Class felt like a fog Ryu couldn't escape. The world around him blurred at the edges—colors dulled, sounds slowed, shadows moved when they shouldn't have.
The mark on his chest pulsed faintly. Every time he felt anxious, it burned.
During gym class, when he grabbed a basketball, the leather cracked slightly under his grip. No one noticed—except Alice.
At lunch, she pulled him aside.
"The mark is active," she said, voice low. "It's becoming a gate. Something is trying to push through."
"From... Hell?" Ryu asked.
"Worse. From something buried in it."
Ryu clenched his fists. "Can I stop it?"
Alice shook her head. "Not alone. Don't isolate. Don't lose control. If you feel like the voice is winning... find me."
---
As he left school, Mizuki stood by the gates, arms crossed. Her usual playful smirk was gone.
"You're breaking apart, Ryu," she said simply. "Everyone sees it."
He ignored her.
She stepped in his path. "What if your friends died because of you? Would you cry? Would you scream? Or would you finally realize what you are?"
Ryu gritted his teeth. The mark flared. A deep growl rumbled inside him.
"Give in. Let go. Let me out."
Mizuki leaned in, whispering: "The more you resist, the more it hurts."
Just then, Daiki appeared, grabbing Ryu by the shoulder.
"Let's go, man. Don't waste time with her."
Mizuki turned away, smiling. "Tick, tock."
---
That night, Ryu sat alone in his room. He stared at the mirror.
He lifted his shirt. The mark had grown—now twisting like a black flame across his chest.
"You don't need them. You need power. I can give it to you."
He covered the mark, breathing hard.
"No... I'll find another way."
---
In his dream, he stood in a void.
Chains rattled.
From the darkness, a figure emerged—tall, gaunt, monstrous. Glowing red eyes pierced him.
Zarkhiel. The voice. The source.
"The door is opening, little host. Very soon, your will... will be mine."
Chains snapped.
Ryu screamed.
He woke up drenched in sweat.
In the mirror across the room, a crack spread through the glass—black and unnatural.
And his reflection's eyes... were not his own.