As Akira slowly regained conciousness, he took in his surroundings with a confused frown. "Where... where am i? he murmured, trying to sit up, only to feel a wave of dizziness. A man standing nearby watched him carefully, his gaze piercing. "So, you're finally awake," he said with a slight smile. "The name's Mikage Magata." Fully alert now, Akira's heart raced, and he scrambled backword, looking for a way out. "Help! someone help me! I've been kidnapped!" he shouted. Mikage shook his head calmly crouching down to Akira's eye level. "No one can hear you, so save your breath," he replied smoothly. "Relax, and maybe think about why you're here." Akira glared at him defiantly. "Why should I care?" Without missing a beat, Mikage pointed a finger to his own forehead. "Think, Akira. Think. What happened to you?" Akira hesitated, memories beginning to flood back. "I.. I was shot." Mikage nodded. "Yes. shot. But that's not the whole story, is it? You were killed. You died instantly." He leaned closer, his voice lowering. "And yet, here you are, sitting in front of me, alive the very next day." Akira's mouth went dry as he tried to process it, but Mikage continued. "Do you know who else came back from the dead? Jesus Christ and Lazarus," he said, with a mocking edge to his voice. "And i doubt you're either of them. Not only that, you managed to outrun a bullet. Human's don't do that, Akira. So, let's figure this out. Either you're a human who's somehow tapped into magic-a rare, unheard of occurence- or..." Akira swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Mikage's gaze. "Or what "or you're an imposter," Mikage continued, eyes narrowing. "Maybe the real Akira died that day, and you're something else entirely." Silence filled the room as Akira searched for words. He barely understood what was happening himself, but one thing was clear, there was more to him than he'd ever realized. Mikage smirked as he saw Akira's stunned expression. "Taken aback, huh? Don't worry. Even the council was shocked when they heard about a human coming back from the dead. That's why I'm here-to figure you out." Without warning, Mikage stood up and said, "Now, defend yourself." Before Akira could react, Mikage dashed forward, landing punch after punch. Akira tried to shield himself, but Mikage's blows came too fast, each one more brutal than the last. "Use magic, Akira! Mikage barked. "Come on, show me what you're made of!" Just then an older man entered the room, adjusting his gloves with a calm, almost detached air. "Mikage," he said sharply, "that's enough. You're overdoing it."
Akira's heart soared with relief. Finally, someone's here to stop this. As he caught his breath, he muttered "Thank God..." The older man looked down at him with a smile. "The name is Hakuren," he introduced himself. "let's go. There's something i want to show you" Hakuren led Akira to a large window, high above the city. "Do you know where we are? he asked. Akira looked around "A sky scrapper?" he guessed. Hakuren gave him a long, assessing look. With a subtle motion, the window's began to frost over, thin crystals spreading in intricate patterns. Then, his gaze hardened. "Tell me, Akira-how strong is your will to live?" Akira shrugged. "Strong, i guess..." "Good". without warning, Hakuren grabbed Akira by the chest and hurled him out of the window. As Akira plummeted, Mikage watched from inside, turning to Hakuren with a raised eyebrow. "Wasn't that a bit much, Hakuren shrugged. "Not really. Sometimes a push is exactly what someone need," he said, watching Akira's descent. " Creatures tend to show their true nature when they're staring death in the face." Mikage glanced at him, skeptical. "And if he falls to his demise?" Hakuren chuckled lightly. "oh well. Life goes on. But it would be a shame if he didn't survive." Meanwhile, Akira was plummeting, panic surging through him as he struggled to find a way to slow his fall. Think, think! He stretched his arms, and suddenly, his pupils flashed with a deep purple hue. Dark shadows began to swirl around his arms and legs, almost instinctively. Realizing this, he reached out, latching onto the glassy side of the sky scrapper, slowing his fall just enough to hit the ground hard but mostly unharmed. Scratched and breathing heavily, he looked up in disbelief.
Watching from above, Mikage's eyes widened. "Amazing". Hakuren smirked, giving him a knowing look. "Looks like i was right." Realizing he was somehow okay, Akira quickly scrambled to his feet and tried to make a run for it. In a flash, Mikage leaped down, landing in front of him, blocking his path. Akira gasped, staring up at him in shock. "How did you just... drop from that height?" "With training," Mikage replied casually, a hint of a grin. Hakuren landed softly beside them and looked Akira in the eye. "You're coming with us," he said firmly. Akira took a defiant step back, clenching his fists. "What if i don't want to go with you?" Hakuren's expression turned cold, and his pupils flashed with an icy glow that sent a chill through the air. He took a step closer, his voice low and unyielding. "Does it look like i was asking?"
Akira hesitated before finally nodding reluctantly. Mikage clapped his hands, grinning. "Great! The plane leaves in an hour".