Later That Evening

Hiroki lay sprawled out on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His headphones were in, music cranked up to max volume, each beat thumping against his eardrums. He was trying—desperately—to drown out the day. For most people, a bad day meant flunking a math test or getting caught in the rain without an umbrella. But not him. No, Hiroki had to go and pick up a sarcastic, nightmare-fuel ghost."Hellooo... anyone home?" came that gratingly familiar, gravelly voice, somehow cutting through the music like a knife. "Ignoring me won't work, you know. I've got all the time in the world."Hiroki rolled over, burying his face into his pillow, but it was useless. The voice was like a wasp buzzing around his skull, relentless.He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "Great, now I'm hearing things. Perfect. Just what I needed.""Oh, please," Arkan's voice dripped with mock offense. "I know you're not that dense. Just accept it—I'm here, and I'm fabulous. Or do you need a neon sign flashing above your head to figure that out?""Why are you even here?" Hiroki muttered, turning onto his side and jamming a pillow over his head, as if that could somehow block out the voice in his mind. "Well, funny you ask, kid," Arkan replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I'm here because you need me. Or... at least, I think so."Hiroki shot him an alarmed look. "You think? You're not even sure?"Arkan's smoky form shifted, his expression twisting into an exaggerated pout. "Oh, like you're so certain about everything in your life," he shot back defensively. After a moment, he seemed to deflate a bit, letting out a sigh. "Look, here's the deal: I don't have all the answers, alright? I kinda just... poofed into existence. It's not like they hand out manuals when a Wraith is born."Hiroki raised an eyebrow, still not convinced. "So why me? Why now?""Alright, listen," Arkan said, his tone growing a bit more serious. "When a baby's born, it cries, yeah? Well, when a Wraith is born, it gravitates toward a feeling it recognizes. And you? You've got all that anger bottled up inside you, just waiting to blow. And lucky for you—or maybe not—that's the vibe I got pulled toward." He hesitated, then added, almost sheepishly, "To help with... stuff. I think."Hiroki stared at him, trying to process it all. "So you're saying you're here because I'm... angry?""Bingo!" Arkan's grin widened, his eyes glowing faintly. "Your rage called out, and here I am. Whether you like it or not.""Great," Hiroki muttered under his breath. "Just what I needed. An emotional support ghost with commitment issues." Arkan let out a low, amused laugh. "Not exactly, kid. Think of it more like... a mutually beneficial partnership. I get to hang around, spice things up with my charming personality, and you—" He paused to do a few playful air jabs—"get a little extra firepower, pow pow pow, when life tries to knock you down."Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Great. So now you're my imaginary motivational coach? Just what I needed.""Hey, call it what you want," Arkan said with a grin. "But when things get rough, you're gonna be glad I'm here. Trust me.""Yeah, sure," Hiroki muttered. "I've always wanted an imaginary ghost with delusions of grandeur in my corner." "Imaginary ghost?" Arkan scoffed, the sound dripping with disdain. "You really think your imagination is sharp enough to pull off sarcasm this good? Please, kid. I'm as real as you are. Just because you've spent half your life tuned out doesn't mean I'm some figment."Hiroki sat up, raking a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. This voice had been nagging him since the alley, and it was starting to wear him down. "Alright, fine. Let's say you're real. Hypothetically. What exactly are you?""A Wraith," Arkan replied, his tone annoyingly casual, as if explaining something to a slow student. "I thought we covered this already. A spirit of emotion—anger, mostly, but maybe a few other things." He waved his hand dismissively, as if the details were irrelevant. "And you, my friend, have got a lot of it. Seriously, it's like a broken faucet, just pouring out of you."Hiroki's eyes narrowed. "So, what? You're feeding off my anger?"Arkan's grin widened. "Bingo! But hey, don't get all moody about it. I'm not here to drain you dry. Think of it more like... a partnership. Your anger gives me juice, and in return, I give you a little extra edge when things get tough." Hiroki shook his head, trying to block out the voice. "Nope, not real. Just some weird voice in my head feeding off whatever's left of my social life. Or maybe it's just stress. How am I supposed to believe you're anything but a figment?""Oh, come on." Arkan sounded genuinely offended. "You really think you hallucinated me? Look, I get that you're lonely, but this level of denial? It's just sad. Face it—I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.""Right," Hiroki muttered, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his phone and checked the time, more for something to do than out of any real interest. "You keep talking, and I'll keep pretending this is all just some elaborate hallucination. Like... I don't know, one