Chapter Text
“Ugh—where is that damned shop?” Dialyn groaned. “I’m sick of going up and down and up and down. This is worse than getting assignments from Zhao.”
Belle raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you always trying to be, like… number one at everything?”
“Yeah, but this is different,” Dialyn shot back. “This isn’t work. We’re just hunting down some stupid prop.”
“It’s not just a stupid prop,” Belle said, crossing her arms and leaning back into the passenger seat. “It’s literally an integral piece of the puzzle. Without it, the whole theme just falls apart.”
Dialyn scoffed. “You say that like you enjoy walking into store after store just to be told they’re sold out,” she shot back, flicking on the indicator and steering the car into a sharp left turn. “At this point, I’m on a first‑name basis with half the shop owners in town.”
Belle sighed, staring out the window as the scenery blurred past. “I don’t like that nobody seems to have what we’re looking for either. Trust me, this is driving me just as insane. But we can’t really give up now.” She hesitated before adding, “If we do, the office party is going to look… incomplete. And you know people will notice.”
Dialyn slowed the car, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as she let out a long groan. “This all could’ve been avoided if we’d just prepared earlier. We should’ve bought the coffin last week, before everything went to hell.”
“Last week was a hectic time,” Belle fired back immediately. “Tell me one person who wasn’t busy. Everyone was working overtime, running on caffeine, and barely remembering their own names by Friday.”
Dialyn shook her head, clearly unconvinced. “Still,” she muttered, tapping her fingers against the wheel, “you’re telling me not a single person could’ve found even a smidge of time to handle this? Because I swear Mr. Banyue practically had time on his hands. I saw him taking extended tea breaks like it was a sport.”
“Hey now, Mr. Banyue is a busy man. We shouldn’t be bothering him” Belle said playfully
“Yeah, right,” Dialyn muttered, rolling her eyes before glancing down at the small display screen embedded in the center of the dashboard. The GPS map hadn’t shifted an inch—it was still frozen on the same stretch of road she was sure they’d passed minutes ago.
Her annoyance spiked immediately. “Ugh, this stupid company car is annoying the heck out of me. Figures the one time we actually need the navigation, it decides to give up.”
Belle shrugged, unbothered, adjusting her seatbelt slightly. “We needed something big enough to haul our load,” she said evenly. “Taking one of the smaller cars would’ve just turned this into an even bigger hassle.”
Dialyn let out a sharp breath but didn’t argue. Instead, she straightened in her seat and refocused her attention on the road ahead, hands steady on the steering wheel. “Check your phone GPS,” she asked, her tone clipped. “How far is that shop, exactly?”
Belle quickly did as instructed. She slipped her phone out through the narrow opening of her purse, nearly fumbling it as the car jostled over an uneven patch of road. The familiar glow of the screen illuminated her face as she unlocked it and tapped into the map application, waiting a second longer than usual for the signal to stabilize.
Her thumb hovered as the map finally loaded. Belle leaned closer to the window, eyes flicking between the phone and the unfamiliar buildings outside—the low structures, the differently designed sidewalks, the absence of anything that looked remotely part of their usual routes.
“Uhhh…” she started, uncertainty creeping into her voice. “According to this, we’re just inside of the Waifei area.” She tilted the phone slightly, as if the angle might magically make the information less concerning.
Dialyn’s gaze snapped briefly toward her, one eyebrow arching high before she redirected her attention back to the road. “Waifei?” she repeated, disbelief sharpening the word. “You’re kidding. We’re that far from the CBD?”
She exhaled sharply through her nose, fingers tightening around the steering wheel as she scanned the stretch of road ahead, suddenly hyperaware of how little of it she recognized. “No wonder this place feels off. We’ve driven way farther than I thought.”
“But… that Mystic Wares place should be just over here,” Belle said, leaning forward slightly and craning her neck to peer past the window frame. She lifted a hand and pointed ahead. “Yeah—slow down by that newsstand.”
