Students huddled in tight circles, their phone screens illuminating their faces. Even in the noisy halls, tension was evident. Almost every conversation drifted in the same direction: the mysterious and grainy video that had overtaken the internet that morning. rumors spiraled until they were impossible to tell apart from facts. Senri walked the corridors in a daze, pretending as though he didn't hear the whispers of rumors, each fragment of gossip igniting embers of anxiety within his chest. His hands trembled in the pockets of his cardigan, his throat heavy with nausea.
"I thought the government said it was just a chemical spill?" a girl near the water fountain wondered to her friend, brows raised with suspicion.
"Nah," another interrupted. "MAYDAY said someone who actually saved a civilian. My cousin thinks it could be a vigilante."
"My friend saw drones circling that street." A third chimed in, eyes wide with amusement.
Senri made an effort to slip by unnoticed, but every word pressed against him. He remembered only fragments of the night before, images darting through his mind — a hunger that overshadowed everything else and the taste of the sympath's flesh and organs still on his tongue. The guilt hit him in waves as he realized most people believed a hero had emerged. But he knew better; he felt like a fraud.
A familiar face suddenly blocked his path. It was the boy he had helped just last week — Toma. His face looked much calmer and nicer now that it wasn't stained with worry. His dark brown hair flopped over his anxious eyes, his smile small but honest as he tilted his head.
"Hi… I'm not sure you remember me, but I wanted to thank you for helping me!" he exclaimed, his gratitude strangely steady in the atmosphere. "Oh— and I'm Toma by the way."
"It was nothing, honestly. Don't worry about it," Senri muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as embarrassment flushed his cheeks lightly.
"If you say so..." Toma smiled shyly, shifting his backpack. "So where are you headed?"
"Im just going to the library. I need to catch up on some studying." Senri forced a small grin as they began to walk together, each step an effort to seem normal.
"Mind if I tag along?" Toma asked, hope clear in his tone.
"Um, I'm meeting some… uh. Friends— yeah sure," Senri managed with a chuckle, though the warmth in his tone was hindered by his anxious stature.
As they made their way through the halls, a few other students, ones senri had helped with assignments and homework many days before, approached asking for help. It was evident from Senri's distracted eyes and clipped responses that his thoughts were drifting far away.
In the library, Eri hunched over her laptop, the screen lit up with video editing software. Hanko was beside her, her brow furrowing as she scribbled notes. Eri had dissected the leaked video footage and was replaying it over and over. The library, which usually housed a hushed calm, was buzzing with nervous whispers. Every seat was filled with students captivated by their devices.
Senri slid into a chair next to Eri and Hanako, toma trailing behind and promptly pulling a textbook from his backpack, trying to seem busy. Eri's eyes lit up as she pivoted her laptop to Senri. Her voice seemed fast and urgent
"Look at this, see the angles? The video was taken just a block from here." She spoke with excitement, gesturing at freeze frames.
"That's scary. The last reported Sympath outbreak was two months ago." Hanako said, her voice trembling around the edges.
Eri nodded, her fingers flying across the keys. "Yeah, or at least, that's the last the government made public."
Riku stepped into the library, and despite his interjection, he still managed to sound uninterested. "Who knows what they're hiding?"
Senri's heart hammered in his chest as the video replayed with the same blurry and jittery quality he had remembered when he had watched it last night. How had Eri figured out so much so quickly? He flexed his fingers, forcing a calm nod even as alarm bells fired off in his mind,
A moment later, Kaito finally made an appearance, popping his head in. His eyes were bright with curiosity as he spoke. "Oh, hey guys, who's that?"
"Oh— this is toma," Senri stammered, "He wanted to study with us…"
Around them, the rustle of papers and hush of conversations enveloped the room. Studying had become a pretense to discuss the rumors circulating online. Even the far corners of the library were filled with students scrolling through posts.
The weight of public opinion pressed on Senri, each comment about the incident lurking beneath the hundreds of reposted or edited versions of the leaked video. Each one felt like a knife twisting further into his sense of self.
"Masked savior sighting!"
"We need more people like this, like the shadow eater."
"Whoever they are, they probably saved someone from the sympaths."