of those cliché superhero origin stories. Just a delusion." "Aww, you want to play the hero?" Arkan's laugh was low and mocking. "Trust me, kid, you're about as far from a hero as they come. But that's fine. Heroes are predictable, boring even. You, though? You've got a darkness in you. I'm just here to help channel it, keep you from turning into a ticking time bomb."Hiroki raised an eyebrow. "Darkness? Look, I might not be all sunshine and rainbows, but you're making me sound like some kind of... brooding anti-hero from a bad manga.""If the boot fits," Arkan shot back, clearly amused. "Besides, you need me. Without me, you'd be like a spark without a flame—full of potential, sure, but going nowhere."Hiroki actually let out a laugh at that. "A spark without a flame? That's your pitch? Really? That's the best you've got?" "Hey, I didn't sign up to write inspirational quotes for your mirror," Arkan sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "Look, you can pretend I'm not real all you want, but at some point, you're going to realize I'm the only one who actually gets you. I'm inside your head, kid. I can read your mind. I even know what you're up to most evenings past five. We're bonded—whether you like it or not."Arkan's voice dropped, turning more serious. "Everyone else? They just see you as another loner. But me? I see what's really going on. I see the anger you're hiding. And guess what? Ignoring it won't make it disappear."Hiroki turned away, jaw clenched, refusing to meet the shadow's gaze. The weird part was, as much as he wanted to shake off Arkan's voice, there was a sliver of truth buried in his words. That feeling—like something hot and raw simmering under his skin, just waiting to burst—had been there for as long as he could remember. He'd always tried to bury it, but now it was clawing its way to the surface. "Fine," Hiroki muttered, almost to himself. "Maybe I'm mad. But that doesn't mean I need some creepy shadow ghost hanging around, reminding me of it.""Oh, but I'm not here just to remind you," Arkan said, his voice softening, taking on a persuasive edge. "I'm here to help. Imagine all that anger, all that raw energy actually working for you, not against you. Imagine what you could do if you stopped fighting it."A shiver crawled down Hiroki's spine, a strange mix of fear and something almost... exhilarating. But he shook his head, stubborn. "Nope. Sorry, 'partner.' I'm not interested in becoming some rage-fueled psycho. Go haunt someone else.""You'll come around," Arkan replied, his tone dripping with smug confidence. "Give it time, kid. You can try to ignore me, but I'm not going anywhere. Sooner or later, you'll realize you're stronger with me by your side."Hiroki clenched his fists, resisting the urge to respond. He didn't want to admit it, but some part of him wondered if Arkan was right. Hiroki let out a slow breath, grabbed his headphones, and slipped them back on, cranking up the volume to drown out the incessant voice. He didn't care whether Arkan was just a figment of his imagination or something real and supernatural. Either way, he wasn't buying into this whole "power" nonsense. The last thing he needed was some annoying, sarcastic ghost complicating his already messy life.But even as he tried to block everything out, eyes closed, music blaring, he could still sense it—Arkan's presence, a faint, persistent hum in the back of his mind. No matter how much he tried to dismiss it, there was an unsettling feeling that something had fundamentally shifted.Later that night, as he lay in bed staring at the wall, Hiroki finally gave in. Without turning around, he asked quietly, "What's your name?"Arkan, who had been theatrically pouting in the corner, looked up, caught off guard. A small, almost genuine smile tugged at his lips. "Arkan," he said, voice softer this time. "I think. I've had it for a few hours now, and I seem to like it."For some reason, hearing the Wraith claim a name made it all feel more real to Hiroki as he drifted off to sleep, The school day had been a blur of half-hearted lectures and monotonous faces, most of which seemed to go out of their way to irritate Hiroki. He spent the entire day in his usual state of trying to disappear, especially after last night's bizarre encounter with that... thing in his head. Arkan had stuck around, throwing out snarky comments at odd moments, taunting him whenever he tried to block it out.Even now, as Hiroki packed up his things after the final bell, he could still hear Arkan's faint voice lingering at the edge of his mind. He did his best to ignore it. It was Friday, and all he wanted was to slip out of the building, head home, and pretend he was just another bored teenager trying to survive in a crowded city.But as he slung his bag over his shoulder and made for the door, a sound stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't the usual cacophony of students in the hall; it was something darker—a low, ominous hum, like the static that crackles before a storm.Hiroki paused, a chill creeping up his spine. This wasn't the kind of noise that belonged in a school at the end of a long week. "What the…?" Hiroki muttered, glancing around. The hallway outside was mostly