The alarm clock read 5:50 AM, but Rein was already awake. He always was. Nightmares had a habit of shaking him awake before dawn, strange visions of a shattered red world, a castle engulfed in darkness, and a boy with the same face as his own.
Rein wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Same nightmare. Same pain in his chest. Same feeling of being watched.
Another day at school. Another day of pretending everything was fine.
He swung himself out of bed and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
Messy white hair. Unwrinkled school uniform. White hoodie, ready to roll.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Except for his shadow.
It jerked a split second before he did, as if it knew him before he knew himself, responding to something he couldn't feel or sense yet.
Rein turned away quickly. He always did.
He grabbed his backpack and headed out into the hallway, passing by a small wooden picture frame on the wall.
His mother's photograph.
She was smiling the same way she always had, warm, exhausted, and somehow alive even in the picture. She never made it past his seventh birthday. The crash took her instantly.
His dad?
He never knew him. Never heard from him. No letters. No phone calls. Nothing.
Just a hole in his life.
Rein didn't tarry. He never did.
Outside, the morning air was crisp, and the sun struggled to peek between the skyscrapers. Hover buses buzzed overhead. Digital billboards flickered to life across the city, all shouting the same slogan: "Guild Exam Registration Open. Become an Elite Astral User."
Holograms of students flew through the air in shimmering silver light, firing blasts of Astral energy like superheroes.
Rein jammed his hands into his hoodie pockets.
"Astral users this, Astral users that..." he muttered. "I can't even control my own damn shadow."
A voice behind him chimed in: "Cursing Astral users again, huh, Rein?"
Rein didn't need to turn. "Hey, Zen... and I wasn't cursing them. Just complaining."
"About what?" Zen asked, raising an eyebrow as he walked up beside him.
"Uhhh, it's nothing. Forget it."
Zen sighed dramatically. "Knowing you, you won't tell me. You won't tell anyone. Dude, try to open up sometime."
Rein didn't respond.
"So... what about that girl you like?" Zen prodded. "Stella, right?"
Rein instantly went red. "Shut up."
"Haha! Bingo." Zen nudged him. "Ask her out."
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! What if she thinks I'm weird?! I don't have Astral energy—you KNOW that!"
"Oh, so that's what you were mumbling earlier." Zen shrugged. "Looks fine to me."
"You cunning bastard—"
Zen immediately bolted. "Haha, catch me if you can! See you at school!"
Rein chased him down the street, but something felt off.
Even as he ran...
His shadow moved just a little faster than he did.
A FEW BLOCKS LATER – ASTRAL ACADEMY DISTRICT
Their school loomed ahead, Silverlight Academy, the top-tier institution for young Astral Users.
Sprawling glass buildings. Floating platforms. Mechs patrolling the outer gates. Students with shining energy lines crossing their arms, warming up for morning combat exercises.
Rein slowed down as they approached the entrance.
Zen sighed. "Home sweet home... for people with talent."
"It's not a talent," Rein said. "It's a cheat code."
Zen raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?"
Rein glared. "No. Maybe. Shut up."
Silverlight Academy was divided into three groups:
Astra Division – students with natural Astral talents,
Flux Division – students who relied on technology to channel or simulate talents,
Basic Division – students like Rein, with no known Astral talents
Rein was in Basic. The division no one bragged about.
Students in Astra passed by them, silver light dancing around their eyes or fingertips. Some of them glanced at Rein as if he wasn't worth stepping around.
He ignored them.
Mostly.
One of them, a tall guy with spiky blue hair, snickered as he passed by. "Hey, look... shadowless Rein."
Zen scowled. "Ignore him."
Rein tried to grin. "Dude, it's fine. I don't care."
But he did. He cared every time.
CLASSROOM 1-B
Rein entered and stopped.
Stella was already there.
Her long silver gradient hair cascaded down her shoulders, curtain bangs framing her electric blue eyes. A soft astral glow danced around her fingertips as she wrote in her notebook, calm, precise, focused. She moved with the steady, almost celestial poise Rein could never replicate.
She looked up the moment she felt his presence. Of course, she did. Stella noticed everything.
Zen whispered behind him, "Your girlfriend's here."
"Zen, I swear—"
Stella closed her notebook. Not a wave. Not a squeal. Just a small, controlled nod — the kind she used when greeting someone she respected.
"Morning, Rein," she said quietly, voice smooth but sharper than usual. "You look... tired."
Rein's brain stuttered. "I—uh—m-morning!"
Zen almost folded in half laughing.
Stella studied Rein for a second. Really studied him. Her eyes moved from his posture to his face... then down toward the floor.
