The night air vibrated with the energy of the crowd, voices and lights blurring into a single, pulsating heartbeat. Ruby Hoshino was standing backstage, adjusting her earpiece while the faint hum of the sound system coursed through her body. Fans had already started screaming, a wave of emotion so intense that it seemed almost tangible. She felt it brushing against her skin, a mixture of anticipation, adoration, and a strange undercurrent of something darker—jealousy, resentment, obsession. Her stomach twisted uneasily. Why does it feel… alive?
The stage lights flared, and Aqua appeared beside her, checking the strings of his guitar, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a thin tension that mirrored hers. "Ruby," he said softly, but firmly. "Do you feel that too? Something's… off tonight."
Ruby nodded, unable to put words to it. The vibrations she usually felt as excitement now carried sharp edges, pricks of unease crawling along her spine. She had begun sensing things—tiny fluctuations in the emotions of those around her, whispers of fear, envy, or hatred hidden beneath the cheers. She didn't understand it fully, but she knew it wasn't normal.
The announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, signaling the start of the concert. Ruby stepped into the bright glare of the lights, the audience a churning sea of faces, each one radiating raw emotion. As she sang, the sensations intensified. The adrenaline, the delight, the envy—they combined into a palpable force that she could almost see swirling in the air. Then, a sharp distortion sliced through the energy, like a sudden static shock in her mind.
Something was wrong.
Aqua's fingers tightened on his guitar. "Ruby, focus," he murmured, his voice carrying urgency she hadn't heard before. Their eyes met briefly, and she understood—this wasn't a regular performance. Something had manifested.
The first curse appeared without warning. It was subtle at first, a shadowed shape rising from the crowd, twisting and writhing like smoke, taking the form of a humanoid figure with hollow eyes. The screams of the fans grew louder, but the entity ignored them, drawn to Ruby and Aqua. She could feel its malevolent intent, a pull against her senses, and instinctively, her body reacted.
Her hands trembled, and the faint glow around her eyes intensified. Ruby's heart raced as she realized—I can see it. I can see the emotions, the energy, and it's forming… something. She extended her hand instinctively, and a faint ripple of energy pulsed from her, brushing the edge of the shadowy figure. It recoiled, hissing like a creature caught in light.
Aqua reacted immediately, channeling his anger and frustration into his own emerging power. Energy coalesced around his hands, materializing into sharp, jagged constructs that cut through the air with a metallic hum. He struck at the curse, and the collision of their combined energies sent a shockwave across the stage. Fans screamed, some in fear, some in exhilaration. The entity staggered but did not fall, feeding instead on the waves of negative emotions from the panicking crowd.
Ruby's mind raced. This is what Gojo meant… the concentration of negative emotion, it can… it can awaken them. She couldn't finish the thought, because the shadow surged, splitting into smaller tendrils, each one seeking out fear, jealousy, or anger like a predator hunting prey.
Aqua shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. "Ruby! Keep it contained! Don't let it touch the crowd!"
Ruby focused, her vision sharpening. Each tendril carried a distinct emotional signature. Some sought those who had openly cheered for her, others targeted the fans secretly jealous of her success. Ruby's newfound ability, her clairvoyance of emotions, allowed her to predict the tendrils' movements. She directed her energy, forming barriers of shimmering light that pulsed with the collective force of her and Aqua's aura.
The battle intensified. The shadow entity surged toward them, and Ruby felt a peculiar tremor deep in her chest. Her vision blurred as a foreboding thought crept into her mind: This… this is just the beginning. If too many of these emotions gather… something worse will awaken.
Aqua noticed the change in her expression. "Ruby… what is it?"
She swallowed hard. "I think… if too much negative emotion accumulates in one place… it could awaken… something enormous. Something ancient." Her voice faltered as the words left her mouth. "The Four Horsemen…"
Aqua's eyes widened slightly, but he did not hesitate. "Then we make sure that doesn't happen," he said, determination steeling his tone. His constructs became sharper, faster, more precise, cutting off tendrils before they could reach the fans.
The shadow entity roared, a soundless scream that resonated in the pit of their stomachs. It was feeding off the panic, growing larger with every passing second. Ruby and Aqua moved in perfect synchrony, a dance of light and shadow, of music and energy, pushing back against the encroaching darkness.
From backstage, Ruby caught a glimpse of movement. Figures in long robes appeared at the edges of the crowd, observing rather than fleeing. Her heart sank. Gojo and Yuji. They had arrived.
Gojo's voice carried over the chaos, calm but cutting through the noise. "Step aside, Hoshinos. We've got this—"
"No!" Ruby yelled, defiance ringing in her voice. "We can do this!" Her eyes flared brighter, the energy around her pulsating with every beat of the crowd's emotional heart. Aqua mirrored her intensity, channeling his anger into controlled bursts, slicing through the tendrils with precise, lethal force.
The combined energy of the Hoshinos' emerging powers and the fear-tinged emotions of the crowd created a storm that threatened to consume the entire stage. Ruby's heart pounded; her energy flared uncontrollably, brushing against limits she didn't yet understand. She glimpsed the shadow entity beginning to fracture, smaller forms breaking off, yet each fragment thrived on fear and anger, feeding off the chaos.
Then, a sudden, bone-chilling wave swept through her mind—a vision she could not block. Four colossal, armored figures riding spectral horses appeared, their eyes like black voids swallowing all light. The crowd's collective panic and envy formed a conduit, a signal that reached across time and space. Ruby staggered back, her breath catching. If the negative emotion keeps growing… they will awaken…
Aqua grabbed her arm. "Ruby! Focus!"
She nodded, trembling but determined. Together, they unleashed a synchronized surge of power, a combination of emotional clairvoyance and anger-forged constructs. The shadow entity screamed as it was dispersed, but Ruby knew this was only temporary. The warning had been made, the line crossed—they were playing with forces far beyond ordinary curses.
Gojo and Yuji stepped forward, expressions unreadable. "Interesting," Gojo said, his smile thin, "you two have potential. But potential isn't enough. If you can't control it… it will control you."
Ruby's chest heaved as she absorbed the weight of his words. She looked at Aqua, who gave her a small, reassuring nod. We'll control it. We have to.
As the crowd cheered, oblivious to the supernatural battle that had just unfolded, Ruby realized the stage had changed forever. Every cheer, every scream, every pang of envy or fear was now a double-edged sword—powerful, but dangerous. And somewhere deep in the shadows, the First Horseman stirred.
Ruby's thoughts hardened. This is just the beginning. We're going to have to fight harder than ever… or the world we know will end.