Chapter 3

"Stay in the closet. Don't come out until I tell you."

Fire crackled through the house violently.

The words echoed through the darkness alongside screaming wood and shattering glass while smoke crawled along the ceiling in suffocating waves. The tiny closet smelled of dust, ash, and burning fabric.

A child trembled inside it.

Young Riku pressed both shaking hands over his mouth trying desperately not to make a sound. Tears rolled silently down his face while orange firelight flickered through the thin slits between the closet doors.

Outside—

Chaos.

His mother's voice cut through the inferno.

"Hiroshi?!"

Desperate.

Terrified.

The kind of fear that only existed when someone already knew they were too late.

Riku flinched violently as something heavy crashed somewhere deeper in the house. Flames climbed the hallway walls outside the closet, swallowing family photographs and furniture beneath roaring heat.

"But mom..." his younger voice whispered weakly.

No answer.

Only fire.

Then footsteps.

Fast.

Frantic.

"I'm gonna go find your brother!" she screamed somewhere beyond the smoke. "Just stay there!"

The closet shook as part of the ceiling collapsed nearby.

Riku squeezed his eyes shut.

His breathing became uneven.

Outside the thin wooden doors, shadows moved through the flames.

Too tall.

Wrong somehow.

He could barely see through the smoke flooding the hallway.

Then—

A gunshot.

The sound exploded through the house.

Everything went silent afterward.

Silent except for the fire.

Riku's eyes widened.

"...Mom?"

No answer.

Slowly—

Something fell into view outside the closet.

A hand.

Motionless against the burning floorboards.

His mother's hand.

Blood crept slowly through the firelight.

Young Riku stopped breathing.

The world itself seemed to freeze.

Then—

"MOM!"

Riku shot upright violently.

Breathing hard.

His voice echoed through the darkness of his room.

For several seconds he couldn't separate memory from reality.

Rain tapped softly against the massive windows overlooking Tenshōkyō while distant thunder rolled somewhere beyond the skyline. Pale morning light filtered weakly through the storm clouds hanging above the city.

No fire.

No smoke.

No blood.

Just silence.

Riku sat there motionless on the edge of the bed, chest rising and falling unevenly.

Sweat clung to his skin despite the cool air.

His purple eyes stared blankly into nothing.

The nightmare again.

Always the same.

Always that hand.

He slowly raised one hand to his face, fingers dragging through messy black hair while exhaustion lingered heavily beneath his eyes. The digital clock beside the bed glowed softly.

6:14 AM.

Another rainy morning.

Tenshōkyō looked gray outside the tower windows, skyscrapers disappearing into heavy storm clouds while neon signs reflected across flooded streets thousands of feet below.

Riku exhaled slowly.

Then stood.

The room still felt cold despite the heat running through the residential levels of Kurozen Enterprises. His katana remained leaning against the wall exactly where he'd left it the night before.

Silent.

Watching.

The bathroom lights flicked on automatically as he entered.

Steam eventually filled the room again.

Riku stood beneath the shower motionless while hot water poured over him in endless streams. His eyes stayed closed.

The nightmare refused to leave completely.

Fragments still lingered.

Fire.

His mother's voice.

The gunshot.

He clenched one hand slightly against the tiled wall.

Then forced the thoughts away.

The water continued running.

Minutes later he emerged dressed in the dark uniform of Hoshin Academy.

The outfit resembled a traditional gakuran uniform, though modernized in subtle ways befitting the elite academy. A fitted black high-collared jacket rested sharply against his slim frame with silver buttons running neatly down the front. Dark slacks disappeared into polished black shoes while a long black coat hung open slightly over the uniform, giving him a silhouette almost too sharp for someone his age.

Everything about him looked composed.

Controlled.

Except his eyes.

They still looked tired.

Riku adjusted the collar briefly before staring at his reflection in the mirror.

Water dripped quietly from strands of black hair.

For a moment—

He barely recognized the person staring back.

Then he looked away first.

The room remained silent as he grabbed his headphones from the desk beside the bed. The soft hiss of distant city noise filtered faintly through the windows while he slipped them over his ears.

Music filled the silence immediately.

Not loud.

Just enough to drown out thinking.

Riku grabbed his bag and headed toward the door.

The hallway outside was brighter now with early morning staff moving throughout the residential sector. Operatives, assistants, security personnel—all moving with precise quiet professionalism beneath the soft overhead lighting.

Nobody questioned the teenage boy carrying enough trauma in his eyes to make grown men uneasy.

Nobody stopped him.

At the far end of the corridor—

Midori stood waiting beside the elevator.

Unlike him, she looked far more awake.

Her academy uniform mirrored his own but with subtle differences tailored for female students—a fitted black jacket over a white dress shirt with a crimson ribbon tied neatly beneath the collar. Her long black hair fell loosely around her shoulders while pale blue eyes brightened slightly the moment she noticed him approaching.

"Oh—"

She raised a hand casually.

