CHAPTER 4 - WALKING IN SHADOW

When Kasumi opened her eyes, she was met with total darkness. Impenetrable shadow surrounded her from above and all around. She couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. The cacophony of the storm was gone now, eerie silence now taking its place. It wasn't any less disconcerting. It seemed that Kasumi had been robbed of all sensation, save for touch. She could feel what seemed to be sand against her back. Running a hand through the unseen ground she was lying on, she gathered what felt like very fine powder which fell smoothly between her fingers. Instinctively, her hand shot up to her neck, feeling for her necklace. She was relieved to find that it was still there.

After Kasumi was sucked into the storm, it felt like she was transported to a different reality, devoid of wind, weight, and light, like she was floating in the vastness of space. Was she falling? Floating? She couldn't tell. Without any light, she couldn't even see her own body. It was like she was a disembodied consciousness suspended in a sunless void, frozen in a realm outside time. Realizing that her vision was rendered useless by the utter blackness, she shut her eyelids and tried to fall asleep. Is this what happens after you die? She asked herself. This sucks.

Kasumi was in the middle of recounting her regrets when the ground seemed to materialize beneath her. It was jarring, but welcome. The feeling was something somewhat familiar; a small comfort in the oppressively dark and foreign void that she foolishly trapped herself in. Kasumi was tempted to just lay there and disappear, but something kept nagging at her to get up. To do what, she didn't know. But something inside of her was refusing to accept that she was dead. Grunting, she sat up and felt her aching back. Her eyes widened when she realized her backpack was gone.

Throwing herself forward and getting on all fours, she felt her surroundings in an attempt to find her belongings. She swept her hands across the sand in a wide arc, desperately grasping at nothing. Robbed of her eyesight, Kasumi could do nothing but flail about blindly in the darkness in the slim hope of somehow bumping into her bag. It was clumsy and entirely unguided, but she kept at it.

She breathed an audible sigh of relief when her hand brushed against something that felt like nylon sticking out of the sand. Kasumi's bag was only a few meters away from her, but it took several minutes of searching to find. Feeling around for the zipper, she pulled it open and rummaged through its contents until she found her flashlight, which she excitedly pulled out of the backpack and turned on.

To her disappointment, the flashlight revealed little. The beam of light seemed frail and impotent amidst the vast darkness, though it did allow Kasumi to see that the sand she was currently kneeling on was bone white. Swinging the beam of light across her immediate surroundings, it seemed that she was in the middle of a vast, lightless desert of white sand, with nothing else in sight. She shone the light upwards, and was met by unending blackness. There was no way of telling if there was a ceiling hanging above, too high for the light to reach, or if she was looking at a starless and cloudless sky. With her view restricted to what little the scant light touched, Kasumi was not much better off than she was before she found her flashlight. The lack of distinct landmarks anywhere nearby didn't help, either. Still, it was better than fumbling around blindly. At least she could traverse the foreign landscape without unwittingly stepping off a ledge and falling to her death.

Without anything to go off of, Kasumi picked a random direction and decided to walk until she found something. With each step, her bare feet sunk into the sand. She had discarded her socks, which were completely soaked through because of her storm chasing. She grunted each time she had to pull her feet from the sand, which seemed to be trying to suck her in and suffocate her. The only saving grace was that there were no pebbles or anything hard to hurt herself on as she walked, though that was a small comfort. I can't wait to walk on normal, solid ground again, Kasumi thought to herself, though she wasn't sure if that time would ever come. Her free hand wandered to her necklace, her heart aching for the tiniest sliver of reassurance.

It was only after several minutes of walking when Kasumi finally found something sticking out of the sand. It was a chain, identical to the ones attached to the spirits that were marching around Karakura Town. Curiously, the final metal link that was visible above ground looked like it was rent apart by great force. She tried pulling on it to unearth whatever it was attached to, but it wouldn't budge. She gave up on it soon after, and continued walking.

Shin and I entered the portal together, Kasumi thought to herself. Maybe he's still nearby. I don't know what I'll do if I find him, but it'll at least be better than being trapped here alone.

