The setting sun's golden hues cast long shadows over Karakura Town as Sara and Ichigo walked down the familiar streets. The afternoon had been surprisingly peaceful, a moment of normalcy after the tension of the previous night.

Orihime and Tatsuki had gone off in their own direction, Tatsuki promising to walk Orihime home safely. The four of them had parted ways with warm goodbyes, exchanging reminders to call or text if anything happened before school officially started on Monday.

Ichigo walked beside Sara, the weight of the grocery bags in his arms barely registering. It wasn't like Yuzu had asked for much, but Sara had insisted on carrying some of the load, which he had stubbornly refused. She had already been through enough—he could at least carry a few damn bags.

But then—

Sara stopped walking.

Ichigo slowed, his brows furrowing. "What's wrong?"

Sara's body tensed, her dark brown eyes flickering with something unreadable.

Then—a ripple.

The air around them shifted. The world, for a split second, felt different.

Then—he felt it, too.

A pressure. A strange, weighty sensation pressed down on him.

Not just any sensation. Something dark. Something hungry.

It sent a chill up his spine.

Then came the scream.

A sharp, piercing cry cut through the air, followed by a deafening, inhuman roar that made Sara's breath hitch.

Hollows.

Her skin prickled as the sound of crashing buildings and shattering glass followed. The town erupted into chaos. People screamed, running in all directions, confused by the unseen force wreaking havoc on their world.

But Sara and Ichigo?

They could see it.

Sara squinted her eyes, honing her focus and allowing her psychic vision to open fully.

And then she saw her.

A figure—clad in dark robes, wielding a katana.

Her movements were precise, fluid, and fast, her blade cutting through the air with practiced skill. She was fighting something—the same monstrous creatures that had haunted Sara's nightmares since she was a child.

Ichigo's voice pulled her back.

"Sara... you're seeing this too, right?"

Sara swallowed hard and nodded, her voice quieter than usual. "Yeah... I see her."

Ichigo's eyes flickered toward the girl in black.

She moved like Kisuke.

Sara recognized the techniques instantly. She had trained under Kisuke Urahara for years, and while she was far from being as skilled as he was, she understood how this girl fought.

A Shinigami.

That's what she had to be.

More screams. More destruction.

People were running, tripping over themselves, utterly lost in their panic, unable to see what was attacking their town.

Then—it happened.

Another Hollow emerged.

It was enormous and grotesque. Its jagged and monstrous mask gleamed under the dying sunlight, and its grotesque mouth stretched into a chilling grin.

And then its eyes locked onto Sara.

A slow, guttural snarl rumbled from the creature's throat.

It could sense it.

Her.

Her spiritual energy.

Ichigo saw it immediately—the way the monster's gaze honed in on Sara like prey.

His grip tightened on the grocery bags.

Then—he dropped them.

"Sara—"

She took a step back, her heartbeat picking up.

The Hollow lunged.

In that instant, Ichigo moved.

But Sara—Sara wasn't helpless.

She reacted just as fast, her instincts from years of training kicking in.

The bags Ichigo had dropped barely hit the ground before Sara threw her hand forward.

A powerful pulse of raw psychic energy erupted from her palm, slamming into the Hollow's chest mid-air.

The creature howled, its attack halted as it skidded backward, digging into the asphalt.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Sara—"

"Ichigo, run!" she shouted, turning sharply to him. "This thing is—"

"Like hell, I'm running!"

Sara clenched her teeth. Of course, he wouldn't.

Before she could respond, a flash of black shot past them.

A blur of movement.

Then—the sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

Sara's head snapped up in time to see the girl in black—the Shinigami—slice through the Hollow's arm precisely.

The monster roared in agony.

The girl landed effortlessly, her dark eyes flashing toward Sara and Ichigo.

Her expression shifted.

Recognition.

Sara immediately knew.

She sees us.

The Shinigami narrowed her eyes, seeming to assess them in a split second.

Sara could feel it—the way this girl's spiritual pressure shifted in response to her and Ichigo's presence.

But there was no time to process it.

The Hollow wasn't done.

It roared, its remaining clawed hand swinging toward Sara with terrifying speed.

Ichigo didn't think.

He grabbed Sara's wrist and yanked her back just in time.

The force sent them both tumbling to the ground just as the creature's claws slammed into the pavement where Sara had just been standing.

The impact cracked the concrete.

Sara gasped, her back hitting Ichigo's chest as they landed in a heap.

Ichigo's arms instinctively wrapped around her as he glared at the monster.

"Sara—!"

"I'm fine," she breathed, gripping his sleeve.

She turned her head, her gaze locking onto the Shinigami.

