The mark did not fade with the morning.
Abo Kurenai stood under the shower, water streaming down his body, but the symbol on his chest remained—sharp, crimson, and alive. Steam filled the small bathroom, yet the heat beneath his skin burned hotter than before.
It pulsed.
Slow. Deliberate.
Like something breathing.
Abo shut off the water and pressed his palm against the mark. The moment his fingers touched it, pain shot through his chest. He bit down on his lip, forcing himself not to scream.
"Calm down," he muttered to himself. "It's nothing. Just… stress."
The bathroom light flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
"You are late."
The voice crawled into his ears.
Low. Echoing. Too close.
Abo froze.
His heart slammed against his ribs as he spun around, eyes scanning the empty bathroom. The door was shut. The mirror fogged. No one was there.
"R-Riku?" he called out weakly. "Mom?"
No answer.
The mark throbbed again, harder this time.
"You are late… Repeller."
Abo clutched his head and staggered back, knocking into the sink. "Stop!" he shouted. "Who are you?!"
Silence.
The lights steadied, as if nothing had happened.
Abo stood there shaking, water dripping from his hair, his reflection staring back at him through the misted mirror.
Then the reflection smiled.
Abo didn't.
The smile widened unnaturally, lips stretching too far, eyes darkening into pools of black.
"Satan remembers you," the reflection whispered.
Something inside Abo snapped.
He grabbed the nearest thing he could reach and hurled it forward.
The mirror shattered.
Glass exploded outward, fragments spinning through the air in slow motion. Abo threw his arms up, heart racing, as shards clattered across the floor like falling rain.
When he looked again, the reflection was gone.
Only his own face stared back at him—pale, terrified, and very human.
School felt wrong.
The sun was out. Birds chirped. Students laughed as if the world hadn't cracked open overnight. Abo walked through the hallway like a ghost, every sound muffled, every smile unreal.
"Bro," Riku Hayzen said, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "You look like you fought a ghost and lost."
Abo forced a laugh. "Didn't sleep much."
Riku studied him for a moment, then grinned. "Figures. You've always been bad at resting."
Abo nodded, but his gaze drifted down the corridor.
She stood there.
A girl he had never seen before, watching him quietly from near the classroom windows. Her dark hair framed a calm, unreadable face. For just a split second, her eyes glowed faintly—soft blue, like distant stars.
Their gazes met.
Abo's chest burned.
The girl turned away and disappeared into the crowd.
The street was empty when Abo headed home.
Clouds stretched long shadows across the pavement, bending at angles that didn't make sense. His footsteps echoed too loudly, every sound sharp against the unnatural quiet.
Then he smelled it.
Rot.
The wall beside him rippled like disturbed water.
A thin crack split the concrete, widening as something crawled out—small, twisted, its skin stretched tight over bone. Its eyes rolled wildly as it sniffed the air, lips peeling back into a grin full of broken teeth.
"Found you…" it hissed. "Repeller…"
Abo's body refused to move.
Fear locked his muscles in place as the creature skittered closer, claws scraping against stone. His vision blurred. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Then the mark ignited.
Pain exploded through his chest, but beneath it was something else—instinct.
Abo raised his hand.
Dark-red light surged forward.
The blast struck the demon head-on. It screamed, a sound that felt wrong, like metal tearing. Its body burned from the inside out, crumbling into black ash that scattered across the ground.
The light vanished.
Abo collapsed to his knees, gasping, hands shaking uncontrollably. The mark faded slightly, leaving behind a dull ache.
Footsteps approached.
A shadow fell over him.
The girl from school stood there, holding a glowing seal between her fingers. Symbols shimmered in the air as she looked down at the ashes, then at Abo.
"So it's true," she said calmly. "The Hell-Repel has chosen you."
Abo stared up at her, fear and confusion twisting inside his chest.
"What… am I?" he asked.
Her eyes softened—just a little.
"A weapon Satan wants dead."
Far beneath the earth, chains rattled.
A throne of bone trembled as a massive figure shifted in the darkness. One glowing eye opened slowly, burning with amusement.
"Send the hunters," the voice echoed.
"The Repeller has awakened."
----------END OF CHAPTER 2----------