"Shin!" Kasumi shouted, her voice echoing in the darkness. After waiting a few seconds for a response that never came, she shouted again. Kasumi repeated this for the next several minutes as she walked, desperate to find her friend. Though however much she shouted his name, there was never an answer.

Her throat now sore from shouting, Kasumi stopped for a moment and took a sip from her tumbler. She thanked her past self for having the foresight to pack it before leaving the house. As she put it back inside her bag, she tried not to think of what would inevitably happen to her once she ran out of supplies. Instead, she continued calling for Shin.

But before she could shout his name again, she was interrupted by the sound of shifting sand behind her. She whipped her head around towards the direction of the noise and shone her flashlight there. To her surprise, it was Shin, clumsily wading through the sand in his slippers. Kasumi was about to say something before Shin lunged at her and placed a hand over her mouth, shushing her. The sudden movement caused both of them to collapse to the ground, their fall cushioned by the sand.

"Be quiet!" Shin said in a whispered shout. With his free hand, he reached for her fallen flashlight and switched it off, and once again Kasumi was blind. Slowly, Shin pulled his hand away from her face, and for a moment the two of them laid there in silence, their soft breathing the only sound in the darkness.

"What's wrong?" Kasumi asked, lowering her voice to match Shin's. She was overwhelmed with relief to see him again with his mind intact, although the situation hardly afforded any sort of jubilation. It was rare for Shin, the lackadaisical slacker, to show any sense of urgency. But considering the situation that he and Kasumi were in, it was obvious why his temperament had turned on a dime. Kasumi's short lived relief quickly faded away, replaced with the creeping dread that has been gripping her heart since she saw the storm. Seeing Shin serious always put Kasumi on edge, which now only exacerbated her terror.

Shin didn't respond. He didn't have to. Both of them felt the presence that was suddenly nearing them. Though Kasumi couldn't see what it was, she somehow knew that it was the reason that Shin was trying so hard to keep quiet. The dreadful presence crept nearer and nearer, until Kasumi could hear its footsteps against the sand. Each step was heavier than anything a human could manage, like an elephant was approaching them from the darkness. It got so close that Kasumi could hear its breathing, which was a sound wholly unnatural. Each breath was metallic and quivering, almost human but not quite. Kasumi began to tremble as the breathing got louder. It took every ounce of her resolve to stay still, despite every muscle in her body screaming at her to run.

"I found you…" said a voice that rang like a death knell in the darkness.

…

From atop an office building, Yuki looked up at the massive Garganta that was looming above Karakura Town, with his hand raised towards the direction of the rainfall to shield his eyes. He stood there, staring, his mouth agape in awe. Shino ran up to him and grabbed him by his arm, snapping him out of his trance. He shifted his gaze towards her, his eyes wide.

"Yuki!" Shino said, raising her voice so that he could hear her over the choir of the tempest. "We don't have time for this! The hollows are having a feeding frenzy down there."

As if on cue, a hollow appeared below them, emerging from a flooded alleyway. Its body was hunched like an ape's, its hollow mask twisted into a permanent snarl. As entranced spirits walked past it, the hollow looked at them with hunger in its glowing eyes. It took a step forward and reached for one, but before it could close its grip on a passing spirit, Shino used shunpo to instantly close the distance and intercept, severing the hollow's primate-like fingers in a single sword stroke. The hollow roared and pulled back its intact hand to strike in retaliation. Shino dove out of the way, and the hollow's fist collided harmlessly with an adjacent wall. While the hollow was reeling from the failed attack, Shino drove her blade between its ribs and forced it across its abdomen. The hollow staggered backwards before collapsing, dead.

Shino looked around to see if there were any other hollows nearby. After confirming there were none, she took a deep breath and tried to quash her growing fatigue. By now, Shino and Yuki had slain dozens of hollows, and the toll on their bodies was becoming greater. It seemed like Shino's sword was getting heavier and heavier with each swing. As uncomfortable as it was, Shino welcomed the sensation. I'm much stronger than I was since then, but I've still got a long way to go, she thought, remembering that night over a decade ago.

