Ethereal Guardians

In the dimly lit room that sheltered the highest authority in ethereal society, Kaoru Tenmei stood with a piece of the broken Shikomei Amulet clenched between his thumb and forefinger.

"What now, Tenmei?" The ethereal tribunal, who were all seated in a semi-circular formation around the large, oak meeting table, were wary of the artifact and the possibility that some malicious entity may soon show itself. One of the elder guardians slammed his wrinkled, shaking fist on the mahogany, startling some of those present. "Why were we not informed that Ren Yamasaki had in his possession an artifact like this?"

"The kid didn't know this existed until now. Apparently, he found it among his deceased grandfather's belongings in Miyagi prefecture while retrieving some things. Before that, it had been tucked away safely. Just our luck, though," Kaoru explained, flipping the shard in midair. "I couldn't sense anything earlier, but there's definitely traces of some weird energy emitting from these fragments."

"Get rid of it immediately. Seal it away in the vault if possible. You dare to come here with that damn thing in your pocket? Are you trying to start trouble on purpose?" one of the other guardians hissed menacingly.

"Were you listening to anything I just said? It's not as easy as just tossing the damn thing away. If I do anything wrong, it might rip open a gaping portal through dimensions or rip our souls apart and spit us back out," he argued back. "Trust me, you don't want that to happen. Or did you forget about that relic last year? You still can't look me in the eye properly. So quit barking at me like some dog in heat and give me a few hours to figure out a solution without messing everything up."

If it were up to Kaoru, he would have torn all of them to pieces or at least given them a good beating. They deserved a much worse punishment for the atrocious deeds they committed and their inability to own up to any of their mistakes. Sorcerers like those didn't deserve such an important title—they were ignorant fools. They held on to every inch of power they had and lorded their position over others but lacked the necessary courage to truly carry out their duties effectively.

"If you plan to remain here, then you best follow procedure. We shall convene at first light to discuss what action should be taken."

The group then began dispersing, preparing to turn in for the evening. Kaoru snorted as he left the building, sick and tired of the formalities involved with such a scenario. 'Do these old bastards really think I'll care enough to show up the next day?' It was his custom to disobey their orders any chance he got. Unfortunately, tonight was one of the few instances where he would have to break that habit.

His next destination was the Kansei Enclave. Upon arrival, he had Saionji and Aiko gather around to brief them. Kaoru tossed the shattered pieces of the Shikomei Amulet onto a counter with an audible clink. "I would slaughter them all if I could," he said aloud. "Did you know that those decrepit bastards think they're actually worth listening to? Ha! The nerve!"

Saionji narrowed his gaze upon inspecting the amulet, his arms crossed, and lips curved downward into a frown. "You're going to regret getting on their bad side one of these days, Tenmei."

Kaoru let out a sharp laugh, tilting his head back to look at Saionji square in the eyes. "Their bad side? Please. I've been parked there since I was fifteen. Do you honestly think I give a shit at this point?"

Thirteen years ago, Kaoru used to be Saionji's student. He was always a troublemaker. Arrogant, egotistical, and rebellious to a fault. He was a complete jackass, and yet, somehow, still a capable young man. In comparison to how he was back then, today, he had changed significantly. Not entirely, perhaps, but enough to count. "You brat. Some things never do change," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Will you two knock it off already?" Aiko interjected before things escalated even further, much to Kaoru and Saionji's dismay. Although it was good-natured fun for her to witness at times, tonight, they had to focus. "This really isn't the time for this right now," the brunette warned them sternly, giving each a quick glance. Both males decided against disagreeing, instead opting to let her continue her explanation.

After examining the various fragments closely, Aiko said, "I'm surprised to see this thing around these days." Everyone turned their heads to face her. Aiko stared directly into the reflection of the fragment, which glistened brightly under the overhead fluorescent lights. "This is the ancient type. Pre-Meiji era, if I'm not mistaken."

