Part 1: Devastation
The sky churned, thick with storm clouds. Thunder cracked through the mountains, illuminating the massive crater below—its scorched edges still smouldering. Nine figures lay scattered across the battlefield, their bodies motionless, broken.
A man stirred. Blonde hair matted with dirt and blood. His blue eyes fluttered open, dazed. Pain screamed through his battered body, his torn clothes clinging to his wounds. He gasped, struggling to move. Around him, his allies—his friends—lay silent.
What… just happened?
A presence loomed ahead.
A figure emerged from the haze, his crimson eyes burning through the darkness. Black hair, wild yet regal, framed his pale face. A dark aura coiled around him like living shadows. His obsidian armor reflected the dying embers of battle.
The blonde man's breath hitched as memories surged back, sharp and merciless. The battle… The slaughter… Him.
The dark figure's lips curled in disdain.
"Is this what the current Elements have to offer? …Pathetic."
He raised his hand, palm glowing with ominous energy, aimed at the fallen warriors.
The blonde man struggled to rise, his limbs trembling. He watched, helpless, as the figure unleashed his attack—
And then—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Part 2: Hikaru Nozomi
Hikaru gasped, his eyes snapping open as his body jerked upright in bed.
His heart pounded against his ribs, each beat echoing in his ears like war drums. Sweat trickled down his forehead, dampening his blonde hair.
"A dream…" he muttered, struggling to steady his breath.
But it felt too real.
The pain, the fear, the overwhelming despair—it clung to him, heavy like a second skin.
His hands trembled slightly as he wiped his face.
Shaking off the lingering dread, his gaze flicked to the alarm clock. 7:31 AM.
"Shit! I'm about to be late!"
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Hikaru Nozomi
Age: 20
Hair Colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Blue
Height: 5'7
Weight: 150lbs
Occupation: College Student (Psychology Major)
Hikaru scrambled out of bed, rushing through his morning routine.
He brushed his teeth, threw on fresh clothes, and ran a hand through his still-damp hair.
His room was orderly – books neatly stacked on his desk, a single framed photo of his family resting beside his bedside lamp.
As he stepped out of his bedroom, a warm, mouthwatering aroma greeted him. The scent of freshly cooked food filled the air, wrapping around him like a comforting embrace.
Part 3: Nozomi Family
Hikaru stepped into the kitchen of his family home, the comforting aroma of fresh coffee and miso soup filling the air.
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the neatly arranged breakfast table.
Seated at the table, dressed in a casual white shirt and absorbed in the morning newspaper, was his father.
Character Introduction
Name: Sasuke Nozomi
Age: 47
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Blue
Height: 5'9
Weight: 164lbs
Occupation: Pilot
Sasuke glanced up as Hikaru entered, his sharp blue eyes studying his son.
"You look like shit, son."
Hikaru sighed and ignored him, plopping down at the table.
Near the stove, his mother hummed softly as she placed a plate of rice and grilled fish on the table. She had a warm smile that never seemed to fade.
Character Introduction
Name: Sayaka Nozomi
Age: 45
Hair Colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Purple
Height: 5'5
Weight: 135lbs
Occupation: Nutritionist
"Good Morning, Hikaru! Sayaka greeted cheerfully. "You look exhausted. Did you stay up studying again?"
Hikaru rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating. "Something like that…"
Before he could explain, a blur of motion lunged at him.
"Hikaru!"
He barely had time to react before a pair of arms wrapped around him in a crushing hug.
Character Introduction
Name: Hikari Nozomi
Age: 20
Hair Colour: Blonde with Black Highlights
Eye Colour: Blue Eyes
Height: 5'5
Weight: 137lbs
Occupation: Professional Volleyball Player
Hikari Nozomi – his younger twin sister – was as energetic and outgoing as ever. Unlike Hikaru, who was more reserved, Hikari had always been the lively one.
"Morning, Hikaru!" she chirped before finally letting him go.
She was already dressed in her volleyball uniform, her usual bright energy on full display.
Sayaka placed an omurice in front of her – a favourite of hers.
As she ate, Hikaru noticed she was messaging someone on her phone.
He leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "So, Hikari… do you, by any chance, have a boyfriend?"
At that, Sasuke put down his newspaper, now fully paying attention.
Hikari blinked before smirking. "No… why do you ask?"
Hikaru pointed at her phone. "Because someone has been messaging you non-stop."
Hikari glanced at the screen. "Oh, it's just Mei – my teammate."
She suddenly grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know… Mei has been asking about you, Hikaru."
Hikaru nearly choked on his rice, his face turning red as he quickly stuffed food into his mouth, avoiding eye contact.
Meanwhile…
Far away, atop a city rooftop.
A lone figure stood, gazing at the streets below.
They wore a red and orange fleece over a plain shirt, jeans, and, most notably – a mask that concealed their face.
