The rain hammered against the window, the storm outside mirroring the chaos within Riku's mind. Thunder rumbled through the city as he lay in bed, his body drenched in sweat. This wasn't just a normal dream. It never was for him. His dreams felt real—more real than waking life.
His pulse raced as he stood in a dark, desolate field. The sky above him crackled with violent lightning, painting the landscape with fleeting flashes of eerie light. He couldn't see much, but he could feel a presence—cold, oppressive, and impossibly powerful.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—tall, cloaked in darkness, its form shifting and flickering like smoke caught in a gust of wind. Riku's heart raced as he tried to focus. His muscles tensed, his instincts screamed for him to move, to fight, but his body felt stiff. Every time he blinked, the figure was closer, moving like a blur.
Suddenly, the shadow lunged, its speed far surpassing anything Riku had faced before. It moved with terrifying precision, faster than even his training could prepare him for. Before he could react, the shadow's fist connected with his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground. The air was knocked out of his lungs, his vision spinning as the storm outside intensified, thundering like the roar of the beast before him.
Riku gasped for air, his hand pressed against the wet dirt as he struggled to rise. His body was already battered, bruised, aching as if he had been fighting for hours, even though only moments had passed. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet, blood dripping from his lip.
"You're slow," the shadow's voice echoed through the storm, deep and mocking.
Riku swung his fist, desperation fueling the strike. But the shadow moved again, effortlessly dodging and countering with a brutal punch to his side. Riku staggered back, pain surging through his body. He didn't know if it was the dream or his real body hurting.
"Is this all you have, Riku Hayashi?" the shadow sneered. Its voice was haunting, familiar in a way that unsettled him. "You think you're strong just because you've climbed the ranks? You haven't even begun to understand what true strength is."
Riku clenched his fists, his breath heavy as he wiped the blood from his lip. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The shadow laughed—low, guttural. "I am the thing you will become if you do not wake up. The power inside you is not your own. You are nothing but a vessel for something far darker. Something that will consume you if you let it."
Riku's heart skipped a beat. The words rang in his ears as the figure came at him again. He couldn't keep up. He was too slow. Too weak.
"I'll never give in to you!" Riku roared, summoning every ounce of willpower he had.
But the shadow was relentless. It struck, faster than before, and Riku couldn't block the hit. The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground, his vision going blurry.
"You can't escape it," the shadow whispered, leaning down over him, its voice like ice in his veins. "We are one. And you will know it soon enough."
Before Riku could respond, another punch landed, and the world around him spun into darkness. The storm raged on.