The rain had finally stopped, but in its wake, it left behind a thick, stifling humidity that clung to everything.
The door to the inn creaked open, and in stumbled Dovak and William—both drenched from head to toe.
Water dripped from their clothes, pooling onto the wooden floor as Dovak grinned and slapped a slightly crumpled flyer onto the table.
“Hey! Look at this!” he announced.
Nyx, who had been lazily stirring her tea, arched a brow.
“If it’s another drinking contest, I’m going to kill you.”
Dovak huffed.
“Relax. It’s way more interesting than that.” He jabbed a finger at the flyer. “There’s a fortune teller—right here in Hizuru. Says she’s only taking people today.”
Jin, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke.
“Onmyōji.”
Dovak blinked. “Huh?”
Jin crossed his arms.
“She’s not just a ‘fortune teller.’ Onmyōji specialize in reading spiritual energy and interpreting omens.”
Dovak shrugged. “Eh, whatever. Same thing. Either way, we should check it out.”
He lifted the flyer again, reading it over.
“Says it’s only a few streets away. What do you guys think?”
Before anyone could respond, the door swung open again.
Layla stepped inside, brushing damp strands of hair from her face, followed closely by Claire.
Dovak turned to her immediately.
“Hey, you ever been to the fortune teller before?” he asked, ignoring Jin’s unimpressed look.
Layla frowned slightly.
“A fortune teller? Here?” she echoed.
She took the flyer from the table, reading it carefully.
“I’ve never heard of one in Hizuru…” she admitted.
Then, after a pause—
“Maybe she’s new?”
A strange silence settled over the group for a moment.
Something about it felt off.
But then again—it was probably nothing.
“Then that’s even more reason to go!” Dovak declared, grinning as if he’d just won an argument with himself.
If anything about the situation struck him as odd, he certainly didn’t show it.
Across the room, Sam let out a long, audible sigh as he sank into a chair.
“So let me get this straight,” he said, rubbing his temple. “A fortune teller—who just so happens to be in Hizuru, during the Chaos Tournament—magically appears overnight. A fortune teller that Layla, who has spent decades in this city, has never even heard of?”
He glanced up, brows raised.
“No red flags for anyone else? Just me?”
Dovak waved him off.
“Life is about taking risks, my friend.”
He tapped the flyer repeatedly on the table, emphasizing each word.
“Besides, this is Hizuru. Nothing bad is supposed to happen here.”
A brief silence followed.
Then—a quiet creak as Nigel leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
He was the only one who hadn’t said a word.
His expression was unreadable, but his posture was clear—he had no interest in going.
No one expected him to.
And yet—
“C’mon, Nigel,” Nyx nudged him lightly.
Her voice was casual, but there was something teasing underneath it.
“You can’t stay locked up training forever.”
No response.
She leaned in, lowering her voice.
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
Nigel exhaled slowly, eyeing her for a long moment.
Then, finally—
“…Fine.”
Nyx smirked.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
And just like that, they were going.
The streets of Hizuru were eerily quiet. As they walked, not a single soul crossed their path.
The rain had stopped, but the air was thick with lingering humidity, the damp stone streets reflecting the dull light of the overcast sky.
Then—they arrived.
A strikingly ornate house stood before them, its entrance adorned with rows of softly glowing paper lanterns, their warm orange light flickering despite the midday sun.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Contrary to their expectations—there was no line of visitors.
In fact—there was no one at all. Except for one person.
A young boy, standing at the entrance, waiting for them.
He was much younger than any of them—fifteen, maybe younger.
His posture was perfectly straight, his eyes closed, as if he had been there for hours without moving.
When they stopped in front of him, he finally spoke.
“Lady Sayoko is expecting you,” he said in a calm, measured voice.
The statement immediately put everyone on edge.
Sam, standing near the back, exhaled sharply.
“Yeah, okay. That’s not unsettling at all,” he muttered before crossing his arms. “So, let me get this straight—”
His gaze flicked toward the empty street behind them.
“A mysterious fortune teller suddenly appears in Hizuru, we’re the only ones who show up, and she’s already expecting us?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah. No. That’s not weird at all.”
The boy’s expression didn’t change.
“You’re wondering if this is a trap.”
Sam froze.
The boy tilted his head slightly.
“Lady Sayoko said you would say something like that.”
For the first time, he opened his eyes—revealing irises of an unsettlingly pale gold.
“But you don’t need to worry.”
His voice was soft—not reassuring, but not threatening either.
“You are not in any danger.”
A beat of silence.
Then—he stepped aside, gesturing to the entrance.
“She only wishes to meet you.”
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of thick incense smoke curled into the air, carrying a scent that was both floral and strangely metallic. It immediately assaulted William’s nose.
“Ah—ah-CHOO!”
A violent sneeze echoed through the quiet room, followed by another. And another.
Eyes watering, William sniffled miserably and fished out a crumpled handkerchief to wipe his nose.
“Heh… allergies,” he muttered with a sheepish laugh.
He didn’t notice the way Claire was watching him.
Not with her usual apathetic glance—but with something more… curious.
The group now stood in a large waiting area, where a small indoor garden sat at the center. A single bonsai tree, meticulously pruned, rested on a stone pedestal. Water trickled softly from a tiny bamboo fountain.
