MYSTERY I: The cruel man and the promise

Calculated steps, there is never a room for mistakes. Youth is naive, youth is a temptation. Youth is a mistake. Innocence has no place in this world, those riddled with innocence deserve the worse that befalls them as a consequence of their trust. It is the truth that should not be buried in the guise of naivety. The world is cruel. Hikari, however, was the kind of flower that bloomed amidst mud. Thus, this truth too, shall not drag her down. It was the necessary evil.

Yukio Manabe had been investigating the disappearance of the five girls since the day he found out the latest victim was Hikari's boyfriend. Hikari's world. In the dew of dawn, it was a pebble on the ground, insignificant to Yukio. He did not care for the life of those 5 girls or Hiroshi, what he did care about was– the tears in Hikari's eyes. Yukio knew that Hikari would take the matters in her own hands eventually but there was just so much she could do on her own, by the time she would be done fiddling her thumbs together, Yukio would've solved the mystery. For Hikari was the kind of person who always needed a lead to take a risk. What Yukio had not expected was this new anomaly called Kaname Yashiro. A shaman apprentice that selflessly decided to help his kohai and question his actions- Kaname Yashiro not only pointed a finger at his invisible efforts but also accused Yukio of being a coward. Someone who was too terrified to help

Yukio had one goal. It was not to find out about the culprit. He had already figured out who it was, it was only a matter of time before the truth came to life. The goal Yukio carried, the very reason he brought them to the University in the middle of the night, was more to make the two youth face the cruel reality, the reality they wished to stain their hands with and taint their innocence for and less to confirm the suspect.

They want to be involved in a crime investigation? Fine. They'll face what a crime scene is actually like. There is no friend when blood is shed, only foe. Foes that would not think twice before stabbing you in the back.

That is who Yukio Manabe was, a man so cruel, he wouldn't bat an eye before leaving a slash of scars on you just to prove a point.

“You sick son of a-... You brought us here just to confirm-” Kaname’s words got stuck in his mouth before it came out, Yukio's said words from the past echoed in his head.

“Prepare yourself, Kaname. It won’t be long before you’re the one who's trembling in fear.”

And he was. He thought he would be alright but the thought of five deaths had his skin crawling and gut crunching into knots, beads of sweat formed on the base of his neck. Kaname Yashiro was trembling. The dread washed over him like a rush of sugar, his blood ran cold when the flash of wide opened dead eyes flashed before his eyes.

“You already know who's the culprit.. you simply brought us here to prove a point, didn't you?”

A subtle stretch of a smile ghost over his lips- it did not reach his eyes, a glint of victory shined in his onyx eyes behind the frame of glasses. Kaname couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. “You psycho…”

“Enough.” Hikari stepped in between, becoming a wall between the two men. Kaname could tell she wasn't pleased, in fact, she was infuriated at the older male. “We'll argue about this particular matter once we have found Hiroshi. You know where he is, right Senpai?” Kaname had seen Hikari spit fire, he had seen her smile with pride but this? Her voice was authoritarian and cold.

She means business..

Yukio scoffed. “You still want to find out? Who knows who else might betray you-”

“Senpai.” A thin curve of Hikari's lips halted Yukio's attempt on scaring her. It was cold indeed but more than that, it was eerie. The once full of life Hikari was now nothing but a cold husk to set one’s gaze on. So beautiful yet so lacking-luster of life. Releasing an exhausted breath from his lungs, Yukio finally caved. “The Kitsune shrine on top of the mountain. I'm certain the culprit is hiding there.”

As if Hikari had taken the charge, unspoken words decided for the rest of the group. Footsteps carried them to what Kaname could see as the entrance to the shrine. Massive wooden Torii gates glowed a hew of crimson, casting a shadow of blood on the face of the young adults. the deep red was all but faded, old and worn out, as if it would fall if Kaname took another step forward. Kaito took a step forward, ready to confront the foe. However Kaname stopped the Kaito and the group behind.

“It's the domain of the deity, lest you wish to be cursed for intruding in their time of leisure, step back. I will cast a talisman for protection.” The beads in his hands clattered together. Kaname stepped forward, his hands juggled through the things in his pant's pockets until he found what he was looking for, a talisman paper and a bell. He nicked his thumb with his canine, a bead of blood trickled down his wrist. He inscribed the letters on the paper with his blood and chanted, what Kaito was assuming to be a prayer.

Surprising to the eye, the paper burned up and only the bell remained in his hand. Kaname exhaled in relief, the protection spell was a success. Hikari gasped, in awe with such magic in sight. Kaito and Saqib exchanged glances, mutually agreeing to never piss off Kaname again. like a man he's never been before, the air around Kaname felt pungent and disrupt. Kaname turned towards Hikari, asking for her hand with a gesture. Confused but she complied. “Take this.” He placed the bell in her palm. “This will protect you if you're ever in danger.”

Hikari expressed her gratitude, her gut twisted in a knot, unable to muster up the courage to look into her friend's eyes. something about him felt.. phantom and unfamiliar. The group entered the gates, something in Kaname made him not want to enter. His spine was cold and the shrine was old. He knew of the shrine’s existence, of course. But-

“It's been abandoned since…” He mumbled, running a hand through his autumn hair out of habit. The wind blew and it rustled, as if screaming to the night to end once and for all. The shrine was but a mere few steps away and yet, his heart tugged at him, his skin burning with nauseous paranoia. The moon hid under the shade of night smoke and the chirp of the insects died, a sign of a predator nearby. The silent howling nicked at Kaname's skin as the warmth of humans near him was just a hallucinated facade, that none of it was real. That maybe, the blood would spill once again, just like the night he wished to erase from his mind. He gulped, swallowing the fear in throat.

I can do this.

It's different now. I'm not a child anymore.

Kaname took a step forward, ready to take the risk but a tug at his wrist held him back. Jolted, fear crept up his neck as his silent scream quiet down behind his sealed lips. Intense dark eyes gazed into his eyes, the fear turning into uncomfortable warmth. Yukio pulled him back, closer to him until Kaname's shoulder collided on his chest. Yukio's close proximity hitched Kaname's breath, he waited for the older male to speak but there was to no avail. Kaname rolled his eyes, frustrated with Yukio that even the thought of something remotely nice from him felt like a drop of water in the desert. Kaname, wordlessly so, was about to yank his hand back.

However he stopped, Yukio dug in his pocket. Conveniently, there was a bandage in his pocket, that he easily unwrapped. For such cold eyes, his touch was gentle and warm when he pulled Kaname’s hand up, wrapping the bandage on his thumb and finally letting his hand go. The eerie air didn't change, the sky didn't become clear. But Kaname’s heart did, it raced as if to catch up with fast blowing wind. “I hate the sight of blood. Don't ever do it in front of me again.” Yukio declared, not kindly but simply as a fact. Though Kaname’s heart raced, his lips were faster.

“You do not own people, Yukio. I am a shaman, this is not self-harm. It is the way I live.” There was a collapse of distance between them, Kaname had stepped closer. His hand reached out to touch the apple of Yukio's cheek. There was a pause before he spoke. “You fear blood..” the palm of Kaname's banged hand hovered over Yukio's skin, one touch shy away from sharing warmth. “And I will make sure that you get used to seeing this crimson, Yukio. It is not a threat. It is a promise.”

Before Yukio had a chance of refuting or even showing disgust, a loud scream howled from inside the shrine.

Hikari!