A Soul Wrapped in Shadows

The air shook.

The streetlights hummed softly, as if the electricity itself was scared to breathe.

The creature twitched. Its limbs split into black tendrils and crawled across the pavement as they convulsed.

Yuna clung to my back as she trembled.

Haruto: “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.”

The creature shrieked. It sounds distorted, like glass scraping against metal.

Then it moved.

Its mouth exploded with tentacles that swung toward me more quickly than a human eye could track. I moved aside, causing the ground where I had been standing to split. Sparks flew as the air snapped, and my blade caught the next blow mid-strike.

Too wild. Too angry.

I reached into my sleeve, pulling a folded talisman between my fingers.

Thunder’s blessing.

My veins were etched with lightning as the paper sparked. The air smelled of ozone.

The world starts to slow down.

I sprang forward, my muscles bursting with energy. Two of its limbs were sliced cleanly by my flashing blade. The creature screamed, and then more tendrils sprang out from its chest, writhing like a snake's nest.

Haruto: “Tch… Persistent.”

I jumped back and slammed another talisman onto the ground.

Ice Barrier.

Between us, a thin wall of ice formed, humming like a heartbeat. With each blow, the tendrils splintered against it.

The world was silent again for a moment, except for the sound of my own breathing.

It’s strong, but not hopeless. There’s still a soul in there somewhere.

The barrier cracked.

One of the tendrils whipped around it the next instant, heading directly towards Yuna.

Haruto: “Yuna!”

I kicked, shattering my own barrier. I slapped a fire talisman against my crimson-burning blade, and the sword came to life with a roar. I swung upward, splitting the tentacle before it reached her, and flames licked along its edge.

Black ichor splintered like sparks as the creature screamed and rolled back.

I let out a breath and adjusted my stance.

As I aimed my blade forward, lightning flashed across my arm once more.

Haruto: “Let’s end this before you lose yourself completely.”

My heartbeat matched the pulse of the flames along my blade. The darkness that clung to the creature's skin was scorched by the arcs of fire that each swing left in the air.

It lunged once more, this time more quickly, its movements displaying desperation. It slammed a mass of tentacles toward me, causing the pavement to crack under its weight.

I turned and ducked low as I felt the wind tear past my ear. A distorted howl ripped free as my sword drew a clean line across its side, and fire exploded from the wound.

A distorted howl tore from its throat.

Got you.

However, the wound started to heal. With sickening speed, the flesh ripped and mended itself back together.

My eyes narrowed.

Haruto: “So you can still regenerate, huh?”

I grabbed another talisman and pressed it to the hilt of the blade. The fire was put out in a hiss of steam as blue frost bloomed across the metal. The sword shone in the dim light.

Haruto: “Let’s see how you can handle this.”

The ground itself froze when I swung again. Ice crept up the creature's limbs and locked them in mid-attack as it spread across the asphalt.

It screamed, piercing the darkness. Yuna covered her ears.

Steaming black blood, the creature struggled to free itself and thrashed against the frost.

I could see a faint outline inside its chest through the haze. A tiny, trembling figure that seemed to be reaching out from below.

Yuna’s eyes widened.

Yuna: “Hey… Isn’t that… Takumi!?”

I turned back slightly.

Haruto: “Takumi?”

Yuna: “My classmate. We used to walk home together!”

With a hand on my chest and my sword lowered, I felt the static from the lightning talisman earlier still pulsing.

Haruto: “Takumi. If you can hear me, listen. You don’t have to keep fighting.”

I called out, my voice steady but gentle.

The creature froze. The shrieking ceased for just a moment.

A distorted voice, not the creature's, but something vaguely human, then rasped out as its head twitched.

???: “Y…una…?”

Yuna gasped.

Yuna: “That’s… That’s definitely him! Please save him, Mr. Exorcist!”

I stepped through the cracking frost; my boots crunched against the ice as I reached for the figure inside.

Haruto: “Good.”

Rushing forward as fast as I could, I grabbed Takumi’s arm and pulled him out before the creature could make a move.

Haruto: “Stay with me, Takumi. Tell me what you wanted. What kept you here?”

The black tendrils began to crumble, the ice cracking as light seeped through the creature’s body. The figure of the boy shifted, his eyes full of tears rather than hate.

The boy opens his mouth.

After hearing his words, I raised one final talisman, with ink glowing faintly gold.

Haruto: “It’s alright, you can rest now.”

I pressed it lightly to his forehead.

In a single breath, the darkness was scattered by the outpouring of light. Suddenly, the air felt clean for the first time that evening.

As the last of the shadow disappeared, Yuna covered her mouth. Only the boy's spirit was left where the creature once stood, smiling dimly before vanishing into the peaceful light of dawn.

The night fell silent again. My arms felt heavy, but it wasn’t the fight that weighed them down.

I turned back to Yuna and smiled.

Haruto: “Alright… Let’s continue our way back to your place.”

As both of us start walking, there’s an awkward silence between the two of us.

Yuna: “W… What made Takumi like this…?”

Yuna spoke up, which broke the silence. I turned back and looked at her.

Yuna: “What did… Takumi regretted about…?”

Her voice trembled.

Haruto: “Well…”

Not knowing how to reply, I paused. After a few seconds, I let out a soft sigh.

Haruto: “He wanted to… See you again.”

Yuna paused her tracks.

Silence.

Haruto: “I…If you don’t mind me asking… How did you pass away?”

Yuna gripped her chest tightly, as tears started welling up in her eyes.

Yuna: “I… I think it was… an accident. I remember the road. Takumi was there. The car… it was coming too fast…”

Her eyes widened as the memory surfaced.

Yuna: “I pushed him out of the way…”

I…I see the whole situation now.

I walked over to Yuna and patted her back.

Yuna: “D… Did he mention… How did he die?”

My eyes widened slightly.

Haruto: “N… No.”

I lied.

Takumi told me everything. How he regretted being weak, how he regretted that Yuna couldn’t live the ideal life she wanted just because of him. And his death…

He told me not to tell her anything. And I have to respect his decision.

Haruto: “Alright, let’s just continue our way, okay? You have messages for me to pass down, after all.”

Yuna wiped her tears.

Yuna: “Y… You are right.”

We continued walking for a while, and I passed Yuna a piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. She proceeds to write down her letter on the piece of paper.

After she finishes writing everything, she folds the paper and places it in an envelope, writing the name “Yuna Fujimori” on it before passing the letter to me. 

After walking a few steps, Yuna stopped in her tracks.

Yuna: “T… That’s the playground I used to bring my sister to! We’re close!”

Yuna started sprinting, and I hurriedly followed her.

Haruto: “W… Wait…”

After turning to a corner, Yuna stopped in her tracks again and gazed at the house right in front of her.

The house with the sign “Fujimori” written on it.