The rooftop of Starlight Academy was the only place where the air felt thin enough to breathe. Below, the city of Neo Akatsuki hummed with a restless energy. Thousands of people moved through the streets like ants, chasing shadows and dreams they would never catch. Up here, there was only the wind and the silence.
Kaito Ashen sat on the rusted metal bench, his back against the wire fence. He held a single playing card between his fingers. It was the Ace of Spades. To anyone else, it was just a piece of plastic and paper. To him, it felt heavy, like a stone pulled from the bottom of a cold ocean. He flipped it over, watching the light catch the smooth surface.
The door to the rooftop creaked open. The sound cut through the quiet like a knife. Kaito did not look up. He did not need to. He knew the rhythm of those footsteps.
Ryota Hayashi burst onto the roof, his school tie messy and his breath coming in short gasps. He was carrying three bags of convenience store bread and two sodas. Behind him, walking at a much slower and more graceful pace, was Jin Seok min. Jin looked as he always did, neat, calm, and slightly bored with the world.
Ryota shouted, "Kaito! I told you to wait for us at the cafeteria! Do you know how many stairs I had to climb?"
Kaito did not answer. He slipped the card back into his pocket.
Jin sat down on the edge of the bench, adjusting his glasses. He looked at Kaito's face, then at the horizon. Jin said, "The cafeteria was too loud today. I do not blame him for coming up here."
Ryota threw a bag of melon bread at Kaito. Kaito caught it in one hand without looking.
Ryota sat on the floor, crossing his legs. He complained, "Seriously, man. One of these days, you are going to turn into a statue. You have not said a word since first period. Not even a hello to the teacher."
Kaito opened the plastic wrap. The smell of sweet bread filled the air. He looked at Ryota, then at Jin.
Kaito said, "It was noisy."
Ryota threw his hands up in the air. Ryota yelled, "Three words! We got three words! Mark it on the calendar, Jin. It is a miracle."
Jin smiled thinly. Jin said, "At least they were accurate words."
They sat together in a silence that was not uncomfortable. This was their routine. Ryota provided the noise, Jin provided the logic, and Kaito provided the space in between. They had been friends for three years, yet there were times when Ryota felt like he was staring at a locked door whenever he looked at Kaito.
Kaito chewed his bread slowly. His eyes were fixed on a spot in the sky, far above the tallest skyscraper in the city. Most people saw blue sky and white clouds. Kaito saw something else. He saw thin, black lines, like cracks in a mirror, shivering against the light. They were getting wider. He had been watching them for weeks.
The peaceful atmosphere broke when the rooftop door opened for a second time. This time, the footsteps were light and rhythmic, almost like a dance.
Hana Mitsuki stepped onto the roof. She was wearing a yellow cardigan over her school uniform, and her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. She held a small bento box wrapped in a pink cloth. When she saw the three of them, her face lit up with a bright, genuine smile.
Hana said, "I knew I would find you all here."
Ryota grinned, his mouth full of bread. Ryota said, "Hana! Save me from these two. One will not talk, and the other only talks about how tired he is."
Hana laughed as she walked over to Kaito. She sat down right next to him, her shoulder brushing against his. Kaito did not move away, but his posture stiffened for a second. Hana smelled like vanilla and rain. It was a soft scent that always made the world feel a little more real.
Hana asked, "Did you eat enough, Kaito?"
Kaito looked at the empty bread bag in his lap. He gave a small nod.
Hana reached into her bento box and pulled out a small, perfectly shaped octopus sausage. She held it out toward him. Hana said, "Here. My mom made too many. You look like you need the energy."
Kaito looked at the sausage, then at Hana. Her eyes were wide and kind. There was no judgment in them, only warmth. He took the food from her fingers. His skin brushed hers, and for a moment, the cold weight in his chest felt a little lighter.
Kaito said, "Thank you."
Ryota groaned loudly. Ryota said, "No fair! Why does Kaito get the special treatment? I am the one who did the heavy lifting today!"
Hana teased, "Because Kaito is a good listener, Ryota. You should try it sometime."
