Opening Scene – A Fluttering Heart
Morning light streamed through the curtains of Akio's room.
The sky was clear, yet his heart was heavy, his breaths shallow.
Today was the day—the regional badminton tournament.
He sat on the edge of his bed, clutching his racket as though it were a lifeline. His hands trembled so violently that the strings buzzed with a faint hum.
"I'm ready... aren't I?" he thought.
"I've trained for this. Yukiko believes in me.
I've worked harder than anyone..."
But a darker whisper slithered into his mind.
"You've been here before, haven't you?
Standing on a stage, being expected to succeed.
And we both know how that ended."
Images of his old life came rushing back:
the magic academy's test,
the disappointed faces of teachers,
the cruel laughter of bullies,
the way the council looked at him like he was filth.
He clutched his stomach, gasping.
"Stop... stop it!"
But the memories wouldn't fade.
At that moment, there was a knock at his door.
"Akio!" Yukiko's voice rang out, warm and steady.
"You awake? The team's waiting downstairs!"
Akio took one last shaky breath and forced a smile.
"Coming!"
He wasn't ready, but he couldn't let Yukiko see his fear.
The Tournament Arena
The tournament was held in a massive gymnasium in the neighboring city.
As their bus pulled up, Akio's eyes widened.
Crowds of spectators filled the entrance, colorful banners waving overhead.
The building seemed to hum with energy—anticipation, excitement, competition.
Inside, the courts stretched endlessly, players warming up in every direction.
The rhythmic thwip-thwip of shuttle's echoed like war drums.
Akio felt small.
Insignificant.
The mountain he'd thought he was climbing suddenly seemed to have no summit.
"Hey," Yukiko said, nudging him.
"You're gonna be fine. Remember, this isn't about winning or losing. It's about showing the world your game."
Akio nodded, gripping his racket tightly.
"My game..."
The First Match – A Shaky Start
The opening match was brutal.
Akio's opponent was taller, faster, and clearly more experienced.
Within minutes, Akio was down by several points.
Sweat stung his eyes, his breaths ragged.
He could hear the whispers of the crowd.
"Who's that kid? He looks like he's never played before."
"Yikes, he's gonna get crushed."
Each comment cut into him like a blade.
"This is just like the academy," he thought desperately.
"They're laughing again. They always laugh."
His hands began to shake.
On the next serve, he missed completely.
The shuttle fell at his feet like a dead bird.
The referee's voice boomed: "Point, red side!"
For a moment, Akio felt the urge to run off the court, to vanish, to never be seen again.
But then he saw Yukiko in the stands, fists clenched, shouting:
"Come on, Akio! You've got this! Just breathe!"
Akio closed his eyes.
Breathed in.
And let everything else fade away.
When he opened his eyes, the fear was still there—but so was resolve.
"I've run enough times.
Not today."
The next rally was different.
Akio moved with precision, his footwork clean, his shots sharp.
He didn't win the match—but he fought tooth and nail for every point, refusing to be crushed.
When it ended, his opponent gave him a small nod of respect.
"You're better than you look, kid."
For Akio, that single sentence was a victory of its own.
The Shadow Appears
As the day went on, Akio sat with Yukiko between matches, sipping water.
The tension in the air grew as the tournament progressed—better players, higher stakes.
Then, during the announcement of the next bracket, a name echoed through the loudspeakers:
"Next match: Akio Mune versus... Sora Veylan!"
Akio froze.
That name—Sora—sent a chill down his spine.
It didn't belong to anyone from this world.
It belonged to his old world.
His head snapped toward the court.
There, standing tall and confident, was a kid with silver hair and piercing golden eyes.
His uniform was identical to the others, but his aura was wrong.
It radiated something cold, something otherworldly.
When their eyes met, Sora smirked.
"Found you," he said softly, just loud enough for Akio to hear.
Akio's breath caught.
"How... how do you know me?"
Sora tilted his head.
"Magic, courts, bullies... I know everything about you, Akio.
Or should I call you failure?"
The word cut deeper than any insult before.
Yukiko, confused, looked between them.
"Akio, what's going on?"
Akio's hands shook violently.
"He... he shouldn't be here.
This world... it's supposed to be safe..."
Sora chuckled darkly.
"There's no running from the past.
Even here."
The Match of Ghosts
The match began with a deafening whistle.
Sora moved like a phantom, impossibly fast, his shots precise and brutal.
It wasn't just skill—it was almost inhuman.
Akio struggled to keep up, his body pushed to its absolute limit.
But worse than Sora's strength were his words.
Between every rally, Sora whispered venom.
"Remember when they laughed at you during the exam?"
"Remember when your roommate begged to leave because you disgusted him?"
"Remember the night you died alone, unwanted?"
Each memory struck like a blow, dragging Akio back into the abyss he'd fought so hard to escape.
At one point, Akio stumbled, nearly falling to his knees.
The crowd gasped.
"I can't do this," he thought, vision blurring with tears.
"I'll lose... I'll be nothing again..."
Then, through the haze, he heard Yukiko's voice.
"Akio! Look at me!"
Akio turned his head, meeting Yukiko's fierce, unwavering gaze.
"You're not alone anymore," Yukiko shouted.
"This isn't like before. You have me, you have your team, you have the resolve to win, I know you do!
Fight for it!"
Those words pierced through the darkness.
Akio's breathing steadied.
His grip on the racket tightened.
"No," he said, voice trembling but strong.
"I'm not that teen anymore."
The Rally of Light
From that moment, Akio's play transformed.
His movements grew sharper, faster, more confident.
He matched Sora point for point, refusing to yield.
Every shot became a declaration:
I am here.
I have worth.
This life is mine.
The crowd roared as the score climbed higher, the match teetering on the edge.
Finally, on match point, Sora unleashed a devastating smash.
But Akio, eyes blazing, dove forward with every ounce of strength left in him.
His racket connected, sending the shuttle flying in a perfect counter-shot.
It struck the ground on Sora's side.
The referee's whistle blew.
"Point, Akio Mune! Match over!"
The gym erupted in cheers.
Akio collapsed to his knees, sobbing, overwhelmed by relief and triumph.
The Aftermath – A Quiet Threat
As the crowd dispersed, Sora approached, his expression unreadable.
"You won this time," he said softly.
"But remember, Akio—ghosts don't disappear just because you wish them to."
Then he leaned close, whispering words that chilled Akio to his core:
"This world isn't as safe as you think,"
He whispered, each syllable deliberate, venomous. "And it seems I'm not the only one who's been reincarnated. You being here is proof enough. Out of everyone I could've crossed paths with in this strange new world, fate handed me the bookworm nerd. Figures. No big deal, though."
His lips twisted into a smirk, the final words like a knife: "After all, you're just trash—and nothing else."
Before Akio could respond, Sora turned and walked away, vanishing into the crowd like mist.
Ending Scene – A Promise to Stand
That night, Akio sat alone on a hill overlooking the city, his racket resting beside him.
Yukiko joined him, silent for a while, before speaking gently.
"You were incredible today," he said.
"But... that kid. Who was he?"
Akio hesitated, then answered truthfully.
"He's a part of my past.
A past I thought I'd escaped."
Yukiko placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Then we'll face him together. Whatever comes, you're not alone anymore."
Akio's throat tightened with emotion.
"Thank you, Yukiko. I... I'll keep fighting.
Not just for myself, but for this world. For this life."
As the camera panned to the night sky, Akio's voice echoed in narration:
"The ghosts of yesterday may haunt me,
but they cannot define me.
This is my world now.
And I will protect it—no matter what."
TO BE CONTINUED...