"Morning, Ri—"

Riku walked straight past her.

No pause.

No response.

The music in his headphones drowned everything else out.

Midori blinked once.

Her hand lowered slowly.

The elevator doors slid open between them with a soft metallic hum before Riku stepped inside without looking back.

The doors closed.

Leaving her alone in the hallway.

For a second, something faintly disappointed crossed her expression.

Then she sighed quietly.

"...Rough night, huh?"

The elevator continued descending.

Far below the tower, Tenshōkyō waited beneath endless rain.

The train station overflowed with people despite the storm.

Umbrellas crowded the sidewalks outside while massive holographic advertisements flickered across nearby buildings in distorted neon colors reflecting against soaked pavement. Trains screamed along elevated rails overhead while announcements echoed endlessly throughout the station speakers.

Students.

Businessmen.

Workers.

Security officers.

Thousands of people moving through each other like machinery inside the living organism that was the capital.

Riku stood among them silently.

Headphones over his ears.

Hands in his pockets.

Untouchable.

Nobody approached him.

Something about him discouraged it naturally.

The train arrived moments later with a metallic roar.

Doors hissed open.

Crowds flooded inside.

Riku stepped aboard without a word and moved toward the far end of the train carriage beside one of the rain-streaked windows.

The doors shut.

Then the city began moving.

The train glided through Tenshōkyō like a blade cutting across steel veins.

Towering skyscrapers passed outside endlessly while rain hammered the windows hard enough to distort the skyline beyond them. Neon signs blurred together in streaks of crimson, blue, and white across the glass.

Inside the train, students talked loudly about exams, celebrities, political debates, and rumors surrounding recent violence in the lower districts.

Riku ignored all of it.

His head rested lightly against the cold window.

Purple eyes stared outward silently.

Somewhere deeper in the city, sirens flashed between buildings.

A massive digital billboard replayed part of Kurozen's speech from the previous night.

Humanity created a world where people have forgotten how to see each other as human.

The train continued forward.

Riku watched the city pass by beneath the rain.

Expression distant.

The train slowed beneath the rain-drenched skyline of central Tenshōkyō.

Steel screamed softly against steel as the massive transit line curved between towering buildings wrapped in holographic advertisements and giant digital news displays. Beyond the rain-streaked windows, the sprawling campus of Hoshin Academy came gradually into view atop one of the elevated districts of the capital.

The academy looked more like a government institution than a school.

Massive black gates surrounded several enormous modernized buildings connected by suspended walkways and enclosed glass corridors stretching high above the streets below. Traditional architecture blended seamlessly with futuristic design—dark tiled rooftops beneath neon-lit towers, stone pathways lined with glowing electronic lanterns.

Elite.

Controlled.

Built for the children of politicians, military officials, corporate executives, and the wealthy upper sectors of Eios.

The train finally stopped.

The doors hissed open.

Cold rain-soaked air spilled inside immediately.

Students flooded outward onto the station platforms beneath umbrellas and coats marked with the black-and-red insignia of Hoshin Academy.

Riku moved among them silently.

Headphones still resting over his ears.

Hands in his pockets.

The crowd naturally parted around him without even realizing it.

Some recognized him immediately.

Whispers spread quietly through the station.

"That's him..."

"Riku Hinoki."

"He's so cool..."

"I heard he got suspended last year for beating up seniors."

"No, that's just a rumor."

"He barely talks to anyone though."

Riku ignored every word.

Rain tapped softly against the transparent station roof overhead while giant holographic screens replayed political debates from the previous night across the city. Kurozen's face flickered briefly above the crowd before disappearing behind another advertisement.

Riku kept walking.

Several first-year students stepped aside nervously as he passed through the academy gates.

Others tried to greet him.

"Morning, Hinoki!"

No response.

A boy near the lockers gave an awkward wave.

"Hey man, you coming to practice after school?"

Riku walked past him without slowing down.

The student lowered his hand slowly.

"...Right."

None of it came from arrogance.

That was the strange part.

Riku didn't ignore people because he thought he was above them.

He simply existed somewhere far away from everyone else.

Like there was a wall around him nobody could reach.

Near the central courtyard, a group of girls standing beneath umbrellas noticed him immediately.

One of them straightened slightly.

"Oh my god, there he is."

Another pushed wet hair behind her ear quickly.

"Should I ask him?"

"You always say that and never do it."

"Shut up."

Riku passed them without even glancing up.

Too late.

One of the girls stepped directly in front of him nervously.

"H-Hey, Hinoki—"

He stopped.

Purple eyes lifted slowly toward her.

Even exhausted, there was something intense about eye contact with him. Not threatening exactly.

Just heavy.

The girl stumbled slightly over her words.

"I was wondering if maybe I could get your numb—"

Riku stepped around her before she finished speaking.

No apology.

No reaction.

Just silence.

The group stared after him while rainwater rolled off their umbrellas.

