Lux Æterna

“Oi, Takenaka!”

“Senpaaaai!”

Voices tore through the rain-soaked darkness of Shina's narrow backstreets as the three teenagers engaged in a frantic, splashing chase.

Honoka, driven by pure, adrenaline-spiked anxiety, raced toward the medical center. Eiji pursued her with a singular focus on her safety, while Naomi scrambled to keep up with her two seniors. Running blindly into the night while a Specter had a lock on your position was the gravest mistake a person could make. But at the news of her mother's declining health, Honoka hadn't stopped to calculate the risks.

As Eiji closed the gap, he clicked his tongue in frustration. Why does every haunted classmate of mine have to go for a damn run?

The relentless rain fell in sheets, its icy sting clinging to their clothes. The alleys Honoka had taken as a shortcut were desolate, the silence broken only by the heavy rhythm of footsteps through puddles and the sporadic, desperate calls echoing off the wet brick walls.

Initially, Honoka’s panic had allowed her to outpace Eiji, but the advantage was short-lived. The dull throb in her injured ankle began to flare into a sharp, white-hot pain as her initial shock wore off. She skidded to a halt in the center of a dark alley, gasping for air.

Eiji slowed his pace, sighing in relief. “Takenak—”

“RWAARGH!”

A guttural snarl cut him off. A small, distorted creature crawled from the shadows, baring rows of needle-sharp yellow teeth. Then another emerged from behind a dumpster.

“Huh?”

And another...

Soon, a swarm of unknown entities blocked the path, skittering along the ground like predatory insects. They had long, spindly legs, three glowing eyes, and a frantic, hungry energy. Eiji’s eyes sharpened as he dashed toward Honoka.

“E-Eh...?” The senior’s face paled. What she had only been able to hear until now was finally taking a hideous, physical form. The chittering in her ears had become a reality, and it was crawling toward her.

She took a shaky step back, paralyzed by the sight. One of the creatures seized the moment.

“RWARGH!”

It leaped, its blade-like jaws wide and poised to sink into her shoulder.

“You RAT!”

Eiji moved like a blur, snatching the creature out of the air and hurling it away before it could touch her. He brought his index and middle fingers before his face, a crackle of red lightning dancing along his arm as he incinerated the mid-air pest.

His eyes flared a fiery red, reflecting the soft thunder rumbling above. “Koburogumo,” he spat.

“Koburo... gumo?” Honoka whispered, looking at the small but overwhelming army of monsters. These were lesser specters, usually minor nuisances for a trained Shaman, but in these numbers, they were a carpet of teeth.

“Senpai!” Naomi cried, finally catching up. As the creatures began to encircle them, Eiji patted his pockets frantically.

“The Yakubyo-gami is using Takenaka’s negative emotions as a beacon to call every lesser crawler in the city. It’s feeding,” Eiji said, his voice grim. He pulled a small pack out of his blazer and tossed it toward Naomi.

She caught it, looking confused. “Cigarettes?”

“Look closer.”

Naomi peered inside. Tucked between the cigarettes and the case was a folded slip of paper. She pulled it out, recognizing the intricate, flowing script of the charms Eiji often used.

“A... talisman!”

“A... what?” Honoka asked, her voice trembling.

Eiji didn't have time for a lecture. “These things won't stop coming until we find the source. Keep that talisman close and protect Takenaka!”

He leaped into the fray, his fighting style shifting into a brutal brawl between man and monster. He swatted and blasted the creatures away, each successful strike reducing them to shimmering blue dust. But for every one he crushed, two more lunged from the darkness. His movements were precise, but even an Exorcist had limits. The red aura around his fists flickered; the strain was beginning to mount.

“Protect, he says...” Naomi whispered, her knees knocking together as she backed toward Honoka. “But how?!”

“Mizuno-san...” Honoka’s voice was barely audible. “What is happening? What is Kanzaki-kun fighting? That red light... the monsters...”

Naomi struggled for words, her heart hammering against her ribs. The swarm was starting to ignore Eiji, sensing the easier prey. They began to encircle the two girls, their gnashing teeth drawing closer.