Yukileaped from the building to join Shino down on the road. He was about to place a hand on her shoulder when she suddenly threw a jab at his gut. "Was it fun? Watching me deal with that hollow on my own? Huh?" Shino asked angrily. In response, Yuki grunted and doubled over.

"S-sorry…" Yuki apologized after the pain subsided. Shino just crossed her arms and turned away from him, exasperated. After pleading with Shino not to stay angry with him, Yuki's gaze was drawn to the Garganta once again. It felt like there was a voice calling him from within, beckoning him to enter. He knew that he definitely shouldn't heed its call, but its tempting voice lingered in his mind no matter how hard he refused. Again, he was brought out of his trance by Shino.

"Hey, focus," Shino said, shaking Yuki's arm. Shino couldn't help but look up at the Garganta as well. It was calling to her too, though she was doing a much better job of ignoring it. But even then, the sight of it unsettled her. Though she was taught about Gargantas during her training, she had never actually seen one since her first assignment over a decade ago. The thought of what could be lurking on the other side made her spine tingle.

"A Menos-class hollow is bound to come crawling out of that thing. Save your energy," Shino stated, to which Yuki responded by gawking at her. "A Menos? Maybe we should call for Captian Kuchiki," he suggested timidly. "She can probably handle this better than we can."

"Rukia? She's busy."

Shino and Yuki flew backwards to put distance between themselves and the source of the voice. Yuki drew his sword while Shino put her own in a defensive position. However, after they saw who it was that suddenly spoke to them, they eased up and their expressions softened. "Captain Shiba!" Yuki cried out, a smile forming on his face.

Isshin Kurosaki stood in the middle of the flooding road with his arms crossed and a wide grin on his face. Compared to the much younger Shinigami, Isshin was taller, his frame broader. Patchy facial hair grew along his angular jaw, which sat below the long sideburns with led up to his spiky black hair. Like Shino and Yuki, he was wearing a set of black robes, though unlike them he had a white coat draped over his left shoulder, flowing behind him as it was tugged by the wind. A maroon scabbard hung from his waist, housing a katana with a red hilt.

"I'm not a captain anymore," Isshin corrected. "And I go by Kurosaki now. How many times do I have to tell you that, huh?"

"My bad… It just doesn't feel right to refer to someone as strong as you so casually," Yuki said as he averted his gaze out of his embarrassment. Shino glared at Yuki, but she could understand where he was coming from. Both of them could feel Isshin's reiatsu, which was leaps and bounds greater than their own. It felt the same whenever they were in the presence of one of the captains of the Gotei 13. The crushing pressure was a constant reminder that the both of them were still decades, if not centuries away from attaining comparable power.

Chuckling, Isshin walked over to Yuki and gave him a light pat on his shoulder. As he pulled his hand away, Isshin looked up at the Garganta in the sky. "That Garganta is different from the ones you've seen in textbooks. That's the Garganta Eterna that I'm sure you've heard of by now," Isshin explained, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Hollows won't pour out of it. Rather, it somehow rips the souls out of every nearby human and lures them inside. Hmph, it was only a matter of time before it showed up here."

Shino's face lit up with realization. "So that's why all the pluses have been acting strange lately… " she said, rubbing her chin. Isshin nodded in response before pulling out a strange device from one of his pockets. It resembled a dreamcatcher, though it was made from a silvery material and there was some sort of scintillating sapphire-like gem affixed in the center. It radiated spiritual energy, though Shino could not ascertain its purpose by that and its appearance.

"This thing should let us close it before any souls get sucked inside," Isshin explained. "I don't know what happens when a human's soul goes in there, but it can't be anything good. Both of you, keep taking care of the hollows in town. I'll go in there and close the Garganta Eterna,"

"But what if you get trapped in there? You just said that you don't know what'll happen if you go through!" Shino protested. Isshin simply flashed a confident smile at her in response.

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out along the way. After all, I'm—"

Isshin's words died in his throat when he saw that the Garganta Eterna had started sucking in spirits. It was difficult to see from a distance, but Isshin could make out the faint silhouettes of souls flying through the air and passing through the enormous Garganta. They were being sucked in by the dozens. "Crap! Deal with the hollows!" Isshin commanded as he flew into the air towards the Garganta, not waiting for a response. But before he could reach it, a pterodactyl-like hollow intercepted him, swooping from above and clawing at him with its talons. Drawing his sword, Isshin swung at it and clipped its wing. It shrieked in pain, and Isshin finished it off with a swift decapitation.