MAYDAY's posts spliced the footage into dramatic loops: "Our city has a real savior" and "resist the S.I.E.D." The blurry figure moved across the screen over and over, turned into a hero before Senri's eyes. He couldn't even bring himself to look at his phone; panic tingled at his skin as he tried desperately to not unravel.
All he wanted to do was help. To do the right thing in the alleyway, to take the weight off Hanako's shoulders. But last night, he hadn't been thinking. He barely remembered it at all. His fists clenched white as another wave of nausea hit him.
Natsuka entered the library. Dropping herself into the seat next to Senri with a familiar grace. Her smile hinted at concern as she examined him from head to toe.
"Are you alright? You look like you've just failed a test." She joked, somewhat of a rare occurrence for Natsuka.
Senri managed a wavering smile. "Ahahah… yeah. I'm fine." But the words felt thin, and part of him yearned to admit that he was terrified, that he felt ill with dread. Yet he told himself that this was his burden, not hers.
Before he could stop her, Natsuka snatched his phone, curiosity printed on her face. "Hey, what's this 'masked savior' thing? Isn't that near your block?"
"Oh, I uh.. Didn't see anything, I was studying all night."
She squinted, but before she had the chance to investigate further, Kaito pressed his face up to the library window, and others quickly followed. Eri gasped, Kaito's expression suspended in a state of disbelief. Senri rose with dread creeping up his spine.\
Just outside, white vans with government insignias rolled onto school grounds, catching the midday sun. A cluster of teachers hurried in, their attempts at keeping everyone calm only sparking more panic among the students.
"They're probably hunting the sympath, or whoever interfered," Eri shrugged, her eyes flickering with both fear and curiosity.
Senri saw toma, frantically searching for his backpack, anxiety rising on his face. The urge to help his newfound friend was strong, instinctive — like that same hunger he'd experienced the night before. But this time, panic intoxicated his nerves and made his chest ache. Was this all my fault? Did I make it worse? He wondered to himself.
***
In a dimly lit control room, Director Kurenai stood rigid over her desk, her face lit up by the blue glow of her computer's monitors. A row of analysts near the front of the room typed frantically, the air electric with urgency. The director's brow remained pinched with worry as she studied the replay of the leaked video, as well as the surveillance video from the crow's unit drone.
"It seems like there's only a small bit of the Sympath left. Send the crow unit to collect any residual tissue from the scene," She commanded, her voice precise.
***
Back at the school, the SSA group clustered in a semicircle, scrolling through posts not just for gossip, but for information that would aid their little research club. Hanako's voice wavered as she read aloud comments, one making Senri freeze with fear.
"I saw what happened up close. It wasn't saving or protecting anyone… I think it was eating something." Hanako whispered, her hands shaking.
A chill sliced down Senri's back. Someone had seen. He stared at the comment, his eyes wide. The words on the screen were threatening to shatter him. His heart banged against his ribcage so erratically he wondered if the others could hear. He was terrified that the truth would be unraveled, that he'd be seen for what he really was.
***
A teacher with a kind voice that dripped like honey stood at the front of the classroom, the white glare of fluorescent lights bouncing off the blackboard behind her. Big, bold letters were printed in chalk, their edges slightly smudged. The students sat rigidly in their seats with tense postures and shifting gazes, as if the room itself was shackling them to their chairs. Bigger concerns were resting atop their minds than the lessons of the day, worries stirred by the recent rise in sympath activity. It felt as if an invisible wall seemed to separate the students from both their studies and each other.
"Alright, class, listen up. The school festival is coming up in the next few weeks, and I'd like to hear about club contributions." The teacher announced, her words careful. She offered the students a strained smile that never really reached her watchful eyes.
Hanakos hand shot into the air immediately, a subtle tremor in her posture, her voice hesitant when she spoke. "The Sympath Sympathisers Association would like to set up a memorial wall. For those who have lost someone to Sympathy Syndrome," Her delicate words lingered.
The classroom's response was a flurry of murmurs. Some nodded in support, a few faces eased with empathy, while others looked away with discomfort wrinkling their features. Senri, sitting by the window, felt a soft pang in his chest as he grasped Hanako's hopeful expression. He wondered, with a twist of dread, how her features would change if she ever found out what had happened that night. He quickly closed off that thought, locking it away behind a large, impregnable wall. When Hanako glanced at him, he offered a small, supportive smile, though forced it was, it still served to reassure her as she had done for him.
