The morning after the nightmare, Kaien Draven looked almost normal. He walked into Ravenwood High, his uniform slightly wrinkled, his hair unkempt as always. To anyone else, he was just another student.
But inside, everything had changed.
His fingers still tingled from the blade's power. He could feel it, even though the sword itself had vanished when the sun rose. It was as if the weapon had fused with him, waiting to be summoned.
"This is only the beginning," the whisper echoed faintly in his chest.
---
School Life
"Yo, Draven!"
A heavy slap landed on his shoulder. Kaien blinked out of his thoughts to see his best friend, Ren Kurogane — loud, brash, and always smiling. His dyed silver hair caught the morning sun as he grinned.
"You look like hell, man. Studying too late again?"
"Something like that," Kaien muttered, forcing a half-smile.
Ren laughed, completely oblivious. He always was. "Well, at least try to stay awake today. We've got exams coming up. And hey—don't forget, tonight's the festival. You're coming, right?"
Before Kaien could answer, another voice chimed in.
"Of course he's coming."
Kaien turned, and there she was. Aria Valen. The girl who sat two rows ahead of him in class, her dark hair tied neatly, her eyes the color of stormy skies. She wasn't the loudest in the room, but something about her presence always drew Kaien's attention.
She smiled faintly, tilting her head. "Unless you're planning to hide in your room again?"
Kaien froze for a moment before replying, "…I'll think about it."
Ren groaned. "That's code for no. Dude, live a little!"
---
The Festival Lights
That evening, Ravenwood was alive with color. Lanterns hung from wires, food stalls lined the streets, and laughter carried through the air. Students crowded the festival in uniforms and casual clothes, their voices buzzing like the city itself.
Kaien walked among them, Ren at his side, dragging him from booth to booth.
"Try this takoyaki! Oh, oh, let's do the shooting game!" Ren shouted, practically vibrating with energy.
Kaien allowed himself a small smile. For a few hours, he almost felt normal again. The chaos of last night, the demons, the sword—it all faded behind the glow of festival lights.
Then Aria appeared.
She wore a simple yukata, dark blue with silver patterns like falling rain. She carried a candied apple in one hand, and when her eyes met Kaien's, she stopped.
"You actually came," she said softly.
Kaien shifted awkwardly. "Ren dragged me."
Aria's lips curved into the faintest smile. "I'm glad."
For a brief moment, standing under lantern light, Kaien almost forgot the whispers in his chest. Almost.
---
Shadows Return
But peace never lasted.
It started as a ripple in the air. The laughter around him warped, the lanterns flickered. Kaien's vision darkened at the edges as purple mist began to seep through the cracks of reality.
His chest tightened. He knew this feeling.
Demons.
Ren and Aria didn't notice — they couldn't. To them, nothing was wrong. But to Kaien, the shadows writhed and twisted at the edges of the crowd.
From behind the festival shrine, a shape emerged. Tall, hunched, with claws scraping the ground. Its eyes glowed crimson, its body a nightmare stitched together from black tendrils.
Kaien's hand twitched. The sword. He could feel it calling.
"Kaien?" Aria's voice broke through his haze. She was staring at him, brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"
He forced a breath. "Stay close to Ren. Don't move."
Before she could question him, Kaien slipped into the alley behind the shrine. The mist thickened, and the demon followed, its laughter guttural and chilling.
---
The Summoning
Kaien stood alone in the shadows. His pulse thundered, but his fear was buried beneath something colder.
He raised his hand. The words came unbidden, as if carved into his soul.
"Oblivion Fang… awaken."
The blade materialized in his grip, purple lightning crackling along its edge. The demon hissed, its body twisting unnaturally.
"You picked the wrong night," Kaien muttered, eyes glowing violet.
The creature lunged, claws slicing through the air. Kaien met it head-on.
Steel clashed against darkness. Sparks flew. Each strike reverberated through his arms, but with every swing, the sword felt lighter, as if it belonged to him.
The demon roared, slamming him against the shrine wall. Pain lanced through his side, but Kaien gritted his teeth. He spun, blade slicing upward, carving a glowing arc across the monster's chest.
It shrieked, shadows spilling like blood.
---
The Witness
Kaien was about to finish it when a gasp froze him.
He turned.
Aria stood at the edge of the alley. Her eyes wide, her lips parted. She saw it — the demon, the blade, the power crackling around him.
"Aria—!"
The demon lunged again. Kaien barely had time to push her aside as the creature's claw ripped through the ground where she stood.
Her scream pierced the night.
Kaien's fury ignited. With a single strike, he drove Oblivion Fang through the demon's core. Purple fire exploded, devouring the creature until only ashes remained.
Silence fell.
Aria's eyes were fixed on him. On the glowing blade. On the shadows curling around his body.
"…Kaien," she whispered. "What are you?"
Kaien's grip tightened on the sword. He didn't have an answer.
---
The Burden
By the time Ren found them, the mist had vanished, and the alley looked normal again. Aria said nothing, only staring at Kaien with a storm in her gaze.
That night, as Kaien walked home, the whisper returned, colder than ever.
"The world of shadows has chosen you. And now… others will see."
Kaien clenched his fist. His secret was no longer his own. And somewhere deep down, he knew — this was only the first crack in the fragile life he once had.