"...Damn."

"Rejected again."

"I don't think he even heard her."

One of the girls sighed dramatically.

"He's seriously beautiful though."

Riku disappeared into the academy building without noticing any of it.

Or pretending not to.

The first bell rang across campus moments later.

Students hurried through the halls immediately while faculty members began closing classroom doors throughout the academy.

Riku entered his classroom near the back of the second floor.

Conversations quieted slightly when he walked in.

Not completely.

But enough to notice.

He ignored it.

Rows of desks stretched neatly across the modern classroom while rain tapped endlessly against massive windows overlooking the city skyline beyond the academy grounds.

Riku dropped into his seat near the window.

Headphones came off.

Bag placed beside the desk.

Then silence again.

His teacher entered shortly afterward carrying a digital tablet beneath one arm.

"Alright everyone, settle down."

The class gradually quieted.

The lecture began.

Economic policy.

Political structures.

Something involving the upcoming election.

Riku barely processed any of it.

Rain crawled down the windows beside him in endless streams while gray clouds swallowed the skyline outside. Students took notes. Teachers spoke. Time passed.

But his attention stayed somewhere else entirely.

Stay in the closet.

Firelight still lingered in the corners of his mind.

A gunshot.

His mother's hand against burning floorboards.

Riku's fingers tightened slightly beneath the desk.

"...Hinoki."

He blinked once.

The teacher stood near the front of the room watching him.

"Would you care to answer the question?"

Several students turned toward him immediately.

Riku stared blankly for half a second.

"...No."

A few students snorted quietly.

The teacher sighed.

"At least you're honest."

Riku looked back out the window.

The lecture resumed.

Eventually the morning dragged itself toward noon.

The lunch bell finally echoed across the academy.

Instant noise.

Conversations exploded throughout the classroom while students stood from their desks all at once, gathering lunches and rushing toward hallways crowded with voices.

Riku stood slowly.

Bag still resting over one shoulder.

He headed toward the door immediately.

Then—

"Riku."

He stopped.

Midori stood beside the row of desks near the hallway entrance, holding two canned coffees she'd probably bought before class.

Without the mask.

Without mission gear.

She looked almost normal.

Almost.

"You wanna eat together?"

Riku stared at her for a second.

Then nodded once.

No words.

Just the smallest motion.

Midori smiled faintly.

"I'll take that as a yes."

They walked through the crowded hallways side by side while students moved around them in noisy groups. Some people waved toward Midori. Others whispered while watching Riku pass by.

Neither paid much attention.

The academy rooftop was mostly empty because of the weather.

Rain hammered softly against the fenced perimeter while gray skies stretched endlessly above Tenshōkyō. The city skyline loomed beyond the rooftop edge like a living machine disappearing into storm clouds.

Midori sat first beneath the covered section near the rooftop entrance.

Riku sat beside her.

Silence lingered for a minute while they opened their lunches.

Then Midori glanced sideways toward him.

"You've been quiet today."

Riku took a drink from the coffee can she handed him.

"...Hm."

She rolled her eyes slightly.

"More quiet than usual."

No answer.

Midori studied him carefully.

The dark circles under his eyes.

The exhaustion.

The way his gaze stayed distant even now.

Then her expression softened slightly.

"...Let me guess."

Rain rattled against the rooftop fencing.

"The same dream again?"

Riku stared out toward the city.

"...Yeah."

Midori looked down at her untouched lunch briefly.

"About your mother."

Not a question.

Riku said nothing for several seconds.

Then—

"...Yeah."

Thunder rolled faintly somewhere beyond the skyline.

Midori leaned back slightly against the wall behind them.

For a while neither spoke.

The city stretched endlessly below.

Finally she looked toward him again.

"It'll be alright eventually."

Riku's eyes lowered slightly.

The words weren't enough to fix anything.

She knew that.

But she said them anyway.

Because nobody else ever did.

"...Maybe."

Midori smiled faintly.

"See? That's already more optimistic than usual."

Riku almost looked annoyed.

Almost.

The rooftop door suddenly burst open behind them as several loud students rushed outside trying to escape the crowded cafeteria.

The moment they noticed Riku sitting there, however, their energy visibly dropped.

"...Oh."

"Never mind."

"Let's go somewhere else."

The door shut again almost immediately.

Midori stared at it for a second before laughing quietly under her breath.

"You know people think you're terrifying, right?"

Riku took another drink.

"They should mind their business."

"That's not denial."

The faintest hint of amusement touched his eyes.

Barely visible.

But real.

Then—

The warning bell rang across campus signaling the end of lunch.

Students throughout the academy immediately began flooding back toward classrooms below.

Midori stood first, stretching slightly.

"Guess we should head back."

Riku stood beside her.

Rain continued falling endlessly beyond the rooftop.

The city below remained cold.

Distant.

Violent.

But for a brief moment beneath the gray skies of Hoshin Academy—

Things felt almost normal.