Ace Nakamura hated turbulence.

  The seatbelt sign had been on for almost twenty minutes, and the plane trembled in a way that felt wrong. Not the gentle shaking the flight attendants joked about, but something deeper, like the sky itself was irritated. Ace sat by the window, his headphones resting uselessly around his neck, eyes fixed on the thick gray clouds outside.

  He was supposed to be excited.

  Japan meant his mom. Real food. Late nights walking under neon lights. For the first time in three years, she had promised not to work overtime while he visited. Yet the closer the plane got, the heavier Ace felt, like he was carrying two lives inside him and neither fit quite right.

  The cabin lights flickered.

  A few passengers murmured. Someone laughed nervously. Ace tightened his grip on the armrest.

  The flicker happened again. This time longer.

  A flight attendant’s voice came over the intercom, too calm, too rehearsed. “Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated. We are experiencing minor technical difficulties.”

  Minor.

  Ace glanced across the aisle. A girl about his age stared at the ceiling, lips pressed together. Two rows up, a tall guy cracked his knuckles like he was getting ready for a fight. Somewhere behind him, someone was praying.

  Then the plane dropped.

  Not a smooth descent. Not controlled. It fell like something had grabbed it and yanked.

  Screams tore through the cabin.

  Ace’s stomach slammed into his chest as gravity vanished. Overhead compartments burst open, bags flying. Oxygen masks dropped, swinging wildly. The roar of the engines twisted into a shrill, broken howl.

  Ace barely had time to think before the lights went out completely.

  Darkness swallowed everything.

  The impact never came.

  Instead, there was silence.

  Not peaceful silence. The kind that presses against your ears and makes your heart pound louder than it should.

  Ace opened his eyes.

  He was no longer in his seat.

  He lay on warm sand, sunlight blinding him. Palm trees swayed above, their leaves whispering in a breeze that smelled like salt and something sharp and unfamiliar. His body ached, but nothing felt broken. He sat up slowly, disbelief crashing over him harder than the plane ever could have.

  Around him, pieces of wreckage were scattered across a wide beach. Sections of the airplane fuselage lay half-buried in sand. Smoke curled into the blue sky. Yet somehow, impossibly, people were standing, walking, shouting.

  Alive.

  Every single one of them.

  Ace pushed himself to his feet. His legs shook, but they held.

  “What the hell is this place?” someone yelled.

  Ace turned. The tall guy from earlier stood nearby, scanning the tree line like he expected something to jump out. The girl from across the aisle knelt beside another passenger, checking if they were hurt.

  No one looked seriously injured.

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  That made it worse.

  “This is not possible,” an older man muttered. “We were at thirty thousand feet.”

  Ace looked back at the ocean. The water was too blue. The horizon curved strangely, like the world was smaller than it should be.

  A sharp chime echoed through the air.

  Every phone, tablet, and watch in sight lit up at the same time. Even the ones with dead batteries. Even the ones crushed in the wreckage.

  A translucent blue window appeared in front of Ace’s eyes.

  He staggered back, heart racing.

  Text floated calmly in the air.

  Welcome, Survivors.

  Trial Initiated.

  Gasps and shouts erupted across the beach.

  “What is that?”

  “Is this some kind of prank?”

  “Am I hallucinating?”

  The blue window expanded, the text shifting smoothly.

  You have been selected to participate in the Trial of Yokai Island.

  Objective: Survive.

  Ace swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry.

  Yokai Island.

  The words sent a strange chill down his spine, like his body recognized the name before his mind did.

  Each participant will be granted the following:

  Three Abilities.

  One Yokai Companion.

  Abilities will awaken shortly.

  Failure conditions apply.

  A countdown appeared at the bottom of the screen.

  00:59

  00:58

  00:57

  “Failure conditions?” someone screamed. “What does that mean?”

  The window did not answer.

  Ace felt it then. A pressure in his chest, like something unfolding inside him. Heat surged through his veins, not painful, but overwhelming. He dropped to one knee, clutching his shirt as blue light seeped through his fingers.

  Around him, others cried out as the same thing happened.

  The air shimmered.

  Ace’s vision blurred. Images flashed through his mind. Endless forests. Ancient shrines swallowed by vines. Creatures with glowing eyes watching from the dark.

  Then a voice spoke inside him.

  Not loud. Not soft.

  Present.

  Spirit Resonance awakened.

  Ace gasped, sucking in air like he had been underwater.

  Another line of text appeared.

  Adaptive Instinct awakened.

  Dual Heritage awakened.

  The countdown hit zero.

  The blue window vanished.

  For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

  Then the forest beyond the beach exploded with sound.

  Roars echoed from deep within the trees, layered and unnatural. The ground vibrated faintly under Ace’s feet. Birds burst from the canopy, fleeing in every direction.

  “That didn’t sound like any animal I know,” the tall guy said, his bravado cracking.

  Ace’s skin prickled. Every instinct he had screamed danger.

  The girl with the serious expression stood, eyes sharp. “Everyone, get closer together. Whatever this is, splitting up is a bad idea.”

  Ace looked at her, surprised. She sounded steady. Like she had already accepted that this was real.

  A flicker of blue light appeared beside Ace.

  It condensed, swirling like smoke caught in a whirlpool. The shape sharpened, taking form. Two pointed ears. A sleek body. Nine faintly glowing tails that slowly faded until only one remained visible.

  A fox stood beside him, its fur made of soft blue flame.

  It looked up at Ace.

  “About time,” it said.

  Ace stumbled backward and fell onto the sand.

  “You talk?” he blurted.

  The fox tilted its head, unimpressed. “You hear. I speak. This arrangement benefits us both.”

  Around the beach, similar lights flared as creatures appeared next to each survivor. Some were small and harmless looking. Others radiated menace.

  The fox stepped closer to Ace, its flame-like fur warm but not burning. “Name’s Aoi. I am your yokai companion. Try not to die. It reflects poorly on me.”

  Ace stared, mind racing. Plane crash. Island. System. Talking fox.

  This was insane.

  Yet his fear was… focused. Sharpened. His heartbeat slowed, syncing with something deeper.

  Spirit Resonance, the voice reminded him.

  “What are you?” Ace asked quietly.

  Aoi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A guide. A weapon. A mirror, if you survive long enough.”

  A scream cut through the air.

  Ace snapped his head toward the treeline just in time to see something massive move between the shadows. Trees bent as it passed. Red eyes blinked open in the darkness.

  The ground shook again, closer this time.

  The tall guy stepped forward, fists clenched. Blue markings flared across his arms. “Whatever that is, it’s not getting near us.”

  The serious girl closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, symbols glowing faintly around her hands. “Everyone ready your abilities. This is probably the first test.”

  Ace pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt steadier now, like his body knew what to do even if his mind did not.

  Aoi’s tail flicked. “Survival begins now.”

  From the forest, a creature emerged.

  It was taller than a truck, its body a twisted fusion of bark, bone, and something that pulsed like muscle. Its face was a mask of splintered wood, cracked open to reveal a mouth full of glowing blue teeth.

  It roared.

  Ace felt his instincts ignite.

  The world slowed.

  He could see every movement. The way sand shifted under his feet. The way the creature’s weight settled before it lunged. He moved without thinking, pulling another survivor out of the way as the monster slammed into the beach, leaving a crater behind.

  Gasps erupted.

  Ace stared at his hands.

  Adaptive Instinct.

  Aoi grinned. “Good. You adapt quickly.”

  The creature raised its massive arm, preparing to strike again.

  Ace took a breath.

  For the first time in his life, he did not feel split in two.

  He felt whole.

  And Yokai Island was watching.