Rain fell on Neo Ashford. Soft. Persistent.

  Two in the morning. The Grey District was empty. Convenience stores glowed like lanterns in the fog. Shadows stretched long under the streetlights.

  Kaito stood in the alley behind a closed ramen shop. His hood was up. Water dripped from the brim. His breath misted in the cold air.

  The air smelled of ozone. Rotting garbage. Something else. Metallic. Like blood on a coin.

  The crack was open.

  It hovered above a puddle. A tear in the world. Purple light bled through the edges. Static crackled. Soundless.

  Something stepped out.

  It looked like a dog. Mostly. Four legs. A head. But the edges blurred. Like a photograph left in the sun. Parts of it flickered in and out of existence. Eyes where there should be none. No mouth.

  A Drifter. Confused. Lost. Dangerous.

  It sniffed the air. It sensed heat. Life.

  Kaito didn't move. His hand was in his jacket. Fingers wrapped around the Ace of Spades.

  The creature lunged.

  Fast. A blur of static and claws.

  Kaito stepped sideways. The claws missed his jacket by an inch. They scraped the brick wall. Sparks flew. Stone shattered.

  Kaito drew the card.

  "Kuro."

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  The card dissolved into smoke. Black feathers erupted from the shadows.

  Kuro materialized. Human form. Lean. Dark coat made of feathers. Sharp features. He stood between Kaito and the Drifter. He looked bored.

  "You woke me for this?" Kuro's voice echoed in Kaito's mind. "A stray?"

  "Handle it."

  "Do it yourself."

  Kuro vanished. He became shadow. He flowed across the ground. He rose behind the Drifter.

  The Drifter turned. It screeched. A sound like glass breaking.

  Kaito moved. He closed the distance. He held the card like a knife. He slashed downward.

  The card cut through the static. It left a trail of black fire.

  The Drifter stumbled. It tried to fade. To slip back through the crack.

  Kuro's shadow wrapped around its legs. Held it.

  Kaito struck again. Center mass.

  The card sank into the blur. The static screamed. Then silence.

  The creature dissolved. Ash. Smoke. Gone.

  The crack shimmered. It began to close. Shrinking. Fading.

  Kaito held the card over the spot. He pushed his will into the paper. The card absorbed the residue. The glow faded.

  The alley was dark again. Just rain. Just trash.

  Kuro reformatted. He stood beside Kaito. He brushed imaginary dust off his coat.

  "Sloppy."

  Kaito slipped the card into his pocket. It was warm. Hot.

  "Fast."

  "Fast is not good." Kuro tilted his head. "You left your right side open. Twice. If that thing had teeth, you'd be missing an arm."

  "Didn't."

  "Luck is not a strategy." Kuro stepped into the shadow of the wall. His voice came from everywhere now. "Four minutes. Disappointing. Last year you did it in three."

  Kaito turned away. He started walking. His boots splashed in the puddles.

  "Tired."

  "Excuses." Kuro's laughter was dry. Like leaves scraping concrete. "Sleep when you're dead. Until then, fight better."

  Kaito reached the street. The rain was heavier here. Cars passed on the main road. Headlights cut through the dark.

  He pulled his hood lower.

  He looked at his hand. The glove was torn. A thin line of blood ran down his wrist. He wiped it on his pants. It disappeared into the dark fabric.

  He walked past the convenience store. The clerk inside was reading a magazine. He didn't look up. He didn't see the ash on Kaito's shoes. He didn't smell the ozone.

  Kaito kept walking.

  His apartment building loomed ahead. Brick. Fire escapes. Dark windows.

  He climbed the stairs. Second floor. Room 204.

  He unlocked the door. He stepped inside. He locked it behind him. Three locks. A chain. A bar.

  Silence.

  He took off his jacket. He hung it on the rack. The inner pocket bulged with the deck.

  He went to the bathroom. He turned on the tap. Cold water.

  He washed the blood off his wrist. The skin was already knitting together. Pale scar tissue formed. It would be gone by morning.

  He looked in the mirror.

  Dark circles under his eyes. Hair wet. Face pale.

  "You look like death." Kuro's voice came from the jacket in the hallway.

  "Feel like it."

  "Go to sleep. School in four hours."

  "Know."

  Kaito turned off the light. He walked to the bedroom. He didn't turn on the lamp. He knew the way.

  He sat on the bed. He took the deck out of his pocket. He fanned them on the desk.

  Fourteen cards. Fourteen souls. Fourteen weapons.

  The Ace of Spades pulsed faintly.

  "Good night, boy."

  Kaito lay down. He pulled the blanket up. He closed his eyes.

  The rain tapped against the window.

  Somewhere in the city, another crack opened. Somewhere else, another monster wandered out.

  Not his problem. Not yet.

  He listened to the sound of the city. He counted the seconds between thunder.

  One. Two. Three.

  He slept.