"I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow."
― Edgar Allan Poe

A hand clutched tightly at the shining steel pendant hung around his neck, whispered words floating into the falling darkness. It seemed like a chant, so feverishly were the words spoken. It was probably Latin, he thought dimly, but it was familiar and comfortable as it fell from his lips – wild, unbridled and full of reverence. Of what, he wasn't sure, never had been. Deep blue eyes fluttered about, panic just staying at bay through pure will. He was almost at home, he recognized as his foot steps fell faster and faster, trying to outpace whatever was following him.

He truly wasn't too sure of what was truly happening. As dusk had settled, the street lights had slowly blinked into life and lit the path with that muddy yellow color that you could find on photos as an added filter. The islands of light led right up to his home, a rope of of yellow dots heading straight up the mountain. The silence surrounding him had been unnoticeable at first with how far away he was from the rest of the city – it was natural for it to be so quiet. But when shadows had started flickering in the corners of his eyes and the hair on his arms started to raise, the absolute silence seemed to come crashing down on him. A deafening silence, no animals, no people, nothing that moved or was alive.

He could feel something watching him. Something neither alive nor dead. Something hungry.

And he was smart enough not to hang around.

He had grasped his pendant subconsciously again, seeking comfort in the old worn thing. His grandmother had given it to him barely hours after his parents had died. They had been hiking, so he was told, when a landslide had ended the trip prematurely. His grandmother, his only remaining relative, had kept him ensconced in the old shrine until he willingly put the pendant on and learned the words that she taught him.

The same words he was now repeating again and again.

"Ut tu etiam protege me."

He probably should have learnt what it meant.

–

Kuroko Tetsuya burst through his front door as if the dogs of hell were upon his heels, ready to devour the falling soul. And for all he knew, it could have been exactly that. Slamming it closed behind him, he slid down unto the floor, very aware of his shaking knees.

"Tetsuya! What is wrong with you! Did you break the front door?"

The stern voice stemmed from an old woman sitting with her back towards the doorway, calmly turning around and standing when she saw the condition of her grandson. "My! What happened?" She rushed towards him and lent forward to touch his forehead. Her concern was genuine and heart felt, Tetsuya knew that, but the feeling of dread still wasn't leaving him. It clogged his throat and made it hard to speak – it felt like hands were closing in on his windpipe and he touched it to make sure that there really wasn't anything.

"I was followed home."

His voice was small and raspy, echoing what he was feeling. He shakily stood up, his grandmother making some space and supporting him. He didn't dare to walk away from the door, not trusting his legs and not trusting whatever was outside.

"Well, who was it? Another prank by some of those kids?", she questioned as she held her grandson up. It was quite easy for her, both a result of her health and the slight weight of the man before her. But the expression on his face concerned her. Tetsuya did not often show what he was feeling and never had shown this particular expression before.

He was terrified.

"Not someone, Grandma. Something."

And that sentence alone sent a chill down her spine. "What exactly do you mean? This is important, grandson, our lives could very well be at stake." She knew what might be out there, but didn't want to confuse Tetsuya any further. He, however, seemed even more confused and vaguely understanding at her urgency. "It didn't seem alive. But it seemed... hungry." She shook his elbow. "Was it only one? Where did it come from? Details, Tetsuya!"An idea was forming in her mind of what it may be and the end result was not good.

"I saw shadows moving. And I don't know where it came from! It suddenly appeared!", Tetsuya cried out, his grandmother's grip becoming painful. It tightened for a moment, before she moved to pull him up. "Tetsuya, we need to -"

The door rattled right behind Tetsuya.

Grandson and grandmother looked at each other with big eyes as both hesitated for a moment. But the rattling started anew, a more violently. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." Tetsuya wasn't able to keep the words from sprouting out as he scrambled away from the door. His grandmother frantically quieted him and gripped his shoulders again. "Tetsuya, you need to listen to me. I know you don't know what is going on and I know you're really scared now, but I will explain things later.", she said insistently and stared at him through wise blue eyes. He scarcely had nodded before a violent scratching started at the door, rattling it in its frame.

"I need you to go to the shrine and close the door behind you when you enter. Promise me that you will not come out, not even when it is me asking you to open the door, OK?" Her voice was low and urgent, her grip surprisingly strong for an elderly woman. Tetsuya opened his mouth to protest and was shook by his grandmother for his efforts. "Promise me!"

The blue haired twenty one year old seemed more like a little boy as he nodded, backing away from the door even more. Relief slid over the elderly woman's face as she stepped forward to kiss his forehead. "Remember the words and you will be protected. Go now.", she said and lightly touched the pendant hanging around his neck. Her voice was still low, but seemed more calm. She smiled softly at him before turning around and reaching into her trouser pockets. Tetsuya backed away and turned before he could see what his grandmother thought might help her.