Outside of the classroom, Natsuka stood, waiting. Her expression was calm and composed as it always was, her hands folded neatly in front of her. As Senri and Hanako emerged, Kaito made his way down the hall to join them. The four moved together towards the clubroom, their steps echoing off the floor. Natsuka pivoted towards the group; her voice had dropped lower, but polite, practiced to avoid attention.
"The school festivals coming up, I heard about it from my homeroom teacher," Natsuka mentioned, her gaze shifting between Hanako and Senri with worry.
"Yeah, us too!" Hanako chimed in, her eyes brightening.
Natsuka hesitated, glancing down at her shoes before speaking once more.
"Well… my father said that the S.I.E.D. guard surveillance is going to increase. We shouldn't do anything that will draw attention."
Hanakos smiled, dropping as she offered a thoughtful nod instead. "Good idea."
It was obvious that Natsuka wasn't opposed to participating in the festival; rather, she was looking out for Hanako, her concern palpable in her expression. Senri noticed the quiet tension in her shoulders, her eyes repeatedly flickering across classroom doors, as if expecting trouble. He found himself wishing he could offer comfort through his words, anything to ease her anxiety; however, the words got trapped in his throat, escaping his thoughts before he opened his mouth.
A short distance away, Riku leaned against a nearby locker, his posture relaxed, his arms crossed, but the same unreadable expression that seemed like a mask obscured his features. Senri often felt like it was just his nerves, but lately, every time someone mentioned the Sympath Sightings, Riku's gaze seemed to linger on him a second too long, like ice pressing against coldy against his skin. Senri hated how his gaze felt; intrusive and prying. Even as Riku fell into pace behind the group, Senri could feel the weight of that watchful presence lingering.
***
The clubroom was filled with thoughtful and engaged discussion, sunlight pouring through the windows that lined the far wall, scattering dust motes throughout the air. Eri and Hanako seemed the most excited, their laughter rising. Eri spun around in her chair, the wheels squeaking against the floor as her fingers flew across her laptop.
"We could set up a live board where people upload photos of their loved ones, or stories to remember them by— a virtual memorial, maybe even stream it on a projector screen?" Eri suggested, her enthusiasm was toxic.
Kaito's face lit up, nodding rapidly. "Yeah! A giant screen thingy? That'd be so fancy."
Eri giggled, rolling her eyes. "That's not really what I meant, but sure, Kaito."
Meanwhile, Senri adjusted a crooked club poster at Kaito's request. Helping out was second nature to him, but when Eri mentioned streaming, a lump formed in his throat at the thought of more eyes, more cameras. It meant more chances to notice something unnatural. He could nearly feel those theoretical gazes creeping over him, hunting for the things he worked hard to ignore.
The conversations dragged on, and plans for photos, videos, and digital storyboards grew more elaborate with each second. Senri, though he appeared calm, felt a familiar hunger gnawing at him from inside. These past few days, he'd almost felt normal again, after his last "feast." The world seemed a bit quieter, noises weren't as jarring, and he didn't flinch away at someone's touch. But now, as he gripped the edge of the table in an attempt to steady himself, he could feel the parasite within growing impatient, whispering promises that lingered on the edge of threats.
"Soo,n" it seemed to speak, echoing in the darkest places in his mind.
"Senri? You listening?" Hanako asked, freeing him from his thoughts.
"Uh.. huh? Oh, yeah." He forced a smile, wishing it wasn't as forced.
"Okay! Im pretty sure we've gotten our idea then." Hanako smiled back, though it was clear suspicion lingered behind her gaze.
***
Later, as groups of students poured from empty classrooms, Kaito paused to read aloud a poster that had been freshly tacked to the wall.
"Due to recent events, students must not walk home after dark. We will be establishing an earlier dismissal time," he read, trying to sound serious.
"S.I.E.D guard checkpoints may operate near the school's festival grounds," he continued, pointing to a neighbouring poster.
"Weird vibe this year, huh?" Eri whistled, half in disbelief.
Senri's skin crawled at the thought of more checkpoints, more scanning units, more drones. He quietly slipped away from the rest of the group, retreating into the solitude of the washroom. He pressed his back against the cold steel of the stall door, making a futile attempt to steady his breathing, the sounds of laughter and conversation muffled.
