The car ride was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kaito sat in the back seat, his bag next to him, staring out the window as the city lights slowly passed by.
Street after street.
Building after building.
Everything looked the same.
Everything looked normal.
Which made it feel even stranger.
"…We're really leaving," he muttered.
No one answered.
Tanaka was driving.
His mother sat in the front seat, arms crossed, looking straight ahead.
Neither of them had spoken for almost ten minutes.
Kaito leaned his head against the glass.
"…Where are we going?"
Tanaka didn't look back.
"Far."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need right now."
Kaito groaned.
"You always say that."
Tanaka didn't respond.
Kaito looked at his mother.
"You too?"
She smiled faintly.
"You'll know soon enough."
"That's what everyone keeps saying."
Silence filled the car again.
The city lights started getting farther apart.
Less buildings.
More empty road.
Kaito frowned.
"…We're leaving the city."
"Yes," Tanaka said.
"…Where are we even going?"
Tanaka's eyes stayed on the road.
"…Somewhere safe."
Kaito snorted.
"Doesn't feel safe."
His chest felt tight again.
Not the vibration.
Not yet.
Just that strange feeling.
Like something was behind them.
Watching.
Waiting.
He turned and looked out the back window.
Dark road.
Empty street.
Nothing there.
"…I don't like this," he muttered.
Tanaka glanced at the mirror.
"…You shouldn't."
Kaito blinked.
"…That's not comforting."
Tanaka didn't smile.
"It's not supposed to be."
The car kept moving.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
The city disappeared completely.
Now it was just road.
Trees.
Dark sky.
Kaito yawned, then shook his head.
He didn't want to sleep.
Not now.
Not when everything felt like this.
"…Sensei," he said quietly.
"Yes."
"…Those guys."
Tanaka's grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
"What about them."
"They said they were waiting for me."
Silence.
"…Yes," Tanaka said.
"…Why?"
Tanaka didn't answer right away.
Instead, he looked at the road for a long moment.
"…Because people like you don't appear often."
Kaito frowned.
"You said that before."
"And it's still true."
"…So what am I?"
Tanaka exhaled slowly.
"…Someone who can't stay hidden anymore."
Kaito leaned back in his seat.
"That's not helpful."
His mother spoke softly.
"You'll understand soon."
Kaito looked at her.
"You keep saying that."
She didn't respond.
The car kept moving.
The road got narrower.
Darker.
Kaito's chest tightened again.
Stronger this time.
He grabbed his shirt.
"…Sensei."
Tanaka looked in the mirror.
"What."
"That thing again."
The vibration started.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like a low hum inside his body.
Tanaka's eyes sharpened.
"…Already?"
Kaito clenched his fists.
"It's stronger."
His mother turned slightly.
"…Where?"
Kaito looked around.
"I don't know."
The hum grew louder.
The air inside the car felt thick.
Tanaka slowed the car.
"…Hold on."
"What's happening?" Kaito asked.
Tanaka didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled the car to the side of the road.
The tires crunched on gravel as they stopped.
Silence.
Only the sound of the engine.
Tanaka turned it off.
The vibration inside Kaito grew stronger.
"…Sensei… something's wrong."
Tanaka opened the door slowly.
"Stay inside."
"What..."
"Stay."
Tanaka stepped out.
The night air rushed in.
Cold.
Heavy.
Kaito's heart pounded.
"…Mom?"
She didn't look scared.
She just looked out the window.
"…They found us."
Kaito froze.
"…Already?"
Outside, Tanaka stood in the middle of the road.
Completely still.
The wind moved through the trees.
Then...
Footsteps.
From the darkness.
One.
Two.
Three.
Shapes appeared between the trees.
Dark coats.
Same as before.
Kaito's chest burned.
The vibration exploded again.
"…Not again…" he whispered.
One of the figures stepped forward.
"…You're moving faster than expected, Tanaka."
Tanaka didn't move.
"You shouldn't have followed us."
The man smiled faintly.
"You know we had to."
Kaito's hands shook.
"…Sensei…"
His mother opened the door slowly.
"We don't stay in the car," she said quietly.
Kaito blinked.
"…What?"
She stepped out.
Her eyes were calm.
Too calm.
Kaito followed.
His legs felt weak.
But his body moved anyway.
Tanaka glanced back.
"…Stay behind me."
The man laughed softly.
"…You think that will help?"
The air grew heavier.
The vibration inside Kaito roared.
The device in the man's hand glowed bright red.
"…Signal confirmed," he muttered.
He looked straight at Kaito.
"…He's fully active now."
Tanaka's voice turned cold.
"You're not taking him."
The man smiled.
"We'll see."
The wind howled across the road.
The trees shook.
The air trembled.
And for the first time…
Kaito realized this wasn't training anymore.
This was a fight.