empty, but he could hear something coming from around the corner—a mixture of muffled screams, a strange crackling sound, and what sounded like snarling. He knew he should probably just walk away, but something about the sound pulled him forward, curiosity or maybe just plain irritation. He turned the corner and froze. A group of students huddled against the wall, wide-eyed and trembling, as two shadowy, half-formed figures loomed over them. The creatures twisted and writhed, their shapes shifting between vaguely human forms and something far more monstrous. Their eyes burned with an unnatural, fiery intensity, while dark tendrils snaked from their bodies, reaching toward the students with a predatory hunger.Hiroki recognized a few faces among the terrified crowd—members of the so-called "popular" clique who had barely spared him a glance all year. In fact, some had made it their mission to make his life miserable. A twisted sense of satisfaction flickered through him, seeing them look so helpless now."Well, well, looks like someone's made some new friends," Arkan's voice echoed in his mind, dripping with amusement.Hiroki's heart pounded, instincts screaming at him to turn and run. He had no idea what these things were, let alone how to handle them. "What... what are those things?" he whispered."Rogue Wraiths," Arkan replied, a hint of impatience in his tone. "Not the brightest, but when they merge like that, they become pretty nasty. A cocktail of fear, anger, and chaos." Hiroki backed up a step, torn between the urge to bolt and the strange, inexplicable feeling that he should do something. But what could he actually do? He barely knew what a Wraith was, let alone how to handle two of them fused together, rampaging through his school.One of the students—a guy from his math class who'd never spoken to him—spotted Hiroki and shouted, "Hey! Help us! Don't just stand there!"Hiroki's stomach twisted. He didn't owe these people anything. But the snarling, monstrous Wraiths were inching closer, their burning eyes fixed on the cowering students with a hunger that was anything but human."Go on," Arkan's voice urged, almost coaxing. "You've got me, remember? I can give you just enough power to deal with these guys. All you have to do is trust me.""Trust you?" Hiroki whispered harshly, disbelief thick in his voice. "You're the creepy ghost that hijacked my head. I don't even know what you are.""Fine, don't trust me," Arkan shot back, dripping with sarcasm. "But if you don't do something, those people are as good as Wraith fodder. Unless, of course, you'd rather sit back and enjoy the show." Hiroki gritted his teeth, feeling that strange, familiar thrum of energy building up inside him—the same power he'd felt back in the alley. He didn't fully understand it, but there was a part of him that wanted to let it out, to see what would happen if he tapped into whatever Arkan was offering.He had no clue what he was doing, so he did what he'd seen heroes do in movies: he closed his eyes, focused as hard as he could, and tried to draw out something, anything. If Arkan wasn't just messing with him—if this wasn't all some twisted prank—then maybe, just maybe, he could actually tap into this supposed power.A sudden heat surged through him, and when he opened his eyes, flames engulfed his hands. He stared at them, wide-eyed, the flickering light casting wild shadows on the walls. But it wasn't just him reacting—the students, who had been frozen in fear moments earlier, were now staring at him in shock. The school freak had just proven himself to be an actual freak, after all. Even the rogue Wraith paused, its multiple heads turning in unison, eyes narrowing at the sight of Hiroki's burning hands. The flames danced wildly, illuminating the twisted hallway with an eerie glow.Hiroki paced in place, flames crackling around his fists. His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do next. The heat was exhilarating, but also terrifying. He wasn't sure how long he could control it. What now? he thought, glancing at the confused, terrified faces of the students huddled nearby."Stop thinking, start doing," Arkan's voice snapped in his mind. "Go on, attack! Use the flames, idiot!"Hiroki hesitated for a split second, then clenched his jaw and made a decision. With a guttural yell, he charged forward, flames flaring brighter as he sprinted. He threw a wild punch at the Wraith, his fiery fist colliding with its shadowy form. The flames spread across its fur-like surface, sending black wisps of smoke curling into the air.For a moment, it seemed like it was working. But then, with a furious screech, the Wraith retaliated. Tendrils erupted from its shifting body, lashing out like whips. Before Hiroki could react, one of them slammed into him, sending him flying. He crashed into the wall with a bone-rattling impact, the flames on his hands sputtering as pain shot through his body.Arkan's laughter echoed in his mind. "Nice try, kid. But maybe next time, don't lead with your face."Hiroki groaned, struggling to his feet, his vision spinning. He couldn't afford to stop now—not with the students still in danger.Just as Hiroki struggled to get back on his feet, ready to launch another