The girl met her eyes.

For a moment—just a brief moment—Sara swore she saw curiosity flicker across her face.

Then—

The Shinigami moved.

With one clean strike, she severed the Hollow's head.

The monstrous creature let out a final, ear-splitting cry—

And then, it was gone.

Silence fell.

The town was still.

Unaware of what had happened, people stared at the destruction in confusion.

Sara sat up slowly, her heart hammering.

Ichigo, still holding onto her, exhaled sharply. "What the hell...?"

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped their attention back.

The Shinigami stood before them.

For a moment, none of them spoke.

Then—she pointed her sword directly at her and Ichigo.

"You," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You can see me."

Ichigo stared at her, eyes still wide with shock.

Sara's fingers curled around the fabric of her skirt.

She had a feeling this was only the beginning.

And that her and Ichigo's lives would never be the same after this.

The tension in the air was thick.

Standing before them with her blade at her side, Rukia Kuchiki eyed both Sara and Ichigo with keen interest—but mostly Sara.

She had seen it.

The way Sara had used her power.

Not just the way she saw the Hollow. But the way she reacted.

Rukia had seen her energy flare—not like a normal human's.

And that was what intrigued her.

Still on edge from the battle, Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired Shinigami. "Alright. Who the hell are you?"

Rukia's gaze flickered toward him. "That's what I should be asking you."

Ichigo scowled. "We're just two normal people—"

"Normal?" Rukia cut him off, tilting her head slightly. "And yet, you both saw the Hollow. You saw me. And you," she shifted her gaze toward Sara, eyes sharp, "you fought back."

Sara remained silent, her expression unreadable.

Rukia continued, crossing her arms. "You two need to come with me. We need to talk."

Ichigo scoffed. "Tch. Yeah, that's not happening."

Sara exhaled, glancing at Ichigo. "Ichigo..."

Something about Rukia's words didn't feel like a request.

She wasn't threatening them, but she was serious.

Sara had heard of Shinigami before.

Kisuke had been blunt about it when she was young.

She knew what they were.

And she knew... she was part of their world.

But Ichigo—Ichigo knew nothing since Isshin didn't want his family to know that lifestyle (yet), thinking his children would come out like Masaki rather than him.

And she needed to be careful with what she said.

Ichigo turned to Sara, confused by the hesitation in her voice. "What?"

Sara bit her lip before sighing. "Let's just... hear her out."

Ichigo frowned but didn't argue. "Fine. But if this is some trap—"

Rukia sighed. "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so already."

Ichigo scowled but remained silent.

Sara glanced around the area. The battle had left destruction in its wake, and although the town was still confused by what had happened, they were drawing too much attention.

Sara turned back to Rukia, nodding once. "Where do you want to talk?"

Rukia's expression softened slightly. "Somewhere away from prying eyes."

Sara exhaled, glancing at Ichigo. "Let's go."

Ichigo hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Yeah... alright."

But even as they followed Rukia into the unknown...

Ichigo couldn't shake the feeling that he and Sara were stepping into something much bigger than they ever imagined.

And that their lives—from this moment forward—would never be the same.

The tall trees loomed overhead, their thick branches filtering the sunlight as Sara led the way through the secluded forest. A faint breeze rustled the leaves, the distant sound of birds and flowing water filling the silence between them.

Ichigo glanced around, mildly surprised.

Karakura Town wasn't that big, and yet, he'd never been here before.

He raised an eyebrow at Sara. "So... this place is yours?"

Sara smirked, stepping over a fallen branch. "Not exactly. But Kisuke brings me here a lot. It's a good spot for training."

Rukia, following a few paces behind, narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Training?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah. This is where I train my psychic abilities."

Ichigo stopped walking.

"...What?"

Sara turned to him, tilting her head slightly. "What?"

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Since when were you actually psychic?"

Sara blinked, confused. "You... you didn't know?"

Ichigo frowned. "I mean, I knew you were spiritually sensitive, and you always had a way of knowing how people felt... but I thought you were just, I don't know, an empath or something."

Sara chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, that's part of it. But..." she exhaled. "I wasn't joking when I said I was psychic, Ichigo."

Ichigo just stared at her.

She had literally fought off a Hollow using some weird force earlier.

And now she's telling him she's psychic like it's no big deal?

"...Yeah, okay, I think I need a second," Ichigo muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sara snickered. "Take all the time you need."

Meanwhile, Rukia watched the interaction with growing curiosity.

Psychic abilities?

The way Sara pushed the Hollow back earlier—was that what it was?

She hummed, placing a hand on her chin. "Psychic energy... now that's interesting."

Sara turned to her. "You've heard of it?"

