Morning sunlight filtered through Ren's curtains in thin golden lines, warming his face as he slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he forgot about the events of the previous night. The storm, the old man, the eerie apartment… everything felt like a distant dream. It wasn't until he sat up and stretched that he noticed something resting on the desk beside him.
The wooden dragon.
Its polished scales gleamed faintly in the sunlight, just as they had glowed under the moon the night before. Ren rubbed his eyes, half expecting it to disappear or reveal itself as nothing more than a normal keepsake. But it remained exactly where he had left it, curled in a coiled posture, the tiny carved mouth slightly open as if ready to breathe something not yet awakened.
Ren exhaled.
"Right… that really happened."
He carefully picked up the dragon and slipped it into his pocket before heading to school. The morning air was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the stormy night before. Students filled the sidewalks in clusters – laughing, complaining, chatting – oblivious to the chaos that had quietly crept into Ren's life.
As Ren approached the school gates, he spotted his two closest friends waiting by the entrance. Yui Tanabe, bright-eyed and quick-witted, waved him over with her usual enthusiasm. Kaito Mizuno, who wore permanent tiredness under his eyes, simply nodded at him from the side.
"You're alive," Yui teased. "After the rain last night, I thought you'd melt."
Ren forced a small smile. "Yeah…rough night."
"Something happen?" Kaito asked, noticing the strange heaviness in Ren's voice.
Ren opened his mouth to explain – but stopped. The wooden dragon in his pocket felt warm, almost pulsing. And something inside him whispered that speaking openly about it wasn't the smartest idea. Not yet.
"I'll tell you guys later," he said. "It's… weird."
Yui raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. The three of them headed inside together, navigating the hallway chaos of morning chatter and slamming locker doors.
That was when Ren noticed it.
His locker, which was usually an avalanche of books and loose papers, had something new inside. Carefully placed on top of his things was a white envelope, perfectly clean, perfectly sealed. His name – Ren Hayato – was written on the front in elegant, old-fashioned calligraphy.
Yui leaned close. "Ooh, a love letter?"
Kaito snorted. "With handwriting like that? No girl in our year writes like this. Looks like something from a century ago."
Ren's heartbeat thumped in his ears. He lifted the envelope, feeling its unusual weight. When he tore it open, a soft metallic clink made his breath hitch.
Inside was a small golden key.
And beneath it, a slip of paper with a short message written in the same delicate hand:
"Your path begins today. Bring this key. Come alone…or do not come at all."
Underneath the message were an address and a time – 11:30 AM, barely an hour away.
Ren stared at the note, the memory of an old man's glowing eyes flashing through his mind. The words from last night echoed hauntingly.
When the time is right… you will understand what this dragon means.
"Ren?" Yui asked softly. "What is it?"
Ren closed the envelope but didn't answer immediately. He looked at the key, then at the coordinates written beneath the message. It was an address across the city – somewhere near the financial district.
"The old man…" Ren whispered. "He left me something."
Yui and Kaito exchanged looks.
"We're coming with you," Yui said immediately.
Ren shook his head. "The letter says to come alone."
Kaito placed a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Since when have we ever listened to creepy letters?"
Ren exhaled slowly. He knew they were right. Whatever this was, he didn't want to face it alone.
Later that Morning
The three skipped class and took the train to the city. The financial district towered with polished steel skyscrapers, shimmering like blades under the sunlight. The sidewalks were filled with businesspeople rushing past, each carrying briefcases or talking into phones, completely absorbed in their own worlds.
The address led them to an impressive building of tinted glass and marble. Ren hesitated at the entrance: Kanzawa First National Bank.
"It's a bank?" Yui frowned.
"With a key," Kaito added quietly. "To what?"
They approached the front desk, where an impeccably dressed receptionist greeted them. When Ren presented the golden key, her expression changed instantly – an emotionless professionalism slipping into something more cautious.
"This way, Mr. Hayato," she said.
Ren stiffened. How does she know my name?
She guided them through a security checkpoint, then down a long hallway into the private vault sector. Heavy doors lined the walls, each one fortified with thick steel and coded locks. After several turns, they reached a secluded chamber lit by a single overhead light.
The woman stopped before a massive vault door.
"Box 1083," she said. "The key you possess matches this box. Only you may open it."
Ren swallowed and stepped toward the vault. Yui and Kaito stayed close, their eyes scanning the room suspiciously.
With trembling fingers, Ren inserted the golden key into a narrow lock. It turned with a soft click, and the vault door slowly swung open with a low metallic groan.
Inside, there was only a single item:
A sealed envelope.
Ren lifted it carefully and opened it with the precision of someone afraid it might explode. Inside was a letter – longer than the fist – written in the same elegant handwriting.
He began to read.
The Letter
Ren Hayato,
If this letter is in your hands, then my fate has already reached its end. Do not grieve or feel responsible. This was the path I accepted long before we met.
Ren's heartbeat quickened. Kaito leaned in, breath held.
The wooden dragon I gave you is the Dragon Seal. It grants its bearer authority over the Underworld. You may not understand this now. But know that the Dragon Seal does not choose mistakenly.
Ren's fingers trembled violently.
You are now the rightful successor to the throne I once held. The world beneath the surface – the one hidden behind every city, every government, every crime – is now yours to command.
Ren couldn't breathe.
Use this power wisely. For where there is a Dragon Head… There are always those who seek to cut it off.
The letter ended there.
Silence swallowed the room.
Ren's legs nearly gave out.
Yui whispered, "Ren…what did that old man drag you into?"
Kaito stepped back. "We need to –"
Footsteps.
Shuffling.
Voices.
They were faint at first but quickly multiplied. Ren felt cold dread crawl up his spine as he turned toward the hallway.
"We're being followed," he whispered.
Yui grabbed his wrist. "Run. Now."
And they did.
Their footsteps echoed against the marble floors as they sprinted through the corridors, Ren clutching the letter and the wooden dragon burning hot against his chest.
But the shadows behind them grew faster.
Stronger.
Closer.
And Ren's life began to unravel—just as the old man promised.