"Rein," she said, tone shifting — slightly lower, more serious, "your shadow's off."
Rein froze.
She wasn't confused. She wasn't scared. She was analysing it.
"It's moving a fraction late." She tapped her finger against her arm — her thinking habit. "That only happens when someone's Astral field is disrupted."
"Oh—that? Happens when I don't sleep well!" Rein blurted, practically sweating through his hoodie.
Stella raised a brow. Not mocking, evaluating.
"That's not how sleep deprivation works," she said. "At least... not for normal people."
Rein's soul tried to escape his body.
Zen had to shove his face into the desk to hide his laughter.
Stella looked away, pretending she wasn't blushing. Just barely. Her finger tapped again — fast. She'd noticed too much, and she knew it.
"...If something's wrong," she murmured, voice softer now, "you can tell me."
That line wasn't casual. That was Stella, the calm one, the observant one, offering a hand without making it a big deal.
Rein swallowed. "I'm fine. Really."
She didn't believe him. Rein could tell. She always could.
She met his gaze for a moment, steady and warm but with her own cracks hidden, then turned back to her notebook, her posture perfect as always.
But the light around her fingertips lingered a second longer than usual.
She was concerned. And she hated showing it.
ASTRAL THEORY CLASS
Professor Orin wrote glowing Astral diagrams on the board.
"Astral Light is the foundation of all known powers," he lectured, tapping the screen.
"But it has an opposite, Chaotic Energy, that's unstable, corrupting... and hypothesized to come from a completely different dimension."
Rein's pen paused mid-stroke. His shadow beneath the desk quivered... almost eagerly.
There it was again: That word.
Chaotic.
His heart began to pound.
Professor Orin went on, "No mortal has ever harnessed Chaotic Energy. Not even those on the cusp of legend, the Hex-Vein and Penta-Vein wielders."
Rein clenched his jaw. His shadow quivered like a caged animal.
Then.
A voice whispered into his ear.
Smooth. Cold. Amused.
"Found you."
Rein's heart crashed into his chest.
He jerked his head up. No one else flinched. No one seemed to hear anything.
Only him.
A mirthful, icy laugh clawed its way through his brain.
"You didn't think you could hide forever... vessel."
Rein's body was locked in his seat. Professor Orin's words blurred into white noise. The lights strobed.
His shadow stretched... reached...
A shivering cold dripped down his spine.
He whispered to himself, "Not again... please not again..."
A final whisper slithered through his skull, cool and pitiless:
"Synchronization: incomplete. Proceeding."
And then, Silence.
HALLWAY — AFTER CLASS
Zen nudged him. "Rein, bro. You looked like you were about to pass out."
"I'm fine," Rein muttered. "Just didn't sleep well."
"You always say tha—"
A scream echoed through the hallway.
Students turned to look. Lights flickered wildly overhead. Paper flew as a chilling gust swept through the hallway, despite all the windows being closed.
Rein stumbled. His vision doubled. Something in his chest constricted.
Then the voice came back.
Edged. Cold. Hungry.
"The vessel responds... Promising."
Rein dropped to one knee, clutching his head.
Zen shouted, "REIN?! What—what's happening?!"
Rein couldn't speak. The world seared red for a moment. A shattered landscape flashing behind his eyes. A monstrous throne. A boy with his face... But eyes so much crueller.
The voice whispered like a knife against his neck:
"Wake up. I'm not done with you."
And then, everything froze.
The hallway was back to normal. Students walked as if nothing had happened. The scream was gone.
Only Rein was shaking.
Zen grabbed his shoulder. "Dude. You're seriously scaring me."
Rein managed a trembling smile. "I scare myself."
But deep down? He knew the truth.
This wasn't anxiety. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't in his head.
Chaos was real. Chaos had found him. Chaos wanted something from him.
And Rein could feel it.
Whatever lurked in his shadow was no longer waiting.
Stella rushed to Rein's side the moment class ended. "Rein! Are you okay?" Her voice broke just a little, more than she intended.
Rein made a small smile. "Yeah... I'm fine, I swear."
Zen moved closer, his brow furrowed. Rein let out a breath through his nose and turned to him. "Hey, uh... Zen? Can you take me to the nurse? My head is gonna explode."
Zen's eyes widened. "Wait—what? You literally said you were fine two seconds ago." Sarcastic, yes—but beneath it was the same frustration he always felt when Rein pushed him away.
Rein's mind recoiled like a rubber band: "YOU ABSOLUTE JERK, why call me out now?!"
