The alarm hit 5:50 AM, but Rein was already awake.
He always was.
Nightmares had a habit of shaking him out of sleep before dawn—
strange flashes of a broken red world, a castle swallowed by darkness,
And a boy with the same face as his own.
Rein wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
Same dream. Same pressure in his chest. The same sense that something was watching him.
Another school day.
Another morning pretending everything was normal.
He pushed himself out of bed and caught his reflection in the mirror.
White messy hair.
Uniform half-wrinkled.
White hoodie ready to go.
Nothing special.
Except for his shadow.
It twitched a second before he moved—as it anticipated him,
Reacting to something he still couldn't feel or understand.
Rein looked away quickly. He always looked away.
He grabbed his bag, stepped into the hallway, and walked past a small wooden frame on the wall.
His mother's photograph.
She was smiling the same way she always had—warm, tired, and somehow alive even in the picture. She never made it past his seventh birthday. The crash took her instantly.
His dad?
He never met him. Never heard from him.
No letters. No calls. Nothing.
Just a blank space in his life.
Rein didn't linger. He never did.
Outside, the morning air was cool, and sunlight crawled between skyscrapers. Hover buses hummed overhead. Digital ads flickered awake across the city, all screaming the same message:
"Guild Exam Registration Open. Become an Elite Astral User."
Holograms of students soared through the air in shimmering silver light, blasting beams of Astral energy like superheroes.
Rein stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets.
"Astral users this, Astral users that…" he muttered. "I can't even control my own damn shadow."
A voice behind him chimed in:
"Cursing Astral users again, huh, Rein?"
Rein didn't need to turn.
"Hey, Zen… and I wasn't cursing them. Just complaining."
"About what?" Zen asked, raising an eyebrow as he walked up beside him.
"Uhhh, it's nothing. Forget it."
Zen sighed dramatically. "Knowing you, you won't tell me. You won't tell anyone. Dude, try to open up sometime."
Rein didn't respond.
"So… what about that girl you like?" Zen prodded. "Stella, right?"
Rein instantly went red. "Shut up."
"Haha! Bingo." Zen nudged him. "Ask her out."
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! What if she thinks I'm weird?! I can't even control my own shadow! I don't have Astral energy—you KNOW that!"
"Oh, so that's what you were mumbling earlier." Zen shrugged. "Looks fine to me."
"You cunning bastard—"
Zen immediately bolted.
"Haha—catch me if you can! See you at school!"
Rein chased him down the street, but something felt off.
Even as he ran…
His shadow moved just a little faster than he did.
A FEW BLOCKS LATER – ASTRAL ACADEMY DISTRICT
Their school loomed ahead—Silverlight Academy, the top-tier institution for young Astral Users.
Sprawling glass buildings. Floating platforms. Mechs patrolling the outer gates.
Students with glowing energy lines running across their arms, warming up for morning combat drills.
Rein slowed down as they reached the entrance.
Zen exhaled. "Home sweet home… for people with talent."
"It's not a talent," Rein said. "It's a cheat code."
Zen smirked. "Jealous?"
Rein glared. "No. Maybe. Shut up."
Silverlight Academy was divided into three divisions:
Astra Division – students with natural Astral abilities
Flux Division – students who use tech to channel or mimic abilities
Basic Division – students like Rein, with no known Astral energy
Rein was stuck in Basic.
The division nobody bragged about.
Students in Astra walked past them, silver light flickering around their eyes or fingertips. A few looked at Rein like he wasn't even worth stepping around.
He ignored them.
Mostly.
One of them, a tall guy with spiky blue hair, scoffed as he passed.
"Hey, look… shadowless Rein."
Zen frowned. "Ignore him."
Rein forced a grin. "Dude, it's fine. I don't care."
But he did.
He cared every time.
CLASSROOM 1-B
Rein stepped in—and froze.
Stella was already there.
Long silver gradient hair draped over her shoulders, curtain bangs framing her electric-blue eyes. A faint astral glow pulsed across her fingertips as she wrote in her notebook — calm, precise, focused. She carried herself with that steady, almost celestial composure Rein could never mimic.
She looked up the moment she sensed him.
Of course, she did — Stella noticed everything.
Zen leaned over and whispered, "Your girlfriend's here."
"Zen, I swear—"
Stella closed her notebook.
Not a wave.
Not a squeal.
Just a small, controlled nod — the kind she used when greeting someone she respected.
"Morning, Rein," she said quietly, voice smooth but sharper than usual. "You look… tired."
Rein's brain stuttered. "I—uh—m-morning!"
Zen almost folded in half laughing.
Stella studied Rein for a second. Really studied him.
