Riku sighed as he glanced at his younger sister, Yuki, curled up on the couch, her favorite stuffed animal tucked under her arm. It wasn't ideal, but with his mom working late, it was his responsibility to make sure she was okay. His tiny apartment felt even smaller with her playing around and him trying to figure out what was happening to him. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease after the strange transformation and the odd dream. His body was stronger, yet everything felt… off.
Riku checked the clock. 10 PM.
Yuki had already fallen asleep, her soft breathing filling the quiet space. Riku decided to head to his room to think, needing a moment of solitude.
But as soon as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, something strange happened.
A shadow moved in the corner of the room. He spun around, eyes narrowing. A figure stood near the window, silhouetted by the moonlight, dressed in dark combat gear.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Who the hell are you?" Riku demanded, his voice sharp.
The man, seemingly unfazed, stepped into the light. He wasn't tall—perhaps just slightly above average height—but the confidence in his posture made him seem imposing. His eyes glinted with the cool confidence of someone who had seen many battles.
"My name's Taichi Kuroda," the man said, voice calm but firm. "I'm a C-Rank Essence Warrior. And I'm here to test your strength."
Riku blinked. "Test my strength? What do you mean?"
"You've shown potential," Taichi said, smirking. "But potential means nothing unless you can back it up. Let's see if you're worth the attention people are starting to give you."
Before Riku could react, Taichi lunged at him. His movements were fast, precise, and almost instinctual. Riku barely had time to react as Taichi landed a blow to his side, sending him sprawling to the ground. The pain was sharp, but not unbearable.
"Get up, Riku Hayashi," Taichi taunted, his voice cool. "This is a test, not a game."
Riku pushed himself up, shaking off the pain. He didn't have time to think about why this was happening—he just needed to fight. He charged forward, using his non-dominant arm to throw a wild punch, but Taichi easily dodged it. The man retaliated with a swift kick to his ribs, knocking him back against the wall.
For a moment, Riku's vision blurred. His body screamed in protest, but there was something in him—a stubbornness, a fire—that refused to let him stay down.
He breathed heavily, wiped the blood from his lip, and stood tall again.
I can do this.
Riku stepped forward, eyes narrowing. This wasn't a dream. His muscles burned with each movement, but he wasn't backing down.
Taichi lunged again, aiming for Riku's face. But this time, Riku was ready. He dodged and swept the C-Rank warrior's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. Without missing a beat, Riku pinned him down, his legs straddling the man's waist as he clenched his fist and brought it down in a series of fast, brutal strikes.
"I told you," Riku growled, his voice steady but full of determination. "I'm not the same anymore."
Taichi grunted under him, trying to push Riku off, but Riku's grip tightened. He raised his foot and stomped on Taichi's chest. The C-Rank warrior gasped, his breath knocked out of him.
"You… you're…" Taichi sputtered, still struggling to breathe.
Riku's fist hovered over the man's face, eyes flashing with raw emotion. "Done."
With one final, forceful punch, Riku knocked Taichi onto the ground, sending the man skidding across the floor.
But as he looked down, his breath catching in his throat, the man was gone. Just like that.
Riku blinked, his heart racing. His body still burned from the fight. His vision was still hazy from the adrenaline.
"Where did he go?" Riku muttered to himself, looking around the room in confusion. "Was it... a dream?"
He stood there, confused and uncertain, his mind spinning. His body ached where Taichi had hit him—there was no way it was just a dream. But the man had vanished without a trace. There was no sign of a struggle, no footsteps, no movement.
"Impossible…" Riku whispered.
He collapsed onto his bed, his muscles sore and his mind whirling. What was real? What was happening to him?
All he knew for sure was this:
He wasn't the same Riku Hayashi from before. Something had changed inside him.
And it wasn't over yet.