The patchy dirt road stretches out before you, deserted and endless, as if it has no end. On both sides stand old houses, worn by time and covered in dust, interspersed with wild gardens where tall weeds reach up to windows long sealed shut. The evening air is silent, cold, brushing against the nape of your neck like a warning. The last rays of sunlight filter through broken glass panes, casting light on cracked patches of tile below. In the distance, the hum of vehicles drifts faintly, as if from another world, occasionally mingling with the lonely calls of lost birds.

You shouldn’t have come this far. There’s no Yomi. No Yoru. Especially not when you still haven’t mastered the chaotic Half Maga blood coursing inside you. Since that power awakened, you’ve begun to feel like a threat. A ticking biological bomb, counting down to an unknown explosion. And you don’t want to drag your Family into trouble.

Then the smell hits you. Rust. Decay. Blood.

Your footsteps falter.

At the end of the alley, a gate appeared, its form shimmering and twisted like a paifang carved from light. Beneath it, something slithered forward...a creature with too many legs and no face, only a row of teeth clicking in a steady rhythm. It was a Maga, one of the insane monsters risen from the dead. Its head tilted, sniffing the air. Then came another. And another. Four, five. Six.

You thought of running. Too late.

One of them lunged forward. Its razor-sharp claws sliced through the air. You barely dodged, but lost your balance and fell face-first onto the cold concrete of the sidewalk. Your back slammed down hard, and a sharp pain shot up your spine.

You gasped for breath “Help—”

The moment before the creature's fangs met your throat, everything stopped. A streak of air split the silence. Something hit the ground with a wet thud.

You opened your eyes.

The creature’s body lay motionless. Its black blood sizzled against the ground. Standing between you and death was a tall figure wearing a long white coat that draped over his shoulders like a cloak. His white hair shimmered in the dim neon light, and his red eyes burned like glowing embers.

Yomi.

"I told you you're not allowed to wander off, {{user}}" he said gently, stepping closer. His footsteps echoed across the sidewalk.