The mark on his palm wouldn't stop pulsing.
Kaito stared at it in the dark, the spiral-like sigil glowing faintly beneath his skin like a living scar. Every few seconds, it throbbed — not with pain, but with pressure. Like something was pushing from inside, waiting to burst.
His head throbbed. His body felt hot. He had barely slept since returning from the hospital, and even now, in the silence of his room, he could feel his muscles twitching, adapting, as if preparing for a fight that hadn't come yet.
> "Adaptable Evolution…" he muttered, tracing the edge of the mark. "Every injury makes me stronger. But how far does it go?"
There had to be limits. There had to be rules. But the only way to know was to test it.
So he stood, pulled on his jacket, and slipped out the window.
---
Midnight – The Abandoned Shrine
The old shrine sat on a forgotten hill just outside town, past the last streetlight. Locals didn't come here — not anymore. Rumors said it was haunted by a spirit who devoured voices. The walls were crumbling, and the forest had started to take it back. But more than anything, it felt hungry.
Kaito stepped inside and shivered. The air was heavy, like walking underwater.
> "Come on," he said aloud, heart pounding. "If this world wants to kill me… I'm ready to evolve."
Something moved.
He didn't hear it, not really — it was more like the absence of sound. The whisper of silence itself twisting unnaturally.
Then came the scream.
It wasn't a sound. It bypassed his ears and struck his brain directly — a mental shriek that rattled his spine and sent him to his knees. Blood leaked from his nose. His vision blurred.
And something was crawling down the walls.
A mass of shadows, pulsing and wet, with dozens of eyeless faces embedded across its inky surface. It didn't move like a living thing — more like a concept trying to be flesh. It opened what might've been a mouth, and the shrine's interior went completely silent.
No wind. No insects. No heartbeat.
> "This is it. If I die here, it's over. But if I survive…"
The creature lunged.
It hit him like a truck, slamming his back into the stone floor. His ribs cracked. He screamed — or tried to — but no sound escaped. The yokai was literally eating his voice. His limbs burned. His skin tore open in streaks.
Pain surged through him.
And then — evolution triggered.
---
Inside His Mind
Time slowed. Kaito floated in a colorless space. His body flickered, overlaid with symbols, data, DNA strands.
> Analyzing Damage.
Calculating Mutation Route.
Adaptive Process Initiated…
His torn lungs repaired. His bones reformed — stronger. His nerve pathways realigned to resist psychic disruption. The mark on his palm expanded across his forearm, burning like fire.
> New Trait Unlocked: Auditory Shielding (Level 1)
New Trait Unlocked: Impact Absorption (Level 1)
Pain Tolerance Increased.
Kaito gasped awake.
The monster lunged again — and this time, he didn't flinch.
He twisted mid-air, rolling to the side. Its shriek still pierced his head, but he gritted his teeth and withstood it. He grabbed a broken prayer stick and rammed it into the yokai's center.
The creature reared back, screaming without sound.
> "You're not the only one who learns," Kaito growled.
A second later, the shrine's wards — long dormant — ignited with light. The charm Seiko Ayase had given him earlier, tucked inside his jacket, exploded in golden fire.
The yokai howled and evaporated into dust.
Kaito collapsed again, panting, heart pounding.
> "I can feel it... I'm not normal anymore. And this world is only going to get more dangerous."
---
The Next Morning – Ayase Household
"You're an idiot."
Momo Ayase glared at him over her bowl of miso soup. Her hair was a mess, still damp from the shower, and she wore an oversized T-shirt with "ALIENS SUCK" printed on the front.
Kaito sat across from her at the breakfast table, bandaged, bruised, but grinning faintly.
> "You followed a haunted rumor into the woods. Alone. At night," she snapped. "Are you trying to die, or are you just naturally stupid?"
> "A little of both," he replied.
Momo sighed and looked away, muttering something under her breath.
In the corner, Seiko Ayase watched with a raised eyebrow and a cigarette smoldering in one hand.
> "You're lucky that charm I gave you still held," she said. "That shrine's been empty for years. Something moved in recently — something big. You're not spiritually trained, kid. That thing should've hollowed you out like a melon."
Kaito nodded. "It tried."
Seiko's eyes narrowed. "But it didn't."
She stepped closer, pulling up his sleeve. The mark on his arm pulsed once, then faded. Her expression darkened.
> "That's not yokai magic," she muttered. "And it sure as hell ain't alien tech. You're mutating."
Kaito met her gaze. "It's a power that activates when I get hurt. The more pain I take, the more I evolve. My body changes — adapts. Builds immunity. Grows stronger."
Momo stared. "You're serious?"
He nodded. "That thing at the shrine nearly broke me. But now I can resist sonic attacks and blunt force."
Seiko exhaled. "Dangerous power. Sounds like the kind that eats your soul if you're not careful."
> "Yeah," Kaito said. "But I'm not planning on dying again."
---
Later – Rooftop Lunch
Rin Sawaki sat beside Kaito without a word, handing him a meat bun. Her fingers brushed his briefly — cold but soft.
> "You went to the shrine, didn't you?" she asked.
He nodded.
> "And something changed."
He looked at her. "You can feel it?"
She stared out across the schoolyard. "Your aura's louder now. It hurts to stand close to you."
Silence lingered between them.
Then, softly, she added, "Be careful. Some spirits… they evolve too."
---
End Scene – Nightfall
Kaito stood in front of his mirror again, shirt off. The mark had grown further — branching like a tattoo of circuits across his side. His muscles were firmer. Reflexes sharper.
But his reflection... didn't blink in sync.
He stared.
His reflection smiled first.
> "Soon," it whispered.
The lights flickered.
Kaito didn't look away.