Gatekeeper’s Call

The forest outside Grandma's village was thicker than I remembered, its pines looming like silent guardians under the twilight sky. My fingers tightened around the silver key pendant, its faint pulse syncing with my heartbeat. Ever since I'd repelled that gaunt spirit at the stone circle, I felt… different. Like something inside me was waking up, whispering secrets I wasn't ready to hear. The gatekeeper's blood, Hana had called it. My family's legacy. But what did that mean when I barely knew how to use it? Haruto trudged beside me, his shinai strapped to his back, muttering about how we should've brought more snacks.

Aiko floated above, humming an off-key pop song and tossing spectral rice grains at him. Hana led the way, her moss-green hair catching the last rays of sunlight, her wooden flute tucked into her belt.

She'd insisted on guiding us to a "spirit nexus" deeper in the forest, claiming her Fujimoto family could sense where the next gate might be.

"Keep up, Sato," Hana called, glancing back with a grin.

"Your gate's not the only one acting up. The forest spirits are chattering like it's a gossip convention." I pushed up my glasses, ignoring the knot in my stomach.

"And your family can just… talk to them?"

"Talk, sing, dance—whatever gets their attention," Hana said, twirling her flute.

"Fujimotos don't bind spirits like those stuck-up Mizunos. We vibe with nature. Trees, rivers, winds—they've got stories, and we listen." Haruto perked up, dodging a low branch.

"That's cool. Can you, like, make a tree punch someone?" Hana laughed, sharp and bright.

"Not quite, but close. Stick around, pact boy. You'll see." I envied her confidence.

She wore her family's magic like a favorite jacket, while I was still fumbling with mine. The pendant hummed, and I wondered what Grandma would say. Guard the gate, Yuna. Keep the hungry things out. But how, when I didn't even know what they wanted?

Okay, I'll admit it: hiking through a creepy forest at dusk wasn't my idea of a good time. I'd rather be home, eating instant ramen and binge-watching anime.

But Yuna's determined look kept me moving, even if my legs were screaming and Aiko kept pelting me with ghost rice. Plus, Hana was kinda stealing the show with her whole

"forest whisperer" thing. I mean, who just talks to trees? That's next-level cool.

"So, Hana," I said, trying to sound casual as I tripped over a root.

"What's the deal with this nexus? And how's it gonna help us find the next gate?" Hana glanced back, her eyes glinting like she knew I was out of my depth.

"A nexus is where nature spirits hang out—like a spiritual Wi-Fi hotspot. My family's techniques let us tap into it, ask questions. If the Hollow Feast is waking gates, the spirits here will know where." Aiko snorted, floating upside-down.

" Sounds like a lot of work.

Why not just summon a spirit and ask directly? Oh, wait, that's my job."

"Yeah, and you're so helpful," I shot back.

"Still waiting on that 'pact fulfilled' thing, by the way." Aiko stuck out her tongue.

"Patience, nerd. The pact's tied to Yuna's gate now. Finish her quest, and I'm free. Probably." Yuna, walking ahead, flinched at that.

I felt a pang. She was carrying way more than me—her family's past, that creepy pendant, and now the weight of some ancient spirit buffet. I wanted to say something cool, like,

"We got this,"

but I settled for not tripping again. The forest grew denser, the air buzzing like static.

Hana stopped at a clearing where a massive cedar stood, its roots twisting like veins. Moss glowed faintly, and the wind carried a sound—almost a song, but not quite.

"Here we are," Hana said, kneeling by the tree.

"The nexus. Time for a Fujimoto special."

Hana pulled out her flute, its wood etched with spiraling vines. She closed her eyes, and the air shifted, like the forest was holding its breath. She played a single note, clear and haunting, and the moss flared brighter. The cedar's branches swayed, though there was no breeze. My pendant pulsed in sync, and I gasped, feeling a tug—like the gate was calling me again.

"What's she doing?" Haruto whispered, his eyes wide."

Shh," Aiko hissed, unusually serious.

"She's weaving a spirit song. Fujimotos use music to sync with nature spirits. It's their big trick." Hana's melody grew, weaving through the trees.

Shadows flickered, not threatening but… curious. Shapes formed— wispy figures with leaf-like wings, eyes like dew drops. One hovered near me, its gaze piercing. Gatekeeper, it whispered in my mind. The hungry ones stir. The north gate is but one.I froze, clutching the pendant.

"What are you?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Hana's flute faltered, and she opened one eye.

"Don't talk to them yet, Sato. Let me finish.

"But the spirit pressed closer, its voice urgent. The Fujimoto sings well, but her kin cannot hold the tide.

Seek the river gate, where water weeps. The pendant burned hot, and a memory flashed—Grandma by a river, her hands glowing as she traced symbols in the air. The gates are linked, Yuna. Blood calls to blood.

I staggered, and Haruto caught my arm.

