01
THE SACRED LAKE

( May 1997 )

 THE BOTTOM OF THE lake tasted like mud, salt, and a deep, aching regret. The water was thick, like trying to breathe through syrup, and it was sheer pain to keep her eyes open. But Kami be praised, she did. If she hadn't, she would've missed the dragon.

 He was smaller than Lihua had ever imagined. Not the towering, village-sized beasts of legends, big enough to swallow warships whole. No, this one was closer to the size of a rowboat, with scales gleaming as white as fresh snow and eyes as red as rubies, shimmering with an ancient, haunting light.

 Was this the Dragon Devil?

 He glided closer, his round ruby eyes coming so near that they mirrored her own.

 He was watching her drown.

 Lihua's lungs burned, desperate for air. Her body screamed for just one more breath, but there was nothing left. Her world began to fold in on itself.

 Please, help, Lihua begged in her mind. But the dragon didn't move. His feathery brow arched as he studied her, and for a fleeting moment, Lihua dared to hope he might save her.

 Then his tail curled around her neck, tightening like iron, squeezing the last of her breath from her.

 And then, everything went dark.

✴

 LIHUA WAS BEING GUIDED through the school's sweltering hallway on the hottest day of the year, heading toward the inevitable discussion about her exam results with her homeroom teacher and her mother.

 As she trailed behind her little brother, Haitao, down yet another sun-drenched corridor, she fiddled with the sleeve of her uniform, trying to hide a yawn while stealing a quick glance inside it.

 "Stop yawning," Tao said with a small frown.

 Lihua dropped her arm and yawned again. "If I let them all out now, I won't have to do it in front of Mama."

 "Jiejie..." Tao muttered, glancing at her.

 "You try getting up at dawn to have your hair brushed a thousand times," Lihua shot back. "Try looking perfect in a school uniform for that girl you like, Mitaka Asa." She lifted her arms in mock exasperation. "Look at all these layers. I can't even make myself look good in this boring thing!"

 A faint smile tugged at Tao's lips. "Someone might be listening, Jiejie. Keep complaining like that, and your exam results will be worse than they need to be. The principal might give you a pockmark for every time you complain about our uniform."

 Lihua's exam results. The mere mention of them drifted past her like a breeze, her mind already lost in happier thoughts──like coaxing Grandpa Jiang into sharing his secret red bean paste recipe──or, better yet, imagining herself wandering through the vibrant streets of her dream city, Kyoto.

 Being the daughter of a high-ranking Public Safety Devil Hunter, Lihua had never been allowed much freedom. Traveling outside Tokyo? That was out of the question.

 In just a year, she'd be too old for adventures like this. She'd graduate from school, and then what? The thought was enough to make Lihua sigh loudly. "Then I'm doomed," she muttered. "Mama would never let me travel to Kyoto. I'll be stuck in Tokyo forever!"

 Her brother Tao chuckled, nudging her forward. "No more complaining. We're almost there."

 Lihua rolled her eyes. Tao was starting to sound like he was sixty, not sixteen. Out of everyone──him and their cousin Hanzawa Yumi──she liked Tao best. He was the only one who could match her sharp wit. But lately, since he'd gotten so serious about his studies and started wasting his cleverness on chess games instead of causing trouble, there were things Lihua couldn't share with him anymore.

 Like the secret hidden inside her sleeve.

 A tiny tickle crept up her arm, and she scratched at her elbow, trying to ignore it.

 Just to be sure, she pinched the wide opening of her sleeve shut. If Tao found out what she was hiding, she'd never hear the end of it.

 From him, from Yumi, or especially from her mother.

 "Jiejie," Tao whispered, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong with your school uniform?"

 Lihua quickly glanced at her sleeve, feigning concern. "I think I tore it," she said, pretending to adjust the fabric. "It's so hot today." She made a dramatic show of looking out at the towering buildings and the distant skyscrapers. "Don't you wish we were outside swimming instead of going to my homeroom teacher?"

 Tao studied her, his brow furrowing with suspicion. "Jiejie, don't change the subject."

