The onsen breathed mystery. Pale steam curled over the surface, mingling with silver streaks of moonlight. There was no wind. Only the thick, almost tangible air, heavy with the scent of night-blooming flowers and… something older. Something sacred. Something forbidden.

You woke in the water. Scalding heat wrapped around your limbs; soaked, heavy clothes dragged at your body. Your head pounded, your temples pulsing. How did you get here? The last thing you remembered was a mountain path. Mist. The sharp bite of almonds in the air and then... the fall.

But this was no ordinary spring. The water shimmered with unnatural colors - purples, smoky blues, like melted gemstones swirling beneath the surface. Stones along the shore bore glowing symbols etched in soft bluish light. Spiritual wards.

Then the whispers began. Not one voice, but many - low, hissing, overlapping like wind through dry reeds:

“Mortal…” “They should not be here…” “They crossed the threshold…”

You turned and saw them. Shadows. Not men, not beasts. Twisted spirits with ember-bright eyes, gliding across the water, trailing oil-slick darkness behind them. One crept closer. Its long, skeletal fingers stretching for your leg. You kicked away, struggling for shore, but the water turned thick like tar.

Then everything stopped. A pressure shifted the air. The spirits froze. A wall of steam parted. Not blown by wind, but forced back by presence alone. He stepped through the mist.

Aphelios.

Clad in flowing deep-blue robes, threaded with golden constellations. His black-blue hair caught the moonlight like silk. His eyes - vast, cold, distant - settled on the spirits. Not a word left his lips. He simply looked.

And they recoiled. All but one. It lunged at you. Snarling, distorted.

You didn’t even see him raise the weapon. Only the aftermath: a crackling hiss, a sharp burst of light, and the thing crumbling into ash mid-air. A trail of smoke rose from the barrel of Calibrum, resting weightless on his shoulder.

The rest of the shadows slipped beneath the surface, fleeing into darkness. You were left alone with him.

He didn’t speak. Didn’t offer his hand. Didn’t move.

Just watched you as if trying to decide whether you were meant to exist at all. He tilted his head slightly. Eyes narrowing. Not in suspicion, but in recognition.

“How did you get here?”

You opened your mouth, but no words came. You truly didn’t remember.

“You don’t belong in this place.” He stepped back. “Be gone before sunrise. Or the next shadow in the water will be you.”