The train rattled along the tracks, the northern countryside blurring past in a wash of green hills and misty skies. I clutched the old book I'd borrowed—stolen, really—from the school library, its pages whispering secrets about pacts and gates. My heart pounded, not from the sway of the carriage but from the weight of where we were headed: my grandmother's village, a place I hadn't seen since I was ten.
A place where stones had spoken to me, where the air had hummed with something alive. Haruto sat across from me, his head lolling against the window, snoring softly with a bag of convenience store onigiri in his lap. Aiko, the silver-haired spirit, floated above him, poking his cheek and giggling when he swatted the air in his sleep. They were a mess, those two, but they'd dragged me back into a world I'd tried to forget.
A world where my grandmother's stories—about spirits, gates, and our family's duty—weren't just fairy tales. I glanced at the new girl, Hana Fujimoto, sprawled in the seat next to Haruto. She'd shown up at the station like she owned it, her short, moss-green hair catching the morning light, a wooden flute tucked into her belt.
"Nature spirit whisperer," she'd called herself, claiming her family sensed the "ripples" from Haruto's pact.
Her easy grin and sharp eyes made me wary—she was too casual, like she was hiding something. But if the fox spirit's words were true, I needed answers, and Hana might have them.
"Hey, Sato," Hana said, catching me staring.
"Stop brooding. You're giving off serious 'haunted heroine' vibes.
"I pushed up my glasses, heat creeping into my cheeks.
"I'm not brooding. I'm thinking.
""Same diff."
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.
"So, what's the deal with your grandma? Kaito said your family's gatekeepers.
That's big-time spirit mojo. "I tensed.
Kaito's warning about the Hollow Feast and my family's past still stung.
"I don't know much," I admitted.
"Grandma told me stories about protecting a gate, but my parents said it was nonsense.
They… they cut her off."
Hana whistled. "Harsh. My family's the opposite—can't shut up about spirits.
The Fujimotos talk to trees, rivers, that kinda thing.
We keep nature spirits chill so they don't flood villages or whatever. Your Sato clan, though? Gatekeepers are rare. You guard doorways between worlds.
That's next-level."I frowned, flipping open the book.
A passage caught my eye: The Gatekeepers, bound by blood, hold the keys to the spirit realms. Their will shapes the gates' flow, but a wavering heart invites chaos. "What does that mean?" I muttered.Hana peered over.
"Means you're a big deal, Sato. If your blood's tied to a gate, you can open or close it. But if you're not trained, it's like leaving a door unlocked in a bad neighborhood."
Aiko materialized, startling me.
"She's not wrong. Your grandma probably knew how to keep the gate stable. If it's waking up, you're the key, Yuna."
I stared at her.
"Me? I'm not… I don't even know what I'm doing!"Haruto stirred, blinking awake.
"Huh? What's going on? Are we there?""Genius is awake!" Aiko said, flicking his forehead.
"Yuna's about to unlock her magical girl powers, and you're drooling on your onigiri.""
I wasn't drooling!" Haruto protested, wiping his mouth.
He looked at me, concern flickering in his eyes. "You okay, Yuna? You look… intense."
"I'm fine," I said, though my stomach twisted."
Just trying to figure out what I am."Haruto grinned, his usual goofy warmth cutting through my nerves.
"You're Yuna. Kitchen ninja, book nerd, and apparently spirit royalty. No pressure."I rolled my eyes, but his words steadied me.
"Thanks, dork. "The train stopped at a tiny station surrounded by pine trees and fog.
Grandma's village was a short bus ride away, but the air already felt different—heavier, like it was watching us. As we stepped onto the platform, Hana's flute hummed softly, unprompted. She frowned, holding it up.
"The spirits are restless. Something's stirring. "Aiko nodded, her usual smirk gone."
The pact's magic is stronger here. Yuna, your gate's close. "I shivered, memories flooding back: Grandma's weathered hands kneading dough, her voice weaving tales of spirits who guarded or devoured. The stone circle in the woods, its whispers calling me. I'd been a kid, fearless and curious, until my parents yanked me away, saying it was dangerous. Now, I was back, and the whispers felt real.
We hiked toward the village, the path winding through dense forest. Haruto kept pace beside me, his shinai strapped to his back like he was ready to fight spirits with kendo moves.
