The road was quiet again.
Too quiet.
The wind had stopped.
The trees barely moved.
Like the world itself was pretending nothing had happened.
Kaito sat on the ground, one hand pressed against his chest, trying to slow his breathing.
His heart was still racing.
His body still felt hot.
Like something inside him hadn't fully calmed down yet.
"…I hate this feeling," he muttered.
Tanaka stood a few steps away, watching the darkness where the men disappeared.
His eyes didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Like he expected them to come back at any second.
Kaito looked up.
"…Sensei… are they gone?"
Tanaka waited a moment before answering.
"…For now."
That didn't make Kaito feel better.
He pushed himself to his feet slowly.
His legs felt shaky.
"…What was that back there?"
Tanaka didn't answer right away.
Instead, he looked at Kaito's mother.
She nodded slightly.
Then Tanaka exhaled.
"…It was the world you weren't supposed to see yet."
Kaito frowned.
"You keep saying that."
"And it's still true."
"That doesn't help!"
His voice came out louder than he meant.
The silence around them made it sound even worse.
Tanaka finally turned.
His expression was serious, but not angry.
"…Listen carefully."
Kaito crossed his arms.
"I'm listening."
Tanaka stepped closer.
"In this world, there are fighters who go beyond normal martial arts."
Kaito blinked.
"…Like you?"
"Yes."
"…And those guys?"
"Yes."
"…And me?"
Tanaka hesitated.
"…You're different."
Kaito groaned.
"You always say that too."
Tanaka ignored the comment.
"There are people who train their bodies… and people who awaken something deeper."
Kaito looked down at his hands.
"That thing in my chest?"
"Yes."
"…What is it?"
Tanaka was quiet for a moment.
Then he said one word.
"Energy."
Kaito blinked.
"…That's it?"
"It has many names."
"Like what?"
Tanaka looked toward the dark road.
"…Chi. Aura. Force. Spirit."
Kaito frowned.
"…You're serious?"
"Yes."
"That sounds like something from a movie."
Tanaka didn't smile.
"…It's real."
Kaito looked at his mother.
"…You too?"
She nodded once.
"Yes."
His brain felt like it stopped working.
"…Okay… hold on… hold on…"
He grabbed his head.
"So you're both saying… there's some kind of… energy… that only some people have?"
"Yes," Tanaka said.
"And I have it."
"Yes."
"And those guys have it."
"Yes."
"And they want me because mine woke up."
"…Yes."
Silence.
Kaito stared at both of them.
"…Why is nobody freaking out right now except me?!"
His mother smiled faintly.
"You'll get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it!"
Tanaka crossed his arms.
"You don't have a choice."
That shut him up.
Kaito looked down at the ground.
His chest felt heavy again.
Not pain.
Just that strange presence.
"…So what happens now?"
Tanaka turned toward the car.
"…Now we keep moving."
"Where?"
"…To a place where you can learn control."
Kaito frowned.
"You mean a dojo?"
Tanaka shook his head.
"…Not exactly."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"…That sounds suspicious."
His mother spoke softly.
"It's where people like you train."
Kaito blinked.
"…People like me."
"Yes."
"…How many are there?"
Tanaka opened the car door.
"Enough."
Kaito groaned.
"You two are terrible at explaining things."
Tanaka got in the driver's seat.
"Get in."
Kaito grabbed his bag and climbed into the back.
His mother sat in the front again.
The engine started.
The car pulled back onto the road.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Only the sound of the tires on the pavement.
Kaito looked out the window.
The dark trees passed by slowly.
"…Sensei."
"Yes."
"…Those guys said something."
Tanaka didn't look back.
"What."
"They said I woke up late."
Silence.
Tanaka's grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
"…Yes."
"…Why?"
Tanaka didn't answer right away.
The car kept moving.
Then he spoke quietly.
"…Because whatever is inside you… was sealed."
Kaito's eyes widened.
"…Sealed?"
"Yes."
"…By who?"
Tanaka glanced at his mother.
She didn't look back.
"…That," Tanaka said, "…is something you'll learn later."
Kaito leaned back in his seat.
"…Of course it is."
He stared at the ceiling of the car.
"…My life was way easier yesterday."
His mother smiled faintly.
"It was also smaller."
He sighed.
"…Yeah… I noticed."
The car kept moving down the dark road.
Far behind them, deep in the forest, the man in the dark coat stood on a hill, watching the road.
The device in his hand glowed steadily.
The signal was moving.
But still locked.
He smiled slightly.
"…Run as far as you want."
The screen flickered.
More signals appeared.
Closer.
Stronger.
"…You can't hide forever."
He turned away.
"…Not from this world."
The device beeped once more.
DESTINATION UNKNOWN.
TRACKING CONTINUES.
His smile widened.
"…Good."