The sky over Kurogane District carried the weight of an approaching storm dark, swollen clouds twisting above the city like giant shadows. The bus screeched as it came to a halt in front of Shirakami High School, its metallic body rattling from years of use.
From the last seat, a boy slowly stood up.
Thin. Quiet. A little pale.
The kind of boy people forget when they turn their heads.
His name was Rei Yukishiro.
Rei lived a life full of transfers one city to another, one school to the next because of his father's government posting. Every time, he prayed life would change. Every time, he was proven wrong.
He stepped off the bus, eyes down, holding his backpack like a shield.
But even in his silence… something in the air shifted.
A pressure.
A pulse.
An unseen warning.
Rei didn't notice. He rarely did.
Until he saw the crowd.
A group of students stood frozen near the school gates, forming a half-circle. Their faces were tight, tense. Some looked afraid. Some looked excited. All of them stared at one person.
A tall boy stood in the center broad shoulders, black hair that brushed his jawline, and sharp, intimidating eyes.
Ryouma Kurobane.
The strongest student in school.
The undefeated fighter.
The tyrant who owned the hallways.
He had another boy lifted effortlessly by the collar, speaking in a calm, cold voice.
"You thought talking back was brave?" Ryouma asked, raising an eyebrow. "Try it again."
He shoved the boy aside.
Then Ryouma turned.
And his eyes landed on Rei.
Rei froze. Not because of fear he was used to bullies. But because Ryouma's gaze felt like a blade.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Ryouma's mouth.
"A new transfer student… perfect."
Rei bowed slightly, hoping to avoid trouble.
But as he walked past
Something impossible happened.
A faint glowing sigil pulsed beneath the collar of Rei's uniform, right at the back of his neck. A symbol shaped like a crescent intertwined with jagged lines as if carved into his skin by light.
It flashed once.
Like a heartbeat.
No one else noticed.
Except Ryouma.
His smirk dropped.
His eyes widened slightly.
His breath caught in his throat.
❝That mark… why would he have it?❞
But Rei continued walking, unaware of the silent earthquake he had caused.
---
The Classroom of Whispered Fates
Rei entered his new classroom, trying to remain invisible. But the teacher announced him, forcing him forward.
"This is our new transfer student, Rei Yukishiro. Please take care of him."
Rei bowed politely. "I hope I won't trouble anyone."
Students whispered. Some snickered. Some didn't care. A few looked curious.
Rei took the empty seat near the window.
The boy to his right leaned over with a bright grin.
"Yo! I'm Akito Sumeragi. If anyone gives you trouble, just tell me. I'll pretend to care."
Rei blinked, unsure if he was joking.
An elegant, calm boy behind them smiled softly.
"I'm Haru Tsukiyama. Don't mind Akito. He talks more than he thinks."
Akito gasped. "Hey! Rude!"
Rei almost smiled.
Two friends… on the first day?
Impossible.
But comforting.
Before Rei could respond, the classroom door slid open.
A girl walked in with steps so graceful the room seemed to hold its breath.
Aira Kagetsu.
Hair like moonlit silk. Eyes calm but unreadable. A quiet beauty that made people stare without realizing it.
She glanced around the room.
And then her eyes met Rei's.
Rei stiffened.
Aira's gaze softened, ever so slightly.
Like she recognized something in him.
Something she wasn't expecting.
Akito leaned forward, whispering with excitement, "Bro… she NEVER looks at anyone like that."
Haru murmured, "Interesting."
But the one who noticed the most was Ryouma Kurobane.
Sitting at the back of the class, his jaw tightened as he watched Aira's eyes linger on Rei.
His gaze flicked between them.
Then to the faint outline of the sigil beneath Rei's collar.
His fingers curled into fists beneath his desk.
❝Why does that weakling have the Kage-Rin Seal?❞
❝This shouldn't be happening…❞
---
After School The Forgotten Yard
After classes ended, everyone rushed out. Rei stayed behind, avoiding the crowd. He found his way to the abandoned storage yard behind the gym quiet, lonely, hidden.
A perfect place for someone who didn't want to exist.
Rei sat against the wall and closed his eyes.
But the burning started again.
A sharp, sudden scorch at the back of his neck as if something ancient had awakened beneath his skin.
He gasped, gripping the dirt.
"What… is this…?"
The sigil pulsed again.
Light weak but growing seeped through his collar.
Before he could even react
THUD.
A rock struck the ground near him.
Rei jerked his head up.
Ryouma Kurobane stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.
"You," Ryouma said calmly. "Stay away from Aira."
Rei frowned. "I'm not doing anything. I don't even know her."
"That's not the problem."
Ryouma stepped closer. His eyes were darker than before.
"The problem is something else entirely."
The burning grew stronger.
Rei winced.
Ryouma noticed.
"Tell me something," he asked in a low voice, eyes locked on Rei's neck.
"Have you ever felt like there's something inside you? Something that shouldn't exist?"
Rei shook his head. "No… what are you talking ab"
Before he could finish-
The world cracked.
The ground beneath Rei glowed with strange symbols sharp, twisting lines circling around him like a ritual.
The air vibrated.
Reality bent.
"What, what's happening!?" Rei shouted, stumbling back.
Ryouma didn't move. He only watched with a mix of fear and certainty.
"It's starting…" he whispered.
The light beneath Rei intensified.
The air split open.
A spiraling void opened under his feet dark, bottomless, pulling him in.
"Ryouma! Help!"
"You're the one chosen by the seal," Ryouma said, unable to hide the tremor in his voice. "This is your fate, not mine."
Rei's legs slipped.
He fell-
Into darkness.
Into another world.
---
The Forest of Shadows
Rei hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of his lungs.
He gasped, looking around in pure disbelief.
He was in a forest but not a normal one.
Trees twisted like living veins.
Mist curled like whispering spirits.
Symbols floated in the air like glowing embers.
A voice echoed through the darkness cold, emotionless, mechanical.
"Dimension Shift Detected."
Rei's heartbeat exploded.
"Shadow-Rin Core Activation."
"No-no-stop-!" he shouted, scrambling upright.
"Level System Initializing."
Rei's vision blurred.
The sigil on his neck blazed like fire.
"LEVEL 1 - UNLOCKED."
Everything went silent.
Rei stood trembling, trying to understand what had happened.
Then
A branch snapped.
Something was breathing behind him.
Slow. Deep. Animalistic.
Rei turned slowly.
In the distance…
Two massive glowing red eyes opened in the darkness.
They narrowed
focused
and locked onto him.
The creature stepped forward.
And the ground trembled.
---