Jin chuckled, leaning back against the fence. Jin said, "She has a point, Ryota. Your voice is currently the loudest thing in a three block radius."
As his friends joked and argued, Kaito looked back at the sky. One of the black lines had vanished, replaced by a faint, purple shimmer. A chill ran down his spine. It was not the wind. It was a feeling he knew too well. It was the feeling of something hungry looking into their world.
He stood up suddenly. The sudden movement silenced the group.
Hana asked, "Kaito? Is something wrong?"
Kaito stared at the horizon. He could feel the Ace of Spades vibrating in his pocket. It was a low, steady hum, like a heartbeat. The entities were close.
Kaito said, "I have to go."
Ryota blinked, confused. Ryota asked, "Go where? We still have ten minutes of lunch left."
Kaito did not answer. He stepped toward the door.
Hana stood up and reached out, touching his sleeve. Her voice was soft, filled with a sudden worry. Hana asked, "Kaito, are you okay? You look pale."
Kaito looked down at her hand. He wanted to tell her to go home. He wanted to tell her to stay away from the Hanami district tonight. He wanted to say a thousand things, but the words felt like broken glass in his throat. He had learned a long time ago that words could be dangerous. Silence was safer. Silence did not hurt people.
Kaito looked into her eyes. He said, "I am fine. Do not be late for class."
He pulled his arm away and walked through the door. He did not look back. He could hear Ryota asking Jin if Kaito was acting weirder than usual, and he heard Hana's soft sigh. It hurt to leave them like that, but the hunger in the sky was growing.
Kaito ran down the stairs, skipping steps. He did not stop until he reached the school gates. He slipped into a side alley, away from the eyes of other students. He pulled the card from his pocket.
The Ace of Spades was no longer a simple card. Faint, blue smoke drifted from its edges.
Kaito whispered, "Kuro. Wake up."
The smoke gathered on the ground, swirling and darkening until it took the shape of a large, jet black bird. The bird grew, its wingspan reaching six feet. Its feathers looked like shards of polished obsidian. It had sharp, intelligent eyes that glowed with a faint violet light.
The bird tilted its head and spoke. Its voice was raspy and sarcastic, echoing inside Kaito's mind.
Kuro said, "Finally. I was starting to think you had forgotten how to use your hands, Master. That girl was quite charming. Why did you not stay for dessert?"
Kaito glared at the bird. Kaito said, "Shut up. Where is it?"
Kuro flapped its wings, lifting off the ground and perching on a low power line. Kuro said, "The distortion is in the industrial zone. Near the old warehouse. It is a Common grade, but it is a messy one. A Shadow Creeper. It has been feeding on the stray cats. It will move to something bigger soon if you do not stop it."
Kaito pulled his hoodie over his head. Kaito said, "Lead the way."
He followed the black bird through the backstreets of Neo Akatsuki. He moved with a speed and grace that no ordinary eighteen year old should possess. He leaped over fences and slid through narrow gaps between buildings. He was a shadow moving through a city of light.
By the time they reached the industrial zone, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The shadows were stretching, becoming long and distorted. The air here smelled of rusted iron and stagnant water.
Kuro circled above a warehouse with a collapsed roof. Kuro called out, "There. Inside the main hall. It is waiting for the sun to go down."
Kaito stepped into the warehouse. The interior was vast and chilling. Piles of wooden crates were scattered across the floor, covered in thick layers of dust. In the center of the room, a mass of darkness was huddled against a pillar. It looked like a pile of wet rags, but it was moving. It breathed with a wet, gurgling sound.
As Kaito approached, the mass unfurled. Long, spindly limbs made of shadows stretched out, ending in jagged claws. A dozen pale, mismatched eyes opened across its body. It let out a screech that sounded like metal grinding against stone.
Kaito did not flinch. He held the Ace of Spades between his index and middle fingers.
The Shadow Creeper lunged. It moved with a terrifying, jerky motion, its claws tearing through the air. Kaito stepped to the side, his movements precise. He felt the cold air of the creature's pass against his cheek.
Kaito said, "Kuro. Shadow Bind."
