Condensed vapor seeped through the gaps of the straw mask, hissing against the cold air. In the suffocating dark, the silhouette stood—alone, steady, immovable. His shoulders rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic cycle, a mechanical stabilization of the fire humming beneath his skin.
At his feet lay the fading husks of Seeles, their forms dissolving back into the void. He didn't look down at his work. Instead, he tilted his head toward the stars, those piercing crimson eyes glowing with a predatory light that bypassed the mask entirely.
⟳⟳⟳
Two blue stars shone brightly, glimmering in the night sky. Stranded in the vastness of space, they watched over a marvelous blue planet brimming with wonder. Drawn to its beauty, the stars began their journey toward the planet, their light growing ever brighter as they approached.
It was a cold, snowy tundra, somewhere on Earth.
A biting wind swept across the barren white, carrying snow that danced through the air. Beneath its howl, another sound broke through—steady, rhythmic footsteps.
A lone figure pressed forward. Itoshi. His long blue hair spilled down his back, eyes glowing with a crimson intensity that cut against the pale landscape. He stopped atop a snowy rise, the forested wasteland stretching endlessly before him. Pulling down the scarf from his mouth, he exhaled a cloud of breath.
"Dang... it's cold."
His words vanished into the wind. Then—something else. A whisper, unlike the storm's voice. His ears twitched. Startled, he hissed:
"What the hell was that?!"
Spinning around, his crimson gaze widened. A woman stood behind him. His hands trembled, confusion flooding his mind. Her features were hard to make out—her form hazy, almost unreal—but one thing stood out: her long, flowing hair.
She reached a hand toward him, silently beckoning. Yet what etched itself into his memory most vividly were her eyes—strange, mesmerizing, mismatched. Her left eye glowed with a soft, bluish hue, while her right mirrored his own—deep, fiery red.
And then—blackness.
He jolted awake. Just a dream.
As he sat on his futon, confusion twisted in his chest. Who was she? Why had she come to him, someone he had never seen before?
"Have I met her?" he wondered. "Was she one of the women I've messed with? I... I can't remember."
His breathing grew ragged, echoing through the silence of his small, grimy room. Sweat clung to his skin as the dream lingered, refusing to fade. The silence was broken by a sudden voice outside his room—a young girl calling out.
"Koya! Breakfast's ready!"
He shook off the remnants of his dream, got dressed, and joined her at the table. She glanced at him as he sat down, noticing the change in his demeanor.
He wasn't his usual calm, "cool" self. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she knew something was stirring.
"What's wrong, Koya?" she asked gently.
He hesitated for a moment.
"Just a dream."
A quiet pause settled between them as she continued eating, the clink of utensils filling the space between their thoughts.
"Kara... have you ever seen a girl with one blue eye and one red?"
She frowned thoughtfully.
"Hmm... I don't think so."
She looked at him dead in the eyes as she pouted.
"Did you mess with another girl?!"
Itoshi ate a whole egg in a single bite as Kara spoke. Hearing her question, he quickly denied.
"I didn't!"
"Yeah.. Sure.."
Kara muttered, deadpan.
"You don't believe me at all do you?"
Itoshi replied quietly, pushing his chair back.
"Well in that case. I'm gonna head out early."
Kara blinked in surprise, watching him stand.
"A-Already?"
She pouted, her voice dropping to a mutter as she stared at his untouched plate.
"He didn't even taste the bacon... took me a while to find that..."
The dazzling countryside breeze of Okinawa swept through Itoshi's long, striking blue hair as he made his way to high school. The morning air was fresh, until familiar voices broke through.
"Hey, Itoshi!"
One of the bystanders called out with a grin. Itoshi glanced at him, wary.
"When are you gonna marry your sister?"
Itoshi snapped. His eyes flared, his calm vanishing in an instant.
"Shut up!" he groaned, not even stopping.
Laughter echoed behind him as he walked off, his cheeks slightly flushed.
He arrived at Yomitan High School. On his way to the classroom, Itoshi was greeted by his only male friend, Hishiki.
"Sup,"
Hishiki said casually.
"Yo, good morning,"
Itoshi replied.
Hishiki immediately noticed something was off. His friend looked tired, distracted.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine,"
Itoshi answered quickly.
"No, you're not fine,"
Hishiki shot back.
