Chapter 3: Uneasy Awakening (Continued)
The feeling lingered as Yuki walked through the crowded school halls after lunch. The weight of eyes on him hadn't disappeared; it only grew stronger. Something was off, and he couldn't shake the sensation that he was being watched—followed.
He glanced around. No one seemed to be paying him any attention, but Yuki's instincts told him otherwise. The school felt... wrong, like the air was thicker here, and every shadow seemed to carry a secret.
When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Yuki rushed out of the building, eager to get home. The sooner he could escape the sense of unease, the better.
As he approached the gates of the school, he saw it again. The man in the dark coat, standing at the corner, just beyond the reach of the school grounds. His figure was still, but Yuki felt it—he was watching.
This time, Yuki didn't look away. His heart thudded in his chest as he locked eyes with the stranger. But before he could move, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area, carrying a whisper on its breath—faint, but unmistakable.
"Yuki..."
The voice was barely audible, carried by the wind itself. Yuki spun around, but there was no one behind him. His pulse quickened, and his hands began to shake. He had heard that voice before. It wasn't just in his head. He was sure of it.
The figure by the gate hadn't moved, but now he was closer. A shift in the air, a trick of the wind—he had been there one moment, and now he was right in front of Yuki, standing just a few feet away. The man's face was still hidden, but the pressure Yuki felt around him was undeniable. It was almost like a weight pressing down on him, suffocating the very air.
Before Yuki could say anything, a dark shape loomed behind the man—a creature, impossibly large, with glowing eyes that pierced the dusk light. It had the form of a fox, but its fur shimmered like silver in the fading sunlight, and its form rippled as though made of smoke. The creature's eyes locked onto Yuki, and for a moment, it felt as though it could see straight through him.
The air around Yuki buzzed, and for a split second, he felt power—raw, untamed power—surging within him. It was like the creature was calling to him, beckoning him to acknowledge it, to awaken.
"Yuki…" The man's voice was deep, his tone calm but full of warning. "You've come into your power, haven't you?"
Yuki staggered back, heart hammering in his chest. The fox-like creature stepped forward, its gaze never leaving his. He could feel the wind stirring again, swirling around him like an invisible current, pulling at the very core of his being.
The creature opened its mouth, revealing sharp, gleaming teeth, but it didn't make a sound. Instead, a rush of images flooded Yuki's mind—visions of a time long ago, a world he didn't know, of people and creatures he couldn't quite recognize. The moment was overwhelming. It was too much.
The stranger watched him, his expression unreadable under the brim of his hat. "It begins now, kitsune."
Before Yuki could react, the creature turned and vanished into the shadows, the wind dying down as quickly as it had appeared. The man at the gate was gone too.
Yuki stood there, alone, breathing heavily. The images, the creature—it was all too much. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything, but it felt like the world was shifting beneath him.
Was this real? Was it a dream? Had he imagined it all?
His phone buzzed again in his pocket. Ren's message flashed on the screen:
> "Trust no one. Not even me."
Yuki stared at the words, feeling a cold shiver crawl up his spine. The winds had stirred again, and for the first time, Yuki wasn't sure if it was the wind he feared—or the power he could feel inside him.
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