Another flying hollow followed soon after, and another. Though each one was nothing compared to Isshin's power, they were slowing him down. Is someone controlling them? He thought before being interrupted by someone shouting from below. That didn't sound like Shino. Is there someone else here?

Looking towards the direction of the voice, Isshin saw a young woman in her physical body get sucked into the Garganta. His eyes widened in surprise, and he doubled his speed, cutting down any hollows that flew in to block his path. Urahara said that every human that didn't possess significant reiryoku would get their souls ripped from their bodies. I have Yuzu, Karin, and the others accounted for… So who on Earth is that?

Upon clearing the way, Isshin arrived at the eye of the storm. He was unfazed by the intense winds and crackling lightning. Whoever you are, you're pretty damn reckless, he thought to himself. Heh, who am I to talk?

Without a second thought, Isshin flew into the mouth of the Garganta, fearlessly barreling into the abyss.

…

Kasumi's lungs burned as an enormous clawed hand closed around her torso, robbing her of breath. No matter how desperately she tried to pry herself free of the monster's grip, it only tightened its grasp on her in response. It felt like her ribs were only one squeeze away from breaking. The total darkness rendered the creature invisible save for its glowing yellow eyes, which dimly illuminated its white, mask-like face. It held a sinister smile as it tormented Kasumi, savoring her pain.

Shin was still on the ground, pinned under the monster's foot. Every now and then, it would put more of its weight on his back, crushing him against the sand. Shin tried to push himself up and get away again and again, but he couldn't escape. He could only grunt and grit his teeth as the monster dug its foot harder into the ground.

"Who should I eat first?" the monster pondered, its eyes darting between the two teenagers it had in its clutches. The monster seemed to be relishing in their agony, dragging out their suffering as much as their human minds and bodies allowed before breaking. But somehow, Kasumi wasn't giving into fear. Instead, she felt angry, like her heart carried a hate for the monster before her that she herself didn't understand. It drove her to continue clawing at its hand despite how futile the effort was.

Tilting its head, the monster pulled Kasumi closer to its face. "Maybe I'll start with you…" it considered, before opening its skull-like mouth. Its jaws parted, revealing a gaping black maw not unlike the abyss that was about to be Kasumi's tomb. The monster brought its face closer, ready to bite down on Kasumi's head and end her life. Damn it, she cursed inwardly. This can't be how it ends.

As the monster's jaws were about to clamp down, it threw its head backwards and shrieked in pain. Kasumi felt its fingers loosen around her body before she fell down to the sandy ground below landing on her hands and knees. There was a dull thud in front of her. Though she couldn't see it, she figured that it was the monster's hand.

The monster swiped at its assailant with its remaining hand, but the blow didn't connect. Kasumi's unseen savior in the darkness followed with a flurry of slashes, cutting dozens of long and shallow wounds into the monster's torso. Shrieking, the monster thrashed wildly, but its opponent was avoiding every blow while effortlessly weaving in attacks of its own as it danced around the monster. In the span of a few seconds, the hulking creature that was about to eat Kasumi only moments before had suffered an uncountable number of injuries, blood oozing out of every one. It stumbled and shrieked one last time before crumpling to the ground, the light in its eyes fading away.

When the abyss grew still once more, Kasumi felt around her surroundings for her flashlight. Meanwhile, Shin was slowly getting up, feeling his back and moaning as the pain from being crushed slowly subsided. Kasumi quickly found the flashlight, but before she could turn it on, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"That won't be necessary, Lady Kasumi."

Suddenly, the surrounding darkness was pushed back by a lantern coming to life. Once Kasumi's eyes adjusted, she saw Yasuhiro standing before her, holding a saber slick with blood. The dark fluid dripped onto the ground, staining the white sand red. He was standing over the monster that he had just slain, as calm and collected as he always was.

"Apologies for not informing you of my departure in advance."