The black bird dove from the rafters. As it flew, it left a trail of dark ink in the air. The ink fell onto the creature, turning into heavy chains of shadow that slammed into the concrete floor. The Shadow Creeper roared, struggling against the weight.
Kuro landed on Kaito's shoulder. Kuro said, "It is a feisty one. Do you want to finish it, or should I let it play a little longer?"
Kaito said, "Finish it."
Kaito raised the card. The blue smoke intensified, wrapping around his hand like a glove. He felt the power of the card flowing into his veins. It was a cold, sharp sensation.
He stepped toward the trapped monster. The creature's eyes blinked rapidly, filled with a primal fear. It knew what he was. It knew he was the King of the cards.
Kaito thrust his hand forward. The card turned into a blade of pure light. He drove it into the center of the creature's mass. There was no blood, only a burst of dark particles that tasted like ash. The Shadow Creeper shrieked one last time before it dissolved into nothingness.
The warehouse fell silent again. The heavy chains disappeared, and Kuro returned to his normal size.
A small, gray card drifted down from the air, landing where the creature had been. Kaito picked it up. It was a blank card with a faint image of a claw on it. A Common grade.
Kuro said, "Another soul for the collection. You are getting faster, Master. But you are also getting gloomier. Is it the girl? It is the girl, is it not?"
Kaito put the new card in his pocket along with the Ace of Spades. Kaito said, "Go back, Kuro."
Kuro sighed, his form dissolving into smoke. Kuro said, "One of these days, you will have to tell them. You cannot keep the two worlds apart forever. The cracks are getting bigger."
The smoke vanished into Kaito's pocket.
Kaito stood in the middle of the empty warehouse for a long time. His hand was shaking slightly. The power of the cards always left him feeling hollow, like he was giving away a piece of his life every time he fought. He walked out of the building and looked toward the city lights.
In a few hours, he would have to go back to being a normal student. He would have to sit in class, listen to Ryota's jokes, and look into Hana's kind eyes. He would have to pretend that the world was not breaking apart.
He checked his phone. There was a text message from Hana.
Hana: We missed you at the end of the day. Ryota says he is going to eat your portion of the snacks tomorrow if you do not show up. See you in the morning, Kaito.
Kaito stared at the screen. The light from the phone felt too bright in the dark industrial zone. He started to type a reply. He wanted to tell her thank you for the food. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for leaving.
He deleted the words.
He typed a single word instead.
Kaito: Okay.
He hit send and began the long walk home. The wind was picking up, carrying the scent of the ocean and the distant sound of the city. As he walked, he felt the weight of the cards against his leg.
Kaito looked up at the moon. It was pale and distant.
Kaito whispered to the empty street, "The sound of the wind is changing."
He knew that the Common grade shadows were just the beginning. The three great entities were waking up. He could feel them in the back of his mind, like giants stirring in their sleep. Vortelius, Seraphine, and The Architect. They were coming for this world, and he was the only one standing in their way.
He reached his apartment building, a quiet place on the edge of the Hanami district. He climbed the stairs to the third floor and entered his room. It was a simple room, a bed, a desk, and a shelf full of books he had already read. He did not turn on the light. He sat on the bed and took out his deck of cards.
He spread them out on the mattress. There were dozens of them now. Some were bright and full of energy, like Yuki onna and Fenrir Jr. Others were dark and cold, like the Shadow Creeper he had just captured. They were his army. They were his only real companions in this secret war.
Kaito picked up a card with the image of a small, glowing ember.
Kaito said, "Ember."
A tiny flame appeared in the center of his palm. It did not burn him. It flickered softly, providing a small circle of light in the dark room. It was warm, reminding him of Hana's smile.
He watched the flame until it went out.
The city outside continued to move, unaware of the boy in the dark room. Tomorrow would be another day of silence. Another day of secrets. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the wind rattling his window. It sounded like a warning.
Kaito lay down, his hand still resting on his cards. He fell asleep with the weight of the world resting on his shoulders, hoping that the morning would bring a little more light and a little less shadow. But in his dreams, the black lines in the sky continued to grow, and the silence became a deafening roar.