Hi everyone, welcome back!

Thank you so much for returning and continuing to read my stories.

I truly hope you're finding them interesting and enjoyable.

I'm doing my best to bring out each character's emotions and personality, so you can connect with them on a deeper level.

Hope you enjoy the journey—happy reading!

Chapter 1: A Place to Begin

"Too narrow," Eugene muttered, squinting at the doorway like it had personally offended him.

"Too old," Lin added dryly, arms crossed in a quiet judgmental stance.

"Too… haunted-looking," Caithlyn chimed in, nose scrunched.

Her green eyes darted over the cracked windows and sagging gutters. She tilted her head like a curious cat, half-impressed, half-concerned.

Five pairs of eyes stared up at the tired, leaning structure before them. The wooden sign above the entrance creaked mournfully in the wind, swinging as if trying to flee its own existence.

Mai squinted up."I don't know… I think it has character."

Naru, standing beside her with his signature flat expression, didn't even look. "It has termites."

Mai pouted, nudging his arm with her elbow. "You're no fun."

"And you're too forgiving," he replied, glancing at her briefly.

Just briefly. But long enough for her heart to skip a beat.

"Let's keep searching."

It had been two weeks since SPR officially landed in Japan. Eugene and Caithlyn had just wrapped up loose ends in London; Lin had planned the move like a military campaign.

And Mai—

Mai had been floating. Finishing her psych degree, jumping into the unknown, and yet somehow still grounded. Because they were all here.

"We still haven't picked a name," Caithlyn said, heels tapping as they walked down the street.

"We can't just be 'those weird people renting haunted real estate."

"We have," Naru said simply, exchanging a glance with his twin.

"We're using our birth surname," Eugene added.

"Shibuya."Caithlyn raised her brows. "Wait. You mean—your real name?"

"They were born Shibuya," Mai offered, smiling a little. "Davis was the name of their adoptive family."

Caithlyn turned to the twins like a lightbulb had just gone off.

"So… Kazuya Shibuya," she pointed at Naru, "and Kazuma Shibuya," she said to Eugene.

Eugene gave her a quick, cheeky wink. "Ding ding."

Mai grinned. "And I'm still just Mai. One name. Like a pop star."

"Or a storm," Caithlyn smirked.

"Or a pain in official paperwork," Lin added under his breath.

"Lin-san!" Mai gasped in mock offense. "Rude!"

He looked away with the faintest hint of amusement tugging his mouth.

They visited two more buildings—one with suspicious water stains shaped like screaming faces, another with a weird draft that only followed Naru around—and came up empty.

Finally, Caithlyn stretched dramatically and tugged Mai's sleeve. "Come on. We're going to scout for food before I eat my own purse."

"You can't digest suede," Eugene said without missing a beat.

"Watch me."

"Don't fall into any holes," Naru warned as they wandered off.

"That was one time—" Mai began.

"Which is one time too many," Eugene added, smirking.

They disappeared down the street, laughter trailing behind them.

The afternoon sun was warm, casting golden shadows over the quiet neighborhood. Mai slipped SPR business cards into mailboxes as they walked, and tucked one beneath the handle of a cozy-looking herbal shop. Their chatter slowly faded into a more thoughtful silence as they moved through the district. There was a calm here—but not the good kind.

It was too quiet. The kind of quiet that pressed down on your shoulders.

"Think anyone around here needs ghost hunters?" Caithlyn murmured, voice low now, eyes scanning shuttered windows.

"Parapsychologists," Mai corrected, lifting her chin. "And yeah. I can feel it."

They passed by a narrow alley where all the windows were drawn shut, even though the sun still hovered above the horizon.Mai slowed.

"You feel that?" she asked softly.Caithlyn glanced up.

"Yeah. Like… something's watching. And this tree wasn't creaking a second ago."

The street felt like it had exhaled all at once—and forgotten how to inhale again.Mai turned toward a side path, the air heavier. Her foot hit something uneven.

"Mai—!"

Too late.She gasped as her ankle twisted, the world tilting just before her body hit the ground with a thud. The pain was sharp and immediate.

"Ow—owowow—okay—ow."

Caithlyn dropped beside her in full panic mode. "You okay?!"

"Define okay—ow—definitely not dying—just maybe screaming inside—"

"Don't move. I swear if you tore something, Naru's going to summon an actual ghost to yell at you."

"Wouldn't be the worst haunting," Mai groaned.

Then—

"Girls?"The voice was soft. Fragile. Like lace in the wind.

They froze

An elderly woman, barely more than skin and bones beneath a pale blue kimono, stepped forward. Her movements were slow, deliberate, as though walking through water. Her hair was silver, coiled into a bun, and her eyes—her eyes were murky. Not just from age, but something deeper. Like she was watching the world from somewhere far away.

"You're hurt," she said, voice hushed. Calm. But not warm.

Mai blinked, her attention snapping back to the throbbing pain in her ankle.

The woman hobbled closer. Caithlyn stepped in front of Mai, every inch of her tense.

"I have balm," the woman offered, lifting her sleeve with trembling fingers.

The small container glinted, reflecting the dim light like a piece of bone."It helps."

There was a silence, long enough to make the air feel thick. Even the wind seemed to pause.

Mai hesitated—every instinct in her saying this was strange—but the woman's face was lined with grief, not malice. Something about her sadness was tangible, like it radiated from her skin.

"…Thank you," Mai said carefully.

The woman knelt with unsettling grace, as if she were being moved by invisible strings. The balm was cool, fragrant with something sharp and earthy—mint and something older, almost bitter.

"This street," she whispered, not looking at them. "Things happen here. When no one's watching."