"So," he said, "what was your grandma like? Besides, y'know, magical?"I smiled, the memory bittersweet.
"She was tough but kind. Always cooking, always telling stories. She said our family was chosen to guard a gate to keep 'hungry things' out. I thought she meant bears or something. Now I'm not so sure.
"Hana, walking ahead, glanced back. "Hungry things? Sounds like Hollow Feast vibes. Those spirits don't just eat food—they feed on bonds, memories, the stuff that makes you you. Your grandma was probably keeping them sealed."
My chest tightened. "Then why didn't she teach me? Why let my parents take me away?" Hana shrugged.
"Maybe she thought you'd be safer ignorant. Didn't work, though."We reached the village, a cluster of old houses nestled against a hill.
Grandma's house was at the edge, its roof sagging but still standing. My heart ached as I pushed open the gate, expecting her to step out with a tray of fresh mochi. Instead, the house was dark, dust coating the tatami mats."She's not here," I whispered, my voice catching.Haruto put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, we'll find her. Or at least figure out what she left you.
"Aiko floated into the kitchen, sniffing."
Smells like old magic. Check for a shrine or something. Gatekeepers always hide their secrets."I searched, my hands trembling as I opened drawers and lifted floorboards.
In Grandma's bedroom, I found a wooden box carved with the same swirls as Haruto's grimoire. Inside was a silver pendant shaped like a key, pulsing faintly. When I touched it, warmth shot through me, and a voice—not Grandma's, but something ancient—whispered: Gatekeeper, awaken.I gasped, dropping the pendant. The room spun, and for a moment, I saw the stone circle from my childhood, glowing under starlight. Shadows moved within it, hungry and waiting.
"Yuna!" Haruto grabbed my arm, pulling me back.
"What happened?" I clutched the pendant, my heart racing.
"It's… it's mine. The gate. I felt it."
Hana's flute hummed louder, and she cursed.
"Bad timing, Sato. Your magic's waking up, and it's like a beacon."
Aiko's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. Incoming!"
The ground shook, and the stone circle from my vision appeared in the yard, not as a memory but real, its stones glowing blue. A figure emerged—a spirit, tall and gaunt, with eyes like empty bowls. Its voice was a hiss.
"Gatekeeper… the Feast calls. Open the gate, or we take what is owed."
Haruto stepped in front of me, shinai raised.
"Back off, creepy! She's not opening anything!" Hana played a sharp note on her flute, and vines burst from the ground, wrapping the spirit's legs.
"Nature spirits, lend a hand!" she shouted, but the spirit broke free, its hunger palpable.
I clutched the pendant, my fear melting into something else—resolve. Grandma had guarded this gate. She'd trusted me, even if I didn't know it. I stepped forward, the key glowing in my hand.
"I'm Yuna Sato," I said, my voice steady.
"This is my gate, and you're not welcome." The spirit lunged, but the pendant flared, and a barrier of light stopped it cold.
The circle's glow dimmed, and the spirit howled, dissolving into mist. The stones faded, leaving only silence.Hana lowered her flute, whistling.
"Damn, Sato. You're the real deal."Haruto grinned, lowering his shinai.
"Told you. Kitchen ninja and spirit badass." I blushed, clutching the pendant.
"I didn't know I could do that." Aiko floated closer, her expression softer.
"Your blood's the key, Yuna. The pact's tied to you now, too. Haruto started it, but you're finishing it."
"Finishing what?" I asked, my head spinning.
"The Hollow Feast," Hana said, her grin fading.
"Your gate's one of many. If it's waking, others are, too. The Fujimotos can feel it—nature spirits are freaking out. And the Mizunos? Kaito's probably already snitching to his family."Haruto groaned.
"Great. More spirit families, more problems." I looked at the pendant, its warmth steadying me."
Then we find the other gates. We stop the Feast. Grandma trusted me to guard this one. I won't let her down." Hana smirked.
"Spoken like a true gatekeeper. I'm in—my family's got your back. But we'll need a plan. And food. Spirit fights burn calories."Haruto laughed, holding up his onigiri.
"On it. Yuna, you're calling the shots now." I smiled, my fear giving way to purpose. The gate was mine, and so was this fight.