The train slowed.
A long metallic screech echoed as it finally began to stop.
Morning light poured through the windows, warm and gentle—completely at odds with what had happened just hours ago.
Izumi sat still.
Awake.
But not at peace.
________________________
"…You good?"
Goutham's voice broke the silence.
Izumi didn't answer immediately.
"…Yeah."
"Liar."
Izumi glanced at him.
"You?"
Goutham stretched his arms.
"Never better. Fought a ghost, survived, 10/10 experience. Would recommend."
"…You're insane."
"And you're alive. You're welcome."
The train came to a halt.
Doors opened.
Passengers began to move.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
But Izumi knew better.
As they stepped off the train platform in Seoul, a cold breeze brushed past them.
For a moment—
Just a moment—
Izumi felt it again.
That presence.
Watching.
"…Let's just go," he muttered.
They didn't get far.
"Stop right there."
Both of them froze.
Three figures stood ahead.
Dressed normally.
But something about them felt… wrong.
Too sharp.
Too aware.
One of them stepped forward.
A tall man, calm expression, eyes that missed nothing.
"…You two were on that train."
Goutham tilted his head. "We were, yeah. Problem?"
The man ignored the tone.
"…Then you've already been involved."
Izumi's gaze hardened.
"…Involved in what?"
A pause.
Then—
"The elimination of a spirit."
Silence.
Goutham slowly looked at Izumi.
"…Oh."
Izumi sighed.
"…Of course."
The man continued.
"We are part of an exorcist organization."
Izumi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…An organization…?"
"Yes. Our mission was to eliminate that entity on the train last night."
A brief silence.
Then Goutham spoke—
"…Let me guess."
He pointed at himself and Izumi.
"…We accidentally killed your target."
The man didn't deny it.
"…Yes."
"…Wow," Goutham nodded. "That's awkward."
Izumi crossed his arms.
"You're saying that thing was yours?"
"Not ours," the man corrected. "Our target."
Another member stepped forward, clearly annoyed.
"And not only did you interfere—"
He paused.
Staring directly at Izumi.
"…you absorbed it."
Silence fell again.
Goutham blinked.
"…He what?"
Izumi clenched his fist slightly.
"…So it wasn't supposed to… do that?"
"No."
That one word carried weight.
The leader sighed.
"…That spirit possessed a rare ability."
Izumi's heartbeat slowed.
"…Future sight."
Goutham looked at him again.
"…Yeah, okay, now this is officially not normal travel anymore."
The leader continued,
"You were not meant to survive that encounter. Let alone inherit its power."
"…Well," Goutham shrugged, "we like to exceed expectations."
The tension lingered.
Then—
"…We'll be watching you," the leader said.
Izumi's expression darkened slightly.
"…You already are."
No reply.
The three of them turned—
And walked away into the crowd.
Just like that.
"…I don't like them," Goutham muttered.
"Same."
A pause.
Then Goutham grinned.
"…Still, future vision, huh? That's kinda cool."
Izumi didn't smile.
"…No."
Because he remembered.
Videl.
"…It's not."
________________________
[Later That Day]
They went their separate ways.
"Try not to die," Goutham said casually.
"You too."
Izumi stood in front of his house.
A place that should've felt familiar.
Safe.
But now—
Even that felt uncertain.
He opened the door.
"I'm back."
"Brother!"
Before he could react—
Someone rushed toward him.
"Zane!"
"—You're late!"
Izumi blinked.
"…Videl?"
She was sitting right in front of him.
Alive.
Energetic.
Annoyed.
"…You're staring."
Izumi exhaled slowly.
"…You're… alive."
Videl frowned.
"…Should I not be?"
From behind her, another voice chimed in.
"Wow, what a greeting. Very romantic."
Izumi looked past her.
"…And you are?"
Videl crossed her arms.
"My sister."
Her sister waved casually.
"Nice to meet you. I've heard nothing good about you."
"…That's reassuring."
Videl rolled her eyes.
"We came to Seoul three days ago. By flight. Like normal."
Goutham's voice echoed in Izumi's head:
"You summon plot."
"…Don't start."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Videl stood up and stepped closer, narrowing her eyes.
"…Why do you look a bit different?"
Izumi paused.
"…Long journey."
Her sister smirked.
"Yeah, sure. 'Journey.' That explains the dead-inside look."
"…I look fine."
Both of them stared at him.
"…You don't," they said together.
A brief silence—
Then Videl laughed.
"…You're weird."
Izumi looked away slightly.
"…You're loud."
"Rude."
"…Accurate."
Her sister chuckled.