Dialyn exhaled through her nose but complied, easing her foot off the accelerator as the truck gradually lost speed. She cast a quick glance around, eyes scanning the roadside as the familiar rhythm of driving gave way to careful observation.
Belle switched off her phone and slid it back into her purse, her attention now fixed entirely on the street ahead.
As they neared the landmark, Dialyn spotted a narrow, unoccupied space just past the stand. She maneuvered the vehicle into it with practiced precision, bringing the truck to a stop only a few steps short of their destination. The engine idled for a moment before she shut it off, the sudden quiet settling in as both of them took in where they’d finally arrived.
“Finally,” Dialyn sighed, relief and exhaustion mixing in her voice. “Let’s just hope these people actually have what we’re looking for. We ran all the way from the CBD for this thing.”
She pulled the keys from the ignition and shoved the door open, stretching slightly as she stepped out of the car. Belle followed suit, closing her door behind her and taking a moment to glance around the street before falling into step beside her friend.
Dialyn paused at the curb, eyes flicking briefly over the storefront and the surrounding foot traffic. “Let’s hope this place doesn’t have any sticky‑fingered opportunists,” she muttered. “Not that anyone would want to swipe party décor, but still.”
Belle snorted softly. “Wow, someone’s feeling extra paranoid today.”
“I’m just being cautious,” Dialyn replied, shrugging as she started toward the entrance. “We’ve been hunting this thing down all day. I’m not about to lose it right at the finish line.”
With that, she pushed the door open, and the two of them stepped inside the store, the bell above the entrance chiming faintly as their search finally brought them to its next phase.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by an almost unnatural calm. The outside world seemed to shut itself off behind them, replaced by a heavy, hush-filled atmosphere that clung to the air. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, crowded with an odd assortment of items—trinkets etched with unfamiliar symbols, jars filled with indistinct contents, charms and relics that looked more unsettling than decorative. To an average passerby, the shop might have been deeply unsettling.
But after the long, exhausting day they’d had, neither of them had the energy to be creeped out.
Belle squinted around the interior, giving the displays a quick once-over before leaning slightly toward Dialyn. “See any coffins?” she asked, her tone flat with fatigue.
Dialyn scanned the shop more carefully, eyes moving from one shadowed corner to the next. “Uh… not yet. Maybe we should ask—”
“Need something, gals?”
The voice came from behind them, sharp and sudden enough to make both of them whip around in unison. Their shoulders loosened almost immediately when they spotted the source: a young woman with striking red hair pulled back loosely, a knowing smirk already tugging at her lips as she studied their reactions.
“Huh,” she said, clearly amused. “You didn’t scare easily. You two tired?”
Dialyn straightened, crossing her arms as she cleared her throat. “Ahem. You should probably avoid trying to scare customers,” she said, only half-serious.
The woman laughed lightly, unapologetic. “Avoid it? That’s my whole gimmick,” she replied, gesturing vaguely at the store around them. “The shop’s called Mystic Wares for a reason.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Belle said with a small shrug, her shoulders sagging as the adrenaline from being startled drained out of her.
“Anyways,” the red‑haired woman continued, straightening and placing a hand over her chest with exaggerated pride, “I’m Yuzuha—the daughter of the owner of this store.”
Dialyn gave a polite nod. “Alright, nice to meet you, Yuzuha. I’m Dialyn, and this here is Belle.”
Yuzuha’s eyes lit up immediately. She leaned back against a nearby shelf, arms loosely folded, the smirk never leaving her face. “So. You gals looking for something spooky? Collectors, maybe?”
She gestured broadly around the shop as if presenting a gallery. “We’ve got plenty of stuff—talismans, gourds, old clocks, ancient vases…” Her voice dropped just a notch lower at the end, playful but deliberate. “And some… mythical remains.”
Belle blinked, momentarily unsure whether to take that last part seriously.
