The sky was red that day. People were enjoying themselves until screams cut through the air. Panic spread — people ran in every direction.

  A little kid peeked outside the door. Blood flowed like a stream, and people were begging for mercy, for their lives.

  A woman pulled him inside. “Hide as fast as you can! I won’t let you die today,” she urged. The safest place was the trunk, and she hurried to hide him.

  Suddenly, she stopped moving. A cruel man had stabbed her twice. The kid watched in horror as the woman fell.

  The man noticed him. He raised his weapon to strike — then froze. A glowing mark burned on the kid’s chest.

  “He is one of us,” the man murmured. The air shifted. The screams and blood disappeared. The world melted away.

  The bedroom came into focus. Kael woke up, sweating. His sheets and pillow were soaked.

  These dreams are getting weirder, he muttered, pressing a hand to his burning chest. His headache throbbed uncontrollably.

  Not again, he whispered. He forced himself back onto the bed, trying to sleep.

  BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

  The alarm rang beside him.

  “Oh no! I’m late again!” Kael shouted, jumping out of bed and rushing toward the bathroom. Panic filled his mind. Mr. Lin won’t spare me today…

  He grabbed a piece of toast and ran out of the house, his bag swinging wildly behind him. He sprinted as fast as he could, barely chewing.

  “Wait for me!”

  A familiar voice called from behind.

  Kael turned slightly. His best friend, Shin, was running toward him, completely out of breath.

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  “Too slow,” Kael murmured with a grin.

  He slipped inside the school gates just as they were about to close.

  “Late again, Shin Takahashi!”

  Mr. Lin’s voice echoed across the school grounds. To every student, he was the true antagonist of the academy.

  From inside the gate, Kael smirked while Shin stood outside, getting scolded. Still amused, Kael walked toward his classroom.

  He was in a good mood…

  Until—

  He ignored the feeling as the memories of last night’s dream slowly took over his thoughts.

  Kael walked into the classroom. Sora had already saved a seat beside her. He smiled at her and sat down, giving her their usual fist bump.

  The school was familiar with the famous trio — Kael, Shin, and Sora. Wherever one of them was seen, the other two were never far behind.

  But today was different.

  Sora noticed it immediately. The anxiety on Kael’s face was impossible to miss.

  “What’s wrong with you today?” she asked quietly.

  Kael brushed it off. “Nothing. Why are you asking?”

  “You look pale. And anxious.”

  “Do I? I think you’re just daydreaming,” he muttered with a weak smile.

  Sora wasn’t convinced. But she let it go — for now.

  The history lesson began.

  “Today might be a difficult chapter,” the teacher announced. “So listen carefully.”

  The topic was ancient civilizations — their customs, beliefs, and way of thinking. Everything was normal.

  Until the teacher said two words.

  “Akahoshi Village.”

  Kael froze.

  “The leaders of that settlement were known as the Hoshin Clan,” the teacher continued.

  Kael’s heartbeat quickened. Thump. Thump. Thump. The mark on his chest began to glow beneath his uniform. Heat spread through his body. The air around him felt suffocating, as if the temperature of the classroom had risen.

  His vision blurred.

  And then — darkness.

  When he woke up, the ceiling was white.

  Hospital.

  Shin and Sora stood beside his bed, worry written across their faces. By the time they had reached the hospital, the glowing mark had faded. His temperature had returned to normal. Relief washed over his friends.

  Later that evening, they finally confronted him.

  “What are you hiding from us?” Shin demanded. “Are we not close enough for you to tell us what’s going on?”

  Sora stayed silent, but her eyes searched his face.

  Kael hesitated.

  “This might sound stupid,” he said quietly. “But I’ve been having strange dreams lately. I don’t know what they mean… or why they feel connected to me. But they keep happening. More often.”

  Silence filled the room.

  From the hospital window, Kael’s gaze drifted outside. A man in a black suit stood on the rooftop of the building across from them. Watching.

  The man lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth. Kael’s stomach tightened.

  Maybe I’m just overthinking…

  The man spoke calmly into the device.

  “We’ve found him.”

  A pause.

  “It’s him.”