"Yuna, you okay?" he asked, his face pale.

"I… I saw something," I said, my voice shaking. " A river.

Grandma was there. The spirit said to find the river gate.

"Hana lowered her flute, the spirits fading.

"River gate? That's new.

The nexus is freaking out—something big's coming. " She frowned, tapping her flute.

"My family's techniques can call spirits, but controlling gates? That's your deal, Sato." I swallowed, the pendant's weight grounding me.

"Then teach me. Your techniques—can they help me use this?" I held up the key.

Hana grinned, hopping to her feet.

"Maybe. Fujimotos don't just sing—we bind nature's flow. Watch this." She pressed her hand to the cedar, whispering words I couldn't catch.

The tree's roots glowed, and vines shot up, forming a protective dome around us.

"Spirit weaving," she said.

"We channel nature's energy to shape things—barriers, weapons, even messengers.

Your gatekeeper mojo's similar, but it's tied to spirit realms, not nature."Haruto whistled.

"That's badass. Can you teach me to make a vine sword?"

Hana smirked.

"Stick to your pact, pact boy. Yuna, try syncing your pendant with the nexus.

Feel the flow, like my flute's song.

"I hesitated, then knelt by the cedar, mimicking Hana's stance. The pendant hummed, and I closed my eyes, reaching for the gate's pulse. It was like touching a live wire—wild, overwhelming. Images flooded me: a river cutting through mountains, a gate of shimmering water, and shadows clawing at it. Hungry things, Grandma's voice echoed.The ground shook, and I snapped back, gasping. The dome of vines shuddered as something slammed against it—a spirit, massive and serpentine, with scales like storm clouds. Its eyes glowed red, and its voice roared:

"GATEKEEPER! THE FEAST DEMANDS ENTRY!"

"Holy crap!" I yelped, grabbing my shinai.

The giant snake spirit hissed, its tail cracking Hana's vine dome like it was paper. Yuna was on her knees, clutching her pendant, her face pale. Aiko floated beside me, eyes wide.

"That's a river spirit gone rogue," she said.

"The Hollow Feast is twisting it. Haruto, you gotta help Yuna seal it!"

"Me?!" I shouted, dodging a swipe of the spirit's tail.

"I'm the ramen guy, not the gate guy!" Hana played a frantic tune on her flute, and roots burst from the ground, tangling the spirit's coils.

"Fujimoto technique: spirit snare!" she yelled.

"It won't hold long. Sato, use your key! Haruto, back her up!"I glanced at Yuna, who was trembling but standing now, her pendant glowing.

"Yuna, you got this," I said, hoping I sounded braver than I felt.

"Like with Grimgut. We're a team, right?" She nodded, her eyes fierce.

"Right."Yuna raised the pendant, her voice steady despite the chaos.

"I'm Yuna Sato, gatekeeper. This is my forest, my gate. Leave!" The pendant flared, and a barrier of light pulsed, pushing the spirit back.

I felt the pact's magic stir in me, like when I'd summoned Aiko.

On instinct, I grabbed a handful of salt from my bag (don't ask why I had it) and tossed it in a circle around Yuna.

"Spirits of the beyond, back me up!" I shouted, mimicking the pact's incantation.

Aiko grinned, joining in. "Pact power, activate!" A wave of warmth flowed from the circle, merging with Yuna's barrier.

The spirit roared, its form flickering. Hana's flute hit a high note, and the roots tightened

. "Now, Sato! Seal it!" Yuna thrust the pendant forward, and the light exploded, forming a shimmering gate in the air.

The spirit was sucked into it, its roars fading. The gate vanished, and the forest went silent. Yuna collapsed, and I caught her, my heart racing.

"You okay?" She nodded, breathless.

"Yeah. I… I felt the gate. I closed it." Hana lowered her flute, panting.

"That was insane. Sato, you're a natural. Haruto, not bad for a snack summoner.

"Aiko clapped. " Teamwork makes the dream work! But, uh, the pact's still not done. That gate was a side dish.

The main course is coming.

"I groaned, helping Yuna sit against the cedar.

"Of course it is." The pendant's glow faded, but its warmth lingered, like Grandma's hand on my shoulder.

I looked at Haruto, his goofy grin easing my exhaustion. Hana's vines retracted, and she gave me a thumbs-up.

"Fujimoto lesson one: trust the flow," she said.

"You're a gatekeeper, but you're not alone. My family's got techniques to share—songs, weaves, maybe even a spirit summon or two." I smiled, the fear giving way to purpose.

"I'll learn. For Grandma. For the gates.

"Haruto nudged me. "And for snacks, right? We're stopping at a konbini on the way back." I laughed, the sound surprising me.

"Deal." As we left the nexus, the forest whispered, and my pendant hummed.

The Hollow Feast was out there, and other gates waited.

But with Haruto, Aiko, and Hana—and the Fujimotos' songs in my heart—I was ready.