Rei's consciousness sank into darkness thick and heavy like deep ocean water. Voices echoed far above him, distant and distorted. His body felt weightless, drifting through a void painted with threads of silver light.
A presence touched his mind.
"Awaken."
The command rippled through him, vibrating in his bones. But when he tried to open his eyes, he fell deeper instead into a memory that wasn't his.
A blade dripping with light.
A girl crying.
A hand reaching for him
And then
---
The Return to Reality
Rei gasped awake.
His eyes snapped open to a burst of blinding white light and ringing ears. His chest heaved, breath shuddering. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs.
He was lying on the classroom floor.
Glass shards glittered everywhere like frozen stars. Desks were overturned. Papers fluttered in the air like frightened birds.
And above him
Two people stood facing each other like enemies locked in a silent war.
Aira Kagetsu.
Ryouma Kurobane.
Aira stood in front of Rei protectively, one arm slightly outstretched, her stance low and tense like a seasoned fighter ready to strike. Her long hair flowed behind her like a dark river lit by moonlight.
Ryouma stood several steps away, fists clenched, breath heavy. A faint black aura curled off him, rising and fading like smoke. His eyes normally sharp and focused burned with something feral.
Jealousy.
Anger.
Fear.
"Move," Ryouma growled.
Aira didn't even flinch.
"No."
The single word fell like a blade.
Something inside Ryouma snapped. His aura flared, rattling the windows that were still intact.
"He's awakening. You don't know what he is."
Aira's jaw tightened.
"I know enough. And he is not yours to control."
Ryouma's eyes widened hurt flashing in them for a fraction of a second before rage swallowed it.
"You're protecting him?" he spat. "After everything?"
Aira's gaze softened for an instant but only an instant.
"Yes."
Rei swallowed weakly, his throat burning. He tried to speak, but only a hoarse whisper escaped.
"Aira… Ryouma… stop…"
They didn't even hear him.
---
The Storm Breaks
Ryouma took a step forward slow, deliberate, deadly.
Aira stepped closer to Rei, her hand gently brushing his arm to steady him.
That single touch was enough to ignite another spark of fury in Ryouma.
"Don't touch him!"
He dashed forward fast. Faster than human.
A chalk-white flash.
Aira stepped in front of Rei just in time, catching Ryouma's fist in her palm with a shockwave like a thunderclap.
Rei felt the floor tremble under him.
Aira stood steady, though her shoes slid back a few centimeters from the force.
Ryouma's eyes widened.
"You-you blocked me?"
Aira's voice was calm but laced with warning.
"You aren't thinking straight."
Ryouma gritted his teeth.
"Move or I'll make you."
Aira pushed his arm aside and stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"You can try."
Ryouma's aura exploded outward dark, pulsing energy crackling around him like shadows trying to take shape. His eyes glowed faintly, like embers buried in ash.
Aira's aura lit up too pale silver, calm yet cutting like moonlight on steel.
The air between them vibrated.
Rei felt his lungs tighten.
"What… what are they…?"
Another voice inside him whispered.
"Remember."
His sigil flared red light pulsing through his veins.
Aira and Ryouma both turned toward him sharply.
"No!" they both shouted at the same time, surprising even themselves.
Ryouma stepped back fast, panic flashing in his eyes.
Aira rushed to Rei, grabbing his shoulders.
"Don't let it take over you!"
Rei winced as waves of heat pulsed from his back, blinding him.
"What is… happening to me?!"
Aira pressed her forehead to his for a moment, her voice trembling.
"I'm here. Rei, listen to me. Breathe slowly. Don't fight the mark… let it breathe with you."
Her hand cupped his cheek warm, careful, gentle.
Rei felt his heartbeat slow, syncing with her touch.
Ryouma saw the closeness her forehead against Rei's, her hand on his cheek, the intimate calm and something in him shattered.
"You really do care for him…" he whispered, voice raw.
Aira didn't look back.
Her fingers brushed Rei's jaw.
"I do."
---
The Villain Arrives
A violent thud echoed in the hall.
Then another.
And another.
Footsteps heavy, dragging, unnatural approached the shattered classroom door.
Aira's breath caught.
Ryouma's eyes narrowed.
Rei felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence fell heavy, suffocating.
Then
A voice, deep and hollow, seeped into the room.
"Found… you."
A man stepped into view or what remained of a man. His skin was grayish, veins dark and pulsing like ink. His eyes were glowing red cracks in a shadowed face. His body flickered, as if half-real.
Aira gasped.
"A A Hollowborn… inside the school?"
Ryouma immediately stepped forward, placing himself between the creature and Rei.
"How did it break through the barrier?!"
The Hollowborn tilted its head, bones cracking.
"Because… it wasn't meant to keep me out."
Ryouma's aura flared black.
"You're after Rei?"
The creature's lips peeled back into a jagged smile.
"The marked boy… belongs to us."
Rei froze.
Me?
Aira grabbed his hand tightly.
"No. You're not taking him."
The Hollowborn's gaze slid to her, hungry and cruel.
"You can't protect him… Moon-Aura Child."
Aira stiffened.
Rei felt her hand tremble slightly.