"You've seen one before?" Kaoru questioned in surprise, arching a white eyebrow. It sounded impossible. There was no way these sorts of artifacts still existed anymore—let alone circulated amongst the guardian community. Yet here they were staring right at the proof.

"Only in texts," Aiko replied, her gaze fixed on the fragment. "They were used to seal or anchor extremely powerful wraiths. Not the kind you'd stumble across in modern times—unless someone's been digging up old relics." Aiko leaned closer and traced her fingers along one jagged edge of the broken piece, tracing the grooves lightly. As she brushed up against it, her hand twitched slightly. "Inactive... Whatever was contained here probably escaped already, then."

"Great," Kaoru muttered, his irritation flaring back up. "So now we've got some ancient spirit running rampant and no clue where it could be hiding. Fantastic."

Aiko shook her head, dismissing his complaint entirely. "It's not that simple," she said, setting the fragment back down carefully. "Whatever was inside wouldn't just be running around. A curse like this doesn't function on its own—it needs something. A compatible host, typically; most likely a guardian."

The words, compatible host, made Kaoru freeze. His mind immediately flashed to Mizuki. She'd been alone with Ren. And Ren was the one who found the amulet in the first place—it had shattered in his possession. And then... she'd stayed behind with him. "Hey, Aiko," he interrupted abruptly, his eyes darting up to meet hers, "what are the odds something was actually sealed in this thing?"

Knowing what she knew, the answer was pretty obvious. It didn't take long for her to respond: "I'd say one hundred percent. Which, judging by your reaction, means we have another issue on our hands."

"Fuck..." Kaoru's vulgarity earned concerned looks from both Aiko and Saionji. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck!" His emotions boiled over into violent frustration, his fingers squeezing tighter around his clenched fists. "I gotta go." He stormed toward the door in haste, eager to leave as quickly as possible.

"Tenmei! Hold on! We need to figure out—" The rest of Saionji's statement fell on deaf ears, and he wasn't about to stop and listen, anyway. This was far too urgent to wait around for him to catch up. Instead, he slammed his feet down harder upon the concrete floor and dashed. Sighing, Saionji looked over to Aiko, who mirrored his exasperation. "Looks like we're in for quite the night."

"That it does." With a shake of her head, she glanced back at the piece resting silently on the table. Something must be done immediately—but first, Aiko needed to gather her materials and prepare properly. "Hah...I need a smoke first. Damn bastard, making me worry like this..."

Kaoru was outside the school gates now, his phone pressed tightly to his ear as he paced back and forth. He dialed Mizuki first, praying to whoever was listening that she was safe and sound. "Come on, pick up," he hissed impatiently under his breath, bringing the device up higher so it wouldn't fall out of his hand. No answer. He tried again, this time dialing Ren. But the result was the same—no answer. "Goddammit!"

He couldn't just teleport to them willy-nilly. Using it too many times in a day pushed his limits, and he'd already stretched himself thin by jumping to Sendai and back. Overextending himself now could lead to serious consequences—not that he cared about himself, but he couldn't afford to mess up. He scrolled through his contacts and hit Sakura. The phone barely rang twice before her sharp voice answered. "What's up, Tenmei-sensei?"

"I need you to get in contact with Ren and Mizuki," he said, cutting to the chase. "They're not answering me, and it's important."

"Say less," Sakura replied immediately, not wasting another second. "I'll try them now. I'll call you back if I hear anything." Before Kaoru could even thank her, she hung up. At least she was quick on the uptake. Next, he called Testuya.

"What's going on?" Testuya answered, clearly confused by Kaoru calling him. Typically, he never would, unless it was urgent.

"No time to explain," Kaoru snapped. "Just shut up and meet me at the entrance to Inokashira Park. I'll fill you in on the way." Kaoru ended the call abruptly and slipped his phone into his pocket. If those two weren't responding, there had to be a reason for it. He only hoped that whatever had happened hadn't resulted in a tragedy. With a sigh, Kaoru sped along in a brisk jog, leaving behind the confines of the enclave grounds.