“Mizuno-san?!” Honoka gripped her skirt, cornered against the cold brick wall.

“This is bad... this is really bad!” Naomi’s breath hitched. She watched as Eiji took a bite to the arm, his frustration growing as the horde pressed in. He couldn't hold them all back.

“Use it, damn it!” Eiji shouted over the snarls.

Naomi perked up, clutching the paper. “How?!”

“Just...!” Eiji kicked a larger crawler away. “Think of being safe! A memory of someone who helped you! Believe that you’ll be protected!”

“Safe?” Naomi looked at the cackling monsters preparing to pounce. Her mind was a whirlpool of fear. She thought of the pain, the biting... the way Hazuki had looked.

No!

She shook the thought away.

“What are you waiting for?!” Eiji’s voice cracked with urgency.

“Safe... okay.” Naomi clutched the talisman with both hands and brought it to her face, mirroring Eiji’s stance. She forced her mind to search for warmth.

Hope.

Happiness.

Safety.

Each word summoned memories of her and Hazuki, of moments of warmth and security. And thoughts of her… and Eiji.

The way he saved her. Kept her out of harm’s way time and again.

Despite the situation, and the fact, a specter leapt off the ground, Naomi stopped shaking. Eiji had spoken to her about how ordinary humans could use talismans, since the exorcist’s blood already acted as the catalyst.

Naomi only needed to believe. Believe that she’d be safe.

The girl stopped shaking. The fear didn't vanish, but it was overruled by a singular, fierce belief.

That talisman was given to her by her senpai. There was no way it wouldn’t work.

In a brilliant, otherworldly flash, the talisman erupted into a swarm of shimmering blue sparks. They coalesced around the two girls, swirling like a protective storm. A translucent dome formed, incinerating any Koburogumo that touched the barrier.

With a final, dazzling explosion of light, the dome expanded outward, reducing the remaining horde to nothing but ash in the wind.

“Woaaah!”

The sheer force of the pulse sent Naomi and Honoka tumbling to the pavement. When they opened their eyes, the alley was bathed in a brilliant, flickering white orb that pushed the shadows into the furthest corners of the city. It was a light so pure it made the streetlamps look like dim embers. Naomi watched the shimmering particles drift through the air, thinking of Hazuki’s fireflies, and a weary smile touched her lips.

“I think… I did it, Senpai…” she muttered, her voice thick with exhaustion. Her knees were shaking, the spiritual drain of the talisman leaving her lightheaded.

“What the—”

Eiji advanced through the radiance, his eyes adjusted to the glare. He saw the truth now.

“What a sick trick,” he growled, his gaze locking onto Honoka as she pushed herself up and dusted off her leggings.

“Eh?”

“I apologize in advance.”

“Senpai?”

Before Honoka could react, Eiji stepped into her space. In one swift, clinical motion, he reached out and snatched the emerald jewel of her necklace. The heirloom that had been a treasure from her grandmother—the stone that had been glowing with a faint, oily malevolence this entire time—was ripped from the chain.

With a sharp twist of his thumb, he flipped the "stone" open. It wasn't a solid gem at all; it was a locket. And nestled inside the green casing was a tiny, polished mirror.

Within that silver surface…

“Rah?”

A pair of tiny, slit-pupil demon eyes stared back at him.

Everything clicked. Eiji knew Yakubyo-gami often took up residence in reflective surfaces, but since there hadn't been a mirror in sight during the previous attacks, he’d dismissed the possibility. He hadn't realized she was carrying the door to her own misfortune right against her chest.

“Show's over, you little bastard,” Eiji sighed, tossing the locket to the ground and crushing it under his shoe.

As the mirror shattered, the entity trapped within erupted like black smoke from a pressurized jar. It materialized a few feet away—a dark, amorphous blob with spindly, insect-like limbs and a pair of twisted goat horns. Naomi’s brilliant protective light held it pinned, granting Eiji the perfect window.