 Lihua lowered her gaze, trying her best to look guilty, while she subtly tugged at her sleeve. "You're right, Didi. I need to grow up. Thank you for... for..."

 A light sensation brushed against her arm again, making her flinch. She quickly pressed her elbow against her side to silence the tiny, almost imperceptible sound. Something hidden inside her uniform was becoming more restless, causing the fabric to shift unnaturally.

 "For coming with me to see my homeroom teacher," Lihua finished hastily, her voice suddenly bright. "Without you, Mama would probably have to wait forever for me to show up."

 She quickened her pace toward the Teacher's Office, but Tao, ever the curious little brother, grabbed her sleeve, pulled it up, and gave it a violent shake.

 Out darted a paper bird, as small and quick as a dragonfly. From a distance, she resembled a tiny sparrow, with a dark red dot on her head. Her wings beat wildly as she flitted from Lihua's arm to Tao's head, hovering right in front of his face.

 Tao's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in surprise.

 "Haru!" Lihua whispered urgently, opening her sleeve. "Come back inside!"

 But Haru didn't listen. Instead, she perched on Tao's nose and gently brushed it with her wing, showing affection. Lihua's shoulders relaxed. Animals always seemed to like Tao, and she was sure Haru would charm him, just as she had charmed Lihua, even though she was an Origami Devil.

 Then, Lihua's brother reached out, hands swiping at the air in an attempt to catch the bird.

 "Don't hurt her!" Lihua cried.

 Haru shot upward, narrowly escaping his grasp. She bounced off the wooden shutters of the windows, searching for an open one as she sped down the hallway.

 Lihua started to chase after her, but Tao grabbed his sister, holding her firmly as her shoes slid against the smooth tiles.

 "Let it go. It's a devil," he whispered urgently into his sister's ear. "We'll talk about this later."

 Just then, Lihua's homeroom teacher, Yamamoto sensei, burst through the doors with a broad smile. "Lihua! You're finally here... your mother is waiting for you."

 Inside, their mother sat in a chair, her presence heavy in the air. She radiated a sense of impatience that made the room feel colder. When her sharp yellow eyes locked onto Lihua's, she tilted her head, a gaze that seemed to pierce right through her. Makima still wore her work uniform, her gaze constantly shifting down to her wristwatch, signaling that time was running out for her.

 A cold shiver crawled down Lihua's spine. A tight knot of dread formed in her chest. What if she entered that room and told her mother about the exam results? What if Makima was disappointed... or worse, disgusted? The thought of being rejected sent her pulse racing. And if she didn't find Haru, someone else might──and her secret would be exposed.

 Lihua's secret: she had found an Origami Devil, shaped like a bird, and somehow, against all odds, befriended it.

 Without another word, Lihua turned and dashed away, shoving past Tao, who was too stunned to stop her.

 "Lihua!" Yamamoto sensei called after her. "Jiang Lihua!"

 Lihua yanked off her school blazer and tossed it aside as she sprinted after Haru. The weight of the blazer had felt like a suit of armor, and peeling it off was like shaking free of a heavy burden. Her arms and shoulders finally felt light, as if she could fly. She left the blazer crumpled in the hall and threw herself through an open window, landing in the garden below.

 The sun was harsh, its glare making her squint, but she kept her focus on Haru, who darted ahead. Lihua weaved through the orchard of cherry trees, then into the citrus grove. Her wild dash sent birds fluttering into the sky, startled by her movement.

 Lihua had planned to leave Haru hidden safely in her room, tucked away in a jewelry box, but the little Origami Devil had other ideas. Haru had flapped her tiny wings furiously, rattling the box so much that Lihua feared her mother might find her while she was out.

 Best to keep her with me, Lihua thought.

 "Promise you'll be good?" she had asked, though part of her already knew the answer.

 Haru had nodded her head──Lihua had taken it as a yes.

 Wrong.

 Devils take me, I had to be the biggest idiot in Tokyo!

 But Lihua refused to regret caring for Haru, even if she was just a paper bird──a devil wrapped in delicate folds of origami.