Her eyes moved from his posture to his face… then down toward the floor.
"Rein," she said, tone shifting — slightly lower, more serious, "your shadow's off."
Rein froze.
She wasn't confused.
She wasn't scared.
She was analysing it.
"It's moving a fraction late." She tapped her finger against her arm — her thinking habit. "That only happens when someone's Astral field is disrupted."
"Oh—that? Happens when I don't sleep well!" Rein blurted, practically sweating through his hoodie.
Stella raised a brow. Not mocking — evaluating.
"That's not how sleep deprivation works," she said. "At least… not for normal people."
Rein's soul tried to escape his body.
Zen had to shove his face into the desk to hide his laughter.
Stella looked away, pretending she wasn't blushing. Just barely.
Her finger tapped again — fast.
She'd noticed too much, and she knew it.
"…If something's wrong," she murmured, voice softer now, "you can tell me."
That line wasn't casual.
That was Stella — the calm one, the observant one — offering a hand without making it a big deal.
Rein swallowed. "I'm fine. Really."
Stella didn't believe him.
Rein could tell.
She could always tell.
She held his gaze for a moment — steady, warm, but hiding her own cracks — then returned to her notebook, posture perfect as ever.
But the glow around her fingertips lingered a second longer than usual.
She was worried.
And she hated showing it.
ASTRAL THEORY CLASS
Professor Orin scribbled glowing Astral diagrams across the board.
"Astral Light forms the basis of all recognised powers," he lectured, tapping the screen.
"But it's opposite—Chaotic Energy—is unstable, corruptive… and theorised to originate from an entirely different dimension."
Rein's pen stopped mid-stroke.
His shadow under the desk shivered… almost excited.
There it was again:
That word.
Chaotic.
His pulse quickened.
Professor Orin continued,
"No human has ever controlled Chaotic Energy.
Not even those on the brink of legend —
the Hex-Vein and Penta-Vein users."
Rein's jaw tightened.
His shadow twitched like an animal straining at a leash.
Then—
A whisper curled into his ear.
Smooth.
Cold.
Amused.
"Found you."
Rein's heart slammed into his ribs.
He jerked his head up.
No one else reacted.
No one seemed to hear anything.
Only him.
A slow laugh—quiet, sharp—scraped through his mind.
"You didn't think you could hide forever… vessel."
Rein froze in his seat.
Professor Orin's voice faded into static.
The lights flickered.
His shadow lengthened… stretched… reaching.
A cold chill washed down his spine.
He whispered to himself,
"Not again… please not again…"
A final whisper slithered through his skull, calm and merciless:
"Synchronisation: incomplete.
Proceeding."
Then—
Silence.
HALLWAY — AFTER CLASS
Zen nudged him. "Rein, bro. You looked like you were about to pass out."
"I'm fine," Rein muttered. "Just didn't sleep well."
"You always say tha—"
A scream cut through the hallway.
Students spun around.
Lights crackled violently overhead.
Paper scattered as a freezing gust tore through the corridor, despite all the windows being closed.
Rein staggered.
His vision split.
Something in his chest tightened—
Then the voice returned.
Sharper.
Colder.
Hungry.
"The vessel responds…
Promising."
Rein fell to one knee, clutching his skull.
Zen nearly shouted, "REIN?! What—what's happening?!"
Rein couldn't answer.
The world pulsed red for a heartbeat—
A ruined landscape flashing behind his eyelids.
A grotesque throne.
A boy with his face…
But eyes far crueller.
The voice murmured like a blade brushing his neck:
"Wake up.
I'm not done with you."
And then—
Everything stopped.
The hallway returned to normal.
Students walked as if nothing had happened.
The scream vanished.
Only Rein was trembling.
Zen grabbed his shoulder. "Dude. You're seriously scaring me."
Rein forced a shaky smile.
"I scare myself."
But inside?
He knew the truth.
This wasn't stress.
This wasn't a nightmare.
This wasn't in his head.
Chaos was real.
Chaos had found him.
Chaos wanted something from him.
And Rein could feel it—
Whatever lived in his shadow
Was no longer waiting.
Stella rushed to Rein's side the moment class ended.
"Rein! Are you okay?" Her voice cracked just a little — more than she meant it to.
Rein forced a small smile. "Yeah… I'm fine, I swear."
Zen stepped closer, frowning.
Rein exhaled through his nose and turned to him. "Hey, uh… Zen? Can you take me to the nurse? My head feels like it's gonna explode."
Zen blinked. "Wait—what? You literally said you were fine two seconds ago."
Sarcastic, yes — but under it was the same frustration he always felt when Rein shut him out.
