The rain had stopped, but Tokyo still smelled like storm.
Streetlights reflected off wet pavement as Mckell, Rin, and Emeka walked through a narrow alley between quiet apartment buildings.
No cars.
No voices.
Just wind brushing past old vending machines.
Mckell stopped suddenly.
“You feel that?” .
“Yes.”
“Feel what? Abeg make spirit no start again this night oh.”
A soft voice drifted from the darkness ahead.
“You’re late.”
All three froze.
A tall figure stood at the end of the alley beneath a flickering light.
Black robes.
Long silver hair tied loosely behind his back.
And a cloth blindfold covering his eyes.
The man leaned calmly against a wooden walking staff.
Emaji.
“You kept Nana waiting too long,”
Mckell’s chest tightened.
“You knew her?”
“I knew the girl she used to be.”
Even without sight, his movements were perfectly balanced.
Rin immediately lowered her blade slightly.
“You’re the blind one,”
“Most people start with hello,” .
“This one get main character energy.”
.
“Nana said you know about the Vessel.”
“So she told you already.”
His expression changed — not angry, but thoughtful.
“That girl never did like secrets.”
“Then stop speaking in riddles.”
“What am I?”
The alley became unnaturally quiet.
Even the wind stopped.
Emaji raised his staff and gently tapped the ground.
The sound echoed.
But the echo didn’t stop.
It spread outward like a ripple across invisible water.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Mckell suddenly felt it.
The world… shifting.
Spirit energy flooded the alley like rising tide.
.
“Guy wetin you do?!”
“This is the Spirit Layer.”
The buildings around them shimmered.
Shadows stretched longer than they should.
Ghostly outlines of old Tokyo streets appeared beneath the modern ones.
“You live in two worlds now,”
“The human world… and the spirit world.”
“And your body is the door between them.”
“So the Oni want to open it,” he said slowly.
“Yes.”
.
“And the Vessel?”
“Once every few centuries, a human is born whose soul can contain divine memory.”
“Not power.”
“Memory.”
“That sounds the same.”
“Power destroys.”
“Memory teaches.”
.
Suddenly—
Mckell’s body lifted off the ground.
Invisible force slammed him into the alley wall.
Emeka screamed.
“AHH! WHY?!”
“Stop!”
“If he cannot stand against pressure,” , “he will die the moment Shinra finds him.”
Mckell struggled against the force crushing his chest.
“You… could’ve warned me!”
“This is the warning.”
The pressure increased.
The mark flared bright gold.
Something inside Mckell snapped awake.
His aura erupted outward.
The invisible pressure shattered.
He landed on his feet, breathing hard.
“There it is.”
The alley returned to normal.
Spirit layer fading.
Emaji leaned again on his staff.
“You’re not just a Vessel,”
“You’re a Vessel that woke up early.”
“So what now?”
.
“Now?”
.
“Now we begin training before the Oni Syndicate tears Tokyo apart looking for you. I've been waiting for this forever.”
“A quick one.”
.
“Yes?”
.
“am I the emotional support or I'll also learn how to punch ghost?”
“Oh, you’ll be useful.”
“That sentence sound like future suffering.”
Mckell stared at the blind man.
“Why are you helping me?”
“For the same reason Nana did.”
“Because if the Oni open the Vessel Gate…”
“…the gods that answer might not be friendly.”
FINAL SCENE – ONI SYNDICATE TEMPLE
Deep underground, Warlord Shinra watched a spirit-monitor.
It displayed Mckell’s energy spike.
Behind him, dozens of masked warriors knelt.
“So,”
“The blind dog finally shows himself.”
The room darkened.
“Prepare the Hunter Unit.”
A massive Oni warrior stepped forward.
Armor glowing red.
Shinra spoke one final command.
“Bring me the Vessel.”