“We’re actually looking for a coffin,” Dialyn said plainly.
Yuzuha froze. The casual confidence she’d been leaning on vanished as she straightened and scratched the back of her head. “A coffin?” she echoed. “You’re… looking for a coffin?”
“Before you jump to conclusions,” Belle quickly added, lifting her hands in a calming gesture, “it’s for an office Halloween party. We’re just looking for a coffin prop. This place is sort of our last hope.”
Yuzuha tilted her head, brows knitting together in genuine confusion. “A party prop?” she repeated. “You do realize this is a legitimate antique shop, right?”
“So you don’t have one just lying around somewhere?” Dialyn pressed, already unlocking her phone. “I swear the internet said we could drop by here.”
Yuzuha hesitated. Then she slowly nodded. “Well… the thing is,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “we do have a coffin in stock.”
“YOU DO?!” Belle’s eyes practically lit up, exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
“But,” Yuzuha continued, holding up a finger, “it’s not exactly what you might be looking for.”
Dialyn frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“The one we have isn’t… conventional,” Yuzuha replied. “In other words—the thing doesn’t open.”
“Doesn’t open?” Belle echoed. “What do you mean, doesn’t open?”
Yuzuha shifted her weight. “Pops brought it in from overseas. Some pawn shop in Europe wanted it gone, so he bought it and shipped it over.” She shrugged. “Naturally, we tried to inspect it.”
She ticked things off on her fingers. “We checked for nails. Locks. Seals. Hidden mechanisms. Everything.”
Yuzuha looked between them. “It genuinely didn’t open. At all.”
“So it’s… sealed shut?” Belle asked slowly, scratching the side of her head.
“Yep. From the looks of it.”
Belle grimaced. “Do you think there’s something inside?” She hesitated before adding, “…Like a person?”
“We thought about that too,” Yuzuha admitted. “So we brought in some X‑ray technicians.”
Dialyn stiffened slightly.
“They said they couldn’t see anything inside,” Yuzuha went on. “Something about the waves not passing through properly. I don’t know the science behind it, but according to them, there was nothing there.”
“Do with that info what you will. I was just disclosing cause those are the rules” Yuzuha said with a light shrug of her shoulder
Silence settled between the three of them.
Dialyn and Belle exchanged a glance—just a quick one, but it was enough. Whatever relief they’d felt moments ago was gone, replaced by the same quiet, creeping sense of unease.
“What do we do? Do we buy the thing? This is the only one we’ve managed to find from a whole day’s worth of searching” Belle asked
“I don’t know, it sounds kind of sketchy” Dialyn said
“But this might be the only one we can find in the whole city, everyone’s buying up shit for Halloween” Belle said
“But the thing doesn’t open, it’s kind of eerie to be honest” Dialyn said
“But Zhao never said we need an open casket, we just need one for décor” Belle said
“I guess she never did” Dialyn rubbed her chin in thought
“Can we take a look at it?” Dialyn turned her attention back to Yuzuha
“Sure, if you want to. Just wait here and we’ll wheel it out” Yuzuha said before turning her back
“MANATO! GRAB THE WHEELER!” Yuzuha yells as she vanished from the two’s sight
“Are we really doing this?” Dialyn turned to look at Belle
“I’ve been up and atom all day searching for this fucking thing, we just need a coffin” Belle said
“Ehhh, if you say so” Dialyn shrugged her shoulders
--------- CURRENT TIME ---------
“So that’s what happened,” Belle finished, folding her arms as she looked at her brother.
Wise stood there for a long second, his nose scrunched up, expression caught somewhere between disbelief and irritation.
“Wait,” he said slowly, raising a finger. “Let me get this straight. You were sent out to grab party props, and you couldn’t find a coffin.”
“Yep,” Belle nodded without hesitation.
“So you decided to go to an antique shop on the outskirts of town,” Wise continued, one eyebrow lifting.
“Yep.”