 Haru was hers. When her brother and Yumi were always buried in their studies and responsibilities, Lihua had been alone. But Haru listened to her, kept her secrets, and made her smile. Each day, she felt more alive, more real. She was her only true friend.

 I couldn't let her go.

 Lihua's paper bird fluttered out of the school gates, soaring across the quiet streets before heading toward the abandoned building where she had first found Haru. The guards at the gates shouted and waved their fists at her, but they soon realized the chase was futile and turned back to report the incident to the principal.

 Meanwhile, Haru drifted serenely in the center of the Sacred Lake, her figure barely disturbing the calm surface of the water. She floated with grace, as if she hadn't just upended Lihua's morning.

 By the time Lihua reached the lake's edge, she was breathless, her chest tight from running. Even without her outer coat, her school uniform felt heavy against her skin, weighing her down.

 "Haru!" Lihua shouted, tossing a pebble into the water to get her attention. But Haru only glided farther away, unbothered. "This isn't the time to play."

 Lihua's mind raced with worry. If anyone found out she'd discovered an Origami Devil, Makima would ask endless questions. The thought made her stomach twist. And that was nothing compared to what would happen if Makima found out. She worked at the Public Safety Devil Hunter office, a place Lihua never wanted to be connected to.

 In a panic, she quickly kicked off her shoes and peeled off her socks. Without hesitating, she dove into the lake.

 Though she had spent much of her time studying and doing chores at home, Lihua was a strong swimmer. She had her brother and cousin to thank for that. When they were younger, the three of them would sneak to this lake for secret summer evening swims. The water was familiar to her, comforting in a way.

 Lihua kicked at Haru, her muscles straining as the sun beat down on her back, the heat pressing against her skin. But Haru was sinking deeper into the water, and Lihua's white buttoned-up shirt clung tightly to her body, drenched with sweat. Her skirt stuck to her thighs with each kick, making it harder to move. She was growing exhausted, and as the water swallowed her, the sky above disappeared.

 Choking, Lihua thrashed desperately, reaching for the surface. The more she fought, the faster she sank. Her long black hair swirled around her, drifting like dark tendrils in the water. A wave of panic surged in her chest, and her throat burned as her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

 She tugged at her skirt, but its weight only pulled her down further, and the sunlight above turned into a faint glimmer, far out of reach.

 With trembling hands, she finally ripped the skirt off──thankfully, she wore short tights underneath──and pushed herself upward with all her remaining strength. But she was still too deep. The surface felt impossibly far away, and she knew she wouldn't make it before her lungs gave out.

 She was going to die.

 Her legs kicked furiously, but the water pressed in around her, suffocating. She fought to keep calm, to stave off the panic that threatened to pull her under. Panic would only make it worse.

 Kami was coming. He would numb the pain in her muscles, the fire in her throat. Her blood turned cold, her eyelids heavy as she felt herself slipping──

 And then, through the haze, she saw it.

 A dragon.

 She first mistook him for a snake. After all, no one had seen a dragon in centuries──perhaps never at all. Did they even exist in the first place?

 The dragon glided toward Lihua, so close that she could have reached out and touched his whiskers, long and delicate like strands of silver thread.

 His clawed hand was extended, and in his grasp, between two talons, was Haru.

 For a moment, Lihua's body stirred. She kicked, desperate to reach out, but there was no strength left in her. No breath. Her world was shrinking, drained of color, as she felt her heart weakly pumping blood through her veins. Her body floated in the center of the Sacred Lake, utterly helpless.

 She didn't want to die, not yet. There were still so many things she wanted to do.

 What about my brother? Won't he be worried? I shouldn't have run away, I shouldn't have... but I can't leave Haru. She's my friend.

 "Lihua, I've finally found you."

 Of course, the dragon knew her name. Was he Death?

 "If you wish to live, you must make a contract with me. The choice is yours."

 Lihua answered without thinking, but the words escaped her as though they had never passed her lips.

 With a glint of mischief in his eyes, the dragon closed his hand, satisfied. His long tail swept behind her and coiled around her neck.

 And in that moment, her heart gave one final, weak thud.

✴

USING YOU | ❝I think I like you.❞