Tokyo, May 2027.
The city was loud as always, traffic was huge, people rushing from place to place, city sounds echoing nonstop. But there sure are some exceptions, a quiet riverside.
Akamine Aki lay on the grass with his hands behind his head, watching butterflies drift between the flowers. The breeze carried the smell of trees and wet soil, and for a moment, it felt like the city didn't exist.
At that moment though. A small kitten had stopped in the middle of the road, frozen as its mother kept walking ahead. A car came speeding toward it. The driver wasn't even looking because he had his eyes stuck to his phone.
Aki's heart jumped. He jumped up and ran towards the road.
"Too slow"
The thought hit him. He wouldn't make it. His legs weren't fast enough, his voice wasn't loud enough. The car was almost there.
That was the moment.
His vision flared. His eyes glowed faintly.
In an instant his outstretched hands pulled the kitten toward him as if it had been yanked by an invisible magnet.
"Whatt?!"
The tiny kitten landed on his face, it's claws grabbing his skin. The car blasted past without stopping. The kitten was safe.
Something else happened at that moment though, For a split second, the entire city felt it, the release of energy. A shockwave erupted from Aki's body, rushing out like a silent explosion. The ground quivered. Windows rattled.
Aki staggered back, clutching the kitten, staring at his glowing hands.
"…What… what was that…?"
As if this wasn't enough. Not giving him time to breathe, Two men appeared out of nowhere. Without a warning or words they started fighting, sudden movement, fists colliding with a deafening crash.
The ground shook. Grass ripped from the soil. The air warped with every blow. Windows shattered in the buildings nearby, broken glass falling across the street.
Each strike released a burst of power that made Aki's chest tighten. They were fighting so close he could feel the pressure on his skin.
For two minutes he could only watch, frozen.
Then, the man standing in front of him shifted his stance. A strange force rippled through the air, knocking his opponent off balance. That move alone produced so much pressure that it rendered aki unconscious.
The last thing he felt was the kitten still clinging to his cheek.
Aki woke up to the softness of a bed.
He blinked at the white ceiling above him, confused, before slowly sitting up. His body didn't ache. Not even a scratch.
"…Where am I?"
The room was plain but neat. A wooden desk. A wardrobe. White curtains swaying with the breeze. It didn't feel like a hospital.
Aki got up and opened the door.
Outside, a wide corridor stretched out, filled with voices and movement. People no, students, walked by in matching uniforms, their chatter casual, like this was completely normal.
He took a few cautious steps into the hall, trying to process it all, when a calm voice spoke from behind.
"You're awake sooner than I expected."
Aki turned around.
A tall man stood there, sharp-eyed but composed, dressed neatly as if he'd walked out of a lecture. His presence was quiet, but it weighed on the air around him.
"I'm Aoshi Shigure," the man said. "Welcome to the Magistrate Academy."
"…Magistrate Academy?" Aki asked. His voice was steady, he wasn't panicking. He simply wanted answers.
Shigure nodded, walking past him with his hands in his pockets, as if giving a tour. "This is a school for people like you. Those who awakened and control their magicule energy. We call them magistrates."
"Magistrates…" Aki repeated under his breath.
Shigure glanced at him. "Every living being produces magicule energy, but only a few can utilise it. When I arrived earlier, you awakened ur inner energy. The shockwave you released wasn't something I could ignore."
Aki frowned slightly. "Shockwave…?"
"You nearly shook half the city awake," Shigure said. "Your potential is… abnormal. Which means others would notice. That's why I intervened. I expected something weird would happen next, and i was right"
Aki's eyes sharpened. "The man you were fighting?"
Shigure's expression hardened, slightly. "Yes. Until now, there was no one in Japan capable of matching me. But he did. I had to hold him off while my students pulled you out of danger."
The whole explanation should have been overwhelming. Most people would be terrified or confused.
But Aki who had always carried his days with a detached calm, felt something else instead. His lips curled into a grin.
"Oh my. Life was so boring," he said, almost laughing. "Finally… something changed."
The nearby students who overheard him burst out laughing. Even Shigure, lauphed it off, since it was the first, or one of the few times someone reacted that way.
For the first time in years, Aki felt his chest filled with excitement.
The scene fades to black.
...
Darkness.
Chains rattled in a silent room. Light coming from an opening in the door.
A man stood there, half-hidden by the shadows. His gaze was fixed on something moving in the darkness before him, its form unclear.
A man in black robes entered the room, bowing his head. "Master Arada. Shall we proceed with the plan?"
Arada didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed, replaying the memory of the boy and that uncontrolled shockwave.
"No," he said. His voice was calm, deliberate. "What happened today may change everything. His potential… might be the key to turning the tides."
The subordinate bowed lower. "Yes, Master Arada. We will await your instructions."
The chains rattled again in the dark, and the room sank into silence.
End of prologue.