Rein's thoughts snapped like a rubber band:
"YOU ABSOLUTE JERK—why call me out now?!"
Zen rolled his eyes. "Agh—fine. I'll take you."
Stella hesitated… then stepped forward, her fingers brushing her notebook nervously.
"Can I come too? Just—please?"
She tried to sound calm, but the worry still leaked through.
Zen leaned in toward Rein and whispered, "Bro. Your girlfriend is literally panicking."
Rein's entire soul went red. "DUDE—SHUT UP. We're all friends, aren't we?!"
Stella looked away, cheeks faintly pink.
Zen smirked.
And Rein… tried not to collapse on the floor while his shadow quietly twitched behind him.
As they walked down the hallway, Rein kept his eyes low. Every step felt heavier than the last.
The guilt sat in his chest like a stone.
"Hey…" Rein muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm… sorry. For making you guys worry this much."
Zen clicked his tongue. "Yeah, you should be sorry."
Rein flinched—until Zen continued, softer but frustrated:
"You've gotta drop that whole 'I don't tell anyone anything' habit. Seriously. We've known you for four years, man. Four years… and we still barely know you."
Rein's steps slowed.
"Zen," he asked quietly, "are you sure you know nothing about me?"
Zen's expression froze.
"I—…that's not what I meant." His voice cracked slightly. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that."
Rein gave him a small, tired smile. "Don't worry about it."
Stella had been silently walking beside them, listening—pretending she wasn't listening.
Finally, she spoke.
"Zen… what do you know about him that I don't?"
Zen stiffened. "It's… private. It's his thing, not mine."
Rein sighed. "Just tell her when I'm with the nurse. It's fine. I trust her."
Zen's head snapped toward him. "What!? Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Rein replied. "I am."
They reached the infirmary door.
Stella cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Well… here we are! The, uh… nurse. Haha… ha… hehe…"
She immediately regretted every sound that came out of her mouth.
Rein smiled despite the pounding in his skull.
"I'll go in. Wait for me, okay?"
Stella nodded too quickly. "Of course. Take your time."
Zen crossed his arms, pretending not to worry.
But Rein could feel it anyway.
He pushed open the door—
Head aching, shadow restless,
And two friends waiting behind him who cared far more than he felt he deserved.
The moment Rein stepped inside, the nurse looked up with a knowing sigh.
"Oh well, look who we have here," Miss Ruby said, folding her arms with that mix of concern and amusement she always had for him.
"Hi, Miss Ruby," Rein replied, trying to sound normal.
"Sit," she instructed gently, already pulling out a small tray of supplies.
Once he settled, she gave him a look — the kind adults give kids they've seen struggling for too long.
"So," she asked, "what's the problem this time, Rein?"
He rubbed his forehead. "My head feels like it's about to explode into a million pieces."
Miss Ruby's eyebrows shot up. "Again? This is the same issue as last time."
She paused, then added, "You come here way too often for someone your age. Is everything really okay?"
"Yes," Rein answered quickly. Too quickly.
Miss Ruby didn't believe that for a second, but she let it slide… for now.
"Alright," she said, opening a small drawer. "I'll give you some medicine. Take one right after lunch, and another before you sleep. That should ease the pressure a bit."
She glanced at him. "You have lunch after this, right?"
"Uh… yes. We do." Rein nodded.
She turned back to him, voice softening. "Rein… if you ever want to talk about something — anything — all of us teachers, and me especially, are here if you need it."
Rein looked down at the floor. "Yes, Miss Ruby. Thank you for the medicine."
"Good." She placed the packet into his hand and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself. And tell those two friends of yours not to hover outside the door like lost puppies."
He almost smiled.
"Bye, Miss Ruby."
"Bye, Rein. Don't disappear on me for another two weeks."
While Rein was still with the nurse, Zen finally decided to tell Stella the truth he'd been carrying for years.
"Before I tell you anything… You have to promise you won't repeat this to anyone," Zen said, his voice unusually serious. "I'm not joking, Stella."
"I won't. I promise," she replied softly.
Zen took a shaky breath, like he was bracing himself.
"When Rein was seven… he and his mom got into a car accident. The crash was brutal. She… she didn't make it. It happened instantly." His eyes lowered, as if he was watching the memory replay. "Rein was all alone. No one around. No one to help."
Stella didn't interrupt. She could feel something heavy coming.
"I still remember that night," Zen continued. "It was around ten. We heard this frantic banging on our door. When I opened it—God…" He swallowed hard. "Rein was standing there, covered in blood. Crying, shaking so violently he could barely breathe. The second he saw me, he just collapsed into me. Hugged me like he was drowning and I was the only thing keeping him alive."
