Françoise Dupont High School buzzed with the usual back-to-school chaos. Students dashed from lockers to classrooms, the bell ringing out with a shrill announcement of the day's first period. For some, it was routine—mundane even. But for Kai Nakamura, it was the first step into yet another unfamiliar chapter of his life.
With his hoodie pulled low and headphones loosely draped around his neck, Kai stepped into the front courtyard. His eyes flicked around: couples meeting up, students calling out to friends, some filming TikToks, others just scribbling last-minute homework.
He moved past the fountain in the middle, quietly observing without engaging. He preferred it that way. Crowds were noise. Noise meant attention. And attention was a magnet he'd learned to avoid.
Still, it was hard not to notice how… bright this place felt. Not in just the literal way—Parisian sunlight gleaming off white stone—but in the way students laughed, teachers smiled, and creativity seemed to bleed through the very walls. This school didn't feel cold and mechanical like his last one in Tokyo or the strict uniforms in Milan. It felt... alive.
He was early, so he paused by the school's outdoor mural wall, sketchpad already in hand. It didn't take long before his pencil was moving—shapes of flames, wings, a silhouette mid-flight. Fiero's words echoed in his mind.
"Paris is going to need you. So will someone else."
"Sketching already?" came a voice behind him.
Kai looked up. A girl stood there, dressed in casual punk. Her long black hair with purple streaks cascaded over one eye, and her presence was quiet, almost ghostlike. But not shy. Just... gentle.
She gestured to his open book. "That's pretty intense. Phoenix?"
Kai blinked. "Yeah. I draw a lot of them."
"Cool. I like birds. But bats are better," she said with a hint of mischief.
He chuckled, surprised at himself for it. "You into goth stuff?"
She shrugged. "More like… shadows. They're quieter."
He didn't argue. She didn't ask too much. That was rare.
"I'm Juleka, by the way."
"Kai."
A brief pause.
"You're new?"
"Yeah. Just moved here."
She nodded once. "You'll fit in. Eventually. Maybe."
With a small smirk, she turned and walked off toward the building. Kai watched her go, a strange warmth in his chest—not from the Miraculous. Just something... real.
He exhaled.
Maybe this school wasn't going to suck after all.
Inside the classroom, Marinette Dupain-Cheng adjusted the hem of her skirt for the fifth time. Her eyes flicked to the door each time it opened.
Alya, her best friend, leaned over. "You've checked the door like thirty times. Are you expecting someone?"
"No! I mean, maybe," Marinette said. "I just… felt something this morning. Something powerful. Like a new energy."
Alya narrowed her eyes. "Ladybug energy?"
Marinette hesitated, then gave a tiny nod. "It felt like a new Kwami. But Master Fu—he retired. The Miracle Box is safe."
"Maybe it's a rogue artifact?"
"Or a new chosen."
The bell rang just as Marinette finished whispering. The door creaked open, and their homeroom teacher stepped inside.
"Class, we have a new transfer student joining us today. Please welcome Kai Nakamura."
Kai stepped in.
The room's chatter quieted immediately. New kids always brought a certain tension, but Kai's sharp appearance—jet-black hair, eyes like flint, posture relaxed but alert—carried an energy of his own.
Alya leaned in to Marinette. "He looks like he could be in a band."
"Or a fighter," Marinette added, squinting slightly. "There's something… different about him."
Their teacher pointed toward the back. "There's an open seat near Juleka and Rose."
Kai nodded silently and made his way through the rows. He caught Juleka's subtle smile and gave a rare one of his own.
Marinette watched, a whisper of unease curling inside her.
Ladybug's instincts never lied.
Later that day, Kai stood on the school rooftop, sketchpad open, headphones in. Fiero floated behind him, invisible to others but clearly impatient.
"You're going to ignore the box forever?"
Kai didn't answer.
"You know, most people would be thrilled to be a Phoenix wielder! I mean, you can fly, shoot fire—"
"Too much attention," Kai muttered.
Fiero fluttered. "You already have attention. That girl Juleka? She noticed you."
Kai's pencil paused.
"You like her, don't you?" Fiero teased.
"No."
Fiero raised a fiery brow. "Liar."
Kai rolled his eyes.
Then a loud boom echoed in the distance. A vibration pulsed through the air. Screams rose from below.
"Is that…?" Kai stood up, rushing to the edge of the rooftop.
Down in the plaza, chaos unfolded. A villain—twice the size of a truck—stomped through the crowd. His body was covered in jagged metal, his limbs powered by pistons and gears. Sparks flew with each step.
"GigaTitan," Fiero hissed. "One of Hawk Moth's 'big' ones. You can't fight him like this."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
People were in danger.
Juleka was down there.
Fiero floated beside him, a small smile growing. "All you have to say is... Blaze Up."
Kai exhaled slowly, heart pounding.
Then, louder than he meant to: "Blaze Up!"
Flames engulfed his body in a swirl of red and gold. His clothes were replaced by sleek black armor etched with molten gold. Wings of fire burst from his back, a glowing mask settled over his face.
The Phoenix had awoken.