Echoes of Future Past
Kaien jolted awake, tangled hopelessly in his sheets like a burrito under siege. Blinking furiously, he stared at the ceiling, half-expecting his blue-eyed future self to drop another cryptic vibe check out of nowhere. When none came, he groaned loudly and slumped back into his pillow.
"Great, now even my future self is trolling me," Kaien muttered, pushing hair out of his eyes. "Note to self: Next time future-you comes knocking, punch him first, ask existential questions later."
After an awkward battle with the bedsheets that nearly ended in a humiliating faceplant, Kaien made it to the bathroom mirror. His reflection looked back, messy-haired and unimpressed.
"Dude," Kaien pointed accusingly at himself. "If you're gonna show up from the future, could you at least tell me how you got that sick blue-eyed mask? My style points would skyrocket."
He sighed. Even comedic deflection couldn't erase last night's memory: cryptic warnings, unsettling visions, and a digital shard pulsing with secrets. A future "Kaien Vire," glitching through reality and throwing cryptic one-liners like a shounen anime villain.
"Great, life just had to upgrade from weird to nightmare mode," Kaien grumbled.
Popularity Problems
School felt unusually loud today—though maybe that was just Kaien's sleep-deprived brain playing pranks. As he dropped into his seat, Rin Sayaka swiveled around from her desk with a mischievous grin.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased, eyes sparkling. "Did you get lost dreaming about last night's homework again?"
Kaien managed a weak chuckle. "Uh, if by homework you mean existential crises and possibly hallucinations of my evil twin, then sure."
Rin laughed, covering her mouth adorably. "Kaien, your imagination's wilder than some of my fans' conspiracy theories."
"Wait till you hear about the alien conspiracy—that's my weekend project," he deadpanned, earning another bubbly laugh.
Their moment was shattered by Ryuji's boisterous entrance, practically announcing his presence as if he were a wrestler stepping into the ring. He waved his phone excitedly.
"Yo, did you guys see REZYN's fight last night? This dude is legendary! Look at this, a million views overnight!"
Kaien's heart did a nervous backflip. "Oh, uh, sounds cool," he offered weakly.
Ryuji dramatically pointed at him. "Dude, Kaien, you seriously need to catch up on this stuff or you'll stay a total NPC forever."
Kaien blinked slowly. "NPC? Wow, guess I'll just go stand in the corner and repeat my single dialogue line."
Rin snorted, hiding her laughter badly behind her notebook. Ryuji looked momentarily baffled, shrugged, and went back to fanboying over the viral videos.
"Ignore him," Rin whispered, leaning in with a conspiratorial smile. "NPCs have their own charm, you know? Very mysterious."
Kaien felt his face heat up slightly. "Thanks, Rin. I strive for that legendary side-character vibe."
Citywide Glitch
Midway through history class, the school's screens flickered violently. Every student's wristband buzzed simultaneously, and Kaien's heart dropped like a malfunctioning elevator. Digital static filled the displays, resolving into a fragmented image of a familiar white mask—vShadow's mask.
A distorted voice echoed through the room. "The future isn't fixed, but you can't glitch fate forever."
The room erupted into chaos—students panicking, Ryuji desperately snapping photos for social media, and Rin instinctively reaching out, gripping Kaien's arm tightly.
"Kaien," she whispered nervously, her voice tight. "What's going on?"
Kaien swallowed hard, forcing a calm expression. "Just some edgelord hacker looking for attention."
But inside, he felt the weight of his future self's warning pressing down on him.
Shadows and Allies
By the afternoon, Horizon City's usual neon glow was marred by intermittent glitches. Kaien rushed to the rooftop hideout, where Aegis and Aira were already scanning through streams of chaotic data.
"I swear, if future-you doesn't stop spamming cryptic messages, I'm hacking the timeline myself," Aira declared irritably, fingers flying over her keyboard.
"Great, and then you'll accidentally delete me from existence," Kaien shot back dryly. "And who's gonna cook your lunch then?"
Aegis smirked slightly, standing with crossed arms. "Listen up. The shard's code matches something we've seen before—a Wave Reset. Last time it happened, people lost abilities. Permanently."
Kaien paled. "And you decided to tell me this casually, like it's just bad weather?"
Aegis shrugged casually. "Just preparing you for worst-case scenarios. Call it friendly paranoia."
Kaien groaned, burying his face in his hands. "My life is officially a glitchy anime plot. Next you're gonna tell me my future self is actually my secret twin brother."
Aegis raised an eyebrow with a playful grin. "Well, about that—"
"Shut up," Kaien interrupted quickly, "I'm not ready for that plot twist yet."
The trio laughed despite the gravity of their situation. The camaraderie eased Kaien's nerves, even if just for a moment.
"Seriously, though," Aegis's voice turned grim. "We're dealing with something that could rewrite the rules entirely. And you, Kaien, are somehow at the center."
Kaien sighed dramatically. "Lucky me."
Aira poked his shoulder reassuringly. "Relax, hero-boy. We got your back. Besides, every apocalypse needs its cool masked savior, right?"
Kaien looked up, half-smiling. "As long as the savior gets to keep his sanity."
"No promises," Aira teased.
Kaien rolled his eyes. "Perfect."
Outside, the city's digital chaos continued to pulse ominously, a ticking clock counting down to something inevitable—and Kaien couldn't shake the feeling he was running out of time.
Aura Pulse: REZYN by FKillerz
Chapter 4: Fractured Mirrors (Continued)
Unwanted Attention
Kaien decided to take the long way home, the digital chaos outside putting him on edge. The city streets flickered with intermittent glitches—billboards distorted, streetlights strobed erratically, and pedestrians muttered anxiously, glancing at their wristbands.