Zen threw up his hands. "Agh, fine. I'll take you."
Stella hesitated... then moved forward, her hands nervously brushing her notebook. "Can I come too? Just, please?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but the concern still seeped through.
Zen leaned in close to Rein and whispered, "Bro. Your girlfriend is literally freaking out."
Rein's entire being turned bright red. "DUDE. SHUT UP. We're all friends, aren't we?!"
Stella looked away, her cheeks faintly flushed. Zen grinned. And Rein... tried not to keel over on the floor while his shadow quietly quivered behind him.
As they walked down the hallway, Rein kept his head down. Each step felt like it weighed more than the last. The guilt was a stone in his chest.
"Hey..." Rein muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... sorry. For worrying you guys this much."
Zen clicked his tongue. "Yeah, you should be sorry." Rein winced, until Zen went on, softer but exasperated: "'You've gotta drop that whole 'I don't tell anyone anything' habit. Seriously. We've known you for four years, man. Four years... and we still barely know you."
Rein's steps slowed. "Zen," he asked quietly, "are you sure you know nothing about me?"
Zen's expression froze. "I... that's not what I meant." His voice cracked slightly. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that."
Rein gave him a small, tired smile. "Don't worry about it."
Stella had been silently walking beside them, listening, pretending she wasn't listening.
Finally, she spoke. "Zen... what do you know about him that I don't?"
Zen stiffened. "It's... private. It's his thing, not mine."
Rein sighed. "Just tell her when I'm with the nurse. It's fine. I trust her."
Zen's head snapped toward him. "What!? Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Rein replied. "I am."
They reached the infirmary door. Stella cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady. "Well... here we are! The, uh... nurse. Haha... ha... hehe..." She immediately regretted every sound that came out of her mouth.
Rein smiled despite the pounding in his skull. "I'll go in. Wait for me, okay?"
Stella nodded too quickly. "Of course. Take your time."
Zen crossed his arms, pretending not to worry. But Rein could feel it anyway.
He pushed open the door, Head aching, shadow restless, and two friends waiting behind him who cared far more than he felt he deserved.
The moment Rein stepped inside, the nurse looked up with a knowing sigh.
"Oh well, look who we have here," Miss Ruby said, folding her arms with that combination of concern and amusement she always had for him.
"Hi, Miss Ruby," Rein said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Sit," she said softly, already pulling out a small tray of supplies. After he sat down, she gave him a look, the look adults give kids they've seen struggling for too long.
"So," she asked, "what's the problem this time, Rein?"
He rubbed his forehead. "My head feels like it's about to explode into a million pieces."
Miss Ruby's eyebrows went up. "Again? This is the same problem as last time." She paused, then said, "You come here too often for someone your age. Is everything really all right?"
"Yes," Rein said quickly. Too quickly.
Miss Ruby didn't believe him for a second, but she let it slide... for now.
"Alright," she said, opening a small drawer. "I'll give you some medicine. Take one right after lunch, and another before you sleep. That should help the pressure a bit." She looked at him. "You have lunch after this, right?"
"Uh... yes. We do." Rein nodded.
She turned back to him, her voice softening. "Rein... if you ever want to talk about something, anything, all of us teachers, and I especially, are here if you need it."
Rein looked down at the floor. "Yes, Miss Ruby. Thank you for the medicine."
"Good." She handed the packet to him and patted his shoulder. "Take care of yourself. And tell those two friends of yours not to loiter outside the door like lost puppies."
He almost smiled. "Bye, Miss Ruby."
"Bye, Rein. Don't disappear on me for another two weeks."
Rein was still with the nurse when Zen finally made up his mind to tell Stella the truth he'd been keeping for years.
"Before I tell you anything... You have to promise you won't repeat this to anyone," Zen said, his voice serious. "I'm not joking, Stella."
"I won't. I promise," she said softly.
Zen took a trembling breath, as if he was preparing himself.
"When Rein was seven... he and his mom were in a car accident. The accident was terrible. She... she didn't survive. It was instantaneous." His eyes dropped, as if he was watching the scene play out before him. "Rein was alone. Completely alone. No one around. No one to help him."
Stella didn't say a word. She could feel the weight building.
"I still remember that night," Zen went on. "It was about ten. We heard this hysterical pounding on our door. When I opened it, God..." He had to swallow hard. "Rein was standing there, covered in blood. Crying, shaking so hard he could hardly breathe. The moment he saw me, he just fell into me. Wrapped his arms around me like I was the only thing holding him up."
Zen's voice cracked. "He was repeating my name over and over, struggling to get the words out. I'd never seen him so scared. My parents ran out to assist his mom, call the ambulance... but it was already too late."
