The morning sun peeked through the paper thin windows of the dorm, casting soft gold lines across Soya's face. His eyes blinked open, groggy, as the faint rustle of wind through trees whispered outside. For a moment, he lay there, unsure of where he was, until the events of yesterday came crashing back into his mind.
Sora's words echoed through him, sharp and clear.
"Get some rest, kid. You are gonna need it. There is class tomorrow, so wake up early."
Soya groaned, rubbing his face. The air smelled of old wood and incense, and the faint creak of the floorboards beneath his bed reminded him that this was not a normal dorm. This was Tenryu Academy.
With a sigh, he sat up and looked at the uniform laid out for him. A sleek black jacket with silver trim, matching pants, and a high collared undershirt. It looked like something from an old martial arts film yet modern enough to pass for a school uniform. He slipped it on. The fabric was surprisingly comfortable. The sleeves were a bit long, but they would do.
As he fastened the buttons, his gaze drifted to the window where the morning light painted the landscape in gold and shadow.
Tenryu Academy was different.
He stepped out of his dorm and into the courtyard, and the full weight of the place hit him.
The school was not just a building. It was a sanctuary.
Towering torii gates stood like silent guardians, painted a deep vermillion that seemed to glow faintly in the morning light. Shrines were scattered across the campus, their dark wooden eaves arching toward the sky. Paper lanterns dangled overhead, swaying gently in the breeze. Carved stone statues of foxes, dragons, and guardian spirits lined the paths, watching from their eternal posts.
The walkways were cobbled and worn smooth by countless footsteps. The scent of cedar and incense drifted in the air like a soft, ancient perfume. Bamboo groves swayed in the wind, the creak of their stalks adding to the quiet hum of the morning.
Everywhere Soya looked, it felt like the walls and stones held memories. Like the very earth was watching.
He tightened his jacket and kept walking, heart picking up speed.
Eventually, he reached a tall sliding door that led into what he assumed was a classroom. Voices murmured from inside.
"…yeah, he is the new kid. Be nice to him, alright?"
Sora's voice. Easy, casual, lazy.
"But I will warn you. He is not just any first year. He is different. Let us leave it at that for now."
Before Soya could knock, Sora's voice called out again.
"Oi, kid. You just gonna stand there all day? Come on in."
Soya blinked. The door was still closed. There was no way Sora could have seen him.
But questioning Sora felt pointless by now.
Soya slid the door open and stepped inside.
Instantly, the atmosphere changed.
Every eye snapped to him.
The four first year students stared with a mix of curiosity, surprise, and tight unease. Their bodies tensed, because they could feel it.
The raw energy swirling around Soya like an invisible storm. The weight of curses clinging to him like heavy chains.
Soya saw it in their eyes. The flicker of discomfort. The way someone's breath hitched. A tall guy with spiky black hair even leaned back, hand twitching near the hilt of his blade.
Soya swallowed hard, standing frozen in the doorway.
Sora smirked, leaning back against the blackboard with his arms folded.
"Class, meet Soya Senju."
His tone was light, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.
"He is a little different from the rest of you, but you will get used to it."
The room stayed tense. The students watched Soya like they expected something to snap.
Soya stood there, heart hammering, feeling like he was holding a bomb no one wanted to be near.
Sora, however, remained completely at ease.
"Alright, let us do the welcome thing. Introductions. Kazane, you are first."
A loud scrape echoed as a chair pushed back.
A girl stood up, tall and confident, as if she owned the room.
"Name is Kazane Kamano."
Her voice carried weight. Sharp, bold, almost commanding. Her black ponytail swayed behind her as she crossed her arms.
Her eyes locked onto Soya with a spark of challenge. She was daring him to keep up.
"I am the one holding this group together. Do not slow us down."
Soya blinked.
Who made her the boss?
She smirked, as if she had heard the thought.
"Got a problem? Say it."
He opened his mouth, nothing came out.
Before the tension could rise further, another voice drifted through the room.
"Hey, take it easy, Kazane."
Soya's gaze shifted to a girl in the back row. Short choppy black hair with a purple streak, slouched posture, arms behind her head.
"Ichika. No last name. I am here because I feel like it. That is all."
Her eyes met his briefly. There was something softer there for a moment, like a quiet hang in there.
