Before the Storm
The early blue morning blossomed with life at Umbra Nexus Academy. Laughter and chatter filled the hallways as students gathered in groups, savoring the brief joy of morning before classes began.
Through the packed halls, Sang and Etsu walked in silence. As always, Sang's uniform was immaculate—sharp creases, perfect posture, a presence that demanded attention. Beside him, Etsu's baggy pants and oversized hoodie swallowed his frame, his head bowed, eyes glued to the floor.
And in the distance, they sat.
The bullies.
Battered and bruised, their faces bore the marks of a previous encounter, poorly hidden beneath bandages. Yet, among them sat Sophia—the stark contrast. She was known for her kindness, yet here she was, laughing alongside the very ones who ruled over the school like predators.
A predator of a different kind was approaching. Two, to be exact.
Etsu lifted his gaze at the sound of her laughter, his heart skipping as his eyes locked onto hers. For a brief moment, he hoped she would acknowledge him. Instead, she smiled warmly at Sang and waved.
Sang ignored her.
Etsu froze, hands curling into fists. He watched as one of the bullies playfully shoved Sophia. She responded with an annoyed punch to his arm, rolling her eyes—but she was still smiling. Laughing with them.
The ones who used him as nothing more than a punching bag.
The ones who stole his dignity and left him to rot in their shadows.
A fire lit behind his eyes.
Sang, sensing the shift in Etsu's demeanor, said nothing. He simply followed.
The bullies noticed their approach. At first, they chuckled, trying to play it cool, but their bravado cracked with each step the duo took toward them. A bead of sweat rolled down the leader's temple.
"What's wrong with you guys? Are you scared of them?" Sophia asked, confused.
"Shut up!" the leader snapped, his voice shaking.
It was too late.
A sickening thud echoed through the hallway.
Sophia turned toward the sound just in time to see the leader sprawled on the ground, a fresh bruise already forming on his face.
Etsu had punched him.
"Wha—" she barely had time to react before Sang and Etsu descended upon their prey.
Fists flew. The bully screamed, his voice drowning beneath the rhythmic crack of bones against flesh. His nose, already broken from before, was struck again, sending blood splattering onto the floor.
Sang pulled out a pencil. He handed it to Etsu.
"Please! I'm sorry! I'll never touch you again!" the bully sobbed, trying to crawl away.
A small crowd gathered, eyes wide with horror.
Etsu didn't care.
The sharp tip of the pencil pierced the bully's hand.
A blood-curdling scream erupted from his throat. The crowd gasped.
Sang grabbed the boy's leg and dragged him back. No escape.
He lifted the bully's bruised face, staring into his teary, swollen eyes. "Why?" Sang whispered. Then his knee met flesh.
The bully's head slammed against the wall, fresh blood trickling down his chin.
Etsu climbed on top of him. And kept punching.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike sent crimson splattering across the floor, painting a grotesque masterpiece.
Sophia watched, paralyzed, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Am I witnessing murder?" the thought clawed at her mind, panic suffocating her.
Then, she saw it.
They were smiling.
That same smile she once thought was innocent.
Sang grabbed the bully's wrist and pinned it to the floor. Etsu stood up, stepping backward, lining up for the final blow.
No, no, no—
Sophia felt her body move before she could think.
"STOP, YOU FUCKING CREEP!" she screamed, grabbing Etsu from behind.
The pencil fell from his grasp.
His smile faded.
Sang's expression turned cold, his head slightly tilting toward Sophia. She felt true fear.
She slapped Etsu across the face.
The sound rang through the hallway like a gunshot.
Sang let go of the bully's head. The moment ended. The weight of what had just happened crashed down upon the spectators.
Sophia's breath hitched. Did I just make myself a target?
Her legs trembled. Warmth trickled down her thigh.
"What the fuck!" a teacher's voice ripped through the air. "You three! With me, NOW!"
More voices.
"Someone call an ambulance!"
The chaos erupted around them, but Sang and Etsu were already gone.
Vanished into the crowd.
Moments Later – The Arcade
Bright neon lights flickered over two boys in bloodstained uniforms.
Sang and Etsu stood at the entrance of the arcade, their blank eyes scanning the machines.
A group of bullies huddled around a game, unaware of their presence—until one turned around. His face paled.
"O-Oh, shit… it's them."
The others turned, their false bravado crumbling in an instant.
"Oh, it's those freaks!" one of them shouted.
Sang reached into his blazer and pulled out a wallet.
A bloodstained wallet.
"Yo… that's Yuto's wallet."
Panic set in. The bullies scrambled, tripping over themselves as they bolted for the exit.
Sang and Etsu didn't react.
They simply walked past the abandoned arcade machine, their fingers brushing against the buttons, the flashing screen beckoning them to play.
They smiled.
And played.
As if nothing had happened.
Moments later, Etsu and Sang sat in Etsu's room, the dim light barely cutting through the evening haze. The open window let in the dry autumn air, carrying a single withered leaf that floated down, landing softly in Etsu's lap. He stared at it, lost in thought. Autumn meant the world was slowing down. Animals retreating. Everything bracing for the cold.
Sang sat beside him, gaze fixed outside, eyes following the wind as it swayed the trees. A rare moment of stillness.
Then, a voice.
"Protect Sang."
It was faint, barely a whisper, yet it sent a tremor through Etsu's chest. He recoiled, stumbling back, knocking loose a small box from beneath his bed. It slid across the wooden floor with a sharp scrape.
From the room next door, Reina heard the sound.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The footsteps stormed toward Etsu's door, heavy with rage.
BANG!
"Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit!"
Her voice sliced through the air like a dagger.
Sang moved toward the door, but Etsu grabbed his wrist, holding him back. The struggle sent muffled shuffling noises through the wood.
Reina's ear pressed against the door.
Click.
The handle rattled.
"Etsu! Open the damn door! Are you with that boy, Sang?"
Silence.
Her voice turned sharp. "I know what you two did today. Beating that kid half to death? You're lucky they didn't call the police. You're both getting suspended—" She scoffed. "You better not let your grades drop."
Etsu's nails scraped against the wood behind him. His breathing grew shallow.
Then—her voice lowered. Cold. Almost amused.
"I could've done what they did to your father."
Sang's body tensed.
Etsu's breath hitched. His fingers curled against the door, pressing hard.
"You have no shame," she continued, taking a step closer. "No sympathy. You're a damn monster—spawn of the devil."
SLAP!
Etsu's head jerked to the side, the sting blooming across his cheek.
And then—
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The door behind him trembled.
Reina took a step back, eyes narrowing.
Sang was on the other side. Slamming against the wood. Trying to push through.
Reina exhaled, rolling her shoulders as if bored. She turned to leave but hesitated. A smirk ghosted across her lips.
"I'm going to meet with Sang's father. We'll figure out what to do with you two."
She cast one last glance at Etsu—then her gaze flickered to the thin gap in the door.
And she saw him.
Sang.
His face shadowed. Eyes dark. Staring straight at her.
For the first time—she hesitated.
And for the first time—she looked afraid.
The pounding stopped.