desperate attack, the sound of shattering glass filled the hallway. Figures in crimson robes poured in through the broken windows, their cloaks billowing dramatically in the gust of wind that swept through the corridor.Before Hiroki could react, one of them raised a gloved hand. A glowing chain materialized from thin air, snaking out with a crackling arcane light. The chain coiled around the rogue Wraiths, binding them with an otherworldly glow that made the creatures writhe and screech.Another figure stepped forward, holding a dagger that seemed to pulse with an eerie, inner light. With a swift, precise motion, the blade sliced through the air, and the very shadows around the Wraiths seemed to tremble and retreat. Within seconds, the creatures were subdued, their forms flickering and dimming as the crimson-clad strangers worked their arcane techniques.Hiroki could only watch, breathless, as the once-rampaging Wraiths were contained. Whoever these people were, they had dispatched the monsters with a calm efficiency that made his own attempts look pitifully amateur."Looks like the cavalry's arrived," Arkan muttered in Hiroki's mind, half-amused, half-annoyed. "Too bad they stole your spotlight, huh?" Hiroki watched, completely stunned. These people weren't just fighting the Wraiths—they were controlling them, bending shadows and energy with an ease that seemed almost effortless. The air around them crackled with arcane power, something far beyond anything Hiroki could comprehend. The students huddled against the wall were just as bewildered, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe.One of the figures—the leader, judging by the way the others instinctively deferred to him—turned and met Hiroki's gaze. For a brief, electrifying moment, their eyes locked. Hiroki felt a jolt of recognition, though he couldn't pinpoint why. The leader's eyes seemed to hold a silent acknowledgment, a flicker of something Hiroki couldn't decipher. Then, with a slight nod, the figure turned back to his team, issuing quiet, efficient orders.Within moments, the rogue Wraiths were completely subdued. Their shadowy forms flickered one last time before collapsing into nothingness, the remnants of their energy dissipating like mist. And just as swiftly as they had arrived, the crimson-robed figures melted back into the shadows, leaving no trace of their presence. Hiroki stood frozen, his mind reeling. He could barely process what he'd just witnessed when Arkan's voice cut in, laced with smug satisfaction. "Told you, kid—you're not the only one dealing with this kind of mess.""Who... who were they?" Hiroki whispered, still staring at the empty space where the Wraiths had been moments ago."Oh, just your friendly neighborhood shadow hunters," Arkan replied with a chuckle. "Why are you asking me like I have all the answers? I mean, I might have an idea. I felt one of them tailing you a while back."Hiroki's eyes widened. "And you didn't think to tell me?"Arkan's voice took on a sly tone. "Where's the fun in that?"Hiroki's pulse quickened. The thought of being followed—especially by people who could make rogue Wraiths disappear like they were nothing—made his skin crawl. "So... what now?" he asked, mostly to himself, though he knew Arkan was listening."Now?" Arkan's tone turned almost gleeful. "Now you've caught their attention. Better get ready, kid. Your life just got a whole lot more complicated." Hiroki slipped through the school gates, trying to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible. The last thing he needed was for someone to start asking questions about what he'd seen back there in the hallway. The image of those masked figures taking down the rogue Wraiths was burned into his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it. And then there was that feeling. That prickling sense of being watched. Hiroki hurried down the street, his footsteps echoing too loudly in his ears. He'd barely gone a block when he heard it again—the voice that had been haunting him since last night."Still shaken up, huh?" Arkan's tone dripped with that familiar, mocking edge. "Not exactly your typical school drama."Hiroki gritted his teeth, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. "Shut up," he muttered under his breath, praying he didn't look like a lunatic talking to himself in the middle of a crowded street. "What the hell were those things back there?""Rogue Wraiths," Arkan replied, his tone almost casual, like he was chatting about the weather. "Though, judging by your stellar performance, I'm guessing that was your first encounter."Hiroki's brows knitted together in frustration. "Yeah, I figured they were Wraiths. But what kind? And why were they here? This is a high school, not some haunted ruin."Arkan let out a low, amused chuckle. "Oh, kid, Wraiths don't exactly stick to abandoned ruins and spooky forests. They go wherever there's chaos to feed on. And your school?" He paused for effect. "Let's just say it's ripe with emotional baggage." Arkan chuckled softly, the sound somehow echoing inside Hiroki's skull. "Think about it, kid. Schools are prime hunting grounds for rogue Wraiths. So many emotions packed into one place—fear, anger, excitement, heartbreak. