A sudden transfer

Ren sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at the crow perched on his windowsill. The dim glow of the streetlights outside barely illuminated its dark feathers, making it look like a shadow given form.
What are you?
The crow tilted its head as if it understood the unspoken question.
Ren had controlled animals before—rats, birds, even stray dogs—but they all shared a common trait. When he used his title’s power, he felt a subtle link, a presence in his mind that told him he was in control.
This crow…
It wasn’t the same.
He had never connected with it. Never truly controlled it.
And yet, it listened.
It obeyed.
But it was not his.
A cold feeling crept into Ren’s spine. He wasn’t the master of this creature.
It was choosing to follow him.

Ren had never named any of the creatures he controlled before.
They were tools, temporary things.
But this crow was different.
It had saved him. It had attacked for him.
A name seemed… right.
His fingers drummed against his knee as he considered it.
"How about... Noct?" he murmured.
The crow gave no reaction.
Ren sighed. He wasn’t sure what he expected.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "You’re a strange one, aren’t you?"
Still, the bird only stared.
A Test 
Ren grabbed a small wooden stick from his desk and held it up.
“Fetch.”
Nothing.
He tried again, pushing a bit of his will into the command.
Still nothing.
Ren frowned.
If this were any other creature, his power should have forced it to obey.
Yet Noct didn’t even acknowledge the command.
But when he had ordered it to attack Leon…
It had obeyed instantly.
His grip tightened around the stick.
Was it only responding to certain types of commands?
What made it different from the others?
And then another thought struck him.
What if this crow isn’t something I control?
What if it’s something that’s supposed to control me?

Ren lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind raced with possibilities.
He was supposed to be weak.
His title, Cowardly King, had never given him anything powerful. Only the ability to control the weak.
But Noct wasn’t weak.
Noct was… something else.
Something watching him.
A deep unease settled in his stomach.
For the first time, Ren considered the possibility that this crow had been waiting for him.
Waiting for something to awaken.

That night, Ren dreamed.
He stood in a world of crows.
The sky was dark, the ground covered in endless feathers, shifting like waves on a dead ocean.
And at the center of it all sat a throne.
Blackened, cracked, ancient.
A throne meant for a king.
A voice—low, deep, suffocating—whispered in his ear.
"A king must make sacrifices."
Ren turned, but no one was there.
The crows watched.
Thousands of gleaming red eyes, unblinking.
Then—
The throne shattered.
And the world collapsed.

Ren woke up gasping, his hands trembling.
The room was dark, silent. Only the faint glow of the moon filtered through his window.
And there, sitting at the foot of his bed—
Noct.
It stared at him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Ren’s chest tightened. He didn’t understand what was happening.
But one thing was clear.
This bird wasn’t just a crow.
It was something far more dangerous.
And for the first time…
Ren wondered if his title, Cowardly King, had never been meant for him at all.
Perhaps… it was only hiding something else.
Something far worse.

The next morning, Ren walked into class as if nothing had changed.
The school hallways were the same. The students were the same. His life—unchanged.
And yet, something inside him felt… off.
Last night’s dream lingered in his mind. The shattered throne. The countless crows. The whisper of a voice telling him—
"A king must make sacrifices."
Ren shook his head. Forget it.
He wasn’t a king. He was just Ren. The Cowardly King.
He took his seat near the window, staring outside, watching the sky.
And then—
The door slid open.
A Transfer Student? 
The teacher clapped his hands. "Alright, class. We have a new transfer student today."
Whispers filled the room. It was unusual for students to transfer mid-year, especially to a school like this.
The student stepped in.
A boy—tall, lean, and composed. His presence was unsettlingly calm, as if he belonged but didn’t.
His hair was jet-black, his eyes a shade too sharp to be ordinary.
He carried himself with confidence—no, certainty.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, Ren felt something shift in the air.
Something cold.
Something unnatural.
The teacher smiled. "Introduce yourself."
The boy glanced around the room, then spoke.
"…My name is Cain."
Ren’s breath caught in his throat.
That name—
Why did it feel like he’d heard it before?
Something Isn’t Right 
Cain scanned the room. His gaze was calculating, his presence heavy.
And then, his eyes landed on Ren.
For a single second, their gazes met.
A sharp pain shot through Ren’s skull. Flashes—feathers, crows, a voice whispering—
"A king must make sacrifices."
Ren clenched his fists. Who is this guy?
"Alright, Cain, take a seat anywhere," the teacher said.
Cain walked.
Past the rows of students.
Past the empty seats.
And then—
He stopped.
At Ren’s desk.
The room was silent.
Cain pulled the chair next to Ren, sitting down smoothly.
He didn’t say a word.
But Ren could feel it.
A presence. A weight. A threat.
And in that moment, Ren realized—
This wasn’t just a transfer student.
Cain was here for him.
The Crow Reacts 
Noct, who had been perched outside the window, moved.
Ren felt the shift.
The crow never moved during class. It always remained hidden. Watching.
But now, its head was turned—staring at Cain.
Watching him with the same intensity it had watched Ren.
Cain, without turning his head, spoke softly.
"You should keep your pet under control, Ren."
Ren’s breath hitched.
How does he know my name?
More importantly—
How does he know about Noct?

The teacher droned on, but Ren heard none of it.
Cain sat beside him, completely at ease.
He didn’t speak again.
Didn’t react.
But Ren could feel it—
A pressure.
An expectation.
Like Cain was waiting for something.
And for the first time in a long time…
Ren felt like prey.
He gritted his teeth.
No.
He wasn’t going to be hunted.
Not by Cain.
Not by anyone.
If this guy thought he could control him—
He had another thing coming.

The bell rang.
Students packed their things, chatting as they left.
Cain stood up.
Without looking at Ren, he spoke.
"I’ll see you soon, Cowardly King."
Ren froze.
The words hit him like a knife to the chest.
He knows.
Before Ren could react, Cain was already gone.
The classroom door closed behind him.
Ren sat there, gripping his desk, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
He wasn’t sure what Cain wanted.
But one thing was clear.
This was no coincidence.
This was a warning.
And Ren wasn’t sure if he could stop what was coming .