Riko yanked his sleeve down, trying to hide the glow.
The halls at Neo-Block High were buzzing. Lockers slammed shut, shoes made noise on the floor, and everyone was talking. It was the usual school day noise, almost comforting, but not for Riko. Every little thing was too loud, he noticed every movement, and felt like everyone was watching him.
He tried to act cool this morning, to fit in. He really tried to forget last night ever happened—the crazy boss fight, the city acting up, that weird crack in reality, and Kaze just showing up out of nowhere. But it wasn't the other students that he was worried about. It wasn't the teachers. It wasn't even the messed-up city outside.
It was the screen stuck on his arm.
Even under his long sleeves, it felt like it was thumping. A little buzz went right through him. It was like it was reminding him about something. Or warning him. Or maybe just letting him know the world wasn't normal, like everyone else thought.
Riko kept pulling at his sleeve, trying to keep the screen flat against his skin. He wanted to just focus on normal things like the squeak of shoes, the smell of bread from the cafeteria, or papers moving. Anything to keep him from feeling the energy in his arm. It was like it was whispering to him, and didn't care about what he wanted.
It started quiet, just a bit of blue light under his sleeve. Then it got faster, thumping and glitching. It was like the buzz was traveling from his wrist to his shoulder. He made a fist, holding his sleeve tight.
HIDE NOW.
The words weren't said out loud. They weren't even typed. They appeared as weird symbols on the cracked screen, like a glitched message. A warning. An order. Something important.
Riko felt his stomach drop. He stopped walking in the busy hallway, looking around to see if anyone noticed. Students walked past, not caring about anything. They didn't know the kid with the glowing arm was about to show everyone something weird.
He pulled his sleeve down more, pressing it with both hands, but the screen didn't care. It flashed like crazy. More symbols showed up.
HE SEES YOU.
That message stopped Riko in his tracks. His heart started beating fast. He just knew someone was nearby, watching him. His shoulders got tight, and his hands got sweaty. Danger.
Riko's heart beat faster. "No… please, not now. Not here. Just… be quiet," he said quietly. No one could hear him over all the students, but his voice still shook.
The hallway looked different all of a sudden. He looked left and saw lockers and students. He looked right and saw more of the same, plus a teacher telling everyone to be quiet. Then he saw something else, something still.
A shadow. Small, but too perfect to be random.
He got tense.
The blue glow under his sleeve got brighter, and the screen showed more symbols. Not words this time, just shapes, lines, and warning signs. For a second, they all made a picture that looked like a human eye.
Riko's blood went cold.
HE'S HERE.
He felt it before he saw it. The air changed. The noise of the hallway—the students talking, the shoes moving, the papers shuffling—quieted down. He listened, his ears picking up a quiet sound: someone walking through the crowd carefully, not trying to be noticed.
Riko's body tightened up. He tried to act normal, like the screen wasn't buzzing under his sleeve, like the warnings weren't flashing, and like the messages weren't telling him to hide. But he knew it was too late. The screen's buzz got faster, going along with his fast heartbeat.
He put a hand over the bandages, trying to stop the glow. With his other hand, he grabbed his backpack strap, wanting to put something between the screen and everyone else. It was no use, the screen's buzz reached him. It reached through his skin, through his sleeves, right into his bones and into his head.
The messages kept coming, faster and faster, like the screen was freaking out.
HIDE NOW.
HE SEES YOU.
RUN? NO. FIGHT? NO. WATCH.
Riko's chest got tight. He felt stuck.
Then he knew it, for sure.
Someone was right behind him.
He felt it—cold, focused, and strong. He remembered seeing that before, for a second, when things got crazy. On the roof. In the messed-up city. On the street when Kaze showed up. And now it was here, in his school hallway.
Riko froze, acting like he was tying his shoe, checking his locker, just trying to look busy. But he knew that if he turned around, he would see.
And then he did.
Kaze.
He was there, behind him, not moving or making a sound.
The screen buzzed wildly. Symbols flashed like crazy, making red, blue, and white patterns. They all meant the same thing: don't turn around. Don't say anything. Don't move.
Riko's heart pounded. His head was spinning. He just knew one thing: danger.
He swallowed slowly, trying to keep his hands still. He tried to hide the shaking in his fingers. He tried to disappear.
But Kaze didn't move, speak, or even blink. He didn't need to.
Just being there was enough. He was watching. Judging. Threatening.
The students around them didn't notice anything. They were too busy with their own stuff. Phones buzzed, people talked, and a book fell on the floor. But Riko didn't hear or see any of it. Everything else faded away. Only Kaze mattered.
He could feel the screen pushing him, telling him to run, to do something, to get ready, but not yet. Not now. Wait. Watch. Wait.
Riko could barely breathe. He tried to think, but all he could see was Kaze being one step ahead of him. He felt scared.
The hall was normal, busy, and boring.
But Riko wasn't normal anymore.
And neither was Kaze.
The buzz under his sleeve got faster. Symbols flashed, warning him: he's closer than you think. Watch. Hide. Don't be seen.
Riko wanted to lift the bandage to see what the screen would do next, but he knew Kaze would notice. He would understand. He would know what was coming.
The warning wasn't just from the screen. It was telling him what Kaze would do. A message in light.
Every step and every breath felt important, like the hallway was closing in on them.
Riko quickly looked ahead, acting like he was checking the time. He looked in the hall mirror and saw a faint shadow behind him. It was Kaze, standing still.
Kaze was standing behind Riko.