The school bell rang with a bright chime, signaling the start of another day at Suncrest Academy. Classrooms buzzed with chatter, chairs scraped against polished tile, and chalk tapped lightly against digital boards as teachers prepped their lessons. Outside Class 4-B, children darted past each other, schoolbags flapping, lunchboxes swinging.
Inside the room, Ethan Takahara sat quietly in the fifth row by the window. The classroom was arranged like a small amphitheater—four rows of ten seats, each ascending slightly above the next. Smooth oakwood desks shone under shafts of golden sunlight pouring through wide windows. At the bottom of the classroom stood a sleek digital blackboard and a wooden podium where their homeroom teacher, Mr. Hayato, scribbled glowing equations onto the screen with a digital pen.
Ethan rested his chin in his palm. His rare crimson eyes, like polished rubies, reflected the morning light as they scanned the room with quiet detachment. Despite his calm presence, whispers often followed him. Some classmates found his eyes unnerving. Others—especially a few girls—thought he looked like a prince from a manga. But Ethan paid no attention to their stares.
> "Yo, Ethan!"
Kota's voice pierced the quiet as he hopped into the seat beside Ethan. He was the shortest of the group, with spiky brown hair, wide green eyes that always looked like they were up to something, and a mouth that never seemed to run out of energy. Kota was a human firecracker—loud, energetic, and never serious for long.
Right behind him came Daiki, tall and lean, with tidy dark blue hair and cool silver eyes that rarely missed anything. Calm, calculating, and a little smug, Daiki always carried himself like he was two steps ahead of everyone.
Last was Haru, cheerful and round-faced, with floppy sandy hair and sleepy violet eyes. Haru often looked like he could nap through class, but he was surprisingly insightful when he bothered to speak up.
They all slid into their usual seats in the same row.
> "You look like a ghost passed through you," Kota joked, nudging Ethan with his elbow.
Ethan blinked. "This morning… I felt like someone was watching me. My skin went cold. My chest got tight. Just for a moment."
Daiki raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Ooooooh… a ghost?" He wiggled his fingers.
Haru chuckled. "Maybe you're just hungry, bro."
Ethan gave a slow nod, but his thoughts lingered. That feeling—it hadn't been normal.
---
Meanwhile, in Class 2-A, the second-year girls' room was practically glowing with feminine chaos. The room shared the same amphitheater structure, but the desks were decorated with glitter pens, cartoon stickers, and candy wrappers.
Aya Takahara, Ethan's younger sister, sat surrounded by her usual crew: Mei, Hana, and Riko.
Mei had soft lavender eyes and silky black hair that reached her shoulders. Shy but sweet, she always carried a small pouch of candy for her friends. Hana, the level-headed one, had a sleek bob and deep forest-green eyes. She rarely raised her voice but always had a thoughtful comment. Riko, the smallest, had wild twin buns and big amber eyes that sparkled like fireflies when she was excited—which was often.
They were giggling about ribbons and hair clips when Hana suddenly murmured, "Did you see what happened with Ethan and those bullies last week?"
Aya sat up straighter. "Oh yeah. I still remember that. They were picking on Kenta from Primary 2."
Riko gasped. "What?! Little Kenta?"
Aya nodded and leaned in. "It was after school. I saw the whole thing."
---
Flashback
The sun had dipped below the school's west wing, casting long, spidery shadows over the pavement. The back path was quiet, hidden behind a row of storage sheds.
Three older boys surrounded Kenta, a tiny Primary 2 student with curly chestnut hair and wide brown eyes. He clutched his backpack like a lifeline, legs shaking.
> "Hey brat, what's a Primary 2 runt like you doing back here?" snarled Shin, the tallest of the bullies, with jagged black hair and hard gray eyes.
"Think this part of the school's for kids?"
> "Yeah," sneered Toma, broader and stronger, his blond hair slicked back with sweat. "You lost or just stupid?"
The third boy, Ren, narrow-eyed with messy red hair, chuckled. "Empty your pockets, squirt. Or we'll help you."
Kenta whimpered.
> "Let him go."
The voice was soft but sharp, slicing through the air.
They turned.
Ethan stood a few feet away, his bag still slung over one shoulder. His black hair framed his pale face, but those crimson eyes—those eyes—cut through them like blades.
> "Oh? You gonna cry for him, pretty boy?" Toma jeered, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles.
Ethan didn't answer.
Toma charged.
In a blink, Ethan ducked, slid low, and drove his fist into Toma's shin with surgical precision.
> CRACK!
Toma screamed, falling to the ground in a heap.
Shin cursed and swung a rusty metal rod.
Ethan stepped in, caught his wrist, twisted it with brutal speed, and drove Shin face-first into the dirt.
Ren froze.
Ethan took one step forward.
Their eyes locked.
And then—it happened.
To Ren, it was like the world collapsed.
The sunlight vanished.
Ethan's pupils expanded—swallowing everything. The red in his eyes melted into shadow, and within them, Ren saw… something impossible. Writhing, clawed hands reached from a pit of black void. Whispers, dry as bone, called his name from within the abyss. The shadows screamed. His name. His soul. His mind.
> Let us in… Let us in…
Ren screamed. His body convulsed.
Then he fainted.
Ethan blinked, confused. "…I didn't touch him."
Kenta rushed to his side, crying. "T-Thank you!"
Ethan only nodded and helped the boy to his feet, eyes returning to normal.
---
Back in Class 2-A, Riko squealed, "That's like something from a superhero anime!"
Mei nodded slowly. "He was… amazing."
Aya leaned forward with a smirk. "Do you like my brother?"
> "W-What? No! I mean—I…" Mei's face flushed deep red.
Aya giggled. "I was just teasing."
She wasn't. Aya already had ten thousand plans forming in her head.
---
Back in Class 4-B, Ethan stared out the window again, trying to ignore Kota poking his arm.
> "You okay, dude?" Kota asked.
"Yeah," Ethan murmured. "Just remembered something weird."
> "Let me guess…" Daiki said with a smirk. "Another ghost?"
Ethan didn't reply.
Outside, the breeze brushed the trees. The sunlight dimmed slightly. Something brushed his neck.
He turned sharply.
Nothing was there.
But still… something watched.