Lost in thought, he nearly walked into someone waiting patiently in his path—a new face he'd only vaguely recognized from school. Tall, sleek, with a sly smirk that screamed trouble.
"Kaien Vire," the newcomer drawled, hands tucked casually in his pockets. "Finally, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."
Kaien blinked, momentarily bewildered. "Avoiding you? Sorry, dude, I don't even know who you are."
The stranger chuckled dryly, his violet eyes sharp and uncomfortably piercing. "Name's Sora. New transfer. Rumor has it you're the mysterious type. Thought I'd check the hype myself."
Kaien squinted suspiciously. "Who exactly is hyping me up? Pretty sure the highlight of my day was almost falling asleep in history class."
Sora shrugged with exaggerated indifference. "Oh, you know, whispers here and there. Someone said you have an interesting aura. Unique, even."
Kaien tensed slightly, hiding it behind a relaxed shrug. "Must be mistaking me for someone else. My aura's about as interesting as cafeteria rice."
Sora's eyes narrowed, lips curving into a sly grin. "Hmm. Cafeteria rice, huh? Funny, I had you pegged as something a little more… electrifying."
Kaien rolled his eyes, deflecting with humor. "Electrifying? Sorry to disappoint. At best, I'm mildly static-y—like when your sock sticks to your sweater."
Sora laughed genuinely, surprised at Kaien's casual dismissal. "Well, let's just say I'll keep an eye on you, Vire. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back."
"Noted," Kaien replied dryly, brushing past him. "Good luck with your cat problems."
As Kaien turned away, he caught sight of Rin across the street, watching their exchange with an unreadable expression. His stomach dropped slightly, a different sort of dread filling him.
Night Mission
Darkness fell swiftly over Horizon City, the flickering neon lights now feeling less welcoming and more like scattered warnings. Kaien adjusted his mask, feeling its familiar static pulse against his fingertips. Tonight's mission was simple—trace the glitch signatures and get a handle on vShadow's intentions.
As REZYN, he moved effortlessly across the rooftops, feeling his aura resonate with the city's disrupted rhythm. Each leap and glitch-dash cleared his mind, sharpening his senses.
Suddenly, screams shattered his concentration—a wave of digital constructs surged from an alleyway, aggressively targeting terrified civilians.
"Guess the party started without me," Kaien quipped dryly, launching himself downward.
Black aura crackled around his fists as he collided with the lead construct, shattering it into glitched pixels. The others swiftly converged, their distorted limbs clawing and slashing at his coat.
Kaien grunted, pushing his glitching power outward. "Could you guys please stop spawning like cheap MMO mobs? It's getting really old!"
As if mocking him, another wave appeared. Gritting his teeth, Kaien remembered the warning from his future self.
"Alright," he muttered. "You wanna see glitches? Let's dance."
Summoning deep, raw energy from within, Kaien felt his aura shift violently—unstable but powerful. Black tendrils of static tore through the constructs like paper, pixelated shards scattering around him.
Breathing heavily, Kaien watched the last construct dissipate, victory short-lived. Nearby screens flickered again, his own masked face staring back at him—only different. Blue-eyed.
His future self spoke, distorted yet clear. "REZYN is your hero. But heroes break more than villains ever could."
Kaien's heart sank, dread pooling deep in his gut. The realization crashed over him with brutal clarity.
"Great," he muttered, adjusting his mask grimly. "Now I'm officially my own worst enemy."
As he vanished into the shadows, Kaien knew this was far from over—every step now edging closer to the future he desperately sought to avoid.
Lingering Shadows
Kaien returned to his apartment late, slipping quietly inside and pulling off his mask with a weary sigh. The city lights blinked through his blinds, painting stripes across the dim room.
Tossing the mask onto his bed, he flopped down beside it, staring at the ceiling once again. Questions raced through his mind like restless ghosts.
"Why can't my future self just send a nice, simple email?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
His wristband buzzed softly. Kaien hesitated, then glanced at the glowing screen.
Message from Aira: "Scans complete. Meet early tomorrow. We found something big."
Kaien groaned loudly, rolling onto his side. "Because what I needed was more drama. Perfect."
He stared at the mask lying next to him, its cracked eye faintly glowing red, like a heartbeat.
"You're supposed to help me, you know," he whispered accusingly to the mask. "Not make things worse."
Exhausted, he finally drifted off, sleep overtaking him before he could process the wave of dread still lingering at the edge of his consciousness.
Hidden Observers
Across the city, atop another rooftop, two figures stood cloaked in shadow, watching Horizon City pulse below.
"He's progressing faster than expected," a deep voice murmured thoughtfully.
"And yet he's still naive," another replied calmly, almost amused. "He doesn't realize the role he's destined to play."
The first figure shifted slightly, stepping into the pale neon glow. Beneath a sharp hood, blue eyes glinted coldly behind a cracked mask.
"Soon enough, he'll understand," Future Kaien murmured, voice edged with certainty. "After all, we're only just beginning."
The other figure inclined their head, a smile barely visible beneath the shadows. "Then let the games continue."
Above them, the digital screens flickered gently, unaware of the hidden turmoil weaving silently beneath their radiant lights.
Kaien awoke briefly to his phone buzzing again, this time with Rin's name lighting up the screen.
"Kaien, are you okay? Things have been weird today," her message read.
He stared at it, a small smile creeping onto his tired face. Even amid chaos, at least someone genuinely worried about him.
"Yeah, just a glitch in the system," he typed back, hoping she wouldn't see through his vague deflection.
Her reply came swiftly. "If you need to talk, I'm here."
Kaien exhaled softly, heart lifting just a bit. "Thanks, Rin. I'll keep that in mind."
Finally settling into sleep, Kaien couldn't help but wonder just how much longer he could keep the pieces of his fracturing life from shattering completely.
To be continued...