Before he could respond, another voice cut in.
"Ren Watanabe."
A boy in a crisp uniform, sitting upright like a soldier. His tone was clipped and cold. Something resentful lingered under the surface.
He barely looked at Soya, jaw tight.
Then the girl with glasses and a mountain of notes smiled shyly.
"I am Mika Hayashi. If you ever need help, with assignments or training or anything really, I would be happy to help."
Some of the pressure eased. At least someone seemed friendly.
But as he glanced around, the heaviness returned.
Something was off.
The air felt like it was holding its breath.
Sora noticed it too.
"Relax, everyone," he said with a grin. "Soya is not going to explode on you. Probably."
Probably?
Soya tensed. His heart jumped.
Sora clapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a seat.
"Sit. Class is starting."
As Soya moved, he felt the weight of every stare following him. They were waiting. Watching.
Like they knew something he did not.
And Soya felt like he had stepped onto a chessboard without knowing the rules.
Sora clapped his hands. The sharp sound cut through the room.
"Alright, listen up."
Everyone straightened. Even Kazane looked focused.
Sora's grin faded into something more thoughtful as he scribbled on the whiteboard in messy strokes.
Soul Energy. Yurei. Curses. Soul Technique
"New kid, most of this is for you," Sora said. "Everyone else, consider it a warm up for your brains."
Soya leaned back in his chair, still stiff from the stares. Questions buzzed in his head, but Sora continued before any could form.
"Let us start with Soul Energy. It is the source of everything Exorcists do. You do not see it or feel it at first. It is simply part of you. It moves through your body, through your breath, through whatever emotions you carry."
He tapped the first set of lines branching from the words.
"First type, Neutral Soul Energy. Stable, balanced, safe. It keeps you grounded. Most Exorcists learn to control their emotions so they do not overload themselves."
His eyes flicked briefly toward Kazane, Ren, and Ichika, as if silently adding a comment he chose not to say aloud.
"Second type, Negative Soul Energy. This one is tricky. It grows from things that the user deems negative like anger, fear, grief, hate. It can make you stronger, but it also pulls unwanted attention."
Soya lifted his hand slightly.
"Unwanted attention from what exactly?"
Sora's grin sharpened like the edge of a blade.
"Yurei."
Soya fell silent.
Sora returned to the board and wrote in bold strokes.
Yurei are spirits born from emotion.
"Yurei linger in our world because of unfinished feelings," Sora said. "Regret, trauma, promises never kept. Sometimes they come from the dead, sometimes from the living. People can carry enough pain to stain the air around them."
He underlined a list and continued.
"The ranking system is simple. Rank five to rank zero. Rank five is the weakest, rank zero the strongest. They have names, but most people use the numbers. The names go like this. Rank five is Tsukumo. Rank four is Mononoke. Rank three is Ayakashi. Rank two is Shiryō. Rank one is Onryō. Rank zero is Kishin."
Soya forced himself to stay focused as the information settled.
"Then what are curses?" he asked.
Sora paused for a short second. His eyes sharpened, thoughtful.
"Curses are personal," he said. "Imagine them as promises you bind to your soul. Some are light. Some are heavy. Some give you power, like speed or strength, but the moment you make a curse you owe something in return. Ignore the price and it will not end well."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Sora finally wrote one more term on the board.
Soul Technique.
"Your Soul Technique is the unique ability carved into your soul. Not everyone has one, but if you do, Soul Energy is how you bring it out."
He tossed the chalk aside and exhaled.
"Alright. Enough of the basics. Time to move."
Soya blinked.
"Move? Move where?"
Sora grinned again.
"Field work. We have a report of Yurei activity. Time to exorcise them."
Soya almost fell out of his chair.
"What? Exorcise them? I do not even know how to fight."
"You will learn," Sora said with a wink.
The other students were already standing. Kazane cracked her knuckles, excitement in her eyes. Ren adjusted his sleeves with a quiet sigh. Ichika gave Soya a small pitying look. Mika stacked her notes anxiously.
Soya scrambled to his feet as Sora called out behind him.
"Come on, kid. Do not get left behind."
Soya hurried after them, heart pounding.
As they exited the classroom, he whispered.
"What is a Yurei really like?"
Sora did not turn around.
"You will see."