"You didn't even bring your bag to school."
Itoshi's eyes widened.
"Shit!"
Hishiki laughed.
"I'll cover your lunch if you tell me what's going on."
With a sigh, Itoshi recounted the dream. Hishiki listened intently, then scratched his head.
"Man... who do you think she was? Oh well... It's just a dream, it's probably nothing."
The bell rang.
Itoshi's eyelids instantly grew heavy.
"Oi.. Itoshi, class is starting,"
Hishiki muttered, quickly turning to Itoshi.
"W-what the hell?! He's already asleep!"
The sound of the bell faded slowly. Suddenly, the classroom was gone. The tundra returned, sharper than before. The woman stood there, her long white hair whipping like a silken shroud in the gale. As she reached for him, the contrast of her eyes—that icy blue and the deep, familiar crimson—seemed to pull the air right out of his lungs.
"Itoshi-kun... Wake up!"
He jolted upright, his desk screeching against the floorboards like a dying animal. The sudden movement sent a jolt of adrenaline through his spine, his heart thudding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
The warmth of the Okinawa afternoon felt suffocatingly hot compared to the phantom chill still clinging to his skin.
"Kiyagari-san, are you okay?"
The teacher's voice was a dull intrusion. Itoshi's vision was blurred, the image of those mismatched eyes still burned into his retinas like a camera flash. Sweat beaded on his forehead, cold and prickly.
"May I go to the bathroom?"
He managed to stutter, the words feeling thick in his mouth.
As he left, he didn't notice five students from another class following him—the school delinquents.
Inside the quiet bathroom, he faced the mirror. He tied back his long blue hair, then splashed cold water on his face.
"What the hell is happening? Why am I so stressed about a girl I've never even met? Just thinking about her sends shivers down my spine."
"Shit,"
Itoshi thought.
"These delinquents... but unfortunately for them, I'm one too."
One of the boys—short, with sharp brown eyes—stepped forward, sneering.
"Oh, look! It's the handsome blue emo. What could you be doing out here alone?"
"Pissing?"
Itoshi replied bluntly. He took a deep sigh, shrugging with his eyes closed.
"I guess gays don't know what real men do in the toilet."
The boy snapped and lunged, his fist whistling through the air with more aggression than skill. Itoshi didn't even blink. He jumped back, the soles of his shoes slapping against the porcelain edge of the sink with a sharp, echoing crack. Without taking his hands from his pockets, he pivoted his weight, his leg snapping out like a coiled spring.
The heavy thud of his heel connecting with the boy's chest sounded like a mallet hitting a rug. The attacker gasped, the air leaving his lungs in a wheeze as he stumbled back into the stalls.
The other four swarmed. Itoshi moved like liquid. He felt the rush of a fist grazing his ear—the smell of stale cigarettes and cheap cologne wafting off the delinquents.
He planted a foot against the tiled wall, using the momentum to launch himself into a spinning kick. The impact of his shin against a jaw was a dull, wet crunch.
One boy tried to grab his collar, but Itoshi slipped the hold, the fabric of his uniform snapping under the tension. He used the momentum to slam the boy's head toward the metal partition of the stall—a resonant clang that echoed through the small room.
The air in the bathroom grew thick with the smell of copper and sweat. Itoshi's breathing was the only steady thing in the room—rhythmic and controlled, even as the five boys lay groaning on the cold, damp floor.
"Oh f*ck... Kara's gonna scold me again. This is all your fault."
He looked down at them, his crimson eyes cold and devoid of the adrenaline high most fighters felt. He kicked a stray shoe out of his path and spat a glob of saliva onto the floor before turning his back on them.
The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break. The usual chaotic shuffle of students filled the halls, but Itoshi and Hishiki found a quiet spot by the basketball court to sit down. Hishiki had bought lunch for both of them, handing a tray to Itoshi, who thanked him quietly before they began to eat.
After a few bites, Itoshi stared at his food and suddenly spoke.
"I'm in trouble."
Hishiki grinned, his eyes lighting up.
"Finally, something normal from you. You've been so quiet today. Usually, you'd be roaming the campus looking for trouble."
Itoshi rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright, man."
"So?"
Hishiki prompted, leaning in.
"It's nothing crazy—I just beat up a few kids in the bathroom,"
Itoshi admitted.
Hishiki's eyes widened, a mischievous glint appearing.
