Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Dan Heng only had 3 mottos to live ever since he worked as a normal employee. Wake up, avoid troubles, sleep. He made mental notes to himself as long as he did that, he would be alright.
He didn't care about anything as long as he finished his job, got his salary, and went home peacefully. Usually, a 25-year-old person would take the opportunity to find lovers or new friends. But that kind of thing wasn't a Dan Heng's cup of tea. He preferred to spend his time inside his house, leisurely watching TV or playing games when he had a long holiday. He was the type of introverted who had a small social battery. When his company had a social party or celebrated some events, he did his best for one hour to show up and then left immediately. One of his colleagues, Caelus. Sometimes asked him whether he was free on holiday because thankfully both of them had the same particular hobby, traveling. Making one or two friends wasn't a big deal, but more than two? He wasn't sure.
He had difficulties expressing his emotions. When he was too focused on working, he would often ignore other people around him. Some seniors told him that his behavior was just like a robot, he rarely smiled or laughed. Dan heng himself was confused, why should he smile when there was nothing to smile about? Why should he laugh when there was something that wasn't funny?
Dan Heng pondered for a while, and suddenly thought about the reason behind his emotions. Was it because of his uncle?
Ever since his uncle died back in January, it was the first and would be the last he shed tears. His uncle was the only one who understood him better than anyone else. Also, the only one who could see something that shouldn't be seen just like Dan Heng himself.
Dan Heng wasn't sure whether it was only his imagination or not. believed it or not, he could detect the aura of a ghost. His vision wasn't as perfect as his uncle's because Dan Heng could only see the aura just like foggy smoke. Whether the smoke was white or black, he avoided as best as he could. Because every time he touched or the smoke touched his body, he would faint immediately. His uncle suggested that it was probably best if he used glasses because they could reflect the aura just like a mirror. Hence, Dan Heng would always wear his glasses every time he went to any place, including the office.
Right now, it was 2:00 P.M. Dan Heng finally had some time to take lunch at the cafeteria along with Caelus. Lately, he felt like someone. Or rather something had been watching him. But he wasn't sure what it was. Sometimes, the back of his neck had goosebumps out of nowhere, especially when he was alone. Dan Heng, who had been eating, stopped for a while and asked Caelus.
"Do you feel like someone has been watching us?" Dan Heng raised a question that made Caelus raise his eyebrows.
"No? There's no one besides us here. What's wrong?" Caelus asked back to Dan Heng.
Dan Heng stared around. Indeed, the cafeteria was empty beside them. He frowned for a minute and decided to continue eating.
"Maybe it's my imagination," Dan Heng replied.
2 Months Ago, January
The funeral was held in a secluded area where his uncle once lived at the shrine. There, Dan Heng and his aunt were the ones who served other people who came to visit his uncle. His eyes were swollen because of the amount of huge tears he shed. Looking at this, his aunt decided to take him to the attic where the heirloom of his uncle was placed there.
"There wasn't much to begin with, but truth to be told. Your bloodlines are part of a powerful onmyōji who could control shikigami. From generation to generation, there's one certain Ofuda that cannot be opened, despite the fact the message inside was to open the seal. Up until now, this thing has been sealed tightly." Dan Heng's aunt gave a small box with a talisman called Ofuda which had been sealed tightly.
"Your uncle had been trying to open the seal. Alas, none of his efforts succeeded. Maybe... Just maybe… you can open this. Our ancestors had entrusted us to open it. Yet, if you can't open the box. Then you must give it to your child when you're married someday."
Dan Heng frowned. No matter how much he looked at it, the talisman writing was very complicated. The box itself had already eroded due to aging. Miraculously, this box survived for who knows what it had been. He wasn't even sure whether he was able to open the box or not. However, opening this box was like his uncle's last wish and made his determination grow bigger.
"I'll see what I can do." Dan Heng nodded as he put the box inside his pocket.
"No need to rush to open it, my boy… It's late, you better stay here for a night." His aunt suggested Dan Heng.
Listening to what his aunt said, Dan Heng decided to stay for the night at the shrine. Since his funeral clothes were already dirty, he decided to take a bath and change into other new clothes. As he finished bathing, he sat near the shrine terrace where he could see the Torii gate. That night, the wind was so strong that almost all of the wind chimes fell to the ground.
"Right, the box" Dan Heng remembered as he finally took the box to his hand.
Staring at the box once again, the mind inside his head lingered. What was inside the box anyway? Why did the ancestors ask us to open the box? What was their purpose?
Seeing Dan Heng knew the basics of how to open the Ofuda, he bit his finger and bled. As the blood flowed slowly through his finger, he put the blood into the Ofuda and made a circle.
"Namo Amitabha, may whoever made this seal will allow me to break the vow and free whatever is inside."
As he finished praying, the wind was getting stronger than before. There was thunder coming and the storm cloud came slowly. Dan Heng frowned to see what was happening, the box which he had been holding earlier fell and went directly to the ground. Who would expect that the seal was broken?
Black smoke came from inside the box. Dan Heng stood and trembled slightly. For the first time, he saw something dark, dangerous, and vicious come out of the box. No matter how much he wanted to describe, opening the box was actually a bad idea.
"Aunt—" Before Dan Heng tried to shout, the black smoke already went inside his body which made his body grow weak.
At this point, he fell from his standing position and his consciousness fading. Somehow… by the time those black smoke went inside his body, he had a glimpse of someone's memory.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"I don't have a name."
"Then, from now on.. Your name would be Yingxing ."
Tbc