Leo paced back and forth anxiously, staring at his phone. Come on, Kenta... answer. His stomach twisted in knots as he waited. The silence was unbearable. His cousin had sent a frantic message about being in trouble, but now, nothing. No reply. Every second felt like an eternity, each one more torturous than the last. After what felt like an endless ten minutes, the phone finally rang. Kenta.
Leo's heart skipped a beat, and without hesitation, he answered. "Kenta! Where are you? What do you mean by trouble?"
Kenta's voice on the other end was trembling, labored, as if he were running for his life. "Leo... Leo, it's—it's dangerous! It's coming for me... it's right in front of me. It—" Kenta's voice cracked. "It started attacking me! I don't know what to do! Please... help me!"
Leo's pulse raced, panic seizing him. "Kenta, what is after you? What's going on?" His voice was desperate, confusion swirling with fear, but Kenta was barely coherent.
For a brief moment, all Leo could hear was the rapid, uneven sound of Kenta's breathing, the thudding of his cousin's feet hitting the ground. Then, nothing. Silence, save for the faint crackling of the call still connected.
"Kenta?" Leo's voice shook. "Kenta! Answer me!"
The dread inside him was overwhelming. His mind raced in a thousand directions—where was Kenta? What was happening to him? Every instinct told him to run, to find him, but Leo didn't even know where to begin. Where is he?
Just as Leo was about to bolt out of his house, Kenta's voice returned, but this time... it was weak. Faint. Like the life was draining from him. "Leo... he's coming for you."
Leo froze. His hand gripped the phone so tightly it hurt. "Who? Who's coming for me?"
"He... he told me everything... about you." Kenta's voice wavered, the strength in it fading. "You're not... normal, are you?"
Leo's heart dropped into his stomach. His secret. The one he'd kept buried, hidden even from those closest to him. "Kenta... what are you talking about?"
"You're a descendant... of Lord Raizen," Kenta said, barely able to form the words. He Said
"You're...a half-demon, aren't you?"
The world around Leo seemed to blur as Kenta's words crashed into him like a tidal wave. His throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. Kenta knew. The truth was out. There was no hiding it anymore.
"Kenta... I—" Leo's voice cracked, his confession barely a whisper. "Yes."
The silence that followed was deafening. Then, Kenta's voice, barely audible, as though the last of his strength was slipping away. "Leo... take care of my sister... from now on."
And then—nothing.
The line went dead.
For a moment, Leo stood frozen, the phone still pressed to his ear. His body refused to move, his mind refused to accept what had just happened. But slowly, the reality of it began to sink in. Kenta—his cousin, the man who had cared for him when no one else could, who had raised him alongside his ailing sister—was gone.
Gone. And it was because of him.
The memories hit him like a storm. Kenta had always been there. Even after his sister fell into a coma five years ago, Kenta had been the one to take care of Leo. He had worked tirelessly, sacrificing everything—his youth, his health—just to make sure they had a home, that his sister's medical bills were paid. Leo could still see Kenta's face, always worn from exhaustion but never without a smile when it came to him.
How could I have let this happen? Leo's chest tightened as grief mixed with an unbearable guilt. If only he had told Kenta the truth sooner. If only he had warned him, prepared him for the danger. This is my fault.
The agony of that realization twisted inside him, and something dark began to stir within. His vision blurred with the hot sting of tears, and his body began to tremble. No, it wasn't just the grief—it was the demon blood inside him reacting, responding to his overwhelming emotions. His hands clawed at his chest as his human form began to twist and distort, his eyes burning a fiery crimson. His skin darkened, and horns began to push through his temples, curling like those of a beast.
In the reflection of a nearby window, Leo could see the monster he was becoming. His true form. The half-demon blood of Raizen pulsing through him.
Kenta's last words echoed in his mind: Take care of my sister. Leo clenched his fists, the demonic power raging within him, but this time, he would control it. He wouldn't let this monstrous side of him take over.
No. He had to stay in control. For Kenta.
He wiped the tears from his eyes, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to suppress the transformation. I'll take care of her, Kenta. I won't fail you again.
Just then, a voice broke through his inner chaos. "Leo! Are you alright?!"
Leo spun around, his glowing red eyes fading back to their human color. It was Dan, his best friend. He had run after Leo, worried after he'd bolted from school.
"Dan... I..." Leo struggled to compose himself, his heart still racing from the shift between his forms.
Dan approached cautiously, concern written all over his face. "Why did you run off like that? What happened?"
Leo swallowed hard, forcing calm into his voice. "I'm fine... just had to take care of something. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Dan frowned, sensing something off, but nodded slowly. "If you say so... but, you know I'm here if you need to talk."
"I know. Thanks." Leo forced a smile, though inside, he was screaming. He needed to leave—fast—before Dan saw more of his demonic side.
Once home, Leo moved with purpose. No hesitation. He could no longer sit idly by, waiting for whatever dark forces were out there to come after him and those he loved.
He opened a secret drawer in his room and pulled out a relic from his family's past: a crimson gemstone necklace, passed down through generations, its surface glowing faintly with an ominous red light. This was no ordinary heirloom. It was a link to the power of his ancestor, Lord Raizen.
He placed the necklace around his neck, and immediately, a surge of energy coursed through his veins, igniting the ancient power within him. His heart pounded, the weight of his decision settling in. There was no turning back now.
As he began chanting an ancient incantation, the air around him shifted, growing thick with dark energy. The words he spoke were older than the earth itself, and they resonated with a force that made his skin crawl. His body trembled, but he pressed on, the intensity growing with each syllable.
In his mind, Leo saw Kenta's face—smiling, despite the exhaustion that had claimed him in his final days. He saw Kenta's sister, still lying in that hospital bed, her life hanging by a thread. And then, he saw Raizen—the ancient king, the monster who had caused all this pain.
Leo's eyes burned with a new resolve. He would not let Raizen destroy his life. He would not let his friends and family suffer any longer.
The chanting reached its climax, and with a sudden, powerful pull, Leo's body was whisked away, disappearing from the room. He was no longer the boy who had been running from his past.
Now, Leo was the one heading toward his destiny.