"Bro, that sounds so wrong. Oh well, your wife's gonna kill you."
Itoshi shot him a sharp glare.
"Man, stop. Kara's my roommate, okay?"
"I didn't say any names,"
Hishiki teased, his smile turning smug.
"Why Kara?"
"Tsk,"
Itoshi grumbled, looking away.
"Come on, let's just eat, man!"
Hishiki laughed hysterically, the sound echoing off the court as he handed over the rest of the lunch.
"Thanks,"
Itoshi muttered under his breath.
As Hishiki wiped a tear of joy from his eye, his laughter slowly settled into a more serious question.
"How is your job doing, mate?"
Itoshi mumbled, his mouth completely full.
"Ibs dodsn albwinght."
A bead of sweat fell from Hishiki's temple as he watched the display.
"Come on, man. Swallow before you speak..."
Itoshi took one big, forced gulp.
"It's pretty decent. Driving those old ass trucks is a pain in the ass." He paused for a moment, his gaze softening just a fraction.
"Still... I gotta do it for Kara."
Hishiki chuckled, leaning back and looking up at the clear Okinawa sky.
"Eh... what a responsible husband."
Itoshi clicked his tongue, his brows furrowing instantly.
"Tch! STOP!!"
He stood up abruptly, his meal already finished.
"I'm gonna buy some drinks."
"Ah, you're not gonna wait for your wife?"
Hishiki called after his retreating back.
"Man, stop!!"
Itoshi shouted over his shoulder, but it only made Hishiki laugh louder.
As Itoshi walked away, a girl with striking long blue hair and bright cyan eyes appeared, calling out loudly toward the court.
"Hishiki-senpai!!!"
Itoshi froze for a split second, his shoulders tensing, before he quickened his pace.
"Hey!! Itoshi!! Your wife is here!!"
Hishiki yelled with a massive grin.
"Oh? Koya is here?"
Kara asked, her brows furrowed as she reached Hishiki.
She was carrying a heavy school bag, looking slightly out of breath.
"He left so dang early! He even left his bag! Where did he go?! This thing was so heavy!"
Hishiki just kept laughing, watching Itoshi disappear down the path as fast as his legs could carry him.
~~~Yomitan Incident~~~
While Itoshi walked through the halls of the campus, trying to shake the lingering chill of the dream, Kara and Hishiki sat nearby.
They chatted quietly, trying to piece together the identity of the woman with the mismatched eyes, but both remained clueless.
Suddenly, a loud siren pierced the air, a shrill, mechanical shriek that echoed off the surrounding mountains.
"Warning: Seelies incoming from the mountains are heading toward this area. Please be cautious and take immediate action."
The calm, pre-recorded female voice was a terrifying contrast to the panic that instantly ignited in the hallways.
Itoshi rushed outside, his heart hammering against his ribs, his eyes scanning the chaos until he found Kara and Hishiki.
Hishiki was already moving, his casual grin replaced by a jagged, urgent mask of fear.
"Kara! Get to safety! I'll wait for Itoshi!"
Before they could even take a step toward the shelters, the world went dark. A shadow stretched over the courtyard—a colossal Seelie, an enormous figure outlined in a sickening, eerie green light. It towered at least three times the height of a man, its presence sucking the very heat out of the air.
Time seemed to slow. Itoshi's breath hitched in his throat, his gaze locked on the monstrous beast. He saw every detail—the way the green light pulsed like a heartbeat, the silence that followed its footsteps, and the terrifying speed of its reach.
In an instant, the creature's hand snapped out, seizing Hishiki by the neck.
Itoshi lunged forward, a scream building in his lungs, but the sheer size of the creature made his effort look pathetic.
The Seelie didn't just hold Hishiki; it engulfed him. The grip was absolute, a crushing force that made the sound of breaking bone and tearing fabric audible even over the distant screams.
Hishiki struggled, his legs kicking uselessly against the air, his face darkening as the life was squeezed out of him. He turned his head toward Itoshi one last time, his voice a broken, wet rasp.
"Itoshi... Run."
The grip tightened one last time. Fatal.
Hishiki went limp, his body discarded like a broken toy. Chaos erupted in the vacuum left by his silence as smaller Groß-class Seelies swarmed over the school walls, tearing through students and leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.
~~~To be Continued~~~