Chapter Text
Amongst the busy fashion and entertainment district of Shibuya, there was a rumour of a small café, just off the side from the main street. It was said that it was the entrance to Wonderland, but yet, no one could recall exactly what happened once you left the café. The owner was a strange man with stranger eyes, who moved with a grace that wasn't quite human. Yet, his smile was gentle and warm, inviting you in for a drink or two. No one quite remembered what he looked like, but his name was...
"Rei-chan, thanks for the cakes and tea. They were delicious!"
Reiji beamed over at his customers from the counter. "Thank you, my girls. I hoped that you've enjoyed your time here at the Kotobuki Café. May you have a safe journey home," he said with a flourish of his hand. Immediately, their eyes took on a glazed look, even as they turned around to leave. He watched as they stepped out into the street, standing still for a moment before continuing their conversation as if nothing happened, returning back to their usual lives.
They were the last customers for the day. Reiji walked over to the door to flip the sign over. It was almost dark out, the streetlamps already beginning to flicker to life. He didn't accept customers after dusk, for it was too dangerous. Some humans could lose their way home after mingling with too much magic, or attract the attention of other far more dangerous beasts that prowled the night.
There were dishes to clean, floors to sweep, tables to wipe down. Reiji needed to prepare for the following day too, to think up of a menu to captivate his new batch of customers. A blend of tea to go with a plate of cake, or perhaps a parfait or two. Ice-cream sounded like a great addition to his menu.
It had taken him a few hours to clean and arrange the café back into a respectable state. The dishes were washed, dripping dry on the rack by the sink. All he needed now was a new special for tomorrow. Reiji had come up with some a few days ago, but hadn't had the time to test it out yet. Crepes sounded good, but it was extra effort to prepare it fresh, and he was running his café alone. Admittedly, he didn't have the usual customer load compared to back then, when he was still around. But Reiji could handle it. He had to.
There was a loud thump outside, startling Reiji from his thoughts. He ran to the window, anxiously searching for the source of the noise. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. It was dark out, the streetlamps casting a ghostly glow onto the empty street. The clock on the wall showed three in the morning. Who was out this early in Shibuya? None of the other shops or cafes were open, aside from the 24-hour convenience store across the road.
Then, he caught sight of movement from the shadows.
There was a cloaked figure outside, slumped in the middle of the empty street, clutching at their shoulder. That wasn't what caught his attention, though. A pool of red had trailed from one of the alleys opposite. Was it blood? It was too dark to tell. There was a creature in the shadows, stalking the figure, glowing golden eyes focused upon its next victim. Its scales shimmered in the faint moonlight, the long, sharp claws glinting as it stepped out. A cockatrice, one of the deadliest creatures known to Earth. Without thinking, he ran out into the street towards to injured figure.
Reiji wasn't strong enough to fend off the beast by himself, but he could create a distraction long enough to bring the man back into safety. He concentrated magic on his palm, the thin wisps of light gathering to create a small glowing ball. It wasn't as strong as he hoped, but he prayed that it would be enough. He flung it in the direction of the beast.
One bright flash and a loud 'boom' later, the cockatrice's screech pierced the silent night. It was a good distraction, giving Reiji enough time to haul the man over his shoulder like a rugged potato sack. He ignored the groans of pain in his ear, sprinting back to his café. Slamming the door behind him, it effectively sealed off the path to the street outside. He could see the beast looking around for its prey, slinking off into the alley soon after losing sight of them.
Loud and dry coughing in his ear reminded him that he was still carrying a bleeding (and possibly, dying) man. Reiji hurriedly brought him into his room to lay the man on his bed, crouching down to inspect his wounds. There was a large open gash on his arm exposed by the rips in his jacket, which was where the blood had been flowing from. It was slowly turning black, a common symptom of magical poisoning. But first, he needed to stop the bleeding. Ripping up the shredded cloak, he wrapped the strips around the wound, hoping that it would hold for a few minutes at least.
"Wait here, I'll be right back," he said. There were some antidotes he had in the back room, stored away for emergencies. He hadn't quite anticipated something like this happening when he first bought the set, but now, he was glad he kept it well-stocked. Reiji looked through the faded labels, pulling out the one labelled 'Cure-All'. It was a dusty bottle with a murkish blue liquid, one he bought off a friend years ago.
He vaguely remembered that it was a cure for poison, but he wasn't sure how much it would heal a scratch laced with venom. Reiji didn't know the effect it had on humans either. But there was no time to dally. Either way, the man was going to die.
Reiji rushed back to the man with that in mind, grabbing the first-aid kit on the way. The human's breathing was becoming more shallow with each gulp of air he took, his face contorted with pain. Reiji could see his aura fading, a bad sign. He was turning paler by the second.
He pulled off the makeshift bandage. The hooded cloak was already a goner, with the many holes and rips it had ended up in. The harder one to maneuver him out of was the coat he wore, which hadn't protected him much against the claws of the reptile. From one touch, Reiji knew it was dragonhide, so cutting it off wasn't an option. There was no choice. He placed his hand gently on the man's face, humming a few notes of magic. Slowly, the expression on his face eased.
He couldn't use the spell for long, so he took the chance to pull the jacket off from him in one yank. Now that the dragonhide coat was discarded to the side, he had a better view of the injury. Reiji grimaced at the bloody sight.
"This will hurt," he said, uncorking the bottle. Soaking gauze with the liquid, he hesitated before pressing it down onto the wound.
Immediately, the man gave a hoarse yell, nails digging into the sheets. A loud sizzling echoed in the room, causing Reiji to wince. Hopefully, it meant that the antidote was working its magic, burning through the venom. When he looked again in a few minutes, he could see that the wound had miraculously stopped bleeding completely and it was starting to heal. The man's aura hadn't recovered, but at least it wasn't fading further. Slowly, the man seemed to relax and his breathing steadied. Reiji let out a sigh of relief.
He took the nearby cloth and plastic basin filled with water, using the cloth to clean the man up. The water was quickly stained dark with the man's blood, but at least he looked better now, less grimy and blood-covered. He wrapped clean bandages around the arm, finishing it up with a neat knot.
Now that everything was settled and the adrenaline was wearing off (not to mention how much of his magic he had used tonight), Reiji was exhausted. Light-headed, he closed his eyes to steady himself. Breathe in, breathe out.
When he felt better, Reiji opened his eyes to look up at the man's sleeping face. He was deep asleep, his brows unfurrowed. The man looked young, barely in his twenties. "At least I was able to save you," he murmured, reaching out to the man's forehead, brushing away the hair sticking to his face. Reiji yawned, laying his head down on the bed, watching the rise and fall of the man's chest until his eyelids drifted close.