He thrust his arm forward, a bolt of red lightning lancing from his fingertips. The strike was true. The red energy enveloped the black entity, which began to crackle and overflow with power. With a final, squeaky roar of defeat, the Specter disintegrated in a blinding burst of sparks, like a firework losing its fight against the night.

“Phew...” Naomi exhaled as the red and blue particles swirled in the air before vanishing.

It was almost pathetic how a creature that had tormented an entire family could go down so easily once its hiding spot was compromised. But that was the nature of the Yakubyo-gami; they weren't warriors. They were parasites that survived on the "accidents" they engineered.

As the weight lifted, Honoka squatted down. She looked at the broken shards of her necklace with a momentary pang of sorrow, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. The second the stone had shattered, she felt as if a heavy, leaden cloak had been stripped from her shoulders.

She hadn't realized how much her "treasure" had been dragging her down—physically and mentally. Each stroke of bad luck had added a minuscule gram of weight, and her mind had simply adjusted to the burden, perceiving it as normal life. Now, she felt light. She felt free.

“Kanzaki-kun... Mizuno-san…” Honoka’s voice trembled as she fought back a sob of pure relief. “Thank you…”

⌁◉⌁

“Senpai, did you see how brilliant and sparkly that light was?!” Naomi beamed, her energy returning as they walked through the hospital corridors later that night. “I’m telling you, I’m cut out for this!”

“It was… impressive,” Eiji said.

Naomi froze, her jaw dropping. “EEEH?! Did you just praise me? Actually praise me?!”

“Put a sock in it.”

He couldn't deny it, though. Talismans were fueled by the user's intent. While protection was the standard, the sheer potency of her glow suggested a level of willpower—or perhaps stubbornness—that even Eiji found intriguing.

He pushed the thought aside as Honoka came jogging toward them from her mother's room, her radiant smile a stark contrast to the hollowed-out girl they’d met on the stairs.

“My mom…” Honoka stopped to catch her breath, her eyes shining. “She’s okay! The doctors say her vitals stabilized out of nowhere!”

“REALLY?!” Naomi jumped forward and pulled her senior into a crushing hug.

“I’m glad.” Eiji offered a rare, small grin. “It seems the Specter was the root of the illness after all.”

Honoka wiped her eyes with her sleeve, the tears finally breaking through. “She was fighting for so long… but now she’s free. She’s coming home.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Honoka whispered.

Eiji shook his head, looking toward the exit. Seeing her stand tall without that invisible weight was enough of a paycheck for him. “Nothing is holding you down anymore. You’re free, too, Takenaka.”

⌁◉⌁

The next day at school, the change was absolute. No more trips. No more lost essays. No more inexplicable burdens. Bad luck still existed, of course—a missed bus here, a dropped pen there—but Honoka greeted them with a laugh. They were just the happenings of everyday life, not the claws of a monster.

As she prepared to head home, she found two familiar figures waiting by the school gates.

“Takenaka.”

“Takenaka-senpai!”

Naomi was practically vibrating with excitement, while Eiji stood with his usual hands-in-pockets stoicism.

“You two…” Honoka clutched her chest. She had spent the day wondering if the rain, the lightning, and the monsters had all been a fever dream. Seeing them there proved it was real. She chuckled to herself, her heart feeling full.

“We know it’s not the same, but...” Eiji began, as Naomi pulled a small box from her bag.

“We picked this out for you!”

Inside the box was a new necklace—a simple, elegant chain with a bright emerald-green bead. Honoka’s eyes misted over.

It could never replace her grandmother’s treasure, but it didn't have to. Because this one represented something new. A bond that overpowered the darkness.

“Do you like it, Takenaka-senpai?”

She thought she would like it, if she could call them friends.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Say...” Naomi shifted nervously, a rare hint of shyness in her voice. “Would you like to join us? In the Occult Club?”

“The Occult Club?”

Eiji didn’t look away as the two girls shared a smile. With one final look between the three, Honoka giggled softly and nodded, sealing the deal.

Her adventure was no dream. And her luck was about to be turned on its head. Finally she could look forward to school again, dance classes and everyday life. She could live without burdens. All thanks to those two.

She was happy to call them friends.

“I’d love to.”