Zen's voice broke. "He was saying my name over and over—barely getting the words out. I'd never seen him so terrified. My parents rushed out to help his mom, called the ambulance… but it was already too late."
Stella covered her mouth, eyes stinging.
"He didn't let go of me for the rest of the night," Zen whispered. "He wouldn't stop crying. And I… I didn't know what to do except hold him and hope it helped."
A tear finally slid down Zen's cheek. "I just… I wish I could've saved her. Or at least spared him from seeing all that."
Stella gently pressed a tissue into his hand. "…Zen… I'm so sorry. He must've gone through hell."
Zen wiped his face, still trembling. "Yeah. And he's been carrying that weight ever since."
Then Stella asked, barely above a whisper, "What about his father?"
Zen let out a humourless, almost bitter laugh. "Father? Rein never even met the guy."
She blinked. "Never?"
"Not once," Zen said. "No calls, no messages, no birthdays—nothing. The guy disappeared before Rein was even born. Rein only knows the name because of some old hospital paper." He shook his head. "When we were younger, I asked him about it once. Just stupid kid curiosity. And Rein… he didn't get mad or sad—he just went empty. Like he'd already accepted he'd never get anything from that man."
Stella felt something twist inside her chest. "…So his mom was literally all he had."
"Yeah," Zen whispered. "His only family. His whole world. And when she died… Rein didn't just lose his mom. He lost his home, his safety, everything."
He dragged a hand through his hair. "He jokes a lot, acts easygoing, looks strong… but he's been alone for so long he doesn't even realise when he's hurting."
Stella's eyes softened. "Then we have to make sure he never feels alone again."
Stella put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Zen…"
He broke.
Not loudly—but the quiet kind of crying that hits harder.
And before Zen could wipe his eyes, a pair of arms wrapped around him.
Stella blinked—because it wasn't her.
It was Rein.
Rein had stepped out of the nurse's office without them noticing, and now he was hugging Zen so hard it nearly knocked the wind out of him. His forehead pressed against Zen's shoulder, his arms tight—desperate, grateful, hurting.
"R-Rein…?" Zen choked out.
Rein's voice was painfully soft. "I'm sorry you had to go through that with me… and I'm sorry for making you carry it alone."
Zen's breath hitched. "Dude… don't apologise. I— I just wanted you to be okay."
Rein tightened the hug. "Thank you. For that night. For everything. For staying."
And for a moment, the world felt still.
No powers.
No ranks.
No chaos.
Just two boys holding each other together, the best they could.
After a few seconds, Zen tried to hide his red face. "Bro, you're gonna break my ribs at this rate."
Rein actually laughed—quiet but real. "Sorry."
They separated, wiping their faces like idiots trying not to cry again.
Stella watched them with gentle eyes.
She could see it clearly now:
Rein wasn't just strong.
He was surviving.
And Zen wasn't just his friend.
He was his lifeline.
LUNCH
The three of them sat outside under their usual tree, half-eating and half-talking like always. Zen suddenly clapped his hands together, almost making Rein choke on his drink.
"Alright, listen up!" Zen announced dramatically. "Tomorrow's the school concert. You two wanna go? It's supposed to be pretty big this year."
Stella perked up immediately.
"Oh, that actually sounds fun."
Rein gave a small shrug. "Sure. I don't mind."
Zen rolled his eyes. "Bro, you say everything like you're agreeing to do the dishes. It's a concert, not a punishment."
Rein smirked. "Same thing if you're the one dragging us."
Stella laughed softly, and Zen pretended to take offence, but his smile said he was relieved.
He loved it when Rein sounded even a little bit normal.
And just like that, all three agreed to go.
THE DAY OF THE CONCERT
Night rolled in with bright stage lights, food stalls, and students buzzing everywhere. The energy was chaotic, loud, and… honestly? Kinda perfect.
Rein didn't even get two steps into the courtyard before Zen yelled:
"REIN! LOOK ALIVE! We're here to socialise, not to rehearse your funeral expression!"
Rein blinked. "…This is how my face always looks."
"Exactly! And that's the problem!"
Stella arrived just in time to hear that, smoothing her outfit with a shy little smile.
Rein stopped walking.
He didn't freeze.
He didn't pause.
His system fully crashed.
Zen waved a hand in front of him like a parent checking on a broken TV.
"Hello? Spirit of Rein? You still in there? Blink twice if you can hear me."
Rein blinked once.
Then glared.
"I'm not dead, Zen."
"Bro, your soul just left your body. She looks great, right?"
Stella's cheeks warmed. "Please don't make it weird—"
"Too late," Zen said proudly.