“And you bought a coffin from… Europe?” His voice cracked slightly at the end, eyes narrowing in confusion.
“From a shop that got it from Europe,” Belle corrected.
Wise stared at her. Then he exhaled. “Okay. Two questions. First—how much did this thing cost? And second—why did you bring it into my house?”
“It was discounted,” Belle said quickly. “Nobody wanted it. Around two million dennies.”
Wise paused, considering. “…That actually sounds suspiciously cheap for a supposed antique,” he admitted with a reluctant nod. Then he refocused. “And why is it here?”
“The storage unit at work was full,” Belle explained. “So I volunteered to bring it here since we live close to my workplace.”
Wise’s expression hardened. “Without asking me? I bought this place.”
“I know, I know,” Belle said, raising her hands defensively. “It sounds bad. But come on—it's just going to sit in the basement until party day and then it’s gone. I swear.”
“That’s not the issue,” Wise replied. “You brought it here without permission.”
“I know,” she said more softly. “And I’m sorry. It was an on‑the‑fly decision, and you know how work is. Team player and all that.”
Wise rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I get how work is, but couldn’t you have rented a storage locker or something?”
“We looked,” Belle replied. “The only ones available were across town—and you know logistics and shit.”
Wise sighed, long and tired. “But in my house.”
He finally walked past her toward the coffin, which stood upright and silent in the corner of the room.
“Come on, bro,” Belle said, hurrying after him. “Just two days. That’s it.”
Wise didn’t respond. He ran a hand slowly along the coffin’s exterior, his brow furrowing as he examined the design.
“This thing…” he muttered. “Why does it have a crescent moon right in the center? What is it even supposed to be?”
“You could come to the party too, you know,” Belle said casually, trying to lighten the mood. “Ms. Zhao and Dialyn actually like you.”
Wise shot her a look. “Again with the teasing?”
“I’m being dead serious,” Belle said with a grin. “Or do you just not like smaller women?”
“Belle, I don’t know what you’re—OUCH!”
Wise jerked his hand back sharply.
“What happened?” Belle asked immediately, alarmed.
Wise hissed in pain, clutching his thumb before turning it toward her. A thin cut split the tip, already beading with blood.
“Oh—shit,” Belle breathed. “You got cut?”
“Ahh,” Wise groaned, shaking his hand as his eyes fell to the crescent moon sigil.
A smear of red had been left behind.
“…The clerk never said this thing was a hazard,” Belle murmured, staring at the blood now marking the symbol.
Wise swallowed. “You should maybe clean that off before it dries.”
“I’ll grab the first‑aid kit,” Belle said quickly. “Come on—”
She stopped mid‑sentence.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The blood on the crescent moon didn’t drip.
It didn’t smear.
It sank inward, as if the metal itself were quietly drinking it.
CLICK!
A sharp sound rang out through the basement, clean and unmistakable. It didn’t echo so much as it cut through the room, and in an instant, everything went still—including the two of them.
The air seemed to thicken, pressing down on their chests and making it just a little harder to breathe. Wise and Belle slowly turned to look at each other, neither of them speaking at first. Belle swallowed before finally breaking the silence.
“What was that?” she asked, her voice low.
“Uh…” Wise hesitated, his eyes sweeping across the basement in quick, searching motions. The shelves, the walls, the shadows—everything looked exactly the same as it had seconds ago. Too normal. “M‑maybe some floorboards cracking?” he offered weakly.
Belle shook her head immediately. “No, bro. You heard that, right? That wasn’t wood.” She frowned, unease creeping into her expression. “It sounded… metallic.”
“Metal—” Wise started, but the word died in his throat.
Both of their gazes locked onto the coffin.
One section in particular caught their attention—the crescent‑shaped moons embedded along the center of the casket’s surface. Belle narrowed her eyes, stepping a fraction closer without meaning to.
“Uh… did those moons just… shift?” she asked, scratching her head.
