Chapter 1
Souta Ishikawa ran without knowing where he was going, only knowing that stopping meant dying.
Something slammed into the street behind him, hard enough to shake the ground. He felt the shock travel up his legs, but he did not turn around. Smoke rolled through the road ahead, and from inside it, shapes began to move. When they stepped into the light, his breath caught. They were twisted, broken things, some with metal showing through skin, others barely solid at all.
The girl beside him struggled to keep up, her white dress torn and filthy, her breathing uneven as panic spilled out of her.
"This is bad," she said between breaths, her voice shaking as she ran. "Everything is falling apart, and I don't know why this is happening. I don't even understand where we are or what those things are."
"Just keep running," Souta said, gripping her hand tighter, his own voice unsteady. "I don't understand it either, but if we stop now, we're done."
Another impact hit nearby, sending dust into the air. The ground shook, and suddenly Souta felt weight leave his body.
"...Why aren't my feet touching the ground?" he said, fear creeping into his voice as he looked down.
The girl screamed, clutching his arm. "We're floating, this isn't normal, this really isn't normal, please tell me you're doing this on purpose."
"I'm not," Souta said quickly. "I swear I'm not, just hold on before something worse happens."
They hung in the air for a brief moment before gravity returned. They hit the street hard, pain flashing through his legs. Sparks flickered around his hands, and before he could think, he pushed forward. The creature rushing toward them vanished in an instant.
The girl stared at the space, her voice low and shaken. "You did that... right?"
"I didn't mean to," Souta said, breathing hard. "My body just moved, and now everything feels wrong."
Time slowed around him. Fire stretched in the air, debris froze mid-fall, and every sound dragged out into something distant. His heart pounded as fear settled deep in his chest.
"I can see everything," he muttered. "I don't know why, and I don't know how to stop it."
Then it ended.
The ground shook again as something massive landed nearby. A towering creature stepped forward, glowing lines pulsing beneath its skin. It raised its arm, and the girl's grip tightened around Souta's sleeve.
"That thing is going to kill us," she said quietly, her voice trembling.
Souta moved without thinking. A clear shield formed in front of them, cracking under the impact but holding just long enough for him to pull her aside. Pain shot through his arms, and heat gathered in his hands as fear turned into instinct.
"Please work," he whispered as he released the fire.
The creature staggered back, but more appeared behind it. The world around them kept breaking, buildings collapsing as screams echoed from every direction.
The girl stumbled, and Souta caught her before she fell.
"Why is this happening to us?" she asked, tears running down her face. "We didn't do anything wrong."
"I don't know," Souta said honestly, his voice barely holding together. "I really don't."
Another blast tore through the street and ripped them apart.
Souta reached for her hand as light swallowed everything.
BAM.
He woke up suddenly, breathing hard.
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...