Caithlyn frowned, eyes narrowing. "What kind of things?"

The woman didn't answer right away. Her gaze was somewhere behind them, as if she saw something neither of them could.

"My son lived nearby," she said at last. Her voice cracked at the edges.

"He's gone now."Mai's chest clenched.

"I'm… I'm so sorry."

"He died," the woman went on softly.

"But I still hear him. His footsteps. Sometimes knocking. He hated being alone…"She looked up slowly, and for the first time, her eyes locked onto Mai's.

"Do ghosts come home… even when they don't want to?"

Mai's breath caught.

Something about the way she said it—it wasn't a question. It was a warning.

Mai reached into her coat pocket, her fingers trembling slightly. She pulled out a card and offered it.

"If you ever need help… we can."

The woman took it slowly, her hand cold and dry. She stared at the card for a long moment—too long.

"Thank you," she murmured.Then she turned, shuffling away down the same shadowed path from which she came.

But the air didn't return to normal.Even after she was gone, the silence remained.

By the time they got back, the sun had set. Streetlights flickered on, casting dull yellow pools of light over the sidewalk, but the chill in Mai's spine wasn't from the night air.

The apartment door flew open.

"MAI!"

Naru looked ready to kill someone. Or dissolve into panic. Possibly both.

"What happened?!" he barked, already striding over.

"She slipped," Caithlyn said quickly. "Don't panic—it's not broken."

"I'm fine!" Mai winced. "Well, mostly fine."

"You should've called," Eugene scolded, arms crossed like a disappointed older brother.

"I didn't want to worry anyone…"

"That worked out great," Naru muttered, lifting her into his arms before she could argue.Mai blinked.

"I can walk—!" "You're not walking anywhere until I say so."

"She loves bossy men," Caithlyn whispered.

"Do not encourage him," Eugene replied, deadpan.

Dinner was calm after that—surprisingly so. Eugene cooked (he always made too much), Caithlyn chopped vegetables like she was in a cooking show, and Lin cleaned up like a quiet ninja.

Naru hovered beside Mai the entire time, refusing to let her do so much as get her own water.

Naru joined her by the sink, washing the last of the dishes.

"I really am sorry," she said again.

He dried his hands and cupped her cheek. "I'm not mad you fell. I'm mad you didn't call."

She leaned into him. "Noted. Next time I'll scream your name."

"Good. I'll run faster."

Later, in the warm quiet of their shared room, Mai curled up under the blanket, ankle propped, heart full. Naru tucked the covers around her, sitting beside her on the bed.

"So," he said softly, "when are we telling them?"

Mai blinked sleepily. "About…?"

"Our secret alien baby," he said with a perfectly straight face.

She laughed, smacking his shoulder. "Naru!"

"About us," he clarified, smirking. "About getting engaged."

Her breath caught. "I… don't know. Eugene might faint."

"And Caithlyn might throw confetti."

From outside the door came a suspicious rustle.

Naru raised an eyebrow.

"WHAT?!" Caithlyn's voice squeaked through the wood.

A muffled thud. Some scuffling.

Naru stood in one smooth motion and opened the door

Only to reveal Eugene and Caithlyn tangled together, halfway fallen, clearly caught mid-eavesdrop.

"…Hi," Eugene offered from the floor, blinking up like a stunned raccoon.

Caithlyn sat on top of him, hand still gripping his collar like she was trying to drag him out of enemy territory.

"I told you to breathe through your nose!" she hissed, smacking his shoulder.

"You were holding your breath like a balloon about to pop!"

"I was trying to stay quiet!"

"You squeaked!"

"You elbowed me into the wall!"

"Because you moved!"

Mai was half-laughing, half-horrified.

Naru looked at them, deadpan.

"Out."

"But—"

"Out."

Caithlyn dragged Gene up by his collar, but instead of leaving right away, she rushed over and launched herself onto the couch, practically tackling Mai into a hug.

"I knew it," she whispered excitedly, eyes sparkling.

She kissed Mai's cheek with a loud, exaggerated mwah and leaned in like a co-conspirator.

"Spill everything later. I need to know when the alien baby is due. Names, cravings, supernatural powers—the works."

Mai sputtered. "There is no baby!"

Gene raised a hand casually. "Make sure it doesn't glow in the dark."

"Gene!" Mai shrieked, bright red.

Caithlyn cackled and gave Mai one last squeeze. "I'm so proud. My little sister's all grown up and corrupting broody geniuses."

Naru raised an eyebrow from the hallway, arms crossed. "I've been corrupted?"

Caithlyn looked him dead in the eye. "You kissed her in front of witnesses. That's irreversible damage, my friend."

He didn't even flinch. "I suppose I'll have to live with that."

"Ugh," she groaned dramatically, dragging Gene away by the arm.

"They're perfect. I hate it. Goodnight, corrupt lovebirds!"

Gene waved lazily. "Use protection."

"GENE!"The door shut on a burst of laughter.

Mai threw a cushion at it, then buried her burning face in her hands. "I want to move countries."

"You can't," Naru said, deadpan, as he switched off the lights. "We just signed a lease."

Mai peeked at him from behind her hands as he returned to the couch. "You're not actually mad?"

"No," he said simply, settling beside her.

"Just... quietly wondering how I ended up surrounded by chaos."

She smiled, and he reached out, gently pulling her close. He kissed her temple, soft and lingering.

And though sleep slowly claimed her, she couldn't forget the old woman's eyes… or the chill still clinging to her skin.

Something had begun.

And it wasn't over yet.

--

Stay tuned for more of Naru, Mai, and the team's journey in the next chapter.

Was their encounter with the old lady just a coincidence… or is it connected to the case that lies ahead?