– Cracks in the Mirror
That night, when Ren came home, the sky was already dark.
He was alone in his room.
The streetlight outside slipped through the window, glinting off the edge of the mirror, leaving a pale reflection on the wall.
Ren stood before the mirror.
For a while, he just stared at himself.
The circles under his eyes were dark, his lips dry.
His hair was a mess, and his shirt was still stained with blood.
In a low voice, he asked his reflection:
"Is this me?... With a face like this… how could Mina ever love me?"
He laughed — a short, broken sound.
Then he went silent.
His pupils widened.
"Damn it," he muttered.
"Because of you… everyone hates me!"
Suddenly, his fist slammed into the mirror.
Glass shattered into pieces.
Blood started to drip from the cuts, red drops running down his arm.
Ren stared at the blood — then smeared it across his face with his fingertips.
His face was now painted red.
He smiled at his fractured reflection.
"Just a little longer, Mina…"
"I need to get stronger first. Then no one will ever hurt you again."
---
Chapter 5 – Cold Morning
When morning came, the school was quiet.
But someone was missing.
"Did Ren not come?" someone whispered.
Mina looked up, glancing around.
His desk was empty.
Even his pen and notebook were still there.
A sudden unease crept through her, but she pushed it down.
"Maybe he's just skipping class…" she told herself.
Then she quietly turned back to her notebook.
But her hand was trembling.
There was a strange heaviness in her chest — a weight she couldn't name.
---
Chapter 6 – Blood and Training
Outside the city, on an old training field.
The wind blew, stirring dust between the blades of grass.
Ren was there.
His clothes were covered in mud.
Each breath shook his chest, but he didn't stop.
He crouched, stood up again, threw punches, kept running.
There were still no bandages on his hands; the cuts had reopened, bleeding once more.
But he didn't care.
"I have to get stronger…"
"Only then… can I protect her."
Meanwhile, something completely different was happening back at school.
---
When Wel entered the classroom, he kicked the door open.
His back was still wrapped in bandages, but his face burned with rage.
"Where's that bastard Ren?!" he shouted.
The room went silent.
Mina flinched, but said nothing.
Wel suddenly turned to her.
His eyes burned with hate.
"Mina… you know, don't you? Where is he?!"
Mina held her breath.
"I… I don't know," she whispered.
"I really don't."
But her heart was pounding.
And in the back of her mind, a voice seemed to whisper:
"Ren… he's still out there. In the dark. And he's coming back."
---
The Silence of the Shadow
After class, Mina suddenly found herself in an empty alley, without knowing how.
Wel was gripping her arm tightly.
"Move!" he shouted, his voice full of anger.
Mina tried to pull away.
"Wel, stop! What are you doing?!"
But Wel didn't listen.
He dragged her along, his grip tightening until her wrist burned.
"Ahh! Please, let me go!"
His face was twisted with fury.
"Ren's obsessed with you, right? Let's see what that psycho does when something happens to his precious girl."
Mina's heart was racing.
"I have nothing to do with him! Please, stop!"
Tears streamed down her face.
"Shut up!" Wel yelled.
He shoved her into an old, abandoned warehouse.
The rusty door groaned as it shut.
Inside, it was dark. The air smelled of rust and dust.
Three other shadows appeared from the corner — Wel's friends.
One of them, a long-haired boy with a mocking grin, stepped forward.
"Well, well…" he said quietly.
"So this is the famous girl… the one Ren's been protecting, huh?"
His name was Xen.
He leaned close to Mina, studying her face.
"No need to be so scared, pretty girl. We're just gonna play a little game."
But Wel snapped at him, furious.
"Shut it, Xen! Don't forget why we're here! We're setting a trap for Ren, got it?"
Then he turned and tied Mina's wrists tightly.
"You're gonna sit here quietly. I'm sure that psycho will show up soon enough."
Mina's eyes filled with tears.
She wanted to fight back, but her hands were bound.
With a trembling voice, she whispered:
"Ren… please… don't do anything stupid…"
Outside, the wind howled.
And somewhere in that sound — footsteps.
Slow, steady, coming closer.
As if the darkness itself was walking toward them.
---
Red Echo
When Ren came back from training, the school was quiet.
He was exhausted, yet something inside him felt uneasy.
He didn't notice anything wrong until the fourth class — when the seat beside him was still empty.
Mina was gone.
Even her notebook was missing.
Ren's heart started pounding.
His eyes darted across the room.
He grabbed a student by the collar, his voice icy:
"Where's Mina?"
The boy could barely breathe.
Shaking, he whispered:
"S-she… Wel took her…"
In that instant, the air in the room changed.
Ren went silent for a few seconds, then slowly raised a hand to his hair.
He grabbed a handful and pulled.
"Wel…" he muttered, voice trembling.
"You're dead. This time for real."
One of the girls behind him whispered in fear:
"Ren… I think I saw them… near the old warehouse."
Ren lifted his head.
His face was blank — but in his eyes, a fire burned.
"Thank you," he said coldly.
Then he walked out.
His footsteps echoed down the hallway, each one like a heartbeat hitting the walls.
He stepped outside, and began to run.
---
Wind.
Rust.
A distant building with corroded metal doors.
Ren stopped.
He placed his hand on the handle.
There were voices inside.
"Haha! I can't wait to see Ren's face when he gets here!"
Wel's voice echoed.
Ren pushed the door open and stepped inside.
His eyes immediately found Mina — in the corner, hands tied, tears in her eyes.
They locked eyes. Mina couldn't speak.
But in that gaze was both fear and hope.
Wel laughed.
"Look who showed up! The lunatic himself! Look what I did to your precious girl!"
Beside him, Xen stood up, grinning.
"So this is the famous Ren, huh? Doesn't look that dangerous to me."
Another one, Emy, added coldly:
"Hmph. Took him long enough."
Ren lowered his head.
He pushed his hair back and tied it behind him.
He took slow, deliberate breaths.
Then whispered:
"Ah… finally."
Everyone fell silent.
The air in the warehouse grew heavy — the silence almost painful.
Ren reached for a broken chair on the floor.
His fingers brushed along the wood.
Then suddenly — crack!
The chair leg slammed into Xen's head.
Everyone froze.
Xen collapsed, eyes wide in shock.
Ren didn't even flinch.
He turned his gaze, empty yet burning.
"You're next, Wel."
---