Rebirth of Kai Zenko

Kai’s breathing came in shallow, broken gasps. His body trembled as he pressed himself deeper into the shadows of the alley, rain cascading down his frail frame like knives.

His fingers—bruised, dirt-covered—clutched a stolen loaf of bread to his chest.

His stomach twisted violently.

It had been three days since his last real meal. His ribs ached from hunger, and his vision blurred at the edges.

Just one bite. That’s all he needed. One bite to silence the gnawing pain.

He lifted the bread to his lips—

Then—

A growl. Low, guttural. Close.

A chill ran down his spine.

Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the entrance of the alley.

A dog.

Not just any stray—this one was lean, sharp-boned, its ribs visible beneath its matted fur. Yellowed eyes locked onto the bread. Lips curled, exposing jagged, rotting fangs. Drool dripped from its maw, mixing with the rain.

Kai didn’t move. Neither did the dog.

A silent war. A battle of desperation.

Then—

“WOOF! WOOF!”

The bark shattered the silence.

The dog lunged.

Kai barely had time to jerk backward as claws scraped against the wet stone. His breath tore from his throat in short, panicked bursts.

Footsteps. Voices. Closing in.

“There! I heard something!”

Kai’s body reacted before his mind could process—

He ran.

Kai burst onto the street, the sudden light nearly blinding after the suffocating darkness of the alley.

His bare feet slammed against the wet pavement, kicking up dirty water. The shouts behind him blurred into the night, swallowed by the storm.

"Watch it, brat!" A merchant cursed as Kai shoved past him.

He ducked under a hanging stall, slipping between bodies like a shadow. He could still hear them—shopkeepers yelling, the dog barking, the relentless pound-pound-pound of his heartbeat.

One mistake. One wrong step, and—

PAIN.

A crushing force wrapped around his ankle.

A violent jerk sent his body twisting through the air.

Time slowed.

The bread flew from his hands.

He reached for it—fingertips inches away—

CRACK.

His skull slammed into the pavement.

Pain exploded through his vision. The world spun. His ears rang, drowning out the storm, the shouts, the barking.

The bread lay in a dirty puddle a few feet away. Ruined.

His fingers twitched weakly toward it.

A sharp, bitter thought cut through his fading consciousness.

I lost again.

And then—blackness.

The first thing Kai registered was the dull, throbbing pain in his skull. The second was the scent—wood, ash, something burning faintly in the air.

Where am I?

He blinked, vision hazy. The ceiling above him was wooden, cracked with age. The dim glow of a lantern flickered nearby, its flame swaying in a draft.

His body felt heavy. His ankle ached—bandaged.

A voice shattered the silence.

"Looks like the little rat finally woke up."

Kai’s breath hitched.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Three men.

They sat around a rickety wooden table, shadows dancing across their faces.

The one who spoke was tall, muscular, with a thick scar running down his cheek. His smirk was amused, but his eyes held something more dangerous.

"You took quite a beating out there, kid," the scarred man said.

Kai didn’t answer. His fingers curled slightly against the rough fabric of the cot he lay on.

A second man, lean and fox-eyed, leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Don’t be so stiff, kid. We ain’t gonna kill ya."

Beat.

The oldest man at the table let out a slow breath, exhaling a plume of smoke from a long pipe. His thin, sharp eyes locked onto Kai’s.

"...Yet."

A chill ran down Kai’s spine.

Rough laughter filled the dimly lit room. The scarred man kicked his feet up on the table, nudging a plate of food toward Kai with his boot.

Rice. Fish. Steaming hot. The scent was torture.

Kai’s stomach twisted violently, an unbearable ache spreading through his core.

"Go on," the fox-eyed man smirked. "Eat."

His fingers twitched. His throat was dry.

(Why? Why were they feeding him? What was the catch?)

The older man—clearly the leader—tapped his pipe against the wooden table. The clink echoed in the room.

"Eating this means you listen to us from now on."

Silence.

Kai’s body screamed for the food. His mind screamed not to trust them.

He clenched his jaw. His nails dug into his palms.

Then—slowly—

He reached forward.

The wooden chopsticks felt foreign in his fingers, too smooth, too refined for someone like him.

He lifted a bite of rice to his lips.

The first taste of warmth in weeks.

A shiver ran through his body.

He hated it.

Hated how much he wanted more.

The gang watched in silence.

The older man—Hibiki—smirked.

"Good," he murmured. "You just took your first bite of crime."

Just as the weight of those words sinks in, Kai feels a sudden force from behind—sharp, cold, final.

His vision blurs. His body collapses.

Darkness takes him once again.

Hey, if you made it this far—thanks for reading! 🎉

I just wanna say… this is just the warm-up for Kuruya Heist. The real story? The mind games, betrayals, and high-stakes heists? That all kicks in soon.

Right now, Kai’s just a hungry street rat, but trust me—he’s about to become something way worse. 😈

So if you're thinking, “Hmm, when does the crazy stuff start?” Stick around.

It’s gonna be dark, intense, and ruthless. And once it really starts? There’s no turning back.

💬 Drop a comment if you’re ready for the madness ahead! 🔥