The first light of dawn broke through the partly cloudy sky, painting the buildings of Baiseki High School in soft hues of gold and pink. The gentle warmth of the morning sun clung to the edges of the campus, a quiet promise of a day that would soon burst into life. There was an almost imperceptible hum in the air, a current of excitement that wove through the school grounds, wrapping itself around the ancient stone and fresh paint alike. To anyone passing by, it might have seemed like an ordinary morning. But I could sense it—something was different. A subtle shift, as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for the festival that was soon to descend upon us.
I sat by the window, my gaze fixed on the sky, yet not really seeing it. My mind was elsewhere, adrift in thoughts I couldn't quite grasp. The noise of the school, the low murmur of voices, the occasional laugh, all of it blurred into a dull hum that barely registered. My chin rested in my hand, and I let the silence in my head engulf me, a familiar cocoon that kept the world at a safe distance.
Beside me, Aya shifted in her seat. Even without looking, I could feel her eyes on me, a mix of concern and curiosity that I had grown accustomed to over the years. Aya and I had known each other since we were kids—she was the one person who always seemed to see through the mask I wore, to the turbulence underneath. Her presence was like a beacon of light, a contrast to the darkness that often clouded my thoughts. With her sun-kissed hair, and those warm, chocolate-brown eyes that always seemed to be searching for the good in the world, Aya was the opposite of everything I felt inside.
I sighed softly, my breath fogging up the glass in front of me for just a moment. The school grounds were quiet, almost peaceful, but there was something about the stillness that felt unnerving. As if the world itself was holding back some secret, waiting for the right moment to reveal it.
And then, it happened.
Out of nowhere, a ghostly, translucent pane appeared before me, hovering just inches from the window. It was as if the air itself had solidified into glass, shimmering with an otherworldly light. My heart skipped a beat, my body freezing as I stared at the apparition.
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[Identifying user…
Complete.
Congratulations on your 18th birthday! Here are some gifts for you:
- HYPNOSIS WAVE]
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The words appeared in the center of the pane, glowing softly against the morning light. Before I could react, a swirl of pale light and indigo tendrils began to materialize above my head, twisting and curling in the air like smoke from an invisible fire. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once, a sight that seemed to defy logic and reason.
Instinctively, I jerked back, almost falling out of my seat. My heart was pounding in my chest, my thoughts racing to make sense of what was happening. This wasn't normal—this wasn't anything I'd ever experienced before. The light, the pane, the words—they felt like something out of a dream, or maybe a nightmare.
"What… what the hell?" The words escaped my lips in a shaky whisper, my eyes locked on the strange phenomenon in front of me.
Aya's voice broke through the haze of confusion that had settled over me. "Kaito, are you okay?" Her hand gently tapped my shoulder, pulling me back to reality. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I turned to her, my mind still struggling to catch up with what I'd just seen. "Aya, you don't see it? The screen… the light…" My voice trailed off as I realized how crazy it sounded.
She frowned, her eyes scanning the empty space in front of us. "See what? There's nothing there, Kaito." Her confusion was genuine, and it only made the knot in my stomach tighten. If she couldn't see it, then… what did that mean?
I looked back at the pane, the words "Hypnosis Wave" still glowing softly in the air. Was this real? Or was I losing my mind? My thoughts were a jumble of questions with no answers, and the more I tried to make sense of it, the more elusive the truth seemed to become.
"It's only me," I muttered under my breath, barely loud enough for even myself to hear. The realization was like a cold splash of water to the face. Whatever this was—whatever had just happened—it was meant for me. And me alone.
The light began to fade, the indigo tendrils dissolving into the air as quickly as they had appeared. The translucent pane shimmered one last time before vanishing completely, leaving me staring at the empty space where it had been. The morning sun continued its ascent, indifferent to the strange, new reality that had just unfolded.
Aya was still watching me, her concern deepening. "Kaito, you're scaring me. Are you sure you're okay?"
I forced a smile, trying to push down the swirling emotions inside. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, my voice steadier than I felt. "Just… a little tired, I guess."
She didn't look convinced, but she nodded anyway, letting the subject drop. I turned back to the window, my mind still racing. Whatever had just happened, it wasn't something I could ignore. The words on the pane—Hypnosis Wave—they echoed in my head, a promise and a warning all at once.
This was no ordinary day. And I had a feeling that my life was about to change in ways I couldn't even begin to imagine.
Apologies for the oversight. Here's a revised version with the correct details:
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The afternoon sun dipped low, casting a warm, golden hue over my room as I sat on the edge of my bed, replaying the morning's strange events in my mind. The translucent pane, the swirl of light, and the words *Hypnosis Wave* had all seemed so surreal at the time, like a bizarre daydream. But the memory lingered, vivid and insistent, refusing to fade like a dream would. I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed.
Restless, I stood and began pacing the room, my mind buzzing with possibilities. What exactly did this "Hypnosis Wave" do? How was I supposed to use it? The questions churned in my mind, but I knew I wouldn't find any answers just by thinking about it.
My eyes drifted to the hallway outside my door, and a reckless idea began to form. I had to test it, to see if this ability was real or just some strange figment of my imagination.
Without giving myself time to reconsider, I headed for the door and stepped into the hallway. The house was quiet, save for the faint sound of Emma, my stepsister, moving around in her room at the end of the hall. She'd been distant lately, wrapped up in her own world, but now I felt a strange, almost daring impulse. If this ability was real, she'd be the perfect test subject.
I approached her door, hesitating only for a moment before turning the handle. The door creaked as it swung open, revealing Emma standing in the middle of her room, halfway through changing her clothes. She froze, staring at me in shock, her shirt still in her hands, leaving her in nothing but a pair of underwear.
"Kaito! What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She quickly reached for her shirt to cover herself, her eyes narrowing in fury. "Get out! Now!"
Before she could move to slap me or throw something, I activated the Hypnosis Wave. It was like a silent command, pulsing out from me and washing over her in an instant. I watched as her expression shifted, the anger in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by a calm, almost indifferent look.
"It's… it's not a big deal, right?" I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "I mean, we're siblings. Isn't it normal for us to see each other like this?"
She blinked, her brow furrowing for a moment as if she was trying to fight against something, but then her face relaxed. The tension melted away, and she nodded, lowering her shirt casually as if nothing unusual had happened. "Yeah, I guess it's normal… we're siblings, after all."
My heart pounded in my chest as I realized it had worked. The Hypnosis Wave had altered her perception, changing her common sense to fit the reality I had suggested. She was standing there, half-dressed, without a hint of discomfort or anger.
I took a step back, still processing what I had just done. This power—it was real, and it was far more powerful than I had imagined.
"Okay, then," she said with a shrug, turning away from me to continue changing. "Just knock next time, alright?"
"Uh, yeah… sure," I replied, my voice sounding distant even to myself. I backed out of the room, closing the door behind me, my mind spinning with the implications of what had just happened.
As I stood there in the hallway, the last rays of the sun slipping away, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and dread. I had unlocked something dangerous, something that could change everything. And now that I had tasted its power, there was no going back.