The sirens didn't stop.
They multiplied.
From every direction—police, ambulances, fire trucks—howling into the night as if the city itself was crying out in pain.
Hiroshi sat on the floor, his back against the wall, chest rising and falling rapidly. His hands were still trembling.
That thing…
That thing had been real.
"Hiroshi," his mother said softly, kneeling beside him. Her hands shook as she touched his shoulders. "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head slowly.
"I… I don't know," he replied. "I feel… fine."
Too fine.
The cold that had invaded the house was gone. The fear remained, but his body felt warm—steady—unnaturally calm.
His father stood with effort, leaning on the table for support. His eyes never left Hiroshi.
"You stood in front of it," his father said. "That thing couldn't touch you."
Hiroshi swallowed.
"I didn't plan to," he said. "My body just… moved."
Silence settled between them again—but this time, it was heavy with meaning.
Outside, someone screamed.
The sound was cut short.
Hiroshi's blood ran cold.
He rushed to the window and pulled the curtain aside.
The streetlights were on again, flickering weakly. Rainwater pooled along the empty road.
Then he saw it.
Across the street, a woman stood frozen in place, her mouth open in a silent scream. Behind her loomed a tall, shadow-like figure, its arms too long, its head tilted at an impossible angle.
The shadow leaned forward.
The woman collapsed.
The shadow sank into the ground and vanished.
Hiroshi staggered back, heart pounding.
"This isn't just here," he whispered. "It's everywhere."
His phone vibrated suddenly.
One notification.
No signal bars.
No internet icon.
Yet the message opened on its own.
A dark screen appeared, covered in faint golden symbols.
Then words formed—clear and unmistakable.
[Sorcery Interface Initialized]
Bearer: Hiroshi Tanaka
Status: Unawakened Sorcerer
World State: Ghost Era (Early Phase)
Other Sorcerers Detected: 0
Hiroshi stared at the screen.
"Other… sorcerers," he murmured.
Zero.
His stomach tightened.
"So it's true," he said quietly. "I'm really the only one."
The screen shifted.
[Warning]
Ghost and Evil Spirit Activity Increasing Globally
Human Casualties: Rising
Sorcerer Responsibility: Absolute
Responsibility.
The word felt heavier than fear.
"No," Hiroshi whispered. "I didn't ask for this."
As if responding to his thoughts, another line appeared.
[Sorcery Does Not Choose the Willing]
[It Chooses the Necessary]
His mother clutched his sleeve. "Hiroshi… what is that?"
He hesitated.
How could he explain something he barely understood himself?
"It says," he began slowly, "that I'm… different now."
A sudden crash echoed from the neighboring house.
Glass shattered.
A child cried.
Hiroshi looked toward the sound—and felt something stir inside him.
Not panic.
Not terror.
Focus.
Symbols surfaced in his mind again, clearer this time. A simple shape. A single command.
Protection.
The interface reacted.
[Basic Sorcery Available]
• Talisman: Repel (Low-Grade)
• Cost: Mental Focus
• Effect: Weak Ghost Suppression
His heart raced.
Low-grade or not… it was something.
"I'll be back," Hiroshi said suddenly, standing up.
His parents froze.
"Hiroshi, don't be stupid!" his father snapped. "You saw what those things can do!"
"I know," Hiroshi replied. His voice shook—but didn't break. "But if I don't go… no one else can."
That truth settled heavily in the room.
His mother's eyes filled with tears. "Please… come back alive."
Hiroshi nodded.
"I will," he said.
Even if he wasn't sure how.
As he stepped outside, the night felt different.
Darker.
Heavier.
Alive.
Somewhere in the distance, something howled—not an animal. Not human.
Hiroshi clenched his fists.
"I'm not a hero," he muttered. "I'm just… the only option."
Golden light flickered faintly around his hands.
And for the first time since the world changed—
A ghost felt fear.