Kaito closed the door behind him and adjusted his bag on his shoulder. The morning air was cool, and the street was already active in its quiet way. Cars moved slowly, a few people walked to work, and the large houses on either side sat behind clean fences and trimmed hedges. Everything looked organized, like it had been planned to stay that way.
He walked to school. It wasn't far, and he always walked.
A few students passed him on the way, some in groups, some alone. Nobody paid attention to him, and he didn't try to get theirs. By the time he reached the gate, the school was noisy. Students stood in clusters, talking, laughing, scrolling through their phones.
Kaito walked straight past them.
"Yo, Kaito."
He heard it but didn't stop. A boy stepped into his path.
"You deaf or something?"
Kaito looked at him for a second, then walked around him. A few people nearby laughed.
"Guy thinks he's too good to talk now," another said.
Kaito didn't respond. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last.
Classes went by slowly. He paid attention when he needed to and ignored everything else. He didn't talk much, and no one really tried to talk to him. When the final bell rang, he packed his things and left immediately.
Outside the gate the noise faded.
"You're doing it again."
Kaito glanced over. She had caught up, slightly out of breath, pushing her glasses up as she fell into step beside him.
"I don't know what you mean," he said.
"You heard them. You always hear them."
"And?"
She sighed. "You could at least say something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Anything."
Kaito shook his head. "It's not worth it."
She didn't argue. They walked together while cars passed and leaves shifted in the wind. At the corner where they usually split, she slowed.
"See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
She nodded and turned away. Kaito kept walking alone.
The front door at home was unlocked. He stepped inside, dropped his bag by the wall, and heard voices from the living room. His mom was there with another woman, both laughing.
"Oh, Kaito, you're back," his mom said.
"Hi, Mom."
The other woman smiled. "Kaito, right? I've heard a lot about you."
Kaito gave a small nod. "Good afternoon."
"Do you want to join us?" his mom asked. "We're just talking."
"No, I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
She studied him for a moment. "Alright. There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry."
"Okay."
Upstairs, his room was exactly how he left it. He dropped his bag on the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. For a few seconds everything was quiet.
Then it started. That feeling again.
A tight pressure in his chest. His hands clenched slowly.
"Not again..."
He stood up fast. His breathing turned quick and shallow. He tried to control it, but he couldn't. Something snapped.
He grabbed his desk and shoved it hard. It scraped across the floor. A book fell, then another. He picked up his chair and threw it against the wall.
Downstairs, the voices stopped.
"Kaito?" his mom called.
Another crash.
She sighed. "It's happening again."
Footsteps hurried upstairs. When she opened the door, Kaito was standing still in the middle of the mess, breathing heavily.
She walked in carefully and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Calm down."
His breathing steadied. He sat down.
"I'm fine," he said quietly.
"You say that every time." She picked up a fallen book and set it back on the table. "You need to figure out what this is. This isn't normal."
"I know."
"Just get some rest."
"Okay."
She left and closed the door.
Kaito lay down without changing his clothes and fell asleep within minutes.
When he woke it was dark. The house was quiet. He checked his phone: 8:47 PM. Faint sounds came from downstairs, plates clinking, the TV low.
The kitchen light was on. A plate had been set aside for him. He put it in the microwave and leaned against the counter while it hummed. He ate at the table, phone in hand.
Without thinking he opened Instagram and scrolled. Then stopped.
Her page. He didn't follow her. He never had. But he checked it almost every day.
New post. A picture from school. She was smiling, surrounded by friends. Kaito stared for a few seconds, then locked his phone.
He finished eating, washed the plate, and went back upstairs. He lay down and stared at the ceiling.
Then his eyes widened.
"Assignment..."
"I forgot."
He sat up, cleared the scattered books from his desk, and opened his laptop. The screen lit his face. He started typing.
At first everything was normal.
Then that feeling came back. Stronger.
Kaito froze. "No. This doesn't make sense..."
It wasn't supposed to happen twice in one day. He stood slowly, hand shaking as he reached for the desk.
"What is wrong with me?"
The pressure built faster. He stepped back and his foot hit something solid. The floor shifted.
"What...?"
He stepped again. A faint click sounded under him. Before he could react, a section of the floor slid open.
"Wait!"
He dropped.
He landed hard, the air knocked out of him. He pushed himself up slowly.
"Where am I?"
The space was dark, but faint lights flickered along metal walls. Machines lined the sides. Screens glowed dimly. It looked nothing like the house above. As he took a step forward, the lights brightened, reacting to his movement. A low hum filled the room.
He walked deeper in.
"This place..."
He didn't recognize it, but something about it felt connected.
Nearby, a machine activated on its own. Inside a glass chamber, a soft glow pulsed once, then again. The air shifted. A thin crack formed along the surface.
Kaito froze. "Hey, that doesn't look safe—"
The glass shattered. A sharp burst of energy shot outward and hit him before he could move.
Everything went silent.