Chapter 2: The Hidden Path

Aiko found herself standing at the edge of a river, its dark waters reflecting a sky split in two—one half bathed in golden light, the other swallowed in endless night. The current was relentless, flowing forward with no regard for anything caught in its path. She looked down and gasped. Her reflection rippled, shifting between three forms: herself, a woman with piercing eyes who felt oddly familiar, and a shadowed version of herself with a blade dripping in black liquid.

Behind her, a figure loomed, its form flickering between a tall, elegant being of black and white. The presence exuded both warmth and cold, serenity and chaos. It spoke, its voice echoing like a whisper carried on the wind.

“All things must flow as they are destined. To change the course of fate, one must be willing to pay the price.”

Aiko opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the sword in her reflection’s hands split in two. The pieces fell into the river, sinking beneath the surface. The current swallowed them whole, and the dream faded to darkness.

Aiko jolted awake, her heart pounding against her ribs. The dream left a strange unease lingering in her chest, but the details slipped away like water through her fingers. She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled sharply. Just a dream… right?

The morning sun filtered through her window, casting streaks of light across her desk. She rubbed her temples, pushing away the lingering thoughts, and forced herself to get ready for school. As she left her room, the scent of breakfast filled the air. Her father, Takashi, stood at the stove, flipping eggs with a practiced ease.

“Morning, kid,” he said, not looking away from the pan. “You look like you barely slept.”

Aiko rolled her eyes, plopping down at the table. “Gee, thanks, Dad. Exactly what every girl wants to hear first thing in the morning.”

Takashi smirked as he slid a plate of food in front of her. “Hey, I just call it like I see it.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Bad dream?”

Aiko hesitated. She wanted to talk about it, but she wasn’t even sure where to start. “Something like that.”

Takashi studied her for a moment but didn’t push. Instead, he ruffled her hair and sat down across from her. “Eat up. You’ve got a long day ahead.”

Aiko grumbled but obeyed, stabbing her fork into the eggs. Moments like these, their easy banter, made it easy to forget that there were things her father never talked about—things she had long since stopped questioning.

Or, at least, she thought she had.

At school, Aiko met up with her friends, Haruto and Yumi, during lunch. The three of them sat under a tree in the courtyard, the warm afternoon breeze rustling the leaves above.

“So, what’s up with you?” Haruto asked, taking a bite of his rice ball. “You’ve been weirdly quiet.”

Aiko glanced at them before pulling out her phone. She swiped to the picture she found last night—the old, faded photograph of her father as a child, standing next to an older man holding a sword.

Yumi leaned in, studying it carefully. “This is your dad?”

“Yeah,” Aiko said. “But I don’t get it. He’s never mentioned anything like this before.”

Haruto frowned. “Maybe he just doesn’t like talking about the past.”

Yumi, however, narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe,” she said, tapping the screen, “there’s more to him than you think.”

Aiko sighed, slumping back against the tree. “I don’t know. It’s just… weird. And I have this feeling that something’s not adding up.”

Before they could continue, the school’s intercom crackled to life. “All students, please report to the auditorium for an important assembly.”

The three of them exchanged glances before heading inside. The auditorium buzzed with chatter as students filled the seats, murmuring about what this could be about. The principal, an older woman with sharp eyes, stepped onto the stage and cleared her throat.

“Students,” she began, her voice commanding the room, “today, we are honored to welcome representatives from Tenryuu Academy.”

A few whispers rippled through the crowd. Tenryuu Academy was known for being highly selective, its programs rumored to be near impossible to get into.

A group of recruiters stepped forward, dressed in sleek navy uniforms. The one in front, a tall man with a calm yet imposing presence, spoke next. “Tenryuu Academy is opening recruitment for our highly competitive math team. Those who excel will have the opportunity to advance into even more prestigious programs. Flyers will be distributed shortly.”

Aiko frowned. Math team? That wasn’t what she expected from an elite institution like Tenryuu.

Later that evening, Aiko sat on her bed, staring at the photograph again. Something about it nagged at her. Then, her eyes landed on a detail she hadn’t noticed before—the name of a building in the background: Tenryuu.

Her heart skipped a beat. The same name as the academy.

Her fingers tightened around the photo. “No way,” she whispered. “It can’t be a coincidence.”

Determined, she grabbed the flyer from her bag. If Tenryuu’s math team is really a front for something more… then I have to find out the truth myself.

Meanwhile, inside the grand halls of Tenryuu Academy, the principal sat across from the recruiters, hands folded on the desk.

“Do you believe any will succeed?” one of them asked.

The principal smirked. “Those with the potential will find their way. After all,” she said, her eyes gleaming, “only those who uncover the hidden meaning behind this ‘math team’ will be deemed worthy.”

She stood, looking out the window as the city lights flickered below.

“Worthy enough,” she murmured, “to wield a blade.”