Darkness did not just fall. It pressed in from every side, heavy and suffocating. "Kova, we have to hurry," a voice whispered, urgent and sharp.
"Once we're finished here, we'll come back for the rest." "But we can't just leave them," another replied. The sound was smaller, younger.
A cold laugh cut through the gloom. "Who cares? They have no choice but to follow us. Let's get going." The voices echoed through the stone halls like ghosts, fading into the static of a dying memory.
Kota stood in the heart of the estate library. He felt smaller here. Younger. His feet barely brushed the floor as he sat across from his father, the towering silhouette of a man who seemed to command the very air around him.
"Now remember, son," Kalamity Akoma Speedhardt said. His voice was calm, but it held the weight of a mountain.
"There are four forbidden acts. The first is Forbidden Blood. The second is Forbidden Demon. The third is the Forbidden Act of Eyes.
"Kota tilted his head, a frown creasing his youthful face. "Dad, this is too much. Why are you teaching me this now? I thought I'd be doing training.
"Kalamity reached out, his hand steady and warm as he rested it on the boy's shoulder. "There's plenty of time for training, Kota. Be patient.
"He leaned back, his eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight of the library. "The last is the Forbidden Void. You already know of the Void, don't you?"
Kota recited the words as if they were a prayer he'd memorized in his sleep. "The Void is where you send a soul. It means you can essentially erase them from existence."
"Yes," Kalamity nodded, though his expression remained grim. "But it can also be used for travel, so long as you do not lose yourself to the empty souls screaming within the dark.
"Kota gripped the edge of his seat. "I want to learn about the Eyes."
"There are three," Kalamity began, his tone dropping to a low, reverent hum.
"All belonging to the Three Eyed Horseman. The first is the Future Seeker, allowing one to see an hour of what is to come in a mere five seconds.
The second is the Death Eye. When opened, a single look or touch can end a life instantly. The third... "A scream shattered the quiet of the library, jagged and raw.
"Sound the alarm!" a guard bellowed from the halls. "The secret scrolls have been stolen!"
Kalamity was on his feet before the echo died. The warmth was gone, replaced by a cold, predatory focus. "Hide, son," he commanded, his voice no longer gentle. "Hide now."
If the scrolls are gone, Kalamity thought, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird, they're coming for me next.
A soft, mocking laugh drifted from the shadows behind him. "I know what you're thinking, Father," a voice drawled. It sounded familiar, yet horribly distorted. "What should I do? It's too late."
The air itself fractured. A figure stepped out of a tear in reality, emerging from the Void as if stepping through a doorway.
Kalamity's breath hitched. "How has he obtained a forbidden act? I didn't sense any intruders. "The figure reached up and pulled away his mask. "Hello, Father."
Before Kalamity could draw breath, a fist tore through his chest. Blood sprayed across the ancient books, the scent of iron filling the room. "Your eyes," Kalamity gasped, his voice bubbling with fluid.
He looked at the monster wearing his son's face. "My son... what happened to you, Koma?"
"Kova," the figure said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.
He turned his head toward the dark. "I've marked the target. Make the portal."
Kota's world ended in a single, ragged cry. "Father!"
Then, the lightning came. It didn't just strike. It swallowed the estate whole. Kota bolted upright, his lungs burning as if he'd been submerged in ice water.
"Tch. Same old dream." His chest throbbed with a dull, rhythmic heat. Around him, the cave trembled faintly as dark energy leaked uncontrollably from his own pores.
He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a pool of stagnant water. His hair, once a deep black, was now shot through with streaks of bleached white but it was his eyes that were the worst. His pupils sagged unnaturally.
The dark circles within were warping, drooping like liquid lead being pulled toward the floor. They were never falling, but never stable. "Kota, I'm back," a voice snapped from the cave entrance. Leiya stepped into the light, dropping a bundle of supplies. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Ugh, you reek of Yen. I told you to start masking it. There are people nearby." She stopped mid sentence as her gaze landed on his face. Her expression crumbled into a mask of horror. "Oh no. It's getting stronger," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Your pupils and your hair."
She took a steadying breath, trying to regain her composure. "In this world, Yen and Yan are the source of all things. But when one outweighs the other, it causes a sickness. A rot."
She stepped closer, her eyes scanning the warped circles of his pupils. "In your case, Kota, your Yen is leaking. You're coming apart."
Kota didn't look at her. He couldn't. "Tch. Stop talking to me like I don't know that. It's getting annoying." He turned his head away, his voice dropping to a cold, biting edge.
"The only reason you're even around is because you swore you'd take care of me if something happened to Father."
Leiya didn't flinch. She stood her ground against the freezing pressure of his Yen.
" I did," she said softly, though the weight of her words felt like stone. "And I still am."
The cave fell silent, the Yen pressing against the walls like a living thing, waiting for the dark to claim the rest of him.