Ryouma's fists clenched.
"You shouldn't know that name."
The Hollowborn's laughter rattled the windows.
"I know all of your secrets."
It pointed at Rei.
"But his… his is special."
Rei felt sick.
"What do you want with me?"
The creature's smile widened.
"To finish what we started… fifteen years ago."
Aira's eyes widened.
"No… Rei don't listen !"
But it was too late.
Images exploded in Rei's mind flashes of a burning room, someone screaming, a symbol glowing on an infant's back. A woman crying his name.
Rei clutched his head, groaning.
The Hollowborn lunged.
Ryouma intercepted, punching the creature in the chest with enough force to crack stone.
Aira pulled Rei back, sliding across the room with him.
"Stay behind me!" she ordered, voice trembling.
Ryouma engaged the creature fists clashing with shadow claws, each impact like thunder.
Aira extended her hand. Silver light circled around her wrist.
Rei stared in shock.
"You… can use abilities too?"
Aira didn't look away from the battle.
"Later!"
Ryouma was thrown into a wall. He coughed blood but pushed himself up.
"I'm not letting that thing touch him!"
Rei tried to stand
But the sigil burned again.
His vision blurred.
The creature hissed.
"Yes… awaken… awaken for us…"
Aira grabbed Rei's face, forcing him to look at her.
"Rei! Focus on my voice. Don't let it in. Don't let it control you!"
Rei panted, shaking.
"Aira… what am I?!"
Her eyes softened with pain.
"I'll tell you everything just survive this first!"
The Hollowborn charged toward them.
Aira pushed Rei behind her and brought her hands together. A silver barrier erupted, blocking the attack but cracks spread instantly across it.
"Aira!" Rei shouted.
Her legs shook under the force.
"I… can't hold it long…"
Ryouma appeared behind the creature, tackling it away.
"THEN MOVE!"
The classroom collapsed further ceiling tiles falling, smoke rising.
Aira grabbed Rei's hand.
"Run!"
They sprinted into the hallway, the creature's roar echoing behind them.
---
The Escape & the Revelation
They turned a corner.
The school lights flickered violently.
Red emergency lights bathed the corridor.
Rei's breathing was uneven.
"Aira… what's going on? Why did it say fifteen years ago?"
Aira didn't answer at first. Her grip on his hand tightened.
"Because," she said softly, "that's when you were supposed to die."
Rei froze mid-step.
"What?"
Aira stopped running and turned to him. Her eyes glimmered painfully.
"Rei… you weren't supposed to survive the Hollowborn attack fifteen years ago. You were the only infant marked… and the only one who lived."
Rei felt his stomach twist.
"I why didn't anyone tell me…?"
Aira cupped his face gently, tenderly, painfully honest.
"Because if you remembered… the mark would awaken too early. And the entire city would be at risk."
Rei's breath shook.
"And you… knew?"
Aira swallowed.
"My family… was forbidden from telling you. But I remembered you. Even when everyone else forgot."
Rei stared at her.
"You remembered me… all this time?"
Aira nodded, cheeks flushing slightly despite the chaos.
"I never forgot you, Rei-kun."
His heart stuttered.
But before he could say anything
A wall exploded behind them.
The Hollowborn emerged, mangled but regenerating.
Ryouma stumbled after it, blood running down his arm.
"Hurry go!"
Aira pulled Rei close to her chest, whispering against his ear.
"I'll protect you… even if it kills me."
Rei felt something inside him snap not painfully, but fiercely, protectively.
"Aira… no. I won't let you fight alone."
The sigil burned hot, bright.
Red light flared around him.
Aira's eyes widened.
"No Rei! Don't!"
But it was too late.
The mark awakened.
Power erupted.
The entire hallway trembled.
The Hollowborn screeched in triumph.
Ryouma's eyes widened in horror.
Aira grabbed Rei desperately.
"REI! STOP! YOU'LL LOSE CONTROL"
But Rei's eyes glowed crimson.
His voice overlapped with another deeper, ancient, terrifying.
"Bring me… the Hollowborn."
Aira's breath stopped.
Rei stepped forward
Unstable.
Overpowered.
Awakening.
The creature smiled wickedly.
"Finally…"
Ryouma staggered back.
"No… No… He's becoming"
Aira reached for Rei
"Rei! Come back!! Look at me! Please"
Rei slowly turned his head toward her, eyes glowing like burning coals.
His voice was faint barely human.
"Aira… run."
Then
He launched forward at impossible speed.
Toward the Hollowborn.
Toward destruction.
Toward the truth of what he really was.
The corridor lit up with red light
And everything went white.
---
When the smoke cleared…
Rei was gone.
Aira reached out with shaking hands.
"Rei-kun?! REI!!"
Ryouma limped toward the scorched floor, eyes wide in dread.
"No… don't tell me…"
Aira fell to her knees, tears falling silently.
The Hollowborn was also gone.
Both vanished into the rift of red energy.
Aira's voice cracked painfully into the empty hallway
"Rei… please don't disappear again…"
And far away
Inside a void beyond reality
Rei opened his glowing eyes.
He wasn't alone.
And the figure beside him whispered
"Welcome back… my son."