THIS INFORMATION LIKE IT’S NOTHING!"

"I DO CARE, OKAY?! I JUST DON’T WANNA—"

"PLEASE JUST CALM DOWN, THE BOTH OF YOU!" Akari shouted.

The room went silent again.

"Listen. I was told that I’d have to live here... and protect Riku at all costs."

"L-Live here?" Mika asked, still trembling.

"Yes. And d-don’t worry. I’m going to protect Riku. I promise!"

Riku stared at the floor, stunned. He said nothing. He couldn’t. Tears welled in his eyes.

"H-How do I die? And when?" he asked, his voice low.

"A demon. A tengu demon is after you... He wants to kill you and collect your soul as his own."

"D-Demon?" Mika whispered, breaking down. "Why? Why Riku? He didn’t do anything..."

"It varies. Some hunt humans for fun. Others do it for a reward."

How does he know that? Humans aren’t supposed to know that... Akari thought, puzzled.

"It’s not fair... It’s just not fair. Why you? WHY YOU?!" Mika shouted, shaking.

She buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Akari rushed over and pulled Mika into a warm embrace, gently rubbing her back, whispering comfort.

"Shhh. Let it all out, sis. Just let it out. I promise I won’t let the demon take Riku. I promise..."

"P-Please... I... I can’t lose him... p-please Akari..."

"I promise. Just let me handle it."

Riku stood still, watching the two of them. His mind was spinning. Tears fell freely now as the reality of his fate began to sink in.

"I... I’m going to my room..."

Neither of them answered. Akari continued to comfort Mika, who was still crying on her shoulder.

Riku walked to his room, closed the door, and leaned against it. He stared into the distance, expression blank, tears sliding silently down his face.

"Why me?" he whispered, broken.

—

A few hours passed. Midnight settled in. Mika had cried herself to sleep, tucked into bed beneath a quiet blanket of sorrow.

Akari sat up, back pressed against the wall, silently sobbing. No one was there to comfort her. Behind the anger, the protectiveness, and the strength she showed earlier… there was fear. A deep sadness. She didn’t want her sister to lose her childhood best friend.

“I’ll protect him, sweetie…” she whispered, brushing Mika’s hair gently while she slept. “I promise…”

“I won’t let him die… not now… not ever…”

Akari kept stroking Mika’s hair, trying to soothe her even in her dreams.

Suddenly, an urge hit her.

“Ugh. Of all times…” she mumbled to herself.

She stood and quietly tiptoed out of the room, heading toward the bathroom. But as she turned the corner in the dark hallway, she bumped right into Riku.

“Ah... sorry…” Akari muttered quickly.

“I-It’s fine…” Riku replied.

In the low hallway light, he looked at her, and paused. He noticed her eyes, red and puffy.

“…Have you been crying?”

“Uhh… yeah…” Akari admitted, eyes dropping, already on the verge of tearing up again.

Riku stood there in the dim hallway, silent for a moment. Then his own eyes began to well up. His breath hitched as he tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat.

“I-I don’t want to die…” he muttered, his voice cracking.

Akari’s eyes widened slightly, then softened. She stepped a little closer, lowering her voice.

“Riku…” she said gently. “I’m going to protect you. No matter what.”

He looked at her, searching her eyes, unsure if he believed it, but needing to.

“I’m not just saying that,” she continued, her voice shaking slightly. “I mean it. I’ll protect you from that demon, even if I have to die doing it.”

“Why?” Riku asked, voice quiet, almost a whisper. “Why go that far for me?”

Akari looked at him, then let out a long breath. She leaned her back against the wall, eyes fixed on the floor as she spoke.

“Because you matter to Mika. More than you know. She loves you like family… maybe more than that. I remember when we were little, how much she talked about you. Every single day.”

Riku’s eyes widened slightly.

“She used to come home smiling from ear to ear, telling me how her ‘bestest best friend’ helped her stand up to some jerk at school. She told me you gave her your lunch when she forgot hers. That you’d always play with her, even when other kids ignored her.”

Akari smiled faintly, brushing away a tear.

“You were her first friend. Her first safe place. The first person who made her feel like she belonged. That means something, Riku. That means everything to her.”

Riku’s lips trembled. He looked away, trying to hide the tears, but one slipped down his cheek.

“I didn’t… I didn’t know she remembered all that…”

“She did,” Akari nodded. “She never forgot. And I can’t let her lose that. I won’t let her lose that.”

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The hallway was quiet, filled only with the distant hum of night.

Finally, Riku gave a small, shaky smile.

“…Thanks, Akari.”

She smiled back softly. “Go get some rest. You’ll need your strength.”

Riku nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah… goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

He turned and headed quietly to his room, gently closing the door behind him.

Akari stood there for a second, letting the weight of the conversation sink in. Then she remembered her original reason for leaving the room and tiptoed down the hall to the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and sat down, sighing deeply.

Her thoughts swirled like a storm.

I can’t mess this up. I have to keep him safe… I HAVE to. If that demon lays even a finger on him, it’s over. Mika would be shattered. And I—

She clenched her fists tightly.

No. I won’t let it happen. I’ll kill that thing. No matter what it takes.

She finished her business, flushed, and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red, tired, but behind them was something else, resolve.

“I made a promise,” she whispered to her reflection. “And I’m not going to break it.”

She turned off the light and stepped back into the hallway, the weight of the world on her shoulders, but her heart blazing with purpose.