Balancing Worlds

The thoughts wouldn't stop.

No matter how much I tried to ignore them, push them down, silence them, they always crawled back up. The faces of the men I had executed, the weight of every decision I made, the danger I had placed myself in—it all twisted together into something suffocating. A storm of guilt, fear, and resolve that I couldn't escape, no matter how hard I tried.

But I had already made my choice.

I exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of my desk. The faint hum of my laptop filled the room, the glow of the screen casting long shadows across the walls. My eyes flicked over the latest news articles, each one a reminder of the precarious tightrope I was walking. There was no turning back now. If I hesitated, if I faltered even once, everything would come crashing down. My friends, my normal life, my future—everything would be gone.

I had to be smart.

The balance between my two lives was delicate. On one side, I was Nachar, the normal high school student, the guy who hung out with his friends, joked around, lived an ordinary life. On the other, I was Justic3, the ghost haunting the underworld, the name that sent criminals into hiding. The name that Detective Aizen was now obsessed with hunting.

And now, someone was hunting the ghost.

Detective Aizen.

I turned to my laptop, eyes scanning the screen. Every detail about him, every interview, every case he had worked on—I was absorbing it all. He wasn't just any detective; he was obsessed with catching me. His tactics, his strategies—they were methodical, precise, dangerous. He didn't just chase criminals; he studied them, learned their habits, laid out intricate traps, and waited.

And he had set traps for me.

I leaned back, rubbing my temple. The latest news articles spoke about how he was 'closing in' on Justic3, how he had identified patterns in my movements. That was bad. If he could predict me, he could corner me.

I clicked on a video, an interview featuring Aizen and his new apprentice, some young detective named Kaito.

"We're dealing with someone highly intelligent," Aizen said, his voice steady and confident. "Justic3 isn't reckless. He moves with purpose. But that also means he has patterns, and patterns can be exploited."

Kaito nodded eagerly beside him. "Yeah, and with your experience, sir, there's no way he's slipping past us. The moment he makes a mistake, we've got him."

Aizen smirked. "He won't even realize he's already lost."

I clicked off the video.

My grip tightened around the mouse. Cocky bastard.

He thought he had me figured out. Thought he was already ahead. But he didn't know me. He didn't know how careful I was, how many steps ahead I played this game. Still, his confidence wasn't something to ignore. He had something planned, and I needed to find out what.

But first, I needed to act normal.

---

The next morning, I walked into school like nothing was wrong. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the chatter of students filled the halls. Sarah, Zai, Mika, and Suzume were already at our usual spot by the lockers, laughing about something. Sarah was mid-story, her hands waving dramatically as she recounted some ridiculous incident from her weekend. Zai was leaning against the locker, shaking his head with a grin, while Mika and Suzume were trying not to laugh too loudly.

"And then," Sarah said, her voice rising with excitement, "the dog just—just starts chasing the mailman, right? But the mailman trips over his own bag, and the dog starts licking his face like it's the best thing ever!"

Zai snorted. "No way. That's too good to be true."

"I swear it happened!" Sarah insisted, her eyes wide with mock offense. "Ask my mom! She was there!"

Mika giggled, covering his mouth with his hand. "I can't believe you just stood there and watched."

"What was I supposed to do?" Sarah shot back, throwing her hands up. "It was like watching a train wreck—you can't look away!"

I approached them, forcing a smile onto my face. "Morning, guys."

"Nachar!" Sarah turned to me, her grin widening. "You'll never believe what happened this weekend."

"Let me guess," I said, leaning against the locker next to Zai. "A dog chased a mailman, and chaos ensued?"

Sarah's jaw dropped. "How did you—?"

"Lucky guess," I said with a shrug, earning a laugh from the group.

For a moment, everything felt normal. Like I was just another high school student, hanging out with my friends, living a carefree life. But the weight of my other life was always there, lurking in the back of my mind. The faces of the men I had executed, the blood on my hands, the danger I was constantly in—it was all there, just beneath the surface.

"Hey, Nachar," Zai said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You okay? You look kinda out of it."

I blinked, forcing myself to focus. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night."

"Staying up late gaming again?" Mika teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Something like that," I said with a half-smile.

The bell rang, and we all started heading to class. As we walked, Suzume fell into step beside me. "You sure you're okay?" she asked quietly, her dark eyes searching mine.

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Yeah, just tired. Don't worry about it."

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press further. Suzume was always perceptive, always noticing the little things. It was one of the things I admired about her, but it also made her dangerous. If anyone was going to figure out my secret, it would be her.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions, answering questions in class, joking with my friends, pretending everything was fine. But my mind was elsewhere, constantly replaying the interview with Aizen, analyzing his words, trying to figure out his next move.

After school, I told my friends I had to head home early. They didn't question it—I was known for being a bit of a loner sometimes—but I could feel Suzume's eyes on me as I walked away.

Once I was sure no one was following me, I took a detour to the warehouse on the outskirts of town. It was one of my safe spots, a place where I could plan, strategize, and prepare for my next move. I pulled out my laptop and got to work, diving back into the world of Justic3.

Aizen was closing in, and I couldn't afford to make a single mistake. The stakes were too high. My friends, my normal life, my future—it all depended on me staying one step ahead.

But as I stared at the screen, a thought crept into my mind, one I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried.

What if I was already too late?