The rhythmic chime of the school bell echoed through the hallways, signaling the start of another mundane day. Ren walked through the main gates, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The morning breeze was unusually cool, carrying the scent of rain.
"Yo, Ren! Morning!" a cheerful voice called out.
It was Haru, Ren's only true friend since childhood. Haru caught up to him, panting slightly. "Man, look at this weather. It's perfect, isn't it? Makes me want to skip class and just sleep."
Ren gave a small, rare smile. "You'd sleep through a hurricane, Haru."
"True!" Haru laughed, then suddenly his face paled. "Wait... oh no! Ren! The Math test! I completely forgot to check the chapters. I'm dead, I'm actually going to fry today. Please, man, you gotta let me peek at your paper. Just for the last few questions?"
Ren sighed, shaking his head. "Again? Fine, but only the last section. Now move it, or the teacher will lock us out."
The lecture was a blur. Ren sat at his favorite spot—the window seat. Outside, the clouds were thickening, turning a heavy shade of grey. While the teacher's voice droned on about calculus, Ren stared at his own reflection in the glass, feeling a strange, heavy sensation in his chest—a gut feeling he couldn't explain.Then suddenly teacher call out "Ren" "Ren" are you listening to me". Ren suddenly shocked and watching at teacher face like there is a joke written at his face.
During break, the two sat in their usual corner of the cafeteria. Haru was mid-bite into his sandwich, talking animatedly about a Manga he'd read last night.
"I'm telling you, Ren! The way the Main Character solved that murder case—it was pure genius. He didn't even use his powers; he just outsmarted everyone. That's the kind of guy I want to be," Haru said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Ren nodded, listening to Haru's ramblings. In a school where everyone else ignored him, Haru's constant chatter was the only thing that made Ren feel human.
After the break over Ren started playing video games and Haru started shouting "Ren! This is not you home.Talk to me"
The Turning Point
After the final bell, Ren didn't head home. He went to the school rooftop, seeking the silence of the fading sun. He stood by the railing, watching the orange light wash over the city.
"Ren! There you are!" Haru's voice broke the silence. He came running up the stairs, clutching his chest. "I looked everywhere! I thought you'd vanished or... I don't know, I just got worried."
Ren turned around. "I'm fine, Haru. Just watching the sun—"
Ren's words froze.
Behind Haru, a hooded figure emerged from the shadows of the water tank with terrifying speed. Before Ren could even scream a warning, a cold, jagged blade was driven deep into Haru's stomach.
STAB.
Haru's eyes widened. A small gasp escaped his lips as blood began to soak through his white school shirt. The figure twisted the knife and kicked Haru aside like he was nothing.
"HARU!!"
Ren lunged forward, catching his friend before he hit the concrete. He collapsed to his knees, his hands trembling as he tried to stem the flow of blood. "No, no, no... Haru, stay with me! Look at me!"
A guttural, soul-shattering scream tore from Ren's throat—a sound of pure agony and loss.
The murderer stood there, casually wiping the blade. Something inside Ren snapped. The fear was gone, replaced by a cold, blinding rage that felt like liquid fire in his veins.
Ren charged. The man swung the knife, but Ren didn't flinch. He ducked under the blade, his movements blurred by adrenaline.CRACK.
Ren's fist collided with the man's jaw. Before the killer could recover, Ren grabbed his wrist, twisting it until the bone popped. He snatched the knife and pinned the man against the wall, the blade pressed hard against his throat.
"Who sent you? Where is your leader?!" Ren hissed, his eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity.
Suddenly, a red laser dot appeared on Ren's chest.A Sniper.
Ren spotted the glint of the scope on the neighboring building. Time seemed to slow down. He knew he couldn't dodge a bullet. In that split second, a desperate thought consumed his mind: I need to control him. Just for a second. Let me into his head!
A violent jolt shook Ren's consciousness. For a heartbeat, his vision shifted. He wasn't on the rooftop anymore; he was looking through a thermal scope. He felt the cold metal of a trigger under his finger.
Without thinking, Ren—inside the sniper's mind—shifted the aim.
BANG.
The sniper fired. The bullet tore through the air and struck the murderer Ren was holding, killing him instantly.
Ren snapped back into his own body, gasping for air. Across the street, the sniper stood up, trembling, dropped his rifle, and fled in terror. Ren didn't understand what had just happened, but he didn't care.
The Vow
The sirens of the ambulance were the only sound in the quiet evening. Inside the vehicle, Ren held Haru's cold hand. Memories flashed before his eyes like a broken film strip—memories of them as kids, falling off swings, skinning their knees.
"Don't cry, Ren," a young Haru had said in the memory, wiping dirt off his face. "We're tough. We always get back up."
A single tear rolled down Ren's cheek.
The doctor checked the vitals, his face grim. He looked at Ren and slowly shook his head. "Internal hemorrhaging... it's too deep. I'm sorry. He's not going to make it."
The world went silent. Ren looked down at his hands, still stained with his best friend's blood. The sorrow in his eyes began to crystalize into something far more dangerous. The power he had felt—the ability to invade a mind—was still humming under his skin.
He stood up, his shadow lengthening under the flickering lights of the ambulance. His voice was a low, haunting whisper that sent a chill through the paramedics.
"If the world takes away the only light I had... then I will embrace the darkness."
He looked out into the night, his gaze piercing the soul of the city.
"I don't care if I have to become the very evil I hunt. I will find them. I will control them. And I will burn their world to the ground,"
He was no longer just Ren,the quit student. He was the Twist Maker. And the game had just begun.