The soft morning sun filtered through the bustling streets of Tokyo, casting warm light on the daily routines of the city. Among the crowds of students, workers, and commuters, a normal high school boy named Leo Raizen walked down the street with his bag slung over his shoulder, his gaze fixed ahead, lost in thought.
Leo was your average teenager. Not too tall, not too short, with dark hair that slightly covered his sharp brown eyes. He was quiet, reserved, and didn't stand out much, but his friends knew he was dependable and loyal. Today was like any other day—or so it seemed.
"Yo, Leo!" a cheerful voice called from behind him.
Leo turned to see Takahashi, his closest friend, running to catch up with him. Takahashi had a laid-back demeanor and was always full of energy, his messy blond hair bouncing as he approached. Beside him was Dan, the third member of their trio, quiet and observant with his glasses glinting in the sunlight.
"Morning," Leo greeted, keeping his tone casual as they fell in step together, walking toward school.
"Did you hear the news last night?" Takahashi started, as he always did, full of enthusiasm. "There was this crazy story on TV and the internet about some weird guy near the station. People said he looked like an ancient king or something—armor, sword, the whole deal! He just appeared out of nowhere and then, bam, disappeared. Can you believe that?"
Leo glanced at Takahashi briefly before looking away. "Yeah, I saw something about it," he said, his voice flat, almost dismissive. "Weird stuff."
Takahashi, oblivious to the subtle shift in Leo's tone, continued talking, animated as ever. "I mean, come on! An ancient-looking dude with a sword? How does that even happen in modern Tokyo? People were freaking out all over the internet!"
But Dan, walking beside them, noticed what Takahashi didn't—Leo's reaction was strangely calm. Too calm. While the rest of the world was buzzing with excitement, curiosity, or outright panic over the strange sighting, Leo seemed completely unbothered. Almost as if… it didn't matter to him.
Dan adjusted his glasses, giving Leo a sidelong glance. "You're taking this pretty lightly, aren't you?" he asked, his voice measured. "Everyone's going nuts over it, but you're just… okay with it?"
Leo shrugged, his expression unreadable. "It's just some weird story. Probably a hoax."
Dan frowned but said nothing more. He wasn't convinced, but he wasn't the type to press. Still, something about Leo's indifference to such an extraordinary event seemed off. Too casual, as if he knew more than he was letting on.
As they approached the school, the conversation died down. Students gathered in small groups near the gates, chatting about the usual topics—classes, weekend plans, and of course, the mysterious "king" from last night's news. Leo remained quiet as they walked through the courtyard, passing through the sea of murmuring voices.
The first few periods of class went by uneventfully. Leo sat by the window, his gaze occasionally drifting outside, but his mind seemed distant, preoccupied with something beyond the classroom walls. Takahashi continued to talk about random things, while Dan stayed quiet, still watching Leo with curiosity.
Then came lunchtime. The bell rang, signaling a brief reprieve from their studies. As students gathered in groups to eat and chat, the classroom buzzed with conversation. Leo pulled out his bento box, ready for a quiet lunch, when the door to the classroom slammed open with a loud bang.
The room fell silent.
Everyone turned to see who had entered so dramatically. Standing at the door was Kenta, an upperclassman known for his brash attitude and loud personality. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a reputation for getting into trouble. His eyes scanned the room until they locked on Leo.
"Raizen!" Kenta bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. "Get out here, now!"
Leo raised an eyebrow but didn't move immediately. Takahashi and Dan exchanged worried glances, unsure of what was happening.
"What's going on?" Takahashi whispered.
Kenta marched into the room, ignoring the whispers of the other students. "Don't act like you don't know, Leo," he growled, pointing at him. "Come on. We need to talk."
Leo sighed, slowly standing up. The entire classroom watched as he walked toward the door, calm and unphased. But inside, he felt a strange tension building. What did Kenta want? And why was he making such a scene?
Leo followed Kenta out into the hallway, the door closing behind them. The silence in the classroom lingered for a moment before Takahashi, being Takahashi, broke it. "What the hell was that about?"
Dan adjusted his glasses again, narrowing his eyes. "Something strange is going on with Leo. First, the news last night, and now this. I think… I think there's something he's not telling us."
Outside the classroom, Kenta led Leo to a quieter area near the stairs. Once they were out of earshot, Kenta turned to face him, his expression conflicted.
"I didn't want to do this in front of everyone, but…" Kenta hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Do you have any idea what's happening right now, Raizen?"
Leo's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"The guy on the news," Kenta said in a low voice. "The guy in the armor—the one with the sword near the station. Everyone thinks it's just some random crazy person, but I saw it with my own eyes. I know what I saw."
Leo stayed silent, his heart beginning to race. How could Kenta have known?
Kenta took a step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That man… he looked exactly like you."
Leo's blood ran cold. He had been careful to maintain his normal, everyday life, blending into the background as an ordinary high school student. But if someone like Kenta had recognized something, it could spell disaster.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Leo said calmly, trying to brush it off.
Kenta shook his head, clearly frustrated. "Don't lie to me. I don't know who or what you really are, but I'm telling you right now, this isn't over. You need to be careful, Raizen. Because people are starting to notice."
With that, Kenta turned and walked away, leaving Leo standing alone in the hallway. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
Leo clenched his fists. He had been trying to live a normal life, but the past—his true past—was creeping back into the present. If people like Kenta were starting to figure it out, how long would it be before the whole truth was revealed?
He couldn't let that happen. Not yet. Not before he understood what was really going on—and who else might be watching.
As he returned to the classroom, Leo's thoughts swirled. The life he had built, the facade he had carefully maintained, was beginning to crack. The ancient world he had left behind was pulling him back in, and soon, there would be no way to escape it.
To be continued...