Chapter 17: Faceless Demon
Shin was heading home after his night shift at the mechanic workshop. Mr. Henry, who was middle-aged, treated Shin like a son after just three days of working for him. Hiraku had introduced Shin to Mr. Henry, who was close to his father. Mr. Henry took great interest in Shin, not only because of his impressive mech skills but also because of his bond with Hiraku's father. To Mr. Henry, a friend of Hiraku was a friend of his.
"Bye, Shin. Sleep well, boy," Mr. Henry said, waving his right hand.
"Bye, Mr. Henry," Shin replied, waving back with a friendly smile.
Taking a fork in the road to the left, he headed home. Suddenly, he noticed a boy in a school uniform bent over in an awkward, hunched posture. The figure was gnawing and making a strange, crunching sound. Shin recognized the uniform as the same one from his school, so he cautiously drew nearer.
"Hey, a-are you alright?" Shin asked, his voice trembling slightly.
The portable flashlight in his right hand flickered erratically. The closer he got, the more his body quivered with fear. Still, he didn't want to seem like a coward by abandoning a fellow student who might need help. Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand toward the boy's shoulder.
"He--y, are you alr..." In a glimpse of horror, Shin stood petrified. The boy's neck twisted with a crackle and faced him. He had no face—only the churning of blood pouring from where his mouth should have been. Shin shrieked and cried out in terror, dropping the flashlight as he darted away. He kept running, and without battling his thoughts, he wandered into an old tunnel. His heart felt constricted against his chest, and he could hear more than one horrifying, evil screech. He gulped in some air and turned slightly while dashing forward. He could see dozens of faceless people running towards him, their recurring blood-curdling screeches echoing through the tunnel.
Though the light ahead was barely visible, he could sense he was almost out of the tunnel. Suddenly, he bumped into a tall figure wearing a coat and a hat and fell onto his back. In a moment of desperation, Shin cried out for help to the stranger.
"Sir, please help me! Monsters... help me!"
Shin turned back to see the monsters closing in on him. He scrambled to his feet and looked forward, but to his dismay, the tall figure also had no face. It grabbed Shin by his face as he screamed in feverish fright.
"Shin!" Hiraku let out a slight yell. The nightmares kept reoccurring—horrors of the night gnawing at his spirit. He had dreamt of terrible things in the past, but this night was different. He took his chaplet and began praying. "In the darkness, let your light shine ahead."
His hands narrowed down to his chest as the strange feeling of evil drawing near grew stronger.
12:00 a.m. on Saturday morning had its ups and downs, but a day out with Shin was enough to bring a sense of peace to Hiraku. He pedaled his way to Shin's house.
"Shin!" Hiraku called out loudly to the window. He had been knocking for quite a while, but no one seemed to answer. Suddenly, the door opened.
"Who the hell are you, and why the hell do you keep banging on my door?" a man in his 50s replied in a gruff and crude tone. His protruding belly, disheveled hair, and cracked voice bore all the signs of a drunkard. Hiraku was taken aback—his best friend, Shin, actually lived with this man?
"Sorry to disturb you, sir. I'm a friend of Shin," Hiraku responded gently, hoping Shin was all right.
"Well, I'm his father. I haven't seen that good-for-nothing since yesterday. If you see him, tell him I'll teach him a good lesson when he gets back home. Little twerp," the man said and slammed the door shut.
"What!" Hiraku exclaimed, his hands tightening into fists. He couldn't believe his ears. Shin had been missing since yesterday night, and all his father could think of was punishing him. "Shin, where are you?" Hiraku thought to himself. He was about to call the police when Mira suddenly grabbed his hand with a slight push.
"Hey, handsome," she said.
"Mira, thank goodness you're here! Have you seen Shin?" he asked worriedly.
"Um, no. I haven't seen that nerd anywhere," she replied, still holding his hand.
"Hira?"
Hiraku turned back to see Lisa standing behind him. He quickly withdrew his arm from Mira. Hiraku walked toward Lisa and hugged her. Lisa peered over his shoulder, staring at Mira, who was twirling her hair in her hand with a faint look of jealousy in her eyes.
"I can't find Shin," he said while withdrawing from the embrace. "Did you sense anything? Like a demonic trail?"
He asked, his hands holding her shoulders tightly.
"Hira, you're forgetting something," Lisa said, her eyes motioning toward Mira. Hiraku understood what she meant. He took Lisa's hand and led her a few steps away from Mira to talk.
Mira, with her usual daunting attitude, slowly began walking toward them, her footsteps deliberately quiet to eavesdrop. Behind her, a man in a coat and hat approached quickly, reaching out to grab her. However, an old woman wearing a fur coat intercepted him. The man disappeared into the light as the woman's silent whispers filled the air.
Mira, sensing someone behind her, turned to confront the stranger.
"Hey, who are you?" Mira asked in a crude tone.
"I'm talking to you!" she insisted.
The old woman pulled back her hood and turned toward her.
"I am nobody," she replied coldly and without emotion.
"You're crazy. Wait a minute—aren't you that weird old lady I saw..." Mira's words were abruptly cut short.
"You don't have enough time. Your friend is in the hands of a demon," the woman croaked, her hands scratching against a ring she wore.
Hiraku turned his gaze toward the woman, and their eyes met. Her face filled with terror as she locked eyes with him.
"The end is near," her voice rasped with a weak growl.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone