A streetlight at the edge of a narrow back alley begins to blink, then dies. The air turns cold, heavy, wrong.
Out of the shadows, something slithers into the light.
Its shape is human, but only barely. Skin like tattered smoke. Limbs stretched too long, bones creaking with every unnatural movement. Its face is a cracked porcelain mask, empty eye sockets leaking black mist. In the center of its chest, a glowing black core pulses like a heartbeat, oozing dread.
This… is a Shade, a creature born of unresolved death. Fueled by bitter emotion. Formed from the souls of those who couldn't let go. If a person is to die with a powerful enough emotion such as hate, guilt or jealousy, their soul may be reformed into something known as a Shade. Some of them may resemble humans in a way, others may resemble terrifying monsters.
Shades have different classifications depending on how powerful they may be. If a Shade is allowed to stay in our world for too long, without being eliminated, they will grow in power, and eventually be too strong to defeat.
The creature's clawed hands twitch, dragging deep gouges into the concrete as it moves toward something, someone.
Then a boom. A flash of light. The shade reels back — hissing, howling — as a figure lands in front of it, a glowing aura flaring around him.
A Breaker. Breakers are humans, you see, in this world, humans are born with something known as a Core. Cores have multiple stages, which change colors as you grow. Cores are used to store Rin, the energy humans use to power their attacks, and their abilities.
An ability is something most are born with, however, they vary in strength. Some may be as simple as making your hand glow, while others are incredibly powerful, making them the perfect defenders of the earth.
"Wretch Class. This guy will be a breeze." The Breaker spoke, staring at the beast in front of him.
The Shade screamed, a horrible hiss, and charged at the Breaker, its mouth agape. The man raised an arm, and a powerful flame shot out, engulfing the Shade, causing it to let out a fowl hiss, as it fell over, burning.
It continued to thrash around on the ground, until eventually it stopped, and the man walked over, crushing a Black Core sitting in its burnt body. After doing this, the creature seemed to melt away, turning into a black goo, then disappearing completely.
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The classroom buzzed with the sound of pens tapping, quiet chatter, and the occasional stifled yawn. Desks were scattered in messy rows, daylight filtering through the windows and painting golden lines across the old wooden floor.
Near the back, by the open window, sat a boy who didn't quite blend in with the rest.
Kai.
White hair — not the silvered kind of age, but stark and pale like fresh snow — hung just over his sharp red eyes, which flicked lazily between the drifting clouds outside. His skin was a little too pale, his posture too relaxed. But it was his eyes that always unsettled people the most. Crimson, clear, and strangely calm.
He wasn't a troublemaker. Wasn't popular either. He just… existed on the edge of everything. Quiet, observant, and always a little too distant.
His uniform was neat but worn, the sleeves a bit too long, as if he hadn't grown into it properly yet. One leg bounced absentmindedly beneath the desk while his fingers traced light patterns in the air.
"Alright," said their teacher — Ms. Saito, a soft-spoken woman who somehow still managed to command attention when she needed to. "I know you're all ready to run out of here, but before that... let's go over the basics one last time."
A groan rolled through the room. Kai didn't move.
"You'll be tested on this during the Breaker entrance exams," she said calmly, tapping the board with a piece of chalk. "So don't slack off now."
She turned, and with a few practiced strokes, wrote four large characters across the board:
Rin,
Core,
Ability,
Shade.
Each word hit with its own weight. Kai's red eyes flicked toward the board, but he didn't lift his head.
Ms. Saito turned back to the class, eyes scanning the rows. "Let's make this interactive," she said with a faint smile. "Haruto — what's Rin?"
Haruto, a tall boy with a permanent smirk and the build of someone who expected to pass the entrance exam just on biceps alone, straightened up. "Rin is the life force found in all living things. It's the source of energy we use to fight, enhance our bodies, and shape abilities."
"Good," Ms. Saito nodded. "It's more than energy — it's the foundation of Breaker society. Next… Nao."
A small girl in the front twitched.
"What's a Core?"
"Um…" Nao blinked. "Cores are the measure of how much Rin a person can control… and how refined it is? They start at Gray, then Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, and finally… White."
"Excellent," said Ms. Saito. "Most people stay between Gray and Green. Anything above that is rare."
Kai remained still. He already knew this. He'd read it a hundred times.
And yet, his fingers tapped the desk, slow, steady.
There was more to it than just categories. More they weren't told.
"Shun," Ms. Saito called, "Abilities?"
Shun, a sleepy-eyed boy near the middle row, yawned before answering, "Abilities are personalized Rin expressions. Kinda like how some people can set stuff on fire, or move faster, or… turn their skin to metal."
Ms. Saito nodded. "Abilities are the exception, not the rule. Having one doesn't make you strong. Knowing how to use it does. Some of you may already have one, some of you may develop one during your training."
Her gaze swept the room.
Then settled on the back row.
"Kai," she said, and the room quieted just a bit. "Last one. Shade."
"Kai," she said, and the room quieted just a bit. "Last one. Shade."
Kai slowly sat up straighter. Red eyes lifted toward the front. White hair brushed the side of his cheek as he spoke, his voice even, but carrying a subtle sharpness beneath it.
"Shades are corrupted Rin," he said. "Born from people who die with overwhelming emotion. Hate, grief, envy… even love. Anything strong enough can twist what's left behind."
The classroom was quiet now.
"They form a Core after death, always Black, and lose whatever made them human. Some forget everything. Others remember just enough to make them worse."
Ms. Saito didn't interrupt. She just watched him with unreadable eyes.
Kai kept going, his gaze steady.
"They're ranked by danger. The weakest are Husks. Barely more than scraps of feeling and Rin. Then Wretches, unstable, violent, usually only one trick. After that, Feral Class II, with mutated abilities and instincts. Feral I are smarter, stronger, fragments of who they were might remain."
He paused. Then, softer, almost to himself.
"And Special Class. The rarest. The worst. Enough power to level cities. Only White Core Breakers are allowed to face them."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Ms. Saito gave the faintest nod. "Very good."
Kai leaned back slightly, gaze drifting back to the window.
—----------
The bell rang sharply, echoing through the classroom like a sudden release of tension. Chairs scraped against the floor as students began to gather their things, chatter bubbling up in excited waves. The last day of basic school was finally over, and the promise of the Kōrin Academy, one of the most prestigious Breaker Academies, awaited them all.
Ms. Saito's calm voice cut through the clamor, "Remember, this is just the beginning. The Breaker schools are where you'll learn to master your Rin, sharpen your abilities, and grow stronger than you ever imagined."
Kai packed his bag slowly, his red eyes drifting to the window where the sun was dipping low, casting long shadows across the courtyard. The world outside looked ordinary, but he knew better. Soon, he'd be stepping into a world where power was everything, and only the strong survived.