Chapter 1
Souta Ishikawa ran through a scene he could hardly understand. The ground shook beneath his feet as something heavy hit the earth behind him. Cracks spread across the pavement. He did not look back. All around him, strange noises filled the air, high and sharp, mixed with the sound of things breaking and falling.
From the dark smoke, shapes began to appear.
They were not human. Some had too many arms, others had none. Their bodies twisted in strange ways, and their eyes glowed as they stared at him. Some looked partly made of metal, some part of flesh. Others moved like shadows, barely solid.
A sharp wind of gas blew past his face. Some came from creatures he could not see, and some bounced off barriers that appeared for a brief moment. Bright lines of light cut through the sky, moving fast, slicing through both monsters and buildings. The sounds, the movement, and the heat all pressed against him at the same time.
His heart was racing, thumping so hard he felt it in his throat. His breathing came in short, uneven gasps. Beside him, a girl stumbled. Her white dress was torn and dirty, and her long yellow hair whipped behind her. She was about his age, struggling to keep up with him as he ran.
"Don't stop!" he shouted, gripping her hand tightly.
"I'm trying, okay! My god… I'm a princess! My face will get all ugly if I keep crying!" she said, panic in her voice.
She kept saying she was a princess. He did not understand why, and he did not have time to ask. All he knew was that he had to protect her. No matter what.
Then, without warning, something inside him surged, sharp and uncontrollable.
One moment his feet were on the ground. The next, they lifted, and he was floating, pulling her with him.
"What… am I floating?" Souta said, disbelief clear in his voice.
"Why are we floating?!" the girl shouted.
"Grab my hand quickly, before it goes away!"
She did not hesitate. Her fingers closed around his, and together they hung in the air.
Then gravity returned. They landed hard, barely keeping their balance. Sparks of energy danced across his hands, bright and unstable. Without thinking, he sent it forward. A creature standing too close dissolved into ash in an instant.
And then everything changed again.
Time slowed.
The world moved as if underwater. Flames stretched out long and thin, explosions froze in midair, and screams sounded low and strange. For a single moment, Souta could see everything clearly. Then time rushed back, crashing against him all at once.
He stumbled, nearly falling.
"I can't control it," he muttered, panic rising in his chest.
A massive shadow fell over them.
Something huge landed in front of them. It shook the ground. It was tall, easily twice his height, with thick, armor-like skin and red lines glowing across its body. One massive arm lifted and came down with force.
Souta acted without thinking.
A shield appeared in front of them, clear but strong. The impact rattled through his arms, pain shooting up to his shoulders. The shield cracked, but it lasted just long enough for him to grab the girl and roll away.
Dust filled the air. His ears rang.
He stood, chest burning, vision blurry. His powers shifted again. Heat gathered in his palms. He yelled and let it out, a wave of fire hitting the monster's body.
It roared and stumbled backward.
But there were too many.
Creatures came from above, from below, and from places that should not exist. Souta's thoughts scattered, mixing together. Fight. Run. Protect. Stay alive.
Nothing felt real anymore.
The battlefield seemed almost alive. Buildings fell and reformed, the sky changed from deep red to dark blue, and screams echoed from everywhere, some human, some not.
The girl tripped.
Souta turned just in time, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Why is this happening?" she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
Another explosion shook the ground nearby and threw them apart.
Souta reached for her.
Everything went white.
BAM!!
He jolted awake, gasping for air.
Sunlight poured through his bedroom window. His heart raced as he sat upright, hands gripping the blanket tightly. His breathing slowly returned to normal as the sounds of the dream faded away.
It was just a dream.
A loud voice echoed from downstairs.
"Souta! Wake up! You're late!"
He shook his head, pushing the lingering images of the dream to the back of his mind, and rushed to get ready.
Souta swung his legs off the bed and hurried into the bathroom, still half asleep. He flicked on the light and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was a mess, eyes slightly red, and his face looked more tired than usual. For a brief moment, he just stood there, trying to steady his breathing.
Then he glanced at the clock mounted above the door.
7:41 AM.
His eyes widened.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath.
There was no time.
He grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste onto it, brushing as fast as he could. Foam filled his mouth as he rushed through the motions, barely paying attention. He had planned to take a quick shower, but one look at the time told him it was impossible. If he wasted even a few more minutes, he would miss his ride completely.
He rinsed his mouth, splashed water on his face, and wiped it off with a towel. The idea of skipping a bath bothered him, but being late bothered him more.
"I'll just shower tonight," he told himself.
He quickly threw on his school uniform, still slightly wrinkled from being left on the chair overnight. He stuffed his books into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and rushed down the stairs two steps at a time.
By the time he reached the kitchen, the clock on the wall read 7:45.
Masaki, his older brother, was already seated at the table, relaxed and smiling as always. "Late again," Masaki said with a laugh. "At this point, it's a talent."
"Shut up," Souta muttered, grabbing a piece of bread.
Their father, Renjiro Ishikawa, sat across from them, calmly sipping coffee while reading through a thick stack of papers. His glasses rested low on his nose, eyes sharp and focused. He barely looked up.
Renjiro was a scientist. A serious one. His work often kept him away from home, sometimes for days. Even when he was present, his mind was usually somewhere else.
Their mother, Miyu, moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, preparing pastries for her bakery. "Eat quickly," she said gently. "You'll miss the bus."
"I'm getting a ride," Souta said between bites.
Renjiro folded his papers. "We're leaving now."
Souta grabbed his bag and rushed outside. Masaki followed at a slower pace, clearly enjoying watching him struggle.
The car ride was quiet. Souta stared out the window, watching the city pass by. The rain from last night left the streets shining, reflecting the morning light. For a brief moment, he felt calm.
At school, Masaki stepped out and was immediately greeted by friends. Laughter followed him like a shadow. He was tall, athletic, and confident. Captain of the basketball team. Popular. Girls, women, Boys, hell even animals admired him.
Souta was none of those things.
He walked toward his classroom alone until he spotted Nao waving at him. Her red hair stood out in the crowd. "Morning," she said.
"Morning," he replied, feeling a bit better.
Inside the classroom, students chatted loudly. Phones were out, conversations overlapping, people talked about new issues, K-pop, anime, and anything about social media. Souta sat at his desk and opened his notebook, writing down random thoughts that came to mind. He often thought about strange things. What if the world was not as simple as it looked? What if power existed beyond normal understanding?
The room suddenly felt colder.
Souta froze.
Something was wrong.
The teacher slammed his hand on the desk. "Quiet. We have a new student. Come in."
The door opened.
A boy stepped inside.
He looked normal at first glance. Black hair. Calm expression. But the air around him felt heavy, like pressure pushing down on Souta's chest.
"My name is Hikari," the boy said, smiling slightly.
Souta's stomach twisted.
For reasons he could not explain, he felt that this was the beginning of something dangerous.
Something that would change everything.
To be continued...