A gust of cold wind howled through the empty streets, sending a sharp chill down Hikari's spine. His pulse pounded in his ears, the rhythmic thudding only rivaled by the heavy footsteps gaining on them.
Darkness swallowed the road ahead, save for the occasional flicker of a dim streetlamp. He cast a glance over his shoulder. There was no mistaking it—the towering figure clad in a high-collared jacket and a wide-brimmed hat was the same man from the news reports. The Irregular Criminal. The one responsible for the recent wave of disappearances and killings.
Hikari's stomach knotted with dread, but he forced himself to focus. The fear clawing at his chest threatened to consume him, but he had to stay calm. Mitsumi needed him to stay calm.
She clung tightly to his sleeve, her breath ragged as they ran. The alleyways stretched before them like an endless maze, but no matter how many turns they took, the heavy footsteps followed.
"Where are you heading off to?" The man's gruff voice sliced through the silence, carrying a sinister amusement that sent a fresh wave of terror through Hikari's body. He didn't have to see the criminal's face to know he was smirking.
Mitsumi's grip on his sleeve tightened. The tremble in her fingers was subtle, but he felt it. She was scared. Of course, she was scared. He was too. But he couldn't show it—not now. Not in front of her.
"Mitsumi, are you alright?" he asked, his breath uneven as the wind cut against his skin.
"Yes, I'm fine," she managed between gasps, though her voice betrayed her exhaustion.
Hikari clenched his jaw. He had to protect her—no matter what. His father would never forgive him if he failed. And Master Ryu... No, there was no time to think about that now. His muscles ached from the relentless sprint, but they couldn't stop. Not yet.
Then, Mitsumi fumbled for her phone. Her fingers trembled as she punched in the emergency number, pressing it to her ear with desperation. Hikari's breath hitched as he spared a glance back. The criminal hadn't slowed. If anything, he was gaining.
"Hello! I am Yukine Mitsumi! You need to help us! We're being chased by... by someone!!! Please help!" Mitsumi's panicked voice cracked as she sucked in deep, frantic breaths.
Hikari's heart pounded even harder. He could hear the rustling of Mitsumi's jacket as she clutched the phone tightly, could see the thin beads of sweat forming along her brow. They weren't going to make it. At this rate, the man would catch up before help arrived.
The realization sent a jolt of panic down his spine.
Then, in an instant, an enormous shadow loomed over them. The next moment, Hikari felt a crushing force wrap around him. Air whooshed from his lungs as his ribs compressed under the monstrous grip. His body lifted off the ground as if he were weightless. His vision swam, black spots creeping into the edges as he struggled for breath.
The criminal's hand had grown—no, expanded—into an unnatural size, easily engulfing Hikari's entire frame. The monstrous strength behind the grip was unbearable. His limbs burned with pain, the pressure threatening to snap his bones like twigs.
"Where do you think the two of you are going?" The man's laughter was thick with malice, his breath hot against Hikari's ear. "You're not going anywhere. This is your end."
A sharp cry tore through the night. "HIKARI! NO!" Mitsumi's voice wavered, high and raw with terror. Tears streaked her face as she stood frozen, her phone slipping from her fingers and clattering against the pavement.
The dispatcher's voice crackled from the speaker. "Miss? Is everything alright? Give us your location! We'll get there right away!"
Mitsumi's lips trembled. She pressed a hand to her chest, struggling to form words. "We're—We're at Seventh Avenue near the water tower! Hurry! My friend, h-he he's—"
Her voice broke.
The criminal's grip tightened, and a wave of pain tore through Hikari's body. His fingers twitched as he fought to move, fought to think. He had to do something. He couldn't let it end like this. Not now. Not ever.
His mind raced back to that morning, to the moment he had felt something shift inside him—the moment he had survived what should have been an impossible fall. The memory was hazy, but he remembered the sensation, the strange pull in his body as he descended. It wasn't luck that had saved him. It was something else. Something deep within him.
And now, it was time to bring it out.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he forced himself to breathe through the pain. His body screamed in protest, but he focused. He had done it before—he could do it again. His mind latched onto the sensation, onto the energy that had coursed through him that morning. It was there. Waiting.
Waiting for him to use it.
With a guttural cry, Hikari willed that power to awaken. His skin burned, his veins tingling with an unfamiliar force. The darkness around him seemed to shift, to ripple as though responding to his call. Then, in an instant, his body twisted unnaturally, slipping through the criminal's monstrous fingers like water through a sieve.
A loud gasp escaped him as he collapsed onto the pavement, his chest heaving, his limbs weak but free.
The criminal stumbled back, his wide-brimmed hat casting an even darker shadow over his face. "What the hell—" he muttered, his grip tightening into a fist. His other hand moved to snatch Hikari again, but something flickered beneath him.
Hikari's own shadow stretched unnaturally, pooling beneath him like liquid. It coiled around his limbs, supporting him as he slowly pushed himself up. The sensation was eerie, yet strangely familiar. Like an old instinct being revived.
He didn't have time to process it. The criminal lunged, his massive hand shooting forward. But Hikari's body reacted before his mind could catch up. His shadow twisted, and in an instant, he was no longer where he had been standing. His body had shifted—no, moved—effortlessly, slipping just out of the criminal's reach.
Hikari's eyes widened. Did he just—?
There was no time to question it. He grabbed Mitsumi's wrist, his voice sharp. "Run!"
She hesitated only for a second before nodding, her breath coming in short gasps as they sprinted toward the nearest open road. The criminal roared behind them, his fury echoing through the empty streets. But Hikari didn't look back. He didn't need to.
For the first time in his life, something had awakened inside him. No it was his dormant power to begin with, something that the Shadow Manipulator had given him the day prior.
And it had just saved his life.
Still, he had no idea how he did that, it was probably just the adrenaline getting the better of him. Either way, it provided the two of them a way of escape... now they just need to get help... hopefully.
But before he could run away again, the man extended his reach, grabbing Hikari's entire body and lifting him up, squeezing him as blood poured from his mouth and eye sockets.
"Grurghh~!" Hikari clenched his teeth in pain.