A Quiet Place to Disappear

The news was still playing when I finished tying my tie.

“…another unexplained disappearance reported overnight in Osaka. Authorities urge citizens to remain calm as investigations continue—”

I muted the TV.

“Big cities are crazy,” I muttered.

Luffy lifted his head from the floor, tail thumping once before he yawned and rested his chin back down. Morning sunlight spilled through the thin curtains of my apartment in Kakogawa, painting the room in soft gold. It was quiet. Peaceful. Exactly the kind of place nothing ever happened.

That was the point.

I’d left New York to get away from noise—sirens, crowds, the feeling that the city was always watching you back. Kakogawa didn’t have that. It had narrow streets, old houses, convenience stores that closed too early, and neighbors who minded their own business.

Normal.

I grabbed my bag and crouched down in front of Luffy. “I’ll be back before sunset,” I said, scratching behind his ears. “Don’t destroy the place.”

His tail wagged harder. No promises.

As I stepped outside, a strange chill crawled up my spine. I paused, glancing down the empty street. No one was there. No footsteps. No movement. Just the quiet hum of morning.

Get a grip, I told myself. Jet lag doesn’t last this long.

The feeling faded as I locked the door and headed to work.

By lunchtime, it came back.

I was sitting alone, halfway through a bento, when the air around me shifted—heavy, like someone standing just behind my shoulder. My hand froze mid-bite.

Slowly, I looked around.

Students laughed in the distance. A couple walked past. Nothing out of place. Nothing wrong.

I exhaled and shook my head.

Too many late nights gaming, I decided. That’s all.

Still, the sense of being watched lingered until the bell rang.

That night, Kakogawa felt quieter than usual.

The TV flickered softly as Luffy curled up beside me, warm and familiar. Outside, the streetlights buzzed. I checked my phone—no messages, no missed calls. Just silence.

When I took Luffy out for a walk, the shadows felt… deeper. Thicker. I turned twice, certain I’d seen something move.

Nothing.

By the time we got home, exhaustion dragged me straight to bed.

I fell asleep telling myself it was all in my head.

At 3:07 a.m., Luffy started barking.

Not his normal bark.

This one was sharp. Panicked.

I shot upright just as the front door melted.

No sound. No force. The lock dissolved like wax, dark symbols burning briefly in the air before vanishing.

A masked figure stepped inside.

Black cloak. No face. No hesitation.

Instinct screamed at me to move.

I grabbed Luffy and ran.

The night swallowed us whole as we burst outside. I shouted for help—anyone—but the houses stayed dark. The street felt abandoned, like the town itself had gone deaf.

Then it hit us.

A blast of energy slammed into my back, tearing the breath from my lungs. We hit the pavement hard. Luffy cried out, scrambling back toward me.

The masked man approached slowly.

“Your power,” he said, voice distorted, empty of emotion. “It’s time you returned it.”

I didn’t know what he meant.

I only knew I didn’t want to die.

Something burned inside my chest—hot, violent, desperate. The world cracked open with a roar I didn’t recognize as my own.

Light exploded outward.

The masked man was thrown back, crashing through concrete like paper.

I stared at my hands, shaking. What did I just do?

He stood again.

Unharmed.

Smiling beneath the mask.

Then steel rang against cursed energy, and the night split apart.

A woman with silver eyes landed between us, blade drawn.

“Aiko,” the masked man spat.

She didn’t answer—only attacked.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

“We have to go,” she said, grabbing me as another figure emerged from the shadows, opening a swirling portal. Luffy was already in his arms, unharmed.

“Wait—my dog—”

“He’s coming,” she said firmly.

And then the world folded in on itself.

When the police arrived, all they found was destruction.

The chief knelt, examining the scorched ground with calm eyes.

“Delinquents,” he said aloud. “Clean it up.”

One of the officers leaned in close.

“Sir,” he whispered. “Aiko took him.”

The chief stood.

“Then the hunt continues.”

And somewhere far from Kakogawa, something ancient opened its eyes.