Kaito stood frozen, his hand still pressed to his cheek where Aunt Mai had slapped him. The sting was sharp, but it wasn't just the pain that hurt—it was the crushing weight of the betrayal, the fear in her eyes, and the forceful demand for something he couldn't give. His breath caught in his throat, and before he could stop himself, tears began to fill his eyes. They were the kind of tears that came from feeling utterly powerless, from the helplessness of not being able to do anything to change his situation.
He blinked rapidly, trying to hold them back, but it was no use. The floodgates opened, and the tears spilled over, streaking down his cheeks as his body trembled.
"Why... why won't she believe me?" Kaito whispered to himself, his voice quivering. He felt like the walls of the room were closing in on him, trapping him with the unbearable pressure of Aunt Mai's expectations.
But just as he tried to steady himself, a voice broke through the thick silence.
"Kaito?"
It was Raiko, his older brother. His voice sounded uncertain, but Kaito heard the urgency beneath it. He felt a rush of relief at the sight of his siblings.
Behind Raiko, Keiko appeared, her brow furrowed in concern. They must have heard the commotion or felt something was wrong. Their expressions softened when they saw Kaito standing there, tears streaming down his face, unable to hide his vulnerability.
"What's going on, Kaito?" Raiko asked, his voice gentle but tinged with worry. He stepped toward Kaito, but Aunt Mai was quicker, her sharp gaze snapping toward the two siblings.
"You two—leave," Aunt Mai said coldly, her voice commanding. "This doesn't concern you."
Raiko stood his ground. "What's going on, Aunt Mai? Why is Kaito crying?"
"I said, leave," Aunt Mai repeated, her tone colder this time, the undercurrent of menace unmistakable.
Keiko's gaze flickered between Kaito and Aunt Mai, but instead of backing down, she stepped closer to Kaito. "No. You're hurting him. We want to know why."
Aunt Mai's eyes hardened, and her lips curled into a tight smile. "This is not a matter for children," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You should leave while you still can."
Raiko clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "We're not going anywhere. Kaito's our brother. If you've done something to him, we need to know."
Kaito wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve, trying to stop crying, but the sting of what had happened was too fresh, too raw. His voice cracked as he tried to speak through the tears. "I—I can't do what she's asking. I don't have a demon. I've told her over and over."
Aunt Mai's face twisted with impatience. "I've had enough of your lies. I told you to summon your demon. Do it now, or I'll make you."
Keiko took a step forward, her eyes now filled with determination. "Aunt Mai, you can't force him to do something he can't. Kaito's not ready, and you need to stop this."
"Enough!" Aunt Mai snapped, her hands clenching into fists. "I won't have you defying me."
Her voice was sharp, but there was something darker in her tone now, something more dangerous. Kaito could feel it—the air had changed, thickened with a heavy, unspoken tension. Aunt Mai wasn't just angry anymore. She was something else entirely.
"I told you to leave," Aunt Mai hissed. She extended her hand toward Raiko, and in an instant, the temperature in the room dropped, sending a shiver down Kaito's spine. Raiko gasped as an invisible force slammed into him, pushing him back several feet. He stumbled but didn't fall.
Keiko reached out to steady Raiko, but Aunt Mai's power was suffocating. Kaito watched in horror as his siblings struggled to maintain their balance.
Aunt Mai was using her power—her ability to manipulate the air, to control the wind around her, pushing everything in her path with a force that could break bones if she wanted it to.
"This is my last warning," Aunt Mai growled. "Leave, or I will make you leave."
Raiko gritted his teeth, holding his ground. "We're not leaving you to hurt him, Aunt Mai."
Keiko stood tall beside Raiko, her face filled with resolve. "Kaito is our brother, and we're not going to let you bully him."
Aunt Mai's eyes flashed with fury. Her hand twisted in the air, and Kaito could feel the temperature plummeting further as the wind around them began to swirl. The power was unmistakable now—her abilities were stronger than they had ever realized, and there was no way they could match her.
Kaito felt a wave of fear wash over him, his tears now mingling with his confusion and helplessness. The siblings didn't stand a chance against Aunt Mai, not like this.
Aunt Mai turned to Kaito, her eyes narrowing in fury. "You will summon your demon," she spat. "Now."
She advanced toward Kaito, her expression wild with frustration. "You think you can defy me? I've seen the signs. I know you have the power. I'll drag it out of you if I have to."