Rukia nodded. "I've heard of people with strong spiritual sensitivity, but psychic abilities? That's rare."

Sara sighed, walking over to a large, smooth rock and sitting. "Yeah. I guess that's why Kisuke trained me so much. He said that my energy is different."

Ichigo crossed his arms, eyeing her warily. "Different how?"

Sara hesitated. She could feel Rukia's sharp gaze on her.

Slowly, she lifted her hand.

A soft pulse of energy surrounded her fingers, faint but unmistakable.

The wind around them shifted, and a few scattered leaves hovered in the air, floating as if gravity loosened its grip on them.

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

Rukia's brows furrowed.

That wasn't Reiryoku.

That was something else.

Sara clenched her hand into a fist, and the energy dispersed. The leaves fell gently back to the ground.

She looked up, meeting Ichigo's gaze. "That's how."

Ichigo exhaled through his nose. "Well... that explains a lot."

Sara smirked. "Glad you're finally catching up."

Ichigo rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Rukia, however, was still deep in thought.

A human... with this kind of power?

Her gaze flickered to Ichigo next.

And him.

She had already sensed that Ichigo had absurdly high spiritual pressure for a human, but now there was Sara, whose power was entirely different.

Something was happening in Karakura Town.

And she was beginning to think these two were at the center of it.

"...Tell me more," Rukia finally said, her voice calm but firm. "About you. About your abilities. About Kisuke Urahara."

Sara tensed at the name.

She glanced at Ichigo—he watched her carefully, waiting to see how much she would reveal.

After a long moment, she exhaled.

She would tell them.

But not everything.

Not yet.

Not until she knew where this conversation was going to lead.

Kisuke Urahara felt it first—a sudden ripple in the spiritual energy around Karakura Town. It was subtle but unmistakable, like a breath of wind before a storm. His sharp, calculating gaze lifted toward the distant skyline, his ever-present fan resting lightly against his chin.

Outside, black smoke curled into the sky from somewhere in the heart of the town.

Something had happened.

He already knew it wasn't ordinary.

Hollow activity?

Shinigami interference?

His mind immediately went to her.

Sara.

The girl he had raised like his own.

The daughter of Asahi and Erika.

The daughter of his fallen friend.

Was she involved?

A faint rustling behind him pulled his attention, but he didn't turn.

He didn't need to.

A smooth, familiar voice followed.

"You're tense, Kisuke."

The black cat that had been resting nearby was gone, replaced by a tall, elegant, and effortlessly composed woman.

Yoruichi Shihōin.

She finished adjusting her clothing, her golden eyes glinting with their usual sharp amusement as she observed him carefully.

"You felt it too, huh?" Kisuke murmured, finally lowering his fan, his expression unreadable.

Yoruichi folded her arms across her chest. "Hard not to. The air's practically humming."

Kisuke's gaze flickered back toward the distant plume of smoke, his thoughts spinning.

Yoruichi followed his line of sight, her expression turning contemplative.

"You're thinking about her," she said after a beat. It wasn't a question.

Kisuke didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he sighed, tilting his hat lower. "What kind of guardian would I be if I wasn't?"

Yoruichi smirked slightly, but there was warmth behind it. "Still pretending you're not attached?"

Kisuke chuckled under his breath. "It's not pretending if I've accepted it."

Yoruichi hummed, stepping forward until she was beside him. Together, they watched the distant skyline, an unspoken understanding settling between them.

She had known Asahi, too.

Had fought alongside him.

Had called him friend.

And now, here they were—watching over the last thing he left behind.

Yoruichi exhaled through her nose, her voice dropping slightly. "Do you think she's ready?"

Kisuke's gaze darkened.

"Sara's strong," he said softly. "But I don't think 'ready' is the right word."

Yoruichi tilted her head, her sharp golden eyes locking onto his. "Then what is?"

Kisuke's fingers tapped idly against the handle of his fan.

"... She's fated for this. Whether she likes it or not."

For once, there was no humor in his voice.

Only certainty.

And maybe, just maybe—a bit of regret.

Yoruichi sighed, stretching her arms lazily above her head. "Guess that means we'll be keeping a closer eye on things, huh?"

Kisuke smirked, his usual playfulness creeping back in. "Why, Yoruichi, are you volunteering for surveillance duty?"

Yoruichi scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I've been watching over Sara for years."

Kisuke chuckled. "That, I do know."

A comfortable silence settled between them.

Then, without another word, Kisuke stepped forward.

"Come on," he murmured. "Let's find out exactly what kind of mess our little psychic has walked into."

Yoruichi, her smirk widening, fell into step beside him.

And just like that—the game had begun.