The place felt timeless.
Serene. Too serene.
Then, the boy spoke again.
“Lady Sayoko will see you first.”
He had walked up to William.
The room fell into silence.
William froze, the handkerchief still half-raised to his nose.
“…Me?”
The boy nodded once.
“Follow me, please.”
William hesitated. His gaze flickered toward the others.
For a moment, nobody spoke. Yes, this was weird, but they were also in the Chaos Tournament. Weird things happened all the time, this was probably one of the least bizarre situations they’d experience.
“…Alright,” William finally said, clearing his throat. “Let’s get this over with.”
He stepped forward, following the boy across the dimly lit room.
At the far end, a small wooden door awaited them.
The boy pushed it open, and for a brief second—Dovak and Sam leaned forward, trying to sneak a peek inside.
What they saw—
Was nothing.
A vast, endless void of pure blackness.
No furniture. No walls.
Just emptiness.
A cold shiver crawled up their spines.
And then—the door shut.
“Is it just me, or does no one here have common sense?” Sam muttered, watching as the door clicked shut behind William.
He let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Then again, I followed you all here, so I guess I’m not much better.”
Across the room, Dovak chuckled.
“I’ll say it again, my friend—” He twirled a stick of incense between his fingers, watching the smoke curl into shifting shapes. “Life is all about risks. Some small, some big. As long as you make it out alive, who cares?”
Sam rolled his eyes.
The group lapsed into an uneasy silence.
Minutes passed.
Occasionally, Layla, Sam, or Dovak would attempt to break the tension, throwing out idle conversation. None of it stuck.
Even Nyx, usually the first to fire back a witty remark, remained uncharacteristically quiet.
Almost an hour passed.
Then—the door creaked open.
William stepped out. Everyone turned toward him—and froze.
His face was pale, almost ashen. His hands trembled.
He looked like he had just crawled out of a nightmare.
Dovak and Claire stood up at the same time.
For a brief moment, they locked eyes.
Dovak was surprised that Claire reacted at all.
Claire was surprised that she had reacted.
But neither said a word about it. Instead, they both approached him.
Dovak reached out first.
“What happened in there, man?” he asked, his usual joking tone replaced with something bordering on concern.
William hesitated. His fingers curled slightly, like he was grasping at something invisible.
“…I can’t say.”
His voice was low. Unsteady.
“Lady Sayoko told me everything we discussed must stay between us.”
A pause.
Then, softer—
“But… she was very kind to me.”
He exhaled sharply, as if forcing himself to breathe.
Claire, without a word, brushed past Dovak and placed a steady hand on William’s shoulder.
Dovak’s gaze flicked between them, brows raising slightly.
Now, that is interesting.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” he mused. “Didn’t think you cared, Claire.”
Claire ignored him.
“You need to sit down,” she told William, voice firm but quiet.
Before he could respond—
A voice spoke behind Dovak.
“You’re next.”
Dovak jumped so hard he nearly knocked over the incense burner.
“For fu—!” He spun around, hand on his chest. “Damn it, kid! Make some noise or something! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
The boy just blinked. Unbothered. Unmoving.
Dovak grumbled something under his breath, shaking his head.
Then—he sighed.
“Alright, fine. Let’s get this over with.”
He shot one last look at William, then at Claire.
The moment hung there—unspoken. Then, without another word, he stepped through the door and vanished.
Dovak returned much faster than William.
But somehow—he looked worse.
His eyes were bloodshot, his usual swagger completely drained from his body.
He moved sluggishly, shoulders slumped, as if the very act of walking had become a struggle.
Sam, ever the one to lighten the mood, tried to joke.
“Damn, Dovak. What’d she do, steal your soul?”
No response.
Dovak just sank into his seat.
Silent.
That unsettled everyone.
Then, as if on cue, the boy reappeared, stepping through the doorway without a sound.
His golden eyes settled on Sam.
“You’re next.”
Sam let out a low groan.
“Yeah, yeah… suppose it’s my turn.”
He pushed himself to his feet, rolling his shoulders like a man preparing to take a beating.
Then—he stepped forward.
The door shut behind him.
BREAK
Time slipped away.
When Sam returned, he looked like he had just lived through an entire lifetime in the span of minutes.
“Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath, raking a hand through his hair.
And then—one by one, the rest were called.
Some fared better.
Nyx emerged looking calm, even thoughtful. Others—were not so lucky.
Layla returned pale, shaken, her hands gripping the edge of her sleeves. No one spoke. No one even tried.
The energy in the room had completely died, each person trapped in their own thoughts, their own burdens.
Then—
A soft voice.
“You are the last one.”
Nigel lifted his gaze.
The boy was standing right in front of him.
His golden stare unblinking.
For a moment—Nigel didn’t move.
His gaze drifted across the room, taking in the aftermath.
William. Dovak. Sam. Nyx. Layla.
Some silent. Some exhausted.
Some looking like they’d stared into something they weren’t supposed to see.
A breath.
Then, he muttered the only thing that felt true.
“This was a terrible idea.”
And yet—
There was no turning back now.
Whatever Sayoko had done to the others—
It was his turn to find out.