***
Eri's bedroom was lit up by neon strips of lights and various technology, the rest of her room cast in shadow as she sprawled out across her bed, kicking her feet absentmindedly in the air. Her laptop screen emitted a blue glow that cast harsh shadows across the planes of her focused features. She often scavenged social media, not for her own entertainment but for the clubs project. She looked over posts about the news, the school festival, and Sympathy Syndrome, her notebook rapidly overfilling with notes.
Then, her browser exploded with notifications. The leaked footage, the most recent indecent, was still trending, and suddenly an activist who went by the name Hex had commented on one of her posts regarding Sympaths true nature and the influence technology had on them. It wasn't a message that carried any significant info, but it caused her follower count to surge. Eri's brow furrowed.
"Uh.. weird," she muttered, nibbling at her fingernail. "Why would an activist like that care about an account of a school club?" part of her wondered if she and her friends had unintentionally gone too far with their memorial plans, drawing the kind of attention that the teacher had warned them about.
Her phone pinged with a notification, this time, a public post made by an activist who was the face of a group known as MAYDAY.
"Bloom day approaches, sector seven will see the truth."
A chill crept down Eris's spine. She snapped photos of her screen and typed out an anxiety-riddled group message. Natsuka's replies came back short and formal. Riku, as expected, only lingered over the chat. Senri just responded with concerned messages, his usual helpfulness seeping through.
Meanwhile, deep inside, the parasite in Senri twisted its invisible knife into his sense of self once again; his eyes clung to the post Eri had shared. There was something about that message that sent waves of unease washing over him, but this only served to further his curiosity about all this.
The wind almost sounded alive as it battered the old facility, its howls so realistic and unrelenting that the gusts themselves seemed to cry out in pain. Those brief seconds of eerie quiet were hastily fractured by the rush of air throwing itself against the battered, gray building. Overhead, a silent aircraft glided with precision in the shadowed sky that hung heavy with clouds. Below, the ground seemed to be in grave condition; the asphalt had been shattered many times, weeds sprouting in between the cracks, scars evident from years of neglect.
The aged building stood tall beneath this ceaseless assault, its bricks stained by the elements and endless time. Most of the windows had been broken or boarded up; they offered no comfort and were rendered useless. In the distance, security lights illuminated ghostly beams into the fog, but nearing the building, the darkness dominated the night. A heavily armed S.I.E.D. team circled the perimeter, moving with an experienced silence. Their faces are mostly hidden behind visors and masks. Every slight shift of gear was packed with intention. Not a word echoed throughout the night, the only communication existing between hand signals and nods. Anticipation reigned over everyone. No lights, no noise, and no gunfire— not yet, at least.
Jin, the current foremost agent from the crow unit, was the first to step from his cover, his rifle pressed heavy against his back, as if it too bore the weight of expectation. He murmured under his breath, his eyes narrowing to pierce the dimly lit gloom of the atmosphere.
"This place's a damn graveyard." his words were nearly consumed by the wind.
Every sign of violence that was pressed into the old building— every cracked floor tile, every flicker of shadow, heightened his resolve but also indulged a gnawing sense of responsibility. He hated being in command, playing Captain Drew every gaze onto him, every mistake costing as much as a life.
Without so much as an echo, Fuyuko emerged at Jin's side. Fuyuko was like a shadow who had adopted a human form; his movements carried a grace that was at constant odds with the tactical armor he wore. He pressed a finger to the communications line that rested against his jaw, the static obscuring his voice further.
"Movement detected inside the building. One head signature, no identifiable human traces."
Jin's reply was a simple click of his tongue, but his spine stood rigid. Orders were black level sealed, which meant he had no say in the team, the tactics, or even the timing. Nobody really wanted to be here, working missions like this one, especially not at the forefront. Yet, they all stood here, placing their trust on Jin's shoulders to make the right call, the one that would end up saving their lives, if survival was even an option.
Fuyuko slipped ahead, scattering the formation with a silent command. He moved like he was a flower born in the dark, steps measured steady, breath even. There was not a trace of emotion on his face, so much so that it sent a ripple of unease through some of the most seasoned guards. Their eyes darted, grip growing white knuckled around their weapons.