Rein managed to speak. "You look… amazing."
Stella melted a little. Zen pretended to wipe tears.
"Look at my boy. Already down bad."
"Zen, I will throw you into the fountain."
"Worth it."
WAITING FOR THE SHOW TO START
They found a spot near the front.
Music tested. Lights flickered. People joked and laughed.
Stella held a cup of strawberry soda, sipping nervously.
Rein noticed. "You okay?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah! Just… concerts are loud."
Zen chimed in, "Then you're lucky. Rein's existence absorbs all sound within a five-meter radius."
Rein punched his arm lightly.
Zen exaggerated the pain as he got hit by a truck.
"AH?! My life… ending… vision fading…"
Stella giggled. "You two are idiots."
Rein shrugged. "He started it."
"You stared at her chest for eight full seconds earlier! You definitely started something."
Rein nearly combusted.
"I—bro—what—"
Stella choked on her drink.
"I—I didn't notice—"
"Oh, she noticed," Zen added. "She totally noticed."
Stella elbowed Zen. "SHUT UP."
Zen winced. "Ow—okay, okay! Damn—both of you hit like professional assassins."
Rein and Stella exchanged a look.
And laughed.
For a moment, it was perfect.
THE MOMENT EVERYTHING BREAKS
The host ran on stage.
"Welcome, everyone! Let's kick off the second half—"
And the lights died.
Instantly.
Students cheered at first, thinking it was part of the act.
Zen laughed nervously. "Okay, this is kinda cool—"
Then the wind changed.
Cold. Sharp. Wrong.
"Uh… guys?" Stella whispered.
Silence fell.
The sky… cracked.
A black tear rippled open right above the school. Shadows spiralled down like liquid night, warping the air, swallowing the stars.
Zen stepped back. "Nope. No. Nonono—Rein what the HELL is that?!"
Rein's heart hammered.
His Vein-Code burned under his skin.
"I… I don't know—"
A figure walked out of the Rift.
Calm. Confident. Moving like he owned the darkness itself.
His white hair drifted like smoke, untouched by gravity.
His violet eyes glowed, sharp enough to cut through the panic.
He stepped out wearing a dark, perfectly tailored suit, threads woven with faint shadow patterns that pulsed as he moved.
Black dress shoes gleamed unnaturally, like they were carved from the void itself.
The outfit didn't look human-made.
It looked summoned… shaped by the Rift.
The crowd froze.
Some screamed.
Some fainted.
Zen muttered, "Bro's wearing a whole MENACE outfit?? At our school concert??"
Chaos didn't even blink.
He just stared straight at Rein — like he'd been searching for him all along.
Stella's breath hitched.
"Rein… he… he looks like you."
Zen stared between them.
"HOLY—WHAT—WHY IS THERE A COPY OF YOU DESCENDING FROM SATAN'S WIFI ROUTER?!"
Rein stumbled backwards, shaking uncontrollably.
His double… his mirror…
No—
Chaos.
The being looked straight at him.
And smiled with slow, terrifying familiarity.
Zen's voice cracked.
"Rein… is that your evil twin? Did you clone yourself? Are these taxes catching up with you? WHAT AM I LOOKING AT—"
Rein couldn't answer.
Because for the first time in years…
He was genuinely afraid.
Chaos tilted his head slightly, studying Rein like a scientist examining a rare specimen.
Not angry.
Not excited.
Just… evaluating.
The shadows behind him curled upward like obedient animals.
Rein's breath hitched.
His knees gave out.
Stella grabbed his arm.
Zen stepped in front of both of them, even though he was shaking like a wet cat in a thunderstorm.
"HEY—HEY YOU VOID-FASHION SHOW REJECT!" Zen shouted, voice cracking. "BACK OFF! THIS IS A SCHOOL ZONE! WE HAVE—UH—RULES!"
Chaos didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
He lifted one hand slowly. Two fingers raised… then lowered.
Like he was testing the air.
Then—
SNAP.
The sound was soft.
Too soft.
But the effect hit like a hurricane.
Reality bent inward.
The air imploded with a warped thoom, and Chaos vanished from the stage in a smear of dark light.
Zen's jaw dropped.
"…Bro didn't even walk. He loading-screen teleported!"
Stella's voice shook.
"He—he just snapped… and reality listened."
Rein felt ice crawl down his spine.
Because Chaos didn't disappear randomly.
He reappeared—
right behind Rein.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just a presence so cold it froze the world.
Rein turned his head slowly.
Chaos stood inches away, crimson eyes burning with recognition… and something far worse.
A whisper escaped him, soft as a blade sliding from its sheath:
"Found you."
Rein's entire body locked.