The wind slapped Kaen's face as he jolted awake, the roar of a motorcycle engine and the thrum of music blending with the rush of air. His mind was sluggish, a heavy fog clouding his thoughts as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
"Wha—?" His voice cracked, confusion seeping into every fiber of his being. A moment ago, he had been in his bed, at home with his dad. Now, he was speeding down a highway on the back of a motorcycle.
"Good morning, sunshine!" a voice called out over the wind.
The music abruptly cut off as the bike swerved to the side of the road, coming to a stop on the gravel. Kaen squinted at the figure in front of him, trying to piece together what was happening.
"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded, his voice rising with panic.
The rider turned to face him, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he pulled off his helmet, shaking out a head of tousled dark hair. "Oh right, introductions," he said, as if this situation was the most normal thing in the world. "Name's Darius."
Kaen blinked. "No, not that! Why am I here? What happened?"
Darius's grin only widened. "Oh, that." He leaned casually against the bike, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Long story short? You got yourself in some trouble. I had to get you out of there."
"What do you mean, trouble?" Kaen asked, his pulse quickening. Memories from the night before flickered like a broken film reel—shouts, flashes of light, an overwhelming force. His head throbbed.
"You remember, right? That wasn't a dream," Darius said, tilting his head with a knowing look.
Kaen's heart pounded. "You mean… that wasn't a dream?!"
Kaen was shocked, that wasn't a dream what about his dad was he okay
"Nope," Darius replied cheerfully. "You're very much awake. Now, come on, we're on a tight schedule." He swung a leg back over the bike, gesturing for Kaen to get back on.
"Wait," Kaen said, still trying to process everything. "Schedule? What are we late for?"
Darius stared at him like Kaen had asked an obvious question. "Your entrance exam, of course."
Kaen felt his stomach drop. "Entrance exam? For what?"
"You'll see," Darius said, revving the engine before Kaen could protest. The bike roared to life, tearing down the road at breakneck speed, leaving Kaen's unanswered questions hanging in the air.
---
Back at the place Kaen had once called home, a figure dressed entirely in black stood amid the wreckage. His eyes swept across the ruined landscape, his presence cold and unnerving. The house was gone, reduced to nothing but rubble.
"So, they sent you, Darius," the figure muttered, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. With a flick of his wrist, the rubble began to disintegrate, turning to dust that was swept away by the breeze.
The figure's gaze darkened. "The boss won't like this at all."
He turned, vanishing into nothing as the breeze passed through the spot he was in.