And he still didn't know what was trying to get through the front door of their home. Or who would protect him.

–

Thankfully the main house was connected to the shrine through a narrow walk way that was open on both sides. Tetsuya stopped before the doorway and hesitated. Whatever had scared his grandmother this much was still out there, the only audible evidence being the increasing groaning of wood by the front door. Tugging at his blue locks, he gripped the pendant again and ignored the pain that shot through his hand as the edges cut into soft skin. He closed his eyes and exhaled before once again repeating that one sentence over and over.

"Ut tu etiam protege me."

The metal grew hotter with every repeated whisper and every step he took through the open walk way and dark night. He briefly considered stopping when nothing happened halfway, but the air seemed to pulse as he slowed his chant and the feeling of dread intensified. Any ideas he had of stopping were banished as he finally made it to the sliding doors of the shrine. As he stepped inside, the atmosphere enveloped him like a shroud that he could literally feel pressing down on his shoulders. He wondered if that meant that the shrine spirit or god was here now. Tetsuya's fingers ghosted across the frame of the sliding doors, the silky paper too delicate. With a deft pull, he slid the door shut and was left in total darkness.

The sudden darkness startled him and he let the chant stop. Suddenly the noises outside increased in volume and he could hear the wood finally give up and shatter. He could hear his grandma shout something and sounds of a fight increased.

Fear settled deep in Tetsuya's gut as pressed himself against the frame of the door.

He had never been in here, it finally dawned upon him. As a child, his grandmother constantly had to keep him from entering. I was a curious child. He remembered seeing her enter with offerings and wanting to know why and for whom. But she had stopped doing so the day his parents died in that accident. Now she only entered to clean. He had respected her wished and had not tried to step into shrine.

Lifting a hand to feel his way, he touched something cold and smooth. Softly, he traced the stone, following the curve of it and made out the form of a bird's head. It was delicate and majestic, Tetsuya decided even though he couldn't make out much in the deep darkness. But it comforted him and he settled down under it, neatly fitting under the head and neck. The darkness didn't seem so oppressive anymore.

But the noises outside were increasing in violence – he heard screams that were unearthly, more inhuman that human, keening out pain. He heard his grandmother shouting. He heard the sounds of things shattering and tearing and falling apart. Tetsuya huddled under the statue and shivered. A part of him wanted to stand and go to his grandmother but another, larger part controlled that what would have made him move and it froze him in place. He covered his eyes with his arm and tried to block out the world.

Suddenly, everything was deathly quiet again.

It seemed like the entire world had shifted for a moment, like a tear in the film.

He heard the soft patter of feet against wood. A figure appeared before the sliding door, outline visible through the rice paper.

"Tetsuya? I've finished with that thing, could you open the door for me please?"

The voice was familiar and Tetsuya sighed with relief. It could only mean that everything was fine now and his grandmother could now finally explain what was going on. As he struggled to his feet, eager to see his grandmother, a hand roughly pushed him back down again. Tetsuya floundered, falling back down again, aghast at the fact that someone was here with him. "You mustn't." The voice was a smooth tenor and rough, like it hadn't been used for a long time. "That is not Yuki-hime." The title added on to his grandmother's name silenced his oncoming protest. Who was this man? Tetsuya still could not see anything definite, although the increasing moonlight should have made things easier.

"Tetsuya? Dear, let me in!"

The same sternness as earlier was there and Tetsuya stood up again. "That is definitely my grandmother! I will open for her!" But as soon as the sentence left his lips, he remembered what she had said earlier and pang of hopelessness rang through him. "She told me not to open the door even if she asked me to.", he whispered with a downward look. "That is true.", the other man answered again. The figure outside shifted again, as if impatient. "Tetsuya!"

A soft sob passed through the hand Tetsuya held to his mouth. He was a smart man and realized what the appearance of a fake meant. He sank to his knees again, aware of the man now standing behind him.

"Tetsuyaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The familiar voice turned into a ghastly noise, like multiple voices layered over each other. The figure outside started to shrink in on itself before expanding again, bones and limbs jutting out at random. The implications of that struck Tetsuya and he sobbed even harder, trying not to be sick. The thing outside repulsed him. It shrieked and shuddered, trying to enter the shrine, hammering against the door.

One thought ran through Tetsuya's mind at that time.

I am going to die.

It was a simple thought really, but the enormity of it didn't really settle in. A hand landed on his head as the other male began to softly card his hair. "It will be alright. You will not die." The soft words were heard but not taken in.

The last thing that Kuroko Tetsuya remembered of that night was falling asleep to a stranger stroking his hair and monster knocking at the door.