It was past midnight when the door was knocked upon once again.
Kaito opened it to find Lilith Domina herself standing in the corridor, wearing a long black coat over her suit as usual, though she had tied her hair back in a ponytail. Beside her was a girl in her early twenties; her short brown hair was neatly arranged, and her wide brown eyes looked slightly nervous behind circular medical glasses.
"You woke up early," Lilith said with her usual calmness. "We have a simple night mission. I want you to go with Emma."
The girl looked at Kaito and nodded politely.
"Emma," Lilith introduced her. "One of Division Three's best hunters for delicate missions. She will be your partner tonight."
Kaito looked at the girl with interest. She appeared ordinary, but there was a slight tension in her shoulders. She wore a black leather jacket and carried a small bag on her back.
"Kaito Soren," he said with a side smile. "New here, as you can see."
"I've heard about you," Emma replied in a quiet voice. "The man who fell from the sky."
The three of them left the building to a black car waiting for them. The driver drove quietly through the dark city streets. The lighting was poor, and the streets were almost empty.
Emma sat next to Kaito in the back seat. Lilith sat in the front.
"The mission is simple," Lilith said without turning around. "Unnatural activity has been reported in an old abandoned neighborhood. There are reports of shadows moving on their own. It is likely a small or medium-sized Shadow Monster. Emma will help with the containment, and you… observe and intervene if necessary."
Kaito nodded, but he was watching Emma out of the corner of his eye.
"Does Division Four always partner with Division Three on missions?" Kaito asked, addressing Lilith.
"Yes, there is a collaborative relationship with Division Three. You will know everything in due time."
He fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
"You seem nervous, Emma," he said suddenly.
Emma's face flushed slightly.
"I'm not nervous… just cautious."
Lilith smiled a faint smile from the front seat but did not speak.
They reached the abandoned neighborhood after twenty minutes. The buildings were old, some partially demolished, and the streets were filled with trash and rusted cars. The darkness was thick, and the only lights were broken streetlamps flickering occasionally.
They got out of the car, while the driver remained in his seat.
"I can create invisible prisons," she said in a low voice without introduction. "I trap monsters inside them. But… the prison isn't very strong. If the monster is powerful, it breaks."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Prisons?"
Emma nodded. "Yes. My mother… spent many years in prison. I used to visit her when I was little. I hated prison. I hated the walls, the closed doors, and the feeling of being trapped. When my fear began to grow, my ability turned into this… I build prisons. I lock monsters inside until we can control them."
Kaito didn't comment much, but he understood.
Every person here carries a wound that turned into a power… or a curse. *But why didn't she turn into a monster?!* Kaito wondered to himself.
They entered an old abandoned building. The air inside was cold and damp. Their footsteps echoed in the emptiness.
"Stay cautious," Emma whispered. "Monsters move fast."
They walked in the long corridor. Suddenly, Emma stopped.
"There," she pointed to the corner.
From the darkness emerged a black mass moving slowly. It resembled thick smoke taking a distorted human shape. Its eyes were small and red, and its body swayed as if it had no fixed bones.
A Shadow Monster.
It was relatively small but moved with noticeable speed. It suddenly lunged toward Emma.
Emma raised her hand quickly.
From her fingers, transparent walls erupted, forming instantly around the monster, resembling an invisible glass box. The monster tried to get out, but it hit the walls and bounced back.
"My prison!" Emma shouted. "It will only stay trapped for a few minutes!"
Kaito stood watching.
The monster was hitting the walls frantically. Every strike made the prison tremble and show small cracks.
"It's stronger than I expected," Emma said tensely. "The prison will break soon!"
Kaito gave a slight smile.
"Let me help you."
He took a step forward.
At that moment, the "Infinite Void" opened around him quietly. A circular area extended slowly toward the monster.
When the void reached the prison Emma had created, something strange happened.
The prison… stopped trembling.
The monster inside the prison suddenly stopped moving. It was as if time itself had stopped within Kaito's zone. Then, the monster began to be pulled slowly, as if the void were swallowing its existence piece by piece.
Emma looked on with clear astonishment.
"What… did you do?"
"I didn't do much," Kaito said simply. "I just separated the monster from its power. The void cancels everything… even the link between fear and the body."
The monster fell to the floor unconscious. The prison Emma had built collapsed quietly.
Emma stood dazed for a few moments.
From a distance, Lilith was watching the scene, having returned to the car, through a small camera fixed to Emma's medical glasses.
She didn't smile. She just looked at the screen with cold eyes, and the golden circles appeared for seconds and then vanished.
"Interesting," she whispered to herself. "He can even separate soul and body… without exerting much effort."
In the building, Kaito looked at Emma.
"Your mission is over," he said calmly. "The monster has become unable to move. You can take it."
Emma nodded, but her eyes still held astonishment.
"Thank you… Kaito."
They returned to the car in silence.
During the way, Kaito didn't speak much. He was thinking about Emma's ability… and how everyone here carries a wound that turned into a weapon.
Lilith stayed there waiting for Division Three agents to take the monster to the organization building.
But Kaito felt she was watching him.
Her eyes, after he finished off the monster, looked at him with greater mystery than before.
When they arrived at the main building, she contacted them.
"Good mission," she said briefly. "Tomorrow we will continue."
Then she said to Emma, "Go and rest."
Kaito and Emma remained alone for a few short moments in front of the door.
"Lilith is a good girl," Emma said quietly. "Her power is limitless, unlike mine." A look of sadness appeared on her face.
Then she looked at him directly.
"You… you are also different."
Kaito gave a slight, mocking smile.
"Is that a compliment… thank you?"
Emma didn't respond. She just turned and walked into the building, smiling.
Kaito stood in the darkness for moments, looking at the gray sky.
"Night of Shadows…" he whispered to himself. "It seems it has ended."
Questions for the Readers😎:
1) Lilith was watching everything through Emma's glasses. Do you think Emma knows she is Lilith's "field eye," or is she just another tool being exploited without her knowledge?🧐
2) Kaito was able to separate the monster from its power. If he can do that to monsters, could he "purify" transformed humans and return them completely to their natural state, thereby bypassing the laws of this world?🙄
3) Emma left smiling after calling Kaito "different." Did Emma find in Kaito the hope she was missing in the organization's strict system?😊
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