Inside the building, the interior was caked in a thick layer of dust that further restricted breathing. Each step stirred up motes that floated upwards in the ghostly shafts of moonlight sneaking through the ruined roof. The crows located their target in the farthest corner, a containment case with scuffs and slashes evident on the side. It was marked with S.I.E.D.'s experimental warnings. They barely had time to process their findings before something stirred in the air, growing heavier like a living thing.
Suddenly, chaos erupted. An inhuman shape dropped from the air ducts above. It moved erratically with desperation, limbs contorting and twitching; its form was hunched over and ready to pounce. Its face looked like it was from straight out of a nightmare; wide eyes with pupils shrunk nearly into nothing, as if trying to escape its own skin, its jaw hung open, unhinged and filled with rows of pointed teeth. Its flesh crawled with wiggling parasites, skittering insects that poked through its raw skin.
Back at government headquarters, in a room teeming with tension, Dr. Yuna's voice cracked over the communicators, ruffling through the static.
"It's reacting violently; experimental rounds haven't even been fired yet." She reported, her usually unshakeable tone clipped.
Before orders could be given, the creature, which was confirmed as a sympath, lunged forward. One of the S.I.E.D. officers hadn't even been given the time to think before his tactical armor was torn as easily as cheap fabric. The unlucky man was lifted from his feet and flung into a concrete wall, further fracturing it as he coughed, spewing blood from his mouth. He had probably broken a rib or two. For many guards, this was their first time seeing a sympath up close, and it appeared that reality was far more grim than any briefing or training exercise.
Jin moved forward, unslinging his rifle, loading it with experienced but shaking hands. The barrel clicked, full of suppression bullets, his voice was sharp as he commanded.
"Move, you'll only heighten the things hunger."
He fired off three rapid shots in succession, eyes narrowing fiercely at his target. Jin prided himself on never missing a shot, and so far, he hadn't. The suppression rounds, designed for this exact creature, had destabilized the thing. Its limbs thrashed in a grotesque display of inhuman movements, it unleashed a cry far louder than the wind, vibrating against the floor, drowning out the shouting of guards and the shrill of the crows in the distance
And then Fuyuko was behind it, he seemed to blur as he drove a null blade into the parasite cluster twisted near its spine, not a flicker of emotion was present on his face, not even as the sympath thrashed so violently it dislocated its own arm with a sickening crack, trying to reach him.
"Host is resisting neutralization. Requesting permission for full termination, Fukuyo asked, almost mechanically, his eyes locked on Jin.
Jin hesitated, a grimace etched deep into his features as he forced himself to keep watching. Even with the seasoned experience, the kind you get from being one of the best, the sheer violence and desperation of the sympaths shivered through him, without the crows, every one of the guards knew they'd already be dead, faced with an opponent like this.
Somewhere among the ranks, a guard strayed from formation, his hands trembling around his weapon. "Why are we even taking this thing in alive? What's the point of these bullets? They didn't kill the damn bastard. You people are sick! Wanting to study this…"
Jin's tone was a low, cold command. "These orders aren't your concern, officer."
For a fleeting moment, as the Sympaths' wild, blown pupils met jins, something elapsed between them; recognition? Fear? Spite? Despite its feral hunger and its urge for murder, for a suspended heartbeat, it appeared like it remembered him; even so, their paths had never once crossed until now. Jin's mask cracked, just for an instant, enough for something that was no longer human to tug at the corners of his lips.
The null blade activated again, whirring with a blue glow. The sympath hit the ground, its muscles seizing. The crow unit surged forward, efficiency in their every move. They snapped a containment case onto a magnetic ring, preparing for a quick extraction.
Unbeknownst to those inside, a civilian squatter who stood on the roof of another abandoned building, neighbouring that one, had captured the chaos on a shaky phone camera. The monsters' thrashing figure, Jin hissing orders, the brilliant shimmer of suppression bullets flying in the dark. Before government censors could even react, the footage spread like wildfire across the internet, rumors once more spiraling out of control.
As S.I.E.D officers swept the battered grounds, one soldier's sole uncovered a half-concealed dog tag, dirt adhering to the metal. To him, the initials stamped onto it held no meaning. but someone recognized them as the initials of a private contractor group, another set of eyes turning hungrily towards this corner of the city.