Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 52: What Seraphine Leaves Behind

The sky over Neo Ashford was grey. It was not the grey of rain. It was the grey of dust. It hung low over the buildings. It pressed against the windows. Kaito walked to school. The streets were quiet. People moved slowly. They kept their heads down. They did not talk on phones. They did not listen to music. They walked like they were carrying something heavy.

Kuro said: "The air is thick."

Kaito said: "I feel it."

Kuro said: "It is not humidity. It is emotion."

Kaito said: "Whose."

Kuro said: "Not ours. Not theirs. It is coming from outside."

Kaito kept walking. He passed a woman waiting for a bus. She was crying. She did not wipe the tears away. She just stared at the road. She did not know why she was crying. Kaito thought: It is spreading. He reached the school gates. The usual energy was gone. Students did not shout. They did not run. They walked in clusters. They spoke in whispers. Ryota waited near the entrance. He did not wave. He did not smile. He looked at Kaito. His eyes were red.

Ryota said: "Did you sleep."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Ryota said: "I did not. I kept thinking about things. Sad things. Old things."

Kaito said: "It is not you."

Ryota said: "It feels like me. It feels like my memories."

Kaito looked past him. Hana stood by the wall. She was holding her bag. She was not talking to her friend. She was looking at the ground. Kaito walked to her. He stopped in front of her. She looked up. Her eyes were wet.

Hana said: "Good morning."

Kaito said: "Good morning."

Hana said: "Do you feel it."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Hana said: "It is heavy. Like someone died."

Kaito said: "No one died." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Hana said: "Then why does it hurt."

Kaito did not answer. He could not tell her. He could not say that the air was poisoned. He could not say that something was leaking sorrow into the city. He walked past her. He went to the classroom. He sat at his desk. He put his hands on the wood. The wood felt cold. Jin sat beside him. Jin looked calm. But his hands were clenched.

Jin said: "You know what this is."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Jin said: "Is it dangerous."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Jin said: "Will it pass."

Kaito said: "Eventually."

Jin said: "Until then."

Kaito said: "We wait."

The bell rang. The teacher came in. He did not write on the board. He sat at his desk. He put his head in his hands. The class was silent. No one opened their books. Kaito opened his bag. He touched the cards. The Seven of Hearts was warm. The Mythical card was heavy. The others were quiet.

Kuro said: "It is a shard."

Kaito said: "A what."

Kuro said: "A Grief Shard. It is a fragment of influence. Someone is projecting emotion."

Kaito said: "Vortelius."

Kuro said: "No. Hunger does not grieve. Hunger consumes. This is different."

Kaito thought: Something else. He remembered Yuki Onna’s warning. She said hunger attracted scavengers. She said grief attracted mourners. Kaito thought: A mourner. The day passed slowly. The sun did not break through the grey. The light was flat. It cast no shadows. At lunch, Kaito went to the rooftop. He needed space. He needed to think. He locked the door. He walked to the edge. He pulled out the Queen of Ice. He did not summon her. He just held the card. It was colder than usual.

Kaito said: "Yuki Onna."

Yuki Onna said: "I hear you."

Her voice came from the card. It did not form a body. It was a whisper in his mind.

Yuki Onna said: "You feel the weight."

Kaito said: "The city is sad."

Yuki Onna said: "The city is infected. This is not natural weather."

Kaito said: "Who is doing it."

Yuki Onna said: "A fallen one. She walks between light and shadow. She leaves sorrow in her wake."

Kaito said: "Seraphine."

Yuki Onna said: "You know the name."

Kaito said: "Kuro told me."

Yuki Onna said: "She is not here yet. This is only her shadow."

Kaito said: "How do I stop it."

Yuki Onna said: "You cannot stop grief. You can only endure it. Find the source. Break the shard."

Kaito said: "Where."

Yuki Onna said: "Where the feeling is strongest. Follow the pain."

The voice faded. The card warmed in his hand. Kaito put it away. He looked over the city. The grey haze was visible now. It clung to the Grey District. It was thicker there. Kaito thought: That is where I need to go. School ended. The students left quietly. Ryota did not ask Kaito to walk home. He just waved. He looked exhausted.

Kaito went to the Grey District. The pressure increased with every step. The buildings looked older. The paint was peeling. The windows were dark. He found the source in an alley. It was near the place where the building vanished. The air shimmered. Not with heat. With sadness. A small object floated in the air. It was a crystal. It was grey. It pulsed like a heart. Kaito stepped forward. The grief hit him. It was not his. It was ancient. It was vast.

Kuro said: "Do not touch it."

Kaito said: "I have to."

Kaito pulled out the Ace of Spades. He did not summon Kuro. He used the card as a tool. He tapped the crystal. The crystal shattered. It made no sound. It dissolved into dust. The grey haze lifted slightly. The air became lighter. Kaito breathed in. The weight on his chest lessened.

Kuro said: "That was one."

Kaito said: "There are more."

Kuro said: "Many more. She is seeding the city."

Kaito said: "Why."

Kuro said: "To weaken us. Grief makes people slow. It makes them give up."

Kaito said: "They will not give up."

Kuro said: "You say that. They are human."

Kaito walked back to the main street. The people looked slightly better. The woman at the bus stop was wiping her eyes. She looked confused. She did not remember why she was crying. Kaito reached his apartment. He climbed the stairs. He stopped at the second floor. The step was empty. Hana had not waited today. He was glad. She needed to rest. He entered his room. He locked the door. He sat at the desk. He opened the notebook. He turned to a fresh page.

He wrote: Entity Influence: Grief.

He wrote: Source: Seraphine.

He wrote: Method: Shards.

He stopped. He looked at the name. Seraphine. Kaito thought: She is coming. He closed the notebook. He turned off the light. He lay on the bed. The city was quiet. The grief was gone. But the memory of it remained.

Kuro said: "You did well."

Kaito said: "I broke one."

Kuro said: "There will be others."

Kaito said: "I will break them."

Kuro said: "You are tired."

Kaito said: "I am awake."

Kuro said: "Sleep. The war is long."

Kaito closed his eyes. He did not dream. He slept deeply. The morning came. The sky was blue. The sun was bright. Kaito woke up. He felt rested. He stood up. He washed his face. He looked in the mirror. His eyes were clear. He put on his jacket. He checked the cards. The Mythical card was heavy. The Ice card was cold. He opened the door. He stepped into the hallway. The building was quiet. He walked down the stairs. He passed the second floor. The step was empty. He walked out into the morning. The air was clean. People were talking. They were smiling. They did not remember the sadness. Kaito walked toward the school. He touched his pocket. The cards were there. The notebook was in his bag. He knew what was coming. The hunger. The grief. The logic. He was ready. The sun warmed his face. The wind was light. Kaito kept walking. He did not look back. The silence was with him. The weight was with him. He was the wall. He was the keeper. He was enough. The day began.