– Enter Hadal –
"Shit, shit, shit…"
I kept repeating it as I reread the message Joseph sent me two hours ago.
He said he had to go face the muscle-headed Hightop crew… on orders from Captain Kinga.
Where the hell is he?
What are they doing to him right now?
My thoughts spiraled out of control, crashing into each other until I couldn't think straight.
Kaboom.
I slammed my head against the wall.
Pain shot through my skull. Not my smartest move—but it worked.
I crawled to the sink, turning on the cold water and letting it run over my face. The chill grounded me, slowed everything down.
Then it hit me.
V-Chat. GPS tracking.
"I can find him…"
I grabbed my phone.
Before leaving, I did two things.
First, I called the security force. One of Shalu Academy's rules allowed us to report fights at night.
Luckily, the Hightop idiots didn't wait until daytime.
Second—
"I'm taking every damn kitchen knife."
I stuffed them into a small bag, not even thinking twice.
No way I was going in unarmed.
I zipped it up, threw on extra shirts to cushion blows, and put on my shoes.
Then I stopped at the door.
For a moment… I hesitated.
This must've been what Joseph felt.
The fear of walking toward death.
But he didn't drag me into this.
So what kind of friend would I be if I left him to die?
I ran.
Down the stairs. Out of the dorm. Phone in hand.
Tracking.
"Car park… not far."
Good.
Because this bag was getting heavy.
I sprinted.
Five minutes away.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
And then—
I saw him.
Joseph stood at the edge of the car park.
Across from him, about ten meters away, the Hightop crew… but something was off.
They weren't attacking.
They were… cautious.
As I got closer, I saw it—
Joseph was covered in blood and bruises.
Something inside me snapped.
I reached into my bag, pulled out a knife, and screamed—
"HEY! YOU ASSHOLES—GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
I threw three knives with everything I had.
But—
They stopped mid-air.
Frozen.
Like something invisible was holding them.
Before I could react, something yanked me backward behind a car.
I braced for impact—
But instead…
A familiar scent.
Sweet.
Soft.
I looked up.
"…Rose?"
She silenced me instantly—without touching me.
That same invisible force.
"Hey. Your name's Hadal, right? Joseph's friend?"
My heart skipped.
She remembered.
"…Yeah."
"Good. Then watch carefully."
She smiled.
"Because you're about to see something amazing."
"Amazing? He's about to collapse! We need to help—"
"No," she whispered.
"It'll be fine."
"…And remove your hand."
I quickly let go of her shoulder.
"…Sorry."
Peeking over the car, I saw it.
A faint blue glow.
Surrounding Joseph's body.
The Hightop crew… weren't attacking.
They looked afraid.
I glanced at Rose.
She was smiling.
Why?
Then it clicked—
Earlier…
She called him a "Challenger of Fate."
"…Is he becoming a Flow user?" I asked, barely holding my voice steady.
She didn't answer.
Just smiled.
"See for yourself."
I looked back.
Joseph held a knife.
Then—
He vanished.
In an instant, he reappeared behind one of them.
A flash—
A burst of blue energy erupted from the guy's chest as he collapsed.
No blood.
Just light.
What… was that?
Before I could process it, Joseph spoke.
His voice echoed.
Heavy. Distorted.
The air itself felt violent—like a storm tearing through everything.
The remaining two stood frozen.
I couldn't move either.
Then slowly—
He raised his knife.
"HEED MY WORDS, O FATE THAT DENIES MY EXISTENCE…"
"I AM THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS."
"I CARE NOT FOR THOSE LOVED BY YOU—"
"BUT I WILL PROTECT THOSE YOU SEEK TO ERASE."
"LET THIS STRIKE REMIND YOU…"
"I EXIST TO DEFY YOUR WILL."
"FLOW SLASHER—ULTIMATE ART:—"
Silence.
The energy vanished.
Joseph collapsed.
"…What just happened?"
I turned to Rose.
"Please… tell me—"
She stretched casually.
"Well. Show's over."
"…What?"
"Time to get to work."
She glanced at me.
"Oh right. You saw too much."
"…Wait—what does that mean—"
She tapped my head.
Everything went dark.
The last thing I felt…
Was my body lifting into the air.
And one final thought—
What the hell did we just get dragged into?