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet for them."Hiroki's mind raced, trying to piece together what Arkan was saying. "So, what… they're attracted to strong emotions?""Bingo," Arkan replied, almost sounding proud. "Wraiths like the ones you saw? They start out just sniffing around, looking for someone to bond with. They're not all bad at first—just hungry, desperate. But when they can't find someone strong enough to handle them... well, they get cranky. And cranky Wraiths? They'll tear through anything to sate that hunger." Hiroki thought back to the chaos in the hallway—the way those shadowy figures had lunged and snarled, mindless and violent. "So, if they don't find someone to bond with, they just... lose it?""Exactly," Arkan confirmed. "They feed on emotions, but they need a bond to channel it properly. Without that connection, it's like overloading a circuit—they burn out, turn feral. They become nothing more than mindless beasts, driven by pure instinct.""But if they do bond with someone?" Hiroki pressed, trying to wrap his mind around it."They get sharper," Arkan said, his tone almost thoughtful. "More sentient, more aware. The stronger the bond, the more they evolve. They become less like wild animals and more... strategic. And trust me, a bonded Wraith with a capable partner? That's when they're at their most dangerous." Hiroki turned a corner, his mind still spinning with everything he'd just learned. "And what about you?" he asked, the question slipping out before he could stop himself. "If we hadn't... bonded, would you have turned into one of those things too?"For once, Arkan didn't fire back with a snarky comment. The silence between them stretched, thick and uncomfortable. When Arkan finally spoke, his voice was softer, almost... contemplative. "Let's just say I've been around long enough to keep myself together. But you, Hiroki... you're the one who needs to watch your back."Hiroki frowned, confusion knitting his brows. "What's that supposed to mean?""You're not as stable as you think," Arkan muttered, his voice dropping to a near whisper, almost too quiet for Hiroki to catch. "You've got more power running through you than you realize, and it's only a matter of time before someone else notices. Hiroki paused, leaning against a streetlamp as he tried to process everything Arkan was saying. "Like those masked guys?" He couldn't shake the image of them handling the rogue Wraiths with a precision that made it look effortless. "Who the hell were they?""I'm not entirely sure," Arkan admitted, his tone turning more serious. "But I recognize their essence. It's like they've been tangled up with Wraiths for ages. They're noisy, powerful... and I think they've got their eyes on you."Hiroki's stomach twisted. He didn't like the sound of that. "So, what—you're saying they're coming for me now?"Arkan's voice took on a mocking edge, though there was an undercurrent of caution. "Let's just say you've caught their attention. And people like that? They don't just let things slide. Better be ready, kid. You've stumbled into a game that's way bigger than you realize."Hiroki's mind raced, his heart pounding. "Sounds like you want me to go looking for them. Hell, why would I even want to do that? I don't want any part of this.""Too late for that," Arkan replied, his tone shifting to something colder. "You've already opened the door, and it's not going to close just because you pretend none of this happened. Besides, if you're not careful, they might just assume you're another rogue Wraith to put down."The weight of those words settled on Hiroki's shoulders like a heavy cloak. The idea of getting tangled up with some secret organization was the last thing he wanted. But if Arkan was right, then he was already on their radar—whether he liked it or not."And why are you so eager to push me toward them?" Hiroki asked, narrowing his eyes. "What's in it for you?""Simple," Arkan replied, his laugh low and unsettling. "The stronger you get, the stronger our bond becomes. And trust me, kid, I'm not about to let you go rogue on me. That'd be a waste of perfectly good potential." Hiroki pushed off the streetlamp, shaking his head as he resumed walking. "Great. So I'm stuck with you whether I like it or not." "Like it or not, kid," Arkan said, his voice fading into the background noise of the city, "this is your life now. Better get used to it. Now, are you gonna sit around waiting for the Crimson Hand to crash your party, or are you gonna take control of this mess before they decide for you?" Hiroki clenched his fists, a mix of frustration and something else bubbling up inside him—something that almost felt like resolve. He didn't know who these people were or what they wanted, but one thing was clear: hiding wasn't going to save him. "Fine," Hiroki muttered under his breath. "If they want me, they can have me. But I'm going to find them first." "Now that's the spirit!" Arkan's voice was practically gleeful. "Let's see where this little adventure takes us, shall we?" As Hiroki walked deeper into the city, the rain beginning to fall in heavier sheets, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just made a decision that would change his life forever.