Elements: Age of Creation

A New Day at Campus

The crisp autumn air greeted Hikaru as he stepped onto the bustling campus of Seiryu University. Students milled about, chatting in groups, some hurrying to their morning lectures while others lingered at the coffee stalls. The red and gold leaves swirled gently in the breeze, a reminded that the semester was nearing its end.

Despite the liveliness around him, Hikaru's mind was elsewhere.

The dream from last night still lingered in his thoughts, making him feel unsettled. He had experienced vivid dreams before, but this one was different. Too real. Too terrifying.

Shaking off the unease, he adjusted his bag and made his way toward the Psychology Department. It was his final year, and despite the pressure of exams and thesis deadlines, he genuinely enjoyed studying how the human mind worked. Understanding emotions, cognition, and behaviour had always fascinated him – perhaps because he had always felt like something within him was different.

And today, he was hoping for a normal day.

Old Friends, New Tensions

The moment he stepped into the courtyard near his lecture hall, a familiar voice called out.

"Hikaru!"

Turning around, he spotted Aoi Kuroi waving at him with her usual bright smile. Dressed in her nursing uniform, she looked like she had just finished a lab session. Her long, dark blue hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her sharp emerald eyes glowed with enthusiasm.

Hikaru smiled. "Aoi, good morning."

Aoi jogged over and playfully elbowed him. "Morning? More like afternoon, lazybones. You're usually early."

"Got caught up with – " He hesitated, then shook his head. "Never mind. How's your class?"

"Exhausting. But at least I don't have to deal with dissecting anything today," she joked. "Where's Yami?"

At the mention of his name, Yami Utsuro approached from a distance, his hands tucked into his black coat. He was taller than Hikaru, with jet-black hair that fell over his dark violet eyes, which carried a quiet intensity.

A Philosophy major, Yami had always been the more brooding and introspective one of their trio. He had a way of seeing the word differently – questioning everything, sometimes to the point of frustration.

But today, something was off.

"Yami," Hikaru greeted.

Yami barely spared him a glance before looking at Aoi. "Ready to go?"

Aoi blinked, looking between the two. "Uh… yeah, but I thought we were all hanging out for lunch.

Yami sighed, as if reluctant. "I need to take care of something first."

Something in his tone made Hikaru frown. "Everything okay?"

For a second, Yami's expression hardened, as if he wanted to say something – or hold something back.

"…Yeah. Just busy."

And just like that, he turned away.

Aoi gave Hikaru an apologetic look before jogging after him. "I'll text you later, Hikaru!"

Hikaru stood there, confused. Yami had always been a bit distant, but this felt different. A coldness that hadn't been there before.

Something was wrong.

The Dark Alley

Evening came faster than expected. Hikaru had stayed on campus longer than usual, trying to distract himself with coursework, but his mind kept circling back to Yami's behaviour.

As he walked home, he decided to take a shortcut through one of the older parts of town – a narrow alleyway between buildings that shaved off a good five minutes from his usual route.

Big mistake.

The moment he stepped into the dimly lit alley, an unsettling feeling crept up his spine. The streetlamps flickered, casting long, distorted shadows against the brick walls. The air felt wrong, as if it were charged with an unseen force.

Then–

A sharp whoosh cut through the air.

Reflexes kicking in, Hikaru barely managed to dodge as something whizzed past his face–a blade, slicing through the empty space where his neck had been just seconds before.

His heart pounded as he staggered back, eyes darting around.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

Dressed in a hooded cloak, their presence was suffocating. Though their face was mostly concealed, a faint glow radiated from their fingertips–a power unlike anything Hikaru had seen before.

"You're more perceptive than I expected," the stranger said, voice smooth yet laced with danger. "But not perceptive enough."

Before Hikaru could react, the figure lunged at him–a second attack incoming.

The alley was too tight to run. He had no weapon, no plan.

Is this it?

And then–darkness engulfed his vision.