Yū tossed in his sleep.
A distorted voice echoed through his dream, static, broken words calling out to someone in his arms.
"Y-?!* M-"@t s-#? !#e w"#?d—"
Then, blood spread across the floor, pulling itself together before bursting apart. The man on the ground reached out, holding someone as he stood, muttering words that Yū couldn't understand.
"D"!;T#-!' U'+$&#?"
The entity before him was so ominous that Yū jolted awake, gasping for breath. He was in his room, drenched in sweat.
A noise came from downstairs. Cautiously, Yū went down, only to find his uncle rummaging through the fridge.
"Oh, Yū, you surprised me," Satoru said, startled, holding up some food.
Yū just stared.
Satoru chuckled. "You hungry?"
They shared a late-night snack, and for a while, the silence felt comforting.
"Uncle… do you ever dream about something that feels real? Like something from the past?"
"Hmm… why, you having nightmares or something?"
Yū paused.
"You're reading too many books," Satoru chuckled, then grew quiet. "But yeah. Sometimes I do."
He looked down for a second, like a memory had passed through him.
"You having trouble at school?"
"Not really," Yū said, though his mind wandered to Ren.
"Hey, kid. If you've got problems, you can always tell this old man, alright?"
"You're not old. You look twenty-five."
"Hah! I'll take that as a compliment."
Yū smiled faintly before heading back to bed.
---
The next morning, the streets buzzed with life.
Vendors shouted, students laughed, and bicycles passed by.
On his way to school, a little girl bumped into him.
"Ah—are you okay?" he asked, helping her up.
"I'm sorry, big bro!" she said, bowing.
"Mari!"
A familiar voice came from around the corner.
Yū turned — and froze.
"Kaito…?"
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he grabbed Yū by the collar. "What did you do to my sister?"
"Big brother! He didn't do anything!" the girl yelled.
"...Is that true?"
"Yes, big brother. It was my fault."
Kaito sighed, releasing Yū. "Don't run off again like that, alright?" he told Mari softly.
"Yes~ big brother~," she replied cheerfully.
Then, turning to Yū, Kaito said quietly, "Thank you. But don't look for me again."
Kaito's stare was like a knife stabbing Yū.
And just like that, he walked away.
---
"I didn't know Kaito had a little sister…" Yū thought, a small smile crossing his face. I wish I had one too, he whispered in his mind.
Yū entered the classroom as usual. Aria arrived shortly after, followed by Ayato.
The morning went by quietly. Then, during the break, a small folded note flew toward Yū's desk. It was from Aria.
"Ren regained consciousness. You can visit him later. I'll wait outside after school."
Yū's heart lightened. His friend was safe. But then another thought struck him, what about Ren's parents? Did they know he got hurt?
He realized something, despite knowing Ren for so long, he actually knew nothing about his life outside school. Ren never spoke about his family. He was always the one starting conversations, always smiling. Yū couldn't even remember how their friendship began.
For the first time, Yū reflected on himself.
He had always been absorbed in his books, distant from the world around him. Maybe that's why he didn't notice things about others. Maybe Uncle was right, he thought, remembering their talk the previous night.
I should learn more about Ren, he decided. He knows so much about me, but I barely know anything about him.
After lunch, the day began to feel ordinary again. Too ordinary. Bored, Yū pulled out another book, completely lost in reading until the bell rang.
He hadn't realized that classes had already ended.
"Right—Aria!" he gasped, rushing out.
Outside the gate, Aria was already waiting inside her car.
Yū froze. His mind spun with nervous thoughts. What should I say? Will she be mad? Is she going to pull a knife on me again?
He barely had time to think when he got close to the entrance gate, something grabbed him from behind, a hand clamping over his mouth.
It was fast. Too fast.
But in that split second, Yū saw it, the figure's movements weren't human. Its arm stretched unnaturally, like liquid pulling him backward.
His bag slipped from his shoulder, landing near the school gate.
Moments later, Aria frowned, stepping out of the car and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Where is he?" she muttered, irritation clear in her voice as she walked toward the entrance.
Her bodyguard followed, equally tense. Then she noticed something, a bag lying on the ground.
Aria picked it up and instantly recognized it.
"…Yū," she whispered.
Her expression hardened. "Search for him. Now."
---
"Hehehe… Do you recognize me, boy?"
The large man grinned, holding Yū tightly in one hand near his mouth, as if he were a toy.
"W-Wait—this guy…!" Yū's eyes widened. Isn't he the one I killed in the alley?!
The man's voice rumbled with amusement.
"How did you survive that, huh? Who patched you up? That girl's people?"
"Mmfff! Mmmf!" Yū tried to speak, but the man's grip — and his teeth — muffled every word.
"Ohh, sorry, sorry — my bad."
The man's hand split open near his mouth as he shifted his grip, still holding Yū tightly but allowing him to breathe.
Yū's thoughts spun. Is he… an Affinity user? A liquid Affinity?
The man leaned closer, eyes gleaming. "So, who stitched you up, huh?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Yū hissed, glaring up at him.
"Tch. What's this… it feels like déjà vu."
The man's grin widened, showing his teeth. "Or maybe… you want another scar in your heart?"
With one swift motion, he tore open Yū's shirt —
only to freeze.
There was no scar.
No wound.
No mark of the stab that should've killed him.
"What the…?" The man's brow furrowed. "How are you… still whole? You don't have a twin, do you? Or…"
His expression twisted into realization.
"…are you a Death Trigger?"
Yū's breathing grew heavier. "Let go of me!"
"So what trigger did you get, huh? I know Death Triggers heal, but you might've gotten something else. So what is it?"
"I said let go of me! I'm a normal student!"
"So you'll struggle till the end, huh?" The man's tone darkened, amused and cruel.
"Well then, this is the best way to find out if you really are one."
His other arm began to twist, liquefying into a long, gleaming blade that shimmered under the faint light.
"No, no—!" Yū's eyes widened, fear taking hold. "I'm human! I'm just a normal human!"
The man smirked. "Then let's find out."
---End of Chapter 12---