The morning seemed peaceful, but danger followed Kayden like a shadow waiting for the right time.
Kayden returned home from the hospital with his still-injured parents. The house was cleaner than before—he had spent almost every hour of the past week fixing and reorganizing everything the Vex Crew destroyed. Dishes washed. Curtains replaced. Broken objects swept away. He wanted his parents to feel safe when they opened their eyes.
But they didn't wake fully.
They drifted in and out, almost like they were stuck between dreams and reality. Their bruises were dark, ugly reminders of what happened. Their breaths were shallow, their voices thin.
Kayden stayed by them, day after day. He cooked for them, fed them, placed warm towels on their injuries, cleaned the cuts on their wrists and ankles from the ropes, and made sure the house stayed quiet.
Seven days passed like a blur—long, heavy, silent days.
And through all of it, the sigil on his arm pulsed, faint but constant, like a soft heartbeat whispering danger he couldn't yet see.
Every time it glowed, Kayden felt a strange heat spreading up his arm. A warning. A signal. A presence. He did not understand it yet, but he couldn't ignore it.
He barely slept.
He barely ate.
His mind repeated one thought:
"Who would do this to my parents?"
He had no enemies.
He wasn't involved in anything dangerous.
He never caused trouble outside school.
So why?
That question haunted him until the end of the week.
---
On the eighth morning, his parents could sit up without his help. Their injuries were still fresh, but they assured him they would be fine alone for a few hours.
"You need to go to school," his father said softly. "You've missed enough already."
Kayden hesitated, but he obeyed. He needed answers, and school was the only place to start.
He stepped through the school gates, and immediately, the atmosphere changed.
Dozens of students turned to stare at him.
Some paused mid-conversation.
Some whispered.
Some pointed.
"He's back…"
"I thought he dropped out…"
"Why was he gone so long?"
"I heard something happened to his family…"
Kayden heard every word.
His senses felt sharper than before, like the world around him had become louder, clearer, deeper.
But he ignored them.
He didn't want trouble—not today.
As he walked down the hallway, a familiar voice called out.
"Kayden!"
Liora rushed toward him, breathless.
"Where have you been? You didn't come to school for a whole week! And you ignored my calls! I thought—"
She paused, worry all over her face.
"I thought something happened to you."
Kayden looked straight at her, his expression unreadable.
"You knew," he said coldly.
"Eren told you my house was attacked. My parents were injured. And you still didn't come."
Liora froze.
Her mouth opened slightly, like she was searching for the right words.
"I… I was busy during the weekend. I'm really sorry, Kayden. I didn't know how bad it was…"
Kayden brushed past her without a word.
"Kayden… please…"
Her voice broke a little.
"Did I do something wrong?"
He didn't answer.
He didn't even look back.
He just walked straight into class.
---
First period ended.
As soon as the teacher walked out, the classroom door flew open.
BANG!
In marched the Vex Crew—five boys swaggering with the confidence of street thugs who thought they ruled the school.
At the front stood Ragna, hands in his pockets, smirking like he owned the place.
Right behind him was Jex, his second-in-command, already cracking his knuckles like he wanted a fight.
The classroom fell silent.
Ragna walked right up to Kayden's desk.
"Well, look who finally crawled back," he sneered. "Thought you could skip school for a whole week and hide from us?"
Kayden didn't stand.
He didn't flinch.
He just looked up slowly, his eyes calm.
"I don't have time for you," he said. "Leave."
Ragna's grin widened.
"Ohhh, so now you've got manners. Guess the message we left helped teach you something."
Kayden's jaw tightened.
Jex stepped closer.
"You're lucky you weren't home, or maybe you were hiding somewhere, little hero—"
Kayden's hand slammed against the table.
Students jumped.
"Repeat that," Kayden said.
Jex laughed mockingly.
"Didn't your parents give you our message? Guess the beating wasn't loud enough."
Kayden stood up.
His voice was quiet, but dangerous.
"So it was you."
Ragna shrugged.
"Yeah, and if you think that was—"
He didn't finish.
Kayden's fist moved before anyone saw it.
WHAM!!!
Ragna's body launched off the ground, lifted like someone pulled strings beneath him, and he flew across the classroom—crashing through two desks and slamming into the back wall.
The room exploded in screams.
Students ran.
Chairs fell.
Desks rattled.
"WHAT THE—?!"
"HE SENT RAGNA FLYING!"
"THAT'S NOT NORMAL!"
"NO HUMAN CAN DO THAT!"
Even Eren stumbled backward, terrified.
Kayden stared at his own hand.
His breathing quickened.
The sigil under his sleeve burned, glowing fiercely.
He didn't expect that punch.
He didn't know he could do that.
The remaining Vex Crew members froze.
"R-Ragna?!"
"H-He's bleeding!"
"What is he?!"
Jex stuttered, pointing with a shaking hand:
"M-Monster…"
Then he panicked.
"Let's get out of here!"
They grabbed their fallen leader and sprinted out of the classroom.
Someone shouted for help.
Someone else called an ambulance.
Kayden didn't stay.
He grabbed his bag and walked out, the entire hallway filling with whispers:
"What is he?"
"Did you see what he did?"
"He's not human…"
"No one can punch like that!"
Kayden ignored every voice.
But inside, he wasn't calm.
His heart pounded wildly.
His arm throbbed.
The sigil glowed bright enough that he could feel the heat through his sleeve.
Something inside him had awakened.
Something he didn't understand.
Something terrifying.
And worse—
Something out there felt it.
---
As he stepped out of the school gate, a cold breeze swept across the street. The sky darkened slightly, like a storm waiting to form.
Kayden didn't notice the shadow perched on the rooftop across from the school.
A figure with a mask.
Watching him.
Studying him.
Smiling beneath the darkness.
A faint whisper slid through the air:
"He's the one… The last survivor…"
Kayden kept walking, unaware of the eyes tracking his every move.
Unaware that his punch didn't just send Ragna flying.
It sent a signal.
A signal to something ancient.
Something powerful.
Something hidden in the world.
And now—
It was coming for him.
---