The morning sun barely pierced the gray clouds over Sumeragi High, casting long, thin shadows along the cracked concrete courtyard. Kaien Mori slouched against the cold metal railing, backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. He tugged at his sleeves, trying to ignore the familiar ache in his stomach—a mix of nerves and hunger.
"Late again, Mori."
Kaien flinched at the voice. Kaida Ren stood there, his hands stuffed in his pockets, brows furrowed, and eyes flicking to the school clock tower.
"Yeah, yeah," Kaien muttered, averting his gaze. "Got caught up in… uh… life."
Kaida rolled his eyes. "Life, huh? You mean brushing your teeth? Or maybe staring at the ceiling like you do every morning?"
Kaien forced a grin. "Something like that."
Ren snorted, stepping closer. "Seriously, you need to get your act together. If you keep being late, the teachers are going to start calling you out."
Kaien shuffled, avoiding eye contact. There it was again—the subtle judgment that clung to him like a shadow. In every class, every hallway, even the cafeteria, Kaien Mori felt like he didn't quite belong. Weak, awkward, small… a boy barely noticeable.
He adjusted his backpack straps and started walking, Kaida falling into step beside him.
"You ever think about why life's so unfair?" Kaien asked quietly. "Like, some people just… glide through, and others… get stomped on."
Kaida chuckled softly. "You think too much, Mori. But maybe you're right. Some people are just built for it, and some aren't. That's life."
Kaien sighed. "Feels like I'm the poster boy for 'not built for it.'"
Ren didn't reply immediately, choosing instead to glance at the students around them. Groups of laughing friends, the occasional loud voice of a teacher, and the distant hum of the city all seemed impossibly far away from Kaien's reality.
"You know," Ren said finally, "maybe you're just waiting for something… big. Something to make all this boring crap matter."
Kaien frowned. "Big? What kind of 'big'?"
Ren shrugged. "I don't know. Something that shakes your world. Something that makes you feel… alive."
Kaien stared at the gray asphalt beneath his feet. Alive? The word felt foreign. He'd been alive every day, sure, but in a way that never mattered. A day was just a day, a shadow of the last one. Nothing ever changed. And maybe that was the problem.
---
The first bell rang, echoing through the hallways like a command. Kaien trudged toward his classroom, Ren beside him.
"Hey!" A voice called from behind. It was Takuro Hoshigami, tall and composed, with dark hair that seemed to absorb the light around him. "Mori! You're walking like you're about to be eaten by a monster."
Kaien blinked. "Morning, Takuro."
Takuro smirked. "You really need to get some energy. At this rate, I'll have to carry you to class."
Kaien muttered, "I'm fine."
Ren rolled his eyes at Takuro. "Don't push him too hard."
Takuro's eyes flicked to Ren, then back to Kaien. "Relax. I'm just teasing." There was something in his gaze, though, sharp and calculating, that made Kaien shift slightly.
The classroom was a familiar cage—faded posters on the walls, dusty chalkboards, and the quiet murmur of students preparing for the day. Kaien slid into his usual seat near the back, hoping to disappear into the crowd.
"Hey, you got that homework?" A voice whispered. It was Haruka, a bright-eyed girl from his class. She held out a sheet of paper.
Kaien shook his head. "I… forgot."
Haruka sighed, but there was a softness in her eyes. "You always forget. Maybe one day you'll surprise me."
Kaien offered a weak smile. "Maybe one day."
The teacher arrived, droning on about history and politics, but Kaien's mind wandered. He watched shadows stretch across the room, the way sunlight hit the dust motes in the air. Everything felt static, ordinary, predictable. And yet… sometimes, he caught glimpses of something else. A flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, a whisper of sound he couldn't explain.
He shook his head. "Stop imagining things, Mori," he muttered under his breath.
---
Lunch arrived, and Kaien joined Renji and Kenta at their usual table. The cafeteria buzzed with conversation, but Kaien sat quietly, picking at his food.
"You're quiet today," Kenta said, munching on a sandwich. "Usually, you're thinking about… something weird."
Kaien shrugged. "Just… thinking."
Renji leaned closer. "About what?"
Kaien hesitated. "Nothing. Just… life. This ordinary life. Sometimes it feels like it's not even mine."
Renji frowned. "You sound serious. Don't tell me you're getting all philosophical now."
Haruka slid into the seat across from him, smiling. "He's always like this. Deep thoughts, Mori."
Kaien forced a grin. "Yeah… deep thoughts about being nothing special."
The group laughed softly, but Kaien's smile didn't reach his eyes. He wanted to tell someone about the strange dreams—the visions of darkness, of creatures beyond comprehension—but how could he? Who would believe him?
"Hey, want to skip after lunch and head to the park?" Renji asked suddenly.
Kaien blinked. "Why?"
"For fun," Kenta said with a grin. "You could use it. We could… I don't know… pretend we're normal for a while."
Kaien hesitated. But maybe… just maybe… normal could wait.
---
That afternoon, they walked through the park. The trees swayed in a gentle breeze, leaves rustling like whispers. Kaien felt… lighter somehow, though unease lingered.
"Ever feel like you're being watched?" Kaien asked quietly.
Haruka tilted her head. "Watched? By who?"
Kaien shook his head. "I don't know… maybe it's nothing."
But it wasn't nothing. He felt it again—a shadow at the edge of his vision, moving too fast to be human. A chill ran down his spine.
Renji noticed. "You're pale. What is it?"
Kaien forced a laugh. "Probably just… allergies."
Haruka frowned. "You're lying."
Kaien opened his mouth to protest but stopped. He couldn't explain it, not yet. All he knew was that his ordinary life was ending—he could feel it like a storm rolling in from the horizon.
---
That evening, Kaien returned home to the quiet apartment he shared with his mother, Kaien Hana. She was in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
"Kaien, how was school?" she asked, smiling.
"Fine," he replied, though he knew it wasn't.
Hana studied him carefully. "You seem… distracted. Is something wrong?"
Kaien shook his head. "Nothing. Just… tired."
She nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a gentle concern. "You've always been a thinker. That's okay. But remember, it's okay to live in the moment too."
Kaien forced a smile. "Yeah… I'll try."
As he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, the shadows seemed to stretch closer. There was a pull, a tug at the edges of his vision, as if some other world was calling him. The dreams had started again—visions of darkness, of creatures he couldn't name, of a power far greater than his own.
He shivered and pulled the blanket tighter.
"Something is coming. Something that will change everything."
Kaien didn't know it yet, but tomorrow would not be ordinary. His life would fracture, and he would step into a world beyond comprehension—a Shadow World where strength and survival were everything.
And there, he would discover what it truly meant to be Kaien Mori.
---