The air trembled as Kaito's hand erupted in flame — not ordinary fire, but a roaring blue blaze that lit the classroom like a star. The heat washed over him, fierce yet familiar. His chest tightened, not with fear, but with recognition.
So it's still with me, he thought. Even in this body.
The nearest Shadowspawn lunged, shrieking. Kaito raised his arm, and the flames leapt forward, swallowing the creature whole. It dissolved into smoke before it even hit the ground.
More came, rushing him in a blur of claws and shadow. Kaito moved without hesitation. His fire coiled and lashed at his command, striking with precision, tearing through the enemy line. Each movement carried echoes of something deeper — instincts older than this human body — but he pushed the thought down.
This wasn't the time to remember. This was the time to survive.
The last Shadowspawn collapsed into ash, silence falling over the ruined room. The blue fire still burned in Kaito's palm, alive, restless. Slowly, he clenched his fist, forcing it smaller until the flames curled against his skin like a chained beast.
The Circle stared. Mira's sparks fizzled out at her fingertips.
"Blue fire…?" she whispered. "That shouldn't exist."
Ryo's cocky grin was gone. "That wasn't fire. That was… something else."
Jin scowled, frost steaming from his shoulders. "No human should have that kind of power."
Their suspicion weighed heavy on him, but Kaito forced a shaky laugh. "I guess I'm just full of surprises."
He kept his tone light, but his heart hammered. They couldn't know. Not yet. If they learned who he truly was—what he truly was—everything could fall apart before it even began.
Aria stepped closer, her eyes sharp, studying him as though searching for an answer he refused to give. "Kaito… what are you?"
For a moment, he almost told her. The truth burned on his tongue. But then he forced the fire back down, both inside and out, until only faint embers remained.
"Just someone who wants to survive," he said quietly. "That's all."
The Circle exchanged uneasy glances, but no one pressed him further. For now, his secret remained safe.
But deep down, Kaito knew the fire inside him would never stay hidden forever.