EPISODE 12 — Cracks in the Divine Cage
Renji's heart hammered so loudly he thought the Enforcers outside would hear it.
"Aya… how did you—"
"Don't talk," she whispered through the vent. "There are spirit-sensor charms everywhere. If they detect your voice, alarms will blow the whole facility open."
Renji swallowed hard. "Then why risk—"
"Because it's you," she said. "And because I'm not leaving you here."
Those words hit deeper than the chains cutting his skin.
He didn't deserve her.
He didn't deserve anyone risking this much.
The God of Fear gave a low, dark hum.
"She clings to you like a moth to flame. Foolish girl."
Renji ignored him and kept his eyes on the vent.
Aya continued quickly, "I'm not alone either. I got help. Another vessel contacted me—somebody who escaped this place before."
Renji stiffened. "Another… vessel?"
"Yeah. They call themselves Shōren, Vessel of Storms. They know the layout. They know the weak points. They're guiding me through the ventilation paths."
Before Renji could ask more, a faint static crackled through the vent—and a new voice replaced Aya's.
Calm. Low. A bit playful.
"Yo. Vessel of Fear. Nice to finally hear your voice."
Renji blinked. "Shōren?"
"Mhmm. You must've had fun getting dragged here. Judgement doesn't usually bring people in alive unless they want something big."
Renji felt another twist in his stomach. "They want to purify me. Separate me from the god… permanently."
A quiet whistle.
"Ouch. Yeah, that's the 'big' I meant."
Aya returned, whispering fast, "Shōren says there's a weak point in your room—a light-suppressor node. If we break it, your shadow mist will reactivate."
"That will unseal the chains," Shōren added. "Temporarily. Long enough to bust you out if you move fast."
The God of Fear purred deep inside Renji's ribs.
"Break their light. Let me stretch."
Renji clenched his fists. "Where is the suppressor?"
"Right under your chair," Aya said. "A silver panel embedded into the floor."
Renji looked down.
He couldn't move.
The chains pinned him from neck to ankle.
"Even if I knew where it is… I can't reach it."
"Already handled," Aya said proudly. "I'm above the ceiling. I'm gonna drop something through the vent."
Renji heard quiet shifting… then something small slid out and hit the floor with a soft clink.
It was a talisman—
but not one of Aya's usual hand-drawn ones.
This one shimmered with storm-blue ink.
Shōren spoke through the vent:
"Storm talisman. My specialty. Activate it by breathing on it."
Renji leaned forward as far as the chains allowed and exhaled gently.
The talisman flickered—
then sparked—
then ignited in blue static.
The God of Fear's shadows trembled excitedly beneath his skin.
"Ahhh… I remember this scent. Storm gods are always loud."
Renji pushed the talisman with his toe, inching it closer to the silver panel beneath him. The moment it touched—
CRACK.
The entire room flickered.
The glowing symbols around the walls dimmed.
The divine chains shook violently.
Aya gasped, "It's working!"
Shōren chuckled. "Told you. Now get ready for—"
Everything broke at once.
The suppressor exploded in a flash of blue lightning.
The room went dark.
The divine chains shattered into fragments of gold light.
And Renji felt the shadow mist rush out of him like a beast freed from a cage.
His body jolted upward, landing on his feet.
He could breathe again.
Deeply.
Freely.
The God of Fear stretched like someone waking from a long sleep.
"Good. Now run, vessel. Before Judgement returns."
But they weren't alone.
A soft knock came from the door.
Then it slid open.
Standing there, framed in the faint golden light of the hallway—
The silver-eyed vessel.
The Vessel of Judgement.
They stared at Renji, at the broken chains, at the shattered suppressor, and at the black mist surrounding him like armor.
Slowly, they exhaled.
"…You shouldn't have been able to break free."
Renji stepped back instinctively, mist swirling around his arms.
Aya whispered urgently from the vent, "Renji, RUN!"
But the Judgement Vessel didn't attack.
Instead, something strange flickered in their silver eyes.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Regret.
"I warned them this would happen," they said quietly. "Fear does not submit to cages. And gods do not bow to mortals."
Renji froze, breath catching.
Judgement wasn't speaking to him anymore.
They were speaking to themselves.
When they lifted their gaze, their voice had changed—
softened, almost human.
"Renji… listen carefully. I am under strict orders. If you escape, they will send hunters after you. They will not stop."
He swallowed. "Then why tell me this?"
"Because…"
They clenched their jaw.
"…because I envy you."
The God of Fear snarled.
Aya whispered sharply, "Renji, move!"
Judgement stepped aside.
Just a little.
Enough for a path.
"Go," they said. "Before I change my mind."
Renji didn't hesitate.
He sprinted toward the door—
His shadow mist burst outward—
And the facility sirens began to scream.
To Be Continued....