"Sheerrryyy!!! Wait up!!"
"Hurry up, Yuu!! We're gonna be late!!"
"Ha-ha-ha... Sorry to make you wait. It's been kind of a long weekend; I haven't gotten much sleep..." Yuu panted.
Long was an understatement...
I nearly died in freak accidents at least twenty times in the past two days. The bus... That truck...
He shook his head to clear the memories.
It was Takashi Yuuto's senior year of high school, and he wasn't going to let this day go wrong. His reputation as a model student was not going to be ruined on the first day of class.
"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that, Yuu. I know, I know! Let's go get sweets after class! My treat!"
"Thanks, Sherry. You really do know how to cheer me up."
"Of course I do! We've been best friends since we were kids."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Yuuto could always count on Sherry, no matter what. She had been his best friend since the day he moved to the US in second grade.
As the two headed off, Yuuto made brief eye contact with a middle-aged woman passing by.
Is she some kind of evil spirit trying to kill me or something? Every time I see her, another accident is bound to happen.
"Yuu, come on!" Sherry shouted, already several blocks ahead.
"Yeah, yeah, coming!"
He snapped himself out of it and took off after her.
"Seriously, Sherry, slow down, would ya!"
Maybe I'm overthinking this. It's just a coincidence. She must live around here or something.
"Finally! It's over."
Sam, one of Yuuto's other close friends, was sprawled across his desk, exhausted.
"Why are you so tired, Sam? It's only the first day. All we did was sit here and listen to the teacher ramble. Let me guess, you stayed up all night playing video games again, didn't you?" Sherry said, rolling her eyes.
"No, I didn't!" Sam shot back. "I was catching up on a TV show. Totally different!"
"How is that any better, Sam?" Sherry quipped, turning back to Yuuto. "You said you were gonna go get sweets with me after class."
"No, no, we should hit the arcade," Sam countered. "I heard that new game we wanted to play finally came out, Yuu."
Yuuto honestly just wanted to go home and hide in his room, where it was safe.
He had nearly died another five times today.
That woman definitely cursed me...
"Yuu, you know you want to go get sweets with me. You promised, didn't you?" Sherry begged, turning to give Yuuto her saddest eyes. She knew he couldn't refuse her now. "You can go to the arcade with Sam anytime you want. It's not like that new game is going anywhere."
"Fine, fine, you win," Yuuto caved.
He could at least relax at a restaurant. Surely nothing could happen while he was just sitting there eating snacks.
"No fair, Sherry! You totally played dirty." Sam folded his arms. "You always get him to do whatever you want!"
"Hehe, I have no idea what you could mean by that," Sherry giggled, sticking out her tongue.
On the way to the bakery, the three of them stopped at an intersection to wait for the light.
Yuuto fidgeted nervously.
Crosswalks were dangerous after everything he'd been through.
As soon as the signal changed, he hurried across as fast as he could.
It's that woman again... Why is she always nearby?
He instinctively picked up his pace, eager to put as much distance between himself and her as possible.
"Called into work on my day off... again... Are you kidding me?!" Hazelle groaned, looking up from her phone. "Those idiots are always making my life harder."
A mischievous grin crossed her face.
"Heh... just wait until I get my hands on them. We are deep cleaning the entire kitchen tonight. If I don't get to rest, neither do they!"
As they passed by one another, the power line holding a traffic light snapped.
Yuuto looked up just in time to see the light coming straight for his head.
He couldn't avoid this one.
"Yuu!! Look out!!" Sherry and Sam screamed together.
"Huh? What was that—? Hey, kid, move!"
Hazelle lunged forward without a second thought.
Well... I guess it was only a matter of time. One of these accidents was bound to get me eventually.
Yuuto braced himself for the impact.
But it wasn't the traffic light that struck him.
"That lady... she just saved me?" Yuuto whispered as he picked himself up.
He turned to thank her, only for the words to catch in his throat.
"Somebody, help! Call an ambulance! She's hurt!"
"I guess... I'm okay with this," Hazelle murmured as her vision began to fade. "It was... the right thing to do..."
A faint smile crossed her face.
"Too bad... I won't get to find out who Tendo-kun picks..."
TODAY'S HEADLINE
Hazelle Celes, 32, Dies Saving Child in Traffic Accident
"Huh...? What the hell is going on?"
The woman blinked, her thoughts still sluggish.
"I'm... not dead? This isn't exactly what I pictured the afterlife looking like..."
She slowly sat up and looked around the stone-walled chamber. A handful of braziers cast flickering light across the room, leaving most of it shrouded in shadow.
"Welcome, Hero!"
A woman dressed in flowing white robes stepped through the doorway and offered a deep, graceful bow.
"I know this must come as quite a shock, but please don't be afraid. I mean you no harm." She smiled warmly. "I am High Priestess Raesa. May I ask your name, great hero?"
"Uh... me?" The woman pointed to herself. "Hazelle... Where am I?"
"You stand within the great nation of—"
Raesa raised her head, her expression freezing.
"...Oh."
Her smile faded.
"...This is... unexpected."
She stared at Hazelle for a long moment.
"...You're a woman and... a demon."