Stella covered her mouth, her eyes stinging.
"He didn't let go of me for the rest of the night," Zen whispered. "He wouldn't stop crying. And I... I didn't know what to do except hold him and hope it helped."
A tear finally slid down Zen's cheek. "I just... I wish I could've saved her. Or at least spared him from seeing all that."
Stella carefully pressed a tissue into his hand. "...Zen... I'm so sorry. He must've gone through hell."
Zen wiped his face, still shaking. "Yeah. And he's been carrying that weight ever since."
Then Stella asked, barely above a whisper, "What about his father?"
Zen let out a humorless, almost bitter laugh. "Father? Rein never even met the guy."
She blinked. "Never?"
"Not once," Zen said. "No calls, no messages, no birthdays, nothing. The guy disappeared before Rein was even born. Rein only knows the name because of some old hospital paper." He shook his head. "When we were younger, I asked him about it once, just stupid kid curiosity. And Rein... he didn't get mad or sad, he just went empty. Like he'd already accepted he'd never get anything from that man."
Stella felt something twist inside her chest. "...So his mom was literally all he had."
"Yeah," Zen whispered. "His only family. His whole world. And when she died... Rein didn't just lose his mom. He lost his home, his safety, everything."
He dragged a hand through his hair. "He jokes a lot, acts easygoing, looks strong... but he's been alone for so long he doesn't even realise when he's hurting."
Stella's eyes softened. "Then we have to make sure he never feels alone again."
Stella placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Zen..."
He broke.
Not loudly, but the quiet kind of crying that hits harder.
And before Zen could wipe his eyes, a pair of arms wrapped around him.
Stella blinked because it wasn't her.
It was Rein.
Rein had stepped out of the nurse's office without them noticing, and now he was hugging Zen so hard it nearly knocked the wind out of him. His forehead pressed against Zen's shoulder, his arms tight, desperate, grateful, hurting.
"R-Rein...?" Zen choked out.
Rein's voice was painfully soft. "I'm sorry you had to go through that with me... and I'm sorry for making you carry it alone."
Zen's breath hitched. "Dude... don't apologise. I— I just wanted you to be okay."
Rein squeezed the hug tighter. "Thank you. For that night. For everything. For staying."
And for a moment, the world felt still.
No powers.
No ranks.
No chaos.
Just two boys holding each other together, the best they could.
After a few seconds, Zen attempted to hide his red face. "Bro, you're gonna break my ribs at this rate."
Rein actually laughed, quiet but real. "Sorry."
They separated, wiping their faces like idiots trying not to cry again.
Stella watched them with gentle eyes. She could see it clearly now:
Rein wasn't just strong. He was surviving.
And Zen wasn't just his friend. He was his lifeline.
LUNCH
The three of them sat outside under their usual tree, half-eating and half-talking like always. Zen suddenly clapped his hands together, almost making Rein choke on his drink.
"Alright, listen up!" Zen announced dramatically. "Tomorrow's the school concert. You two wanna go? It's supposed to be pretty big this year."
Stella perked up immediately. "Oh, that actually sounds fun."
Rein gave a small shrug. "Sure. I don't mind."
Zen rolled his eyes. "Bro, you say everything like you're agreeing to do the dishes. It's a concert, not a punishment."
Rein smirked. "Same thing if you're the one dragging us."
Stella laughed softly, and Zen pretended to take offence, but his smile said he was relieved. He loved it when Rein sounded even a little bit normal.
And just like that, all three agreed to go.
THE DAY OF THE CONCERT
Night rolled in with bright stage lights, food stalls, and students buzzing everywhere. The energy was chaotic, loud, and... honestly? Kinda perfect.
Rein didn't even get two steps into the courtyard before Zen yelled:
"REIN! LOOK ALIVE! We're here to socialise, not to rehearse your funeral expression!"
Rein blinked. "...This is how my face always looks."
"Exactly! And that's the problem!"
Stella arrived just in time to hear that, smoothing her outfit with a shy little smile.
Rein stopped walking.
He didn't freeze. He didn't pause.
His system fully crashed.
Zen waved a hand in front of him, like a parent checking on a broken TV. "Hello? Spirit of Rein? You still in there? Blink twice if you can hear me."
Rein blinked once. Then glared.
"I'm not dead, Zen."
"Bro, your soul just left your body. She looks great, right?"
Stella's cheeks warmed. "Please don't make it weird—"
"Too late," Zen said proudly.
Rein managed to speak. "You look... amazing."
