I don't talk much. Not because I'm shy or don't have anything to say. Words just make things complicated most of the time. People spend their whole lives filling the air with noise just to feel like they exist. I prefer silence. In silence, you can actually hear what matters.
The lunch bell rang through the halls of Starlight Academy. Sharp and annoying. Math class was over. I closed my notebook and put it in my bag. The deck of cards in my pocket pressed against my leg. Fifty two pieces of cardstock. To anyone else, just a way to kill time. To me, the only reason this city was still standing.
"Kaito! Man, you're like a statue. I swear you didn't blink once in forty minutes."
That was Ryota. He leaned over my desk, grinning like he'd won the lottery. Ryota was the loudest person I knew. Messy hair. Tie never straight. My best friend, mostly because he didn't mind doing all the talking for both of us.
I stood up and grabbed my bag.
"Hungry," I said.
Ryota laughed and slapped my back. "That's my guy. Straight to the point every time. Come on, Jin and Hana are already waiting on the roof. If we don't hurry, I'm gonna eat your rice balls."
"You mean if you don't hurry, you'll eat them," a calm voice said from the doorway.
Jin. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. The opposite of Ryota. Quiet. Observant. He watched people the way scientists watch experiments. Sometimes I thought Jin knew what I was hiding. He never said anything, but his eyes were always scanning. Always looking for the piece that didn't fit.
I walked toward him. Jin nodded at me. We didn't need words. We understood each other fine.
The three of us headed to the roof. Our spot. High enough that the city noise felt distant. Neo Akatsuki was beautiful if you didn't look too close at the shadows. From up here, glass towers gleamed in the afternoon sun. Streets packed with people living normal lives. Going to work. Going to school. Buying coffee. They had no idea the world was full of cracks.
"Kaito! You're late!"
Hana sat on a bench near the railing. When she saw me, her whole face lit up. That look always made my chest feel tight. Not bad tight. Just sudden weight. Hana was the kind of person who made you feel like the sun followed her around. School blazer open. Hair catching the light as she waved us over.
I sat next to her. She handed me a container of food right away.
"I made extra spicy tuna ones," she said, leaning closer. "I know you like those best. Even if you never say it."
"Thanks," I said.
She smiled. Small. Knowing. "You're welcome. Good morning? Or was Ryota too loud again?"
"Both," I said.
Ryota made a dramatic sound and shoved a rice ball in his mouth. "Hey! I'm a delight. Jin, tell them I'm a delight."
Jin didn't look up from his book. "You're a headache with legs."
We spent the hour like that. Normal. The world I wanted to protect. Hana laughing at something Ryota said. Jin turning a page. The breeze on my face. These moments mattered. Most people think being a hero is about big battles. It's not. It's making sure the people you love can have a boring Tuesday afternoon.
Then the air changed.
Not something you could see. A shift in pressure. Like right before a thunderstorm. My skin prickled. I looked out over the roof edge toward the industrial district on the east side.
A thin purple haze rose between two warehouses. Faint. No one else would notice. But to me it looked like a wound in the sky. A rift.
"Kaito? You okay?" Hana asked. She'd stopped laughing. Looking at me. Eyes full of concern. Always the first to notice when I pulled away.
I looked at her. Wanted to tell her everything. That things were coming through the walls of our world that wanted to eat her soul. That I was the only thing standing in their way. But I couldn't. Last time I told someone the truth, I lost them. My words had a price.
"Fine," I said. Stood up. Adjusted my bag. "Forgot something. Library."
"Now?" Ryota asked, mouth full. "Bell hasn't even rung yet."
I didn't answer. Just started walking. Could feel Jin's eyes on my back. He knew I was lying. Knew I didn't care about the library. But he didn't stop me.
I moved fast through the hallways. Didn't take the stairs. Went to the back of the school near the old gym nobody used. Climbed the fence and dropped into the alley. The city was loud, but as I got closer to the industrial district, sounds started to warp. Cars sounded like growling. Wind like whispering voices.
I turned into a narrow passage between two brick buildings. The purple haze was thicker here. Smelled like ozone and rotting meat.
In the middle of the alley, the air was tearing open. Like a jagged hole in black paper. Something crawled out. A Common. Shadow hound. Size of a large wolf but made of flickering smoke and jagged teeth. No eyes. Just a mouth taking up half its head.
It snarled. The sound made the glass in the windows vibrate. It smelled me. Turned its smoky head toward me and crouched, ready to spring.
I didn't move. Didn't breathe fast. Reached into my pocket and pulled out the deck. Didn't need the whole thing. Just one card.
I slid a card from the top. Ace of Spades.
Held it between my index and middle finger. Felt the power hum inside the paper. Cold. Like holding dry ice.
"Come," I whispered.