Wise stared hard, blinking once. “I think s—”
CLICK!
Right before their eyes, the moons moved again.
The crescents began rotating, spinning rapidly and rearranging themselves in unnatural patterns. Metal scraped softly against metal as they twisted, faster and faster, locking into new positions before shifting again. The motion was hypnotic—and all wrong.
Both of them jumped back in unison, startled gasps escaping their throats.
The basement felt smaller now. Closer. Like it was closing in on them.
“Don’t just stand there!” Wise snapped, the trance finally breaking. “Let’s get out of here—now!”
He spun on his heel and bolted for the stairs, boots pounding against the steps as Belle scrambled after him.
“Hurry up! Get up there!” Belle yelled, panic flooding her voice as they burst through the basement door.
Wise slammed it shut behind them and twisted the key without hesitation, the lock clicking loudly into place.
Both of them stood there for a moment, breathing hard.
“Belle—what was that?” Wise demanded. “Why is that thing going haywire?”
“I don’t fucking know,” Belle shot back, her voice shaking despite herself. “I wasn’t told about this.”
She pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear something—anything—from the other side.
“Don’t do that,” Wise said immediately, grabbing her arm and pulling her away.
Belle stiffened, then frowned. “Bro, it’s fine. I don’t hear anything.” She paused, listening again before adding, “Whatever it was… it stopped.”
The silence that followed felt heavier than the noise ever had. Wise and Belle stared at each other whilst listening for any noise.
“What was going on with that thing?” Wise whispered, his voice barely louder than a breath.
“I don’t know,” Belle replied, her arms wrapped around herself as if that might steady her.
Wise swallowed. “It drank my blood. That thing isn’t nor—”
STEP.
STEP.
The sound came from behind the basement door.
Both of their faces drained of color as the heavy footsteps echoed closer, slow and deliberate. Each step landed with weight, not rushed—not frantic—but purposeful.
Instinct screamed at them to run.
Neither of them moved.
Their feet felt welded to the floor as the sound closed the distance, the space between the steps shrinking. Wise’s heart hammered so hard it hurt. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
What is going on? he thought wildly.
The thought shattered when the door handle began to jiggle.
Metal rattled softly, testing.
Wise and Belle both took small steps backward, never turning their backs on the door, eyes locked on the trembling handle.
“Bro,” Belle whispered, panic cracking her voice, “what is—”
SNAP!
The handle tore free violently, clattering to the floor as if it had been ripped off from the inside.
Belle’s breath hitched. Her eyes snapped to the now‑bare opening where the handle had been.
The door creaked inward just an inch.
Wise’s stomach dropped.
What’s that… it broke the door hand—
SWING!
The door suddenly flew open.
A tall, shadowed figure stood framed in the doorway, its form obscured by the dim light behind it. The shape was unmistakably humanoid—tall, still.
The air felt colder instantly.
“A‑a person?” Belle breathed, her eyes widening in disbelief and terror.
Wise didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
His mouth was dry. His thoughts scrambled. All he could do was stare at the silhouette standing impossibly still on the other side of the threshold, its presence pressing into the room like a weight.
Whatever it was…
…it had come out of the coffin.
This being took a step forward making the siblings tremble, the moment it’s leg landed out in the light the siblings saw what was unmistakably a woman’s leg with crescent moon patterns on her legging.
“E-Ehh” Belle muttered with shock in her eyes as the figure fully stepped out into the light. There stood a purple haired woman with a neutral look on her face and a black cloak covering her torso. She was staring at the two without a single word spoken for a few moments until the silence was broken.
“Who are you?” Belle asked the silent woman who simple had her eyes move around the room before focusing back on the siblings, she zoned in on Wise’s sliced thumb in particular.
“You are the one who opened my coffin?” she spoke prompting Wise to hide his hand behind his back
“W-Who are you? What are you?” Wise questioned
She uttered but a single word from her mouth
"Promeia"