MasukKieran was already bored by the second period. His leg bouncing up and down. Classes dragged on. The clock felt like it moved in reverse. Every teacher sounded like they were mumbling through a fog, and all he could think about was the fact that, somewhere out there, a fight was waiting for him. One that he will remember forever, and it may be today.Tanaka had gotten a fun match; Roy had… well, he had a match. But Kiearn? Kieran was worried his opponent would end up being some random nobody who thought having a soul art automatically made them strong.By lunch, he was pressing his cheek against his hand while staring out the window, watching the clouds move faster than the hour hand on the classroom clock.When the final bell finally rang, it felt more like mercy than anything else.They regrouped at the station, all four of them, slumping down onto the benches as they waited for the train. “Are you nervous?” Tnaka asked with his mouth half full with a croissant he bought from the
Roy’s feet stayed rooted to the spot.The street was empty, with no trace of the woman who’d walked beside him. The only proof she’d been real was the strange lingering weighting in the air, like a melody he couldn’t hear anymore but still felt a deep connection to in his heartHe let out a slow breath. It came out visible in the cold, curling upward into the flickering amber light. For a moment, the breath didn’t just drift away; it hung there, thick and slow, neither falling nor rising, almost as if time wanted to keep it in place.The haze from earlier hadn’t returned, but the quiet was so complete it felt like it might press in on him.Might even crush him.At the edge of his hearing, if he could even call it that, there was a faint sound. Not a voice. Not of words. More like the memory of someone whispering his name, too far away to understand and too close to ignore.When he turned, there was nothing. Nothing but this eternal night.Roy shoved his hands into his pockets and wal
Dreams only go so far.That night, Roy drifted without much thought, just a blur of tired muscles and the faint ache in his knuckles. He could have just healed himself, but that would have just ruined the sense of accomplishment of working out in a while.When he opened his eyes. He was home. Or at least what looked like home.Everything was… right. People sat around a long table, plates steaming with food, voices humming like distant radio chatter. Everyone seemed to be happy. The air was warm and soft, like being tucked into bed by your parent.But their faces… They had nothing. Smooth, pale blurs where eyes and mouth should be. Roy somehow knew each of them. Their names sat on the tip of his tongue, yet if he tried to speak, they’d dissolve into static in his mind. It was one of those hazy dreams where you know you’re there and you know these people matter to you but understanding why… It feels like it was like water slipping through his fingers.Roy stood up slowly, his chair sc
The first blow landed like a test, Kieran’s straight right driving into Roy’s guard, the shock travelling up both their arms. Roy didn’t flinch, just absorbed the impact and shifted his weight, sliding back a half-step.Kieran didn’t pause. His left hook came low toward the ribs, but Roy’s elbow was already there, absorbing it. No counter, no overcommitment. Just control.He’s not biting, Kieran thought, faintly irritated.Kieran switched angles, stepping to the side and firing a roundhouse kick toward Roy’s head. Roy ducked just under it, the air from the kick brushing his hair. The moment Kieran’s leg touched down, Roy closed the gap with a short, snapping jab toward the solar plexus.Kieran twisted away, letting it skim
The four of them had spent the last couple of hours just loitering around at Kieran’s, drifting between pointless conversations and distracted silences. Brock was leaning against the rail, scrolling endlessly through his phone like he was searching for the meaning of life hidden between memes. Tanaka sat with his hood up, pretending he wasn’t people-watching every soul that passed by. Kieran stood off to the side, mind clearly elsewhere, probably running mental simulations of tomorrow’s match.Roy… Well, Roy was just existing, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded and staring at the ceiling above, drifting through the moments without any particular urgency.Eventually, the orange glow of the sunset started to fade into that deep blue that marked the beginning of night. Street lamps began to hum to life, and the air picked up a bite of
The curtains flung over Roy as he stepped inside, still brushing a faint smear of dust from his sleeve. His pace was unhurried, his eyes scanning the room with the same detached calm that seemed to follow him everywhere.The room smelt faintly of sweat and antiseptic, the echo of distant crowd noise still humming in the walls.Tanaka sat on the bench with his arms crossed, leaning back like he was trying to distance himself from everything in the room. His eyes flicked toward Roy, sharp and narrowed, and then back to the wall, like looking too long would make him angrier.Brock was hunched forward, elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped loosely together. His head tilted up just enough to meet Roy’s gaze. “You&rs