"Okay, I like him. He's entertaining."
"Don't encourage him," Videl said.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
And that scared him the most.
__________________________
[Evening]
After some time, Videl and her family left.
"Try not to disappear again," she said.
"…I won't."
She smiled.
Then turned—
And walked away.
Izumi stood there quietly.
Watching.
"…That vision…"
His hand tightened slightly.
"…I won't let it happen."
_________________________
[Night Walk]
The streets of Seoul were calm.
Streetlights flickered softly as Izumi walked alone.
"…Something's not right."
He looked up at the sky.
Then—
It hit him.
"…The tickets…"
He stopped walking.
"…They were too cheap."
Too cheap.
Too empty.
Too quiet.
"…That train…"
His eyes widened slightly.
"…It wasn't normal."
A chill ran down his spine.
"…It was a setup."
From the shadows—
A figure watched him.
Silent.
Still.
A phone raised slightly.
A picture taken.
Click.
Izumi turned suddenly.
"…Who's there?"
Nothing.
Empty street.
But the feeling remained.
He wasn't alone.
And somewhere—
Hidden in the darkness—
Eyes were still watching him.
__________________________
[Night — Izumi's Home]
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Izumi closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment.
"…What a day…"
His body felt heavy.
Not just from exhaustion—
But from everything else.
The train.
The fight.
The organization.
That vision.
"…Tch."
He walked to his room and dropped onto his bed without even turning on the lights.
The ceiling stared back at him in silence.
"…Future sight…"
He whispered the words like they didn't belong to him.
"…What kind of power even is that…"
His eyes slowly closed.
And then—
Darkness swallowed everything.
_____________________________
[Nightmare]
He stood there again.
Helpless.
Frozen.
The air smelled of blood.
Bodies lay scattered around him.
People he knew.
People he loved.
"…No…"
His legs refused to move.
His voice refused to come out.
He saw his parents.
Still.
Unmoving.
"…Stop…"
Then—
Her.
Videl.
Standing in front of him.
For a moment—
She was alive.
"Izumi…"
Her voice was soft.
Almost normal.
"…Run."
His eyes widened.
"…What—"
Before he could finish—
A shadow pierced through her.
Silence.
Her body fell.
"…NO—!"
________________________
[Reality]
Izumi jolted awake.
His breath was ragged.
His entire body trembling.
"…Again…"
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
"…Why… is it so clear…?"
This wasn't just a dream anymore.
It felt real.
Too real.
His hand slowly moved to his chest.
Heartbeat.
Fast.
Unstable.
"…I have to stop it…"
But how?
That question lingered in the dark.
Unanswered.
_______________________
[Next Morning]
Sunlight streamed through the window.
Calm.
Peaceful.
Normal.
Izumi sat up, staring blankly ahead.
"…I can't just sit around."
If something was coming—
He needed to understand it.
And there was one person—
"…Ash."
____________________________
[Later — Outside Ash's House]
The streets were lively again.
People walked, laughed, lived their lives.
Unaware.
Izumi stood in front of a modest house.
Familiar.
Comforting.
"…Let's hope you're home."
He knocked.
No response.
"…Of course."
Just as he turned—
The door creaked open.
"…You're late."
Izumi froze.
"…Ash?"
Ash stood there.
Same face.
Same posture.
But something—
Was wrong.
"…You look like you saw a ghost," Ash said calmly.
Izumi forced a small smile.
"…Funny you say that."
Ash stepped aside.
"…Come in."
Izumi entered slowly.
The house felt normal.
Everything in place.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
And yet—
That feeling.
"…What is this…?"
A strange pressure filled the air.
Heavy.
Cold.
Unnatural.
Izumi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Ash…"
"Hmm?"
"…Did something happen?"
Ash tilted his head.
"…Like what?"
"…I don't know."
A pause.
Ash smiled.
But it didn't feel right.
"…You're acting weird today."
Izumi felt it again.
Stronger this time.
That aura.
It wasn't just around Ash—
It was from him.
"…This feeling…"
Izumi's grip tightened slightly.
"…It's the same as—"
The train.
The spirit.
Ash took a step closer.
"…You okay?"
Izumi didn't move.
"…Yeah…."
But his eyes—
Stayed locked.
"…No…"
Because now he was sure.
That presence.
That unnatural weight.
"…You're not alone… are you…?"
For a split second—
Ash's smile faded.
Something else surfaced.
Something darker.
Something… inhuman.
"…What do you think?"
The air turned cold.
Izumi's heart dropped.
"…So it's true…"
The thing in front of him—
Wasn't just Ash anymore.