Emergency Protocols. Failed

Rei hadn’t slept much.

Maybe that’s why the morning sunlight felt too sharp and the school hallways felt too loud. Ichi walked beside him, hands behind his head, listening with barely contained excitement as Rei retold yesterday’s events.

“So the rain stopped? Like—just froze? Midair?” Ichi leaned closer. “Are you sure you weren’t just losing it?”

“I’m telling you what happened,” Rei muttered.

“And the masked guy—what was his deal? You didn’t get a better look? And Haya Kuroe! Dude, the minister’s daughter—”

“Ichi,” Rei hissed, “not so loud.”

They rounded a corner—and almost walked straight into a scene.

A nerdy-looking kid with messy hair, thick glasses, and a fragile posture was cornered into a narrow staircase. Two boys towered over him, shoving, laughing. His hands trembled as he tried to gather his scattered books.

Rei slowed.

For a second, the kid looked up—right into Rei’s eyes.

Something passed between them. Something sharp.

Rei looked away.

He kept walking.

Ichi kept talking.

“…and what if the Freak comes back? Should we tell a teacher? Or maybe—maybe they’ll interview you! Dude, imagine being on the news!”

Rei shushed him quickly. “Not here. Seriously.”

They stepped into the classroom just as the bell rang.

Their teacher, Mr. Kanda, stood at the front preparing a holographic display about today’s lecture topic: Freak Phenomena and Emergency Protocols.

Great.

Rei slid into his seat. Ichi plopped down next to him, still buzzing.

Mr. Kanda cleared his throat. “All right, everyone, open your tablets to page—”

The alarm cut him off.

A shrill, mechanical wail blasted through the school:

FREAK EVENT DETECTED — ALL STUDENTS REMAIN IN PLACE.

Ichi’s grin spread dangerously wide.

He whispered with a tremble of excitement, “Freak alarm.”

Before Rei could react, Ichi shot out of his chair and bolted into the hallway.

“ICHI! STOP!” Kanda roared, pointing sharply. Then he turned on Rei. “And don’t you dare follow him—”

Rei threw up a peace sign as he had already started to join Ichi.

A distant BOOM rattled the floor beneath their feet.

Rei sprinted after Ichi, heart hammering. The corridors were shaking, lockers rattling like someone was punching them from the inside. Ichi looked out the window at the rain hoping it would stop mid air.

When Rei had followed Ichi for a good while, he saw them

The two bullies from earlier.

Crushed against the wall.

Bruised. Gasping. Hands over their heads.

Every window lining the corridor was shattered—glass blown outward, as if something inside had exploded.

Ichi skidded to a stop in front of them. “OI! What happened!? Did a Freak come through here? Where’d it go!? are you okay?”

Rei slowed. His eyes scanned the carnage.

Where’s the nerd?

Before he could ask—

A voice echoed from behind him.

“Oh. So now you stay to help someone.”

Ichi spun around.

The nerdy kid stepped out from the narrow stairwell where he’d been pushed around erlier.

But he didn’t look like before anymore.

His hair stood up in jagged spikes, waving as if a ghostly wind ran through it. His glasses were cracked—one lens completely missing, exposing one wide, trembling eye.

Not trembling with fear.

With rage. and then as if an invisible force had pushed him Ichi flew straight into the pile with the others.

“You,” the kid spat, pointing at Rei. “You looked into my eyes earlier, and you did nothing.”

The air shivered.

“Seiko?” Rei said as if he asked.

A ripple ran down the hallway.

Rei felt the shock wave even from meters away—a light push, like a breath against his skin.

But Ichi and the bullies were pressed harder into the wall, letting out choked cries.

“Stop!” Rei yelled.

For a moment, unbelievably, the freak did.

His hair stopped moving.

His jaw trembled.

Then—

The invisible force surged again.

The three kids got pressed violently against the wall.

“HEY!” Rei dashed forward and threw out a hand to get the freaks attention. “Cut it out!”

Seiko’s eyes snapped towards Rei as Ichi and the others were launched completely out of his sight, they were getting pushed away from him.

Rei’s blood ran cold.

This kid was a Freak.

The spiky-haired boy snapped his head toward Rei, eyes widening.

Then he rushed.

Rei didn’t think—he just threw his arms up in a cross to block the incoming hit.

But the hit didn’t land.

Silence.

A groan above him.

Rei opened one eye.

Seiko—no, the Freak—was pressed against the ceiling as if something had slammed him up there. His back twisted awkwardly, palms flat against plaster.

Then gravity gave up.

He fell like a ragdoll, slamming into the floor at Rei’s feet.

A smile crept across his face as he whispered as his face was still pressed against the floor.

“You’re like me.”

A ripple of force burst outward.

It swept Rei’s legs. He stumbled back a few steps and hit the ground, coughing.

Seiko slowly climbed to his feet, eyes shaking with exhilaration as he watched Rei do the same.

“Seiko… can we just take it easy?” Rei said uncertainly.

Seiko grinned.

And then he ran.

Rei ran too.

They tore through the hallways, their footsteps echoing in sync.

Every time Seiko passed a locker, it dented inward with metallic clangs as if struck by an invisible hammer.

Rei glanced back—and flinched as ceiling lamps shattered in bursts of sparks behind Seiko, one after another.

He looked forward again—

A male teacher stepped into the hall, arms spread.

“STOP! YOU TWO—!”

Rei ducked under the teacher’s arms effortlessly.

Seiko did not.

The teacher caught him by the collar, jerking him upward.

“You little monster,” the man snarled. “Thought you could hide being a Freak? I knew you were trouble. Always so quiet—”

Seiko’s hair lifted.

The air charged.

“No,” Rei whispered to himself as he turned back to look.

The blast threw the teacher forward like a rag doll.

He hit the floor head-first.

Blood seeped from his ears.

Seiko stepped over him without looking down, eyes fixed on Rei that turned and kept running.

Seiko smiled And kept chasing him towards the exit.