Night had fallen.
Shin was asleep on the couch beside Kael’s hospital bed, snoring loudly like a giant who had just won a war.
Kael sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Unbelievable…”
Carefully, so as not to wake him, he slipped out of bed. He needed air. His mind felt restless.
The hospital hallway was empty and silent. Fluorescent lights flickered faintly above, casting long, pale shadows across the floor. A cold draft moved through the corridor, making him pull his jacket tighter around himself.
Then he noticed it.
Something at the far end of the hall.
A faint glow.
It pulsed softly, almost rhythmically… as if breathing.
“That wasn’t there before…” he murmured.
It seemed to be coming from a storage room. The door was slightly open.
Kael hesitated.
Then a voice screamed his name from behind.
“Kael!”
He spun around.
No one.
The hallway stretched empty in both directions.
His heartbeat quickened.
The voice echoed again — closer this time, desperate.
His body moved before his mind could react. He ran toward the sound, feet pounding against the floor.
Suddenly—
He collided with someone.
A man stood in front of him, gripping his shoulder tightly. His eyes burned in the dim light.
“You killed them,” the man said in a low, trembling voice. “You’re a devil.”
Kael froze.
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“I—what are you talking about?”
The man’s grip tightened. “Because of you… they’re all dead.”
Heat spread across Kael’s chest. The mark beneath his shirt began to glow faintly, warmth rising uncontrollably. His vision blurred.
“I didn’t—”
From somewhere behind him, another voice broke through the darkness.
“Wake up, Shin! Wake up, please!”
Sora.
The world shattered.
Kael jolted upright in his hospital bed, gasping for air.
The room was normal. Warm. Real.
Shin was half-awake on the couch, confused.
Sora stood beside the bed, eyes wide with worry.
“Was I dreaming?” Kael asked, pressing a hand against his chest.
“Yes,” Sora replied softly. “You were burning up again.”
“These dreams keep getting worse,” he muttered.
“Huh?”
“I bumped into a man… he said I killed someone.” Kael frowned. “It felt real.”
Sora didn’t respond immediately. Something about that unsettled her.
“By the way,” Kael said quickly, trying to shake off the feeling, “I’m getting discharged today, right?”
“No.”
“What? I’m fine now!” He jumped off the bed dramatically.
“You were hotter than the sun a few seconds ago,” she said dryly.
“I don’t know… maybe the temperature was high.”
“It’s winter,” she replied.
Kael looked away, slightly embarrassed. “Anyway… just leave me alone. You guys probably enjoy watching me suffer.”
Sora blinked. Then lightly hit his arm. “Idiot. I didn’t tell the nurses.”
He looked at her. “Really?”
“Really.”
His mood flipped instantly. “Then let’s go home!”
“You’re changing first,” she said firmly. “And we’re going to school.”
“School?” Kael froze. “Actually… the hospital is very comfortable.”
She grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward his bag.
From the rooftop of a nearby building, a man watched silently.
He lowered his binoculars and spoke into a walkie-talkie.
“They’re leaving.”
A calm voice responded from the other end.
“Observe him. We want him alive. Don’t engage.”
The man’s gaze remained fixed on Kael.
“Understood.”
Kael and Sora were almost at school when a sleek black Mercedes pulled up beside them.
The window rolled down smoothly.
“Excuse me,” the driver said politely. “Do you know where Seiran High School is?”
Kael nodded. “Yeah, we study there.”
“Perfect,” the man replied. “I’m new here. Would you mind showing me the way?”
Sora hesitated for a second.
But Kael smiled. “Sure.”
They stepped inside.
The interior smelled faintly of leather and something metallic. The man’s posture was straight, precise. His movements were controlled — almost calculated.
“I’ve been hired as a math teacher for first-year students,” he said casually.
“Oh, so you’re replacing Mr. Yoda?” Kael asked.
“Yes.” The man smiled faintly. “You’ll be my students. I’m Mr. Hayashi.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kael said. “I’m Kael. This is Sora.”
Sora gave a polite nod. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Mr. Hayashi glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
His eyes lingered on Kael a second too long.
“Numbers rarely lie,” he said calmly. “People, however… are unpredictable.”
Kael felt a small chill run down his spine.
He laughed awkwardly. “That’s… deep for math class.”
Mr. Hayashi’s smile remained — but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Outside, the winter wind brushed through the streets. For a brief second, Kael noticed movement on a rooftop across the road.
A shadow.
Watching.
He blinked — and it was gone.
Sora noticed his expression. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” he said quietly.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling.
Somewhere above them, unseen eyes followed the car as it drove toward the school.
The game had already begun.
Things may seem normal on the surface… but not everything is what it appears to be.
