Chapter 12: Unexpected Visitors

The portal shimmered like a soap bubble, delicate and impossible, depositing four children into the shrine's sunlit courtyard. They tumbled with the unrestrained joy of unexpected adventure, laughter bubbling up even as they untangled themselves from each other.

"Hi, Mom!" two boys called out, their voices a chorus of pure excitement.

Haru—Kurama's oldest—had the kind of bright smile that could melt the sternest of hearts. His dark hair stuck up at adorable angles, and his eyes sparkled with unbridled curiosity. His brother Sora landed beside him, giggling and immediately reaching out to help his sibling up.

Two girls followed, their entrance a whirlwind of childish energy.

Yuki, a miniature version of Heather, struck a dramatic pose that was equal parts sass and innocence. Her Kurama-inherited crimson eyes danced with mischief, not malevolence. Beside her, Shizuka—one of Tomoe's fox twins—landed with the grace of a child who'd been practicing her "cool entrance" in front of a mirror.

A third arrival made everyone pause—but not in fear. In wonder.

Akihiko, Tomoe's teenage son, looked slightly embarrassed by the whole situation. Heather's warm brown hair, Tomoe's gentle violet eyes—he was the embodiment of awkward teenage charm, more likely to blush than to intimidate.

"We're from the future!" Haru announced, his excitement infectious.

Sora nodded, holding up a handful of what looked like futuristic candy. "And we brought snacks!"

Yuki adjusted an imaginary microphone. "Breaking news: time travel is awesome!"

Tomoe's fox-fire flickered—not in anger, but in bewildered parental confusion. "WE AREN'T EVEN MARRIED!"

Kurama looked equally surprised but couldn't help the smile spreading across his face. "How do we have such amazing children?!"

Shizuka rolled her eyes with the perfect pre-teen dramatic flair. "Adults are so weird."

Akihiko, trying to be the responsible older sibling, stepped forward. "We're here because something's happening in our time—"

His words cut off as the air around the shrine suddenly grew heavy.

Black crystals began to materialize—not gently, but with a violent, crackling energy that made the shrine's sacred ground tremble. These weren't the soft, iridescent crystals of moments before. These were obsidian nightmares, sharp-edged and pulsing with a darkness that seemed to devour light.

The children's playful expressions shifted. Not to fear, but to a focused determination that was both adorable and unsettling.

Yuki's crimson eyes hardened. "They're here."

Sora moved closer to his brother, his earlier giggles replaced by a protective stance.

Akihiko stepped forward, violet eyes scanning the crystalline darkness. "Black Moon Clan," he whispered, a name that carried the weight of untold battles.

Mizuki's snake familiar slithered between the children and the forming crystals, its usually sarcastic demeanor replaced by a protective coil.

The shrine—once a place of peaceful magic—now crackled with the potential of an impending supernatural conflict.

Just another day of protecting Tokyo. Only this time, the protectors were barely old enough for middle school.