I flicked the card into the air. It didn't fall. Just stayed there, spinning fast. Black light erupted from it, expanding until it was the size of a man. The light shattered like glass. A figure stood between me and the hound.
Kuro. Looked like a man in his early twenties. Long tattered black coat that looked like feathers. Sharp hooked nose. Eyes black as oil. He carried a cane with a silver crow's head on top.
Kuro stretched his neck and looked around. Saw the hound and sighed.
"Really, Kaito?" Kuro said. Voice smooth and mocking. "You called me for a mangy dog? I was right in the middle of a dream about a mountain of shiny coins."
I didn't say anything. Just pointed at the hound.
The hound lunged. Fast. A blur of black smoke. Aimed straight for Kuro's throat.
Kuro didn't flinch. Swung his cane in a casual arc. The silver crow's head caught the hound in the jaw. A crack like a gunshot. The hound flew into a stack of wooden pallets, smashing them to splinters.
"Down, boy," Kuro said. Tapped his cane on the pavement. Shadowy feathers swirled around his feet. "You know, Master, you could at least say hello. Been three days. You only call when there's a mess to clean up. I feel used."
"Finish it," I said.
Kuro rolled his eyes. "So demanding. Fine. Let's get this over with."
The hound scrambled back up. Let out a high pitched shriek and doubled in size. Smoke became thicker. More solid. It charged again but stayed low this time, weaving between shadows of trash cans.
Kuro vanished. Didn't just move fast. Turned into a swarm of black feathers that scattered in the wind. The hound snapped at empty air. A second later, feathers reformed behind the beast.
Kuro held his cane like a sword. A blade of dark energy extended from the tip. One swift motion. He drove the blade through the hound's back.
The creature didn't bleed. Just turned into purple mist. Kuro stood there breathing normally as the mist got sucked back into the Ace of Spades floating in the air. The card turned from white to dark bruised purple.
The rift in the air snapped shut. Smell of rot vanished. City sounds returned to normal.
Kuro turned to me. Leaned on his cane and grinned. "There. All gone. Can I go back to my coins now? Or you got more chores for me?"
"Go," I said.
Kuro bowed deep. Mocking. "As you wish, Silent King. Try not to get killed before the next one. Would be a shame to lose such a quiet boss."
He dissolved into shadows and got pulled back into the deck. I caught the Ace of Spades as it fell. The card was heavy now. Could feel the weight of the hound trapped inside. Would stay there until I decided what to do with it.
I put the deck back in my pocket. My hand shook slightly. Not from fear. From the drain on my energy. Summoning took a toll. Felt like someone reached into my chest and pulled out a handful of strength.
I leaned against the brick wall and took a deep breath. Heart still racing. Looked at my watch. Lunch was over. Ten minutes to get back to class.
I walked out of the alley and back toward school. Looked at people walking by. A woman pushing a stroller. An old man reading a newspaper. None of them knew how close they'd come to being hunted by a shadow. Didn't know I existed.
That was fine. I didn't do this for credit.
I reached the school gates just as the final bell rang. Saw Ryota and Jin walking toward the main building. Hana was with them. She saw me and stopped. Waited for me to catch up.
"You missed the end of lunch," she said when I reached her. Reached out and brushed a piece of wood splinter off my shoulder. Must've gotten it from the alley. "Library must have been very busy."
She looked into my eyes. Didn't believe the lie. Knew I hadn't been in the library. But she didn't push. Just adjusted my collar and smiled.
"You look tired, Kaito," she whispered.
"Long walk," I said.
"Well, try to stay awake for English class. We're reading poetry today. I think you'd actually like it. All about things people feel but don't say."
She grabbed my sleeve and pulled me along. I let her. Her hand was warm. It grounded me. Reminded me why I fought. The world was full of monsters and the rifts were getting bigger. Could feel it in the air. Something worse than a shadow hound was coming. Something a single card might not be able to stop.
But for now, I was just a student walking to class with a girl I didn't know how to talk to. I had my friends. Had my silence. Had my cards.
As we walked through the school doors, I looked back at the city. Sun still shining. Towers still standing. I touched the deck in my pocket one last time to make sure it was there.
The Silent King was ready.
"Kaito, seriously, your bag is open," Ryota shouted from ahead. "You're gonna lose your stuff! You're so lucky I'm around to watch your back."
I closed the zipper without saying a word. Looked at Jin. He was watching me with a small knowing nod. Saw the tension in my shoulders. Saw the way I scanned the shadows. He knew I was at war.
But as long as they were safe, the war was worth it. We walked into the classroom and I sat in my usual seat by the window. Looked out at the sky, watching for the next purple haze. The silence returned, but this time it felt heavy with the weight of things to come.
I pulled out a single blank card from my desk and turned it over in my fingers. The game was just beginning. And I was the only one who knew the rules.