Kaito's heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to scream, wanted to yell for her to stop. But his voice caught in his throat, drowned by the weight of her power and the growing fear.
Aunt Mai reached out to grab Kaito by the collar, but before she could touch him, a sudden gust of wind exploded into the room, sending Aunt Mai stumbling backward.
"What the hell—?" she gasped.
Kaito's eyes widened. From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—tall, slender, and wearing a cloak that seemed to shimmer faintly. The figure's eyes gleamed with an unnatural light, and his presence radiated power.
It was the boy—the boy Kaito had seen in the woods. He was here, standing in front of Aunt Mai, exuding a calm, chilling authority.
"A-Are you okay?" Kaito asked, his voice trembling, barely able to comprehend the sudden appearance of the boy.
Aunt Mai froze, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, her voice filled with rage and shock.
The boy stepped forward, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "This has gone far enough," he said, his voice steady and cold. "You should leave."
Before Aunt Mai could react, the boy moved with astonishing speed, crossing the room in the blink of an eye. He extended his hand toward her, and an invisible force seemed to strike Aunt Mai full-on, sending her flying back. She crashed into the stone wall, leaving an indent behind her. For a moment, she lay there, dazed, trying to recover from the shock.
Raiko and Keiko stood frozen, their mouths agape, watching in shock as the boy—still unknown to them—stood between them and Aunt Mai.
Aunt Mai slowly pushed herself to her feet, her eyes filled with a mixture of fury and fear. "You... you—" she gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief.
The boy's smile was slow, almost mocking. "You've overstayed your welcome," he said softly, his voice dripping with authority. "Leave, now, before things get worse."
Aunt Mai's body shook with rage and fear. She glanced at Kaito, then at the boy, before turning on her heel and bolting from the room. Her retreat was swift, her footsteps echoing down the hallway, leaving the air thick with tension.
Kaito's legs felt weak, his body trembling with exhaustion, but as he stared at the place where Aunt Mai had disappeared, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. The fear that had gripped him was starting to fade, replaced by confusion. What had just happened? Why had this boy appeared now?
Kaito blinked, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "I... I don't understand," Kaito murmured, his voice full of confusion. "Why did you—?"
The boy cut him off with a wave of his hand, as though the conversation were no longer worth continuing. "I was just bored," he said with a shrug, as if the entire encounter had been nothing more than a diversion for him.
Before Kaito could say another word, the boy turned on his heel, walking toward the door. With each step, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate, but it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of confusion.
"Wait, hold on!" Kaito called out, wanting to thank him, wanting to understand what had just happened. "Thank you—!"
But the boy didn't stop. He didn't even glance back.
"No need," the boy responded over his shoulder, his tone flat and indifferent. "Just remember my name."
With that, the boy stepped out of the room, disappearing into the shadows beyond. His footsteps echoed for a moment, but soon, the sound faded into silence.
Kaito stood there for a few seconds, the words still lingering in his mind, but there was no sign of the boy anymore.
Keiko and Raiko exchanged bewildered glances. They were just as confused as Kaito. The boy had appeared, easily defeated Aunt Mai, and then left without a single word of explanation. They couldn't even begin to understand what had just happened.
"What... just happened?" Raiko asked, his voice quiet, more to himself than anyone else.
Kaito swallowed, his emotions swirling. "I… I don't know. He just… came out of nowhere, and then—he left just like that."
Keiko shook her head, her brow furrowed. "That was... strange. I don't even know who he is."
"He said to remember his name," Kaito whispered, his thoughts still spinning. He wasn't sure why, but the words felt important, even though he didn't understand why.
Raiko sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This whole thing feels off. Who was he? Why would he do that? And why didn't he stay to explain?"
"I don't know," Kaito muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "But I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of him."
The silence that followed was heavy, each sibling lost in their own thoughts. Aunt Mai's retreat only added to the mystery of the entire ordeal, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Raiko finally broke the silence, his voice more solemn now. "We should go find Dad and tell him about this. He needs to know."
Kaito nodded, still reeling from the encounter, but unable to shake the sense that something had just begun—a feeling that something more would come from this strange boy and his cryptic words.
And as the siblings left the room, their thoughts swirling, one thing was clear: Kaito would never forget the boy's name. Even if he didn't fully understand why, he knew it would matter someday.