Stella melted a little. Zen pretended to wipe tears. "Look at my boy. Already down bad."
"Zen, I will throw you into the fountain."
"Worth it."
WAITING FOR THE SHOW TO START
They found a spot near the front. Music tested. Lights flickered. People joked and laughed.
Stella held a cup of strawberry soda, sipping nervously. Rein noticed. "You okay?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah! Just... concerts are loud."
Zen chimed in, "Then you're lucky. Rein's existence absorbs all sound within a five-meter radius."
Rein punched his arm lightly. Zen exaggerated the pain as he got hit by a truck. "AH?! My life... ending... vision fading..."
Stella giggled. "You two are idiots."
Rein shrugged. "He started it."
"You stared at her chest for eight full seconds earlier! You definitely started something."
Rein nearly combusted. "I—bro—what—"
Stella choked on her drink. "I—I didn't notice—"
"Oh, she noticed," Zen added. "She totally noticed."
Stella elbowed Zen. "SHUT UP."
Zen winced. "Ow—okay, okay! Damn, both of you hit like professional assassins."
Rein and Stella exchanged a look.
And laughed.
For a moment, it was perfect.
THE MOMENT EVERYTHING GOES TO PIECES
The host came running on stage. "Welcome, everyone! Let's kick off the second half—"
And the lights went out.
Just like that.
The students cheered at first, thinking it was part of the show. Zen laughed nervously. "Okay, this is kinda cool..."
Until the wind shifted.
Cold. Cutting. Wrong.
"Uh... guys?" Stella whispered.
The silence fell.
The sky... shattered.
A black tear opened right above the school. Shadows swirled down like liquid darkness, distorting the air, devouring the stars.
Zen took a step back. "Nope. No. Nonono, Rein, what the HELL is that?!"
Rein's heart was racing. His Vein-Code was burning under his skin.
"I... I don't know—"
A figure emerged from the Rift. Calming. Confident. Moving as if he owned the darkness itself.
His white hair flowed like smoke, defying gravity. His crimson eyes blazed, sharp enough to slice through the confusion.
He emerged wearing a dark, impeccably tailored suit, with threads embroidered in faint shadow patterns that pulsed with every movement. Black dress shoes shone abnormally, as if they were chiseled from the darkness itself. The suit didn't look like it belonged to a human.
It looked like it was... called from the Rift.
The crowd was frozen. Some were screaming. Some passed out. Zen muttered, "Bro's wearing a whole MENACE suit? At our school concert?!"
Chaos didn't even flinch. He just fixed Rein with a stare, as if he'd been hunting him all along.
Stella gasped. "Rein... he... he looks like you."
Zen's eyes widened between them. "HOLY—WHAT—WHY IS THERE A COPY OF YOU COMING OUT OF SATAN'S WIFI ROUTER?!"
Rein stumbled backward, shaking violently.
His double... his mirror... No—
Chaos.
The being locked eyes with him.
And smiled with a slow, terrifying familiarity.
Zen's voice broke. "Rein... is that your evil twin? Did you clone yourself? Are these taxes catching up with you? WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?"
Rein couldn't respond.
Because for the first time in years...
He was genuinely scared.
Chaos cocked his head to one side, studying Rein with the interest of a scientist studying a rare specimen. Not angry. Not excited. Just... analyzing.
The shadows behind him curled up like trained pets.
Rein's breath caught. His legs buckled.
Stella caught his arm. Zen stood in front of both of them, even though he was shaking like a wet cat in a thunderstorm.
"HEY—HEY YOU VOID-FASHION SHOW REJECT!" Zen shouted, voice breaking. "BACK OFF! THIS IS A SCHOOL ZONE! WE HAVE—UH—RULES!"
Chaos didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
He raised one hand slowly. Two fingers went up... then down. As if testing the air.
Then...
SNAP.
The sound was quiet. Too quiet.
But the impact was like a hurricane.
Reality folded in on itself. The air condensed with a warped thoom, and Chaos disappeared from the stage in a flash of dark light.
Zen's jaw dropped. "...Bro didn't even walk. He loading-screen teleported!"
Stella's voice trembled. "He—he just snapped... and reality listened."
Rein felt a chill run down his spine.
Because Chaos didn't just disappear at random.
He reappeared—
right behind Rein.
No footsteps. No sound. Just a presence so cold it froze the world.
Rein slowly turned his head.
Chaos loomed inches from him, his crimson eyes blazing with recognition... and something much, much worse.
A whisper slipped from him, as gentle as a sword being drawn from its scabbard:
"Found you."
Rein's entire body seized up.