Utapri Short Stories

You're not Alone - Part 1

Haruka is not an ordinary girl. And she knew that from the day she was born. She always thought her powers were a curse, not a gift. She had gotten used to them, but that didn't mean she liked them.

Mediator. A human who helps good spirits to find peace in heaven... And who banishes those who are evil so that they no longer haunt the living. A job that never ends and that can sometimes be lonely, tiring and dangerous.

She was forced to live alone in a hut in the middle of the forest where only those who needed her help badly sought her out. Her services could not be charged, so she lived to sew and sell towels, curtains and rugs. Sometimes she also made some clothes.

Her days were relatively common, but her nights were hectic as she dealt with the lost spirits that still roamed the Earth seeking to resolve their unfinished business. Her only companion was an old magic mirror, who talked to her whenever she was on a mission or alone at home.

The Mirror's voice was called Eiji and had no idea how he got there. But he was very friendly despite being shy, and he always advised her. Eiji and Haruka were good friends, even though the voice in the mirror couldn't remember anything but his own name.

"Do we have a call?" Eiji asked when he noticed that the girl was collecting some special elements in a backpack, like coarse salt and sage. "Yes." Haruka replied after putting together everything she needed. "And this one is probably one of the bad guys." She took the hand mirror, her only friend, and ran out of the house with the mirror in tow.

She took her bicycle and cycled to the small town school. "Are you alright? You're breathing too fast..." Eiji commented worriedly. "I-I am. Just tired." Haruka responded by leaning on the bicycle and entering the school after speaking to the person who made the call. "Hi? I know you're here. I'm here to help. What's your name?" She asked to the void.

The corridor was dark and silent, the only light coming from the windows was moonlight. Suddenly, all the cabinets began to rattle, their metal doors slamming as they opened and closed. A strong, cold wind blew down the hall and the pale figure finally appeared, floating over to where Haruka was standing, trying to avoid the gale. "I want your toy." A sinister voice was heard.

"My name is Haruka. Please let me help you, little girl. What's your name?" Haruka insisted, but the wind just blew stronger and the cabinets started to get dented. "I WANT YOUR TOY!" The pale figure screamed in a deafening voice. Haruka asked what toy she was talking about, but the girl did not answer.

"What does she want?! Eiji! Help me!" She whimpered, not knowing how long she could take it. "The mirror. She wants the mirror. Give it to her!" Eiji guided, trying to speak louder than the mess. Haruka complied, a bit reluctantly, and slid the mirror across the floor to where the ghost was standing.

However, as soon as she touched the mirror, the little girl screamed and disappeared along with an explosion of smoke. "What did you do?" Eiji asked her, surprised. "I put coarse salt in you. She was really an evil spirit after all. Poor soul..." And sighed looking at the mirror surface. "What...? Eiji!! You're cracked!" Haruka spoke desperately when she noticed the crack in the mirror.

"What!? Am I? It must have been because of the ghost explosion." He spoke, trying not to sound worried so as not to scare her. "Strange, I... I see a different light." He commented slowly, almost as if in a trance. "Light?! What light?! Eiji! Talk to me!" Haruka felt despair wash over her when he suddenly stopped talking. She hugged the mirror close to her chest and...

And when she embraced the mirror, a strong light illuminated it. Its surface became dark as night, without reflecting anything else, and another pale figure appeared in front of the girl, who was kneeling until then. "Haruka...? What happened?" The same voice in the mirror asked.

"You... Eiji... Are you a ghost?" Her eyes widened and she was left without a reaction. The boy chuckled and helped her to her feet using his supernatural ghost gifts. "I think so. Does that mean that I... Can't touch you?" His face contorted in an expression of sadness. "I wish I could hug you so much..."

"Oh, Eiji. Your soul is trapped in the mirror. It must be a curse." She sighed and looked at the mirror, then back at the boy. "We have to go home. There we can talk in peace." Haruka explained and then put the mirror back in the backpack. Eiji followed her afloat and soon arrived at their destination.

Back at their home, they realized that it was indeed a curse. So much so that the boy could not stay away from the object (the mirror) for long. But they also found that if he was holding the mirror, he could materialize for a while and thus touch people. He hugged his friend so tightly that they fell on the couch, laughing. Although he was still a ghost, he was happy that he was no longer trapped inside the mirror.

Eiji was exploring the surroundings of Haruka's house while the girl worked. When she had free time, she tried to find out more about the curse that held him in the mirror. She wanted to release him at once, not knowing what that would actually imply.

Eiji started to help her even more, both in the work at home and in the mediator tasks that she performed at night. The two had a lot of fun together and were a perfect pair. Eiji protected her from the evil spirits that attacked her and she helped him to master his new powers of materialization.

"I really enjoy being with you." Eiji commented with a shy smile as they walked home after a quiet night of service. Haruka's bicycle had been broken by a bad spirit last night. "It is very good to be able to help and protect you."

Upon hearing this, the girl's heart squeezed in her chest, but it also accelerated and jumped, happy. "You always helped and protected me. Even when you was in the mirror." She whispered back with a gentle smile. "I also enjoy being with you." Then, Eiji reached out to her hand, holding the mirror in the other, and they walked hand in hand to home.

...

Chapter cover edited by me using screenshots from the Anime and the Game ~

Originally posted on my Instagram Account: _utapri.stories