The wind howled softly as they reached into their pocket, pulling out a phone.
With a single press, they called someone.
A low, distorted voice came through the speaker.
"It has begun."
Part 4: Childhood Friends
Hikaru made his way to university, blending into the sea of students.
The campus was alive with morning energy—groups chatting by the benches, others rushing toward their lectures, and the scent of fresh coffee waiting from nearby stalls.
Yet, none of it registered in Hikaru's mind.
His thoughts remained trapped in the lingering grasp of his dream.
What did it mean?
It wasn't just a nightmare—it felt too real.
Too vivid. The fear, the pain, the overwhelming sense of powerlessness… It clung to him like a shadow, refusing to fade.
Suddenly—
"Hikaru!"
Snapped out of his thoughts, Hikaru turned toward the familiar voice.
Character Introduction
Name: Aoi Kuroi
Age: 20
Hair Colour: Pink
Eye Colour: Green
Height: 5'4
Weight: 130lbs
Occupation: College Student (Nursing Major)
Aoi Kuroi, one of Hikaru's childhood friends, sprinted toward him, dressed in her nursing uniform. She came to a stop, panting.
"Good… morning, Hikaru!" she gasped between breaths.
Hikaru chuckled. "Morning, Aoi. Running late?"
"Kind of… but never too late to say hi!" she grinned before tilting her head, studying his face. "You look… off. Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I guess I've just been studying a bit too much," Hikaru said with a forced laugh.
Aoi narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Was it a bad dream?"
Hikaru blinked. He hadn't expected her to ask that so directly.
"Huh… you could say that."
"Really? What was it about?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
He hesitated, the images flashing through his mind.
The crater.
The bodies.
The red eyes.
The overwhelming power—
He shook his head. "Let's just forget about that. How are you and Yami?"
Aoi studied him for a moment longer before deciding to let it go. She smiled. "Oh, we've been doing great."
She glanced behind Hikaru and smirked.
"Speaking of the devil…"
Character Introduction
Name: Yami Utsuro
Age: 20
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Purple
Height: 5'9
Weight: 164lbs
Occupation: College Student (Philosophy Major)
Hikaru turned around to see another familiar face approaching.
Yami Utsuro, his other childhood friend, walked toward them with his usual calm demeanor.
Dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, and white sneakers, he looked as effortless as ever.
His deep purple eyes locked onto Hikaru.
"You look like shit, Hikaru."
Hikaru smirked. "That's exactly what my dad said."
Yami shrugged. "Well, at least he's honest."
Before Hikaru could reply, Yami glanced at his phone.
"We need to get to class. Otherwise, we'll be late." His voice was emotionless, as always.
Hikaru sighed. "Right, well, I'll see you guys later."
"Yeah!" Aoi waved enthusiastically before turning to leave with Yami.
As Yami walked past, Hikaru raised a hand for a high five.
But Yami didn't even acknowledge it.
He just kept walking.
Hikaru stood there for a moment, lowering his hand as he watched them go.
"Well… that was weird."
Part 5: Alleyway
The day had ended, and the sky was beginning to darken as Hikaru made his way home.
But tonight, he didn't take his usual route.
Instead, he veered into a narrow alleyway – a shortcut he rarely used.
The air was cooler here, the shadows stretching longer under the dim glow of flickering streetlights.
The distant hum of the city felt muffled, almost drowned out by his own thoughts.
But for once, it wasn't his dream haunting him.
It was Yami.
The way he had walked past Hikaru, ignoring his high five, lingered in his mind.
That wasn't like Yami.
He wasn't the most expressive person, but he'd never outright ignored Hikaru before.
"Maybe he's just having a bad day," Hikaru muttered under his breath.
Yami and Aoi had been together for five years.
As far as Hikaru knew, nothing seemed off between them.
So what was wrong?
Then, another thought crept into his mind – Yami's mother, Misaki Utsuro.
Yami never talked much about her, and Hikaru had always respected his privacy.
But something about the way Yami had acted today…
Could it be related?
Hikaru exhaled, shaking his head. "I'm overthinking this."
He continued walking, his footsteps echoing softly against the damp pavement.
The air smelled faintly of rain and old concrete.
The alley was empty – silent, save for the distant buzz of neon signs.
Until–
Something caught his eye.
To his left, leaning against a street pole, a figure stood.
His heart skipped.
The masked figure.
The one in the red and orange fleece.
His posture was relaxed, almost casual as he rested against the pole. The mask concealed his face, making it impossible to tell who – or what – he were looking at.
But Hikaru could feel it.
He was looking at him.
Slowly, the figure straightened.
Then–
He charged.
Hikaru's breath caught as the figure lunged toward him, closing the distance in an instant.
Shit–!
TO BE CONTINUE!!!