The New Threat

The hallway was alive with the usual chaos of students moving between classes. Voices blended together into an indistinct hum, footsteps overlapping in a rhythmic march of routine. But amid all of this, Ryo could feel the shift.

A change.

The air carried a different weight today. The glances lasted a fraction longer, whispers flickered like static in the background. Most of them didn't even know what they were looking for—just that something about him had entered their awareness.

All because of Sera.

He had avoided unnecessary attention for years. Staying in the shadows wasn't just a habit; it was a calculated decision. Visibility meant unpredictability. It meant giving people a reason to watch.

And Ryo hated being watched.

Yet here he was.

The boy blocking his way wasn't important. A messenger, nothing more. His posture was casual, but there was a smugness in his smirk, like he thought he had some kind of leverage just by speaking to Ryo.

"Sera's waiting for you," the boy repeated.

Ryo's eyes flicked toward him, dissecting him in an instant. He was confident, but not dangerous. The type who felt strong because of his association with someone truly powerful. A follower.

Sera had sent him deliberately. A move designed to test his reaction.

Interesting.

Ryo didn't stop walking. He stepped past the boy, barely acknowledging him, as if he were nothing more than background noise.

"Hey," the boy called after him, irritation creeping into his voice. "Did you hear me?"

Ryo paused just enough to tilt his head slightly. Not a full turn—just enough to let the silence weigh in. Let the boy feel it.

A moment passed.

Then Ryo walked away without a word.

It was enough.

The boy wouldn't chase after him. His type never did. He had already lost by being ignored.

Ryo moved through the school like a shadow, adjusting his pace, his posture, his breathing—making sure that even though eyes were on him, no one could hold his presence for too long. The human brain was predictable. People got bored when they didn't get a reaction.

But Sera wasn't like them.

That was the problem.

She was still watching.

---

The Meeting

Lunchtime arrived, and as expected, she was waiting.

Not in the cafeteria. Not in the crowded halls.

The rooftop.

It was predictable. Isolated locations gave control over the setting, eliminated interruptions. She was playing this smart.

Ryo could have ignored the invitation. But that wasn't the right move. Sera was testing him, trying to see how he played the game. If he avoided her, she'd escalate. Push harder.

So he walked onto the rooftop.

The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.

Sera stood near the edge, the wind playing with her dark hair, sunlight reflecting off her sharp, calculating eyes. Her stance was relaxed, but the subtle details betrayed the truth—she had been waiting.

She turned slightly, her gaze meeting his, the corners of her lips curving into the faintest smirk.

"You ignored my messenger," she said, her voice smooth, amused.

Ryo said nothing.

She studied him for a moment, then let out a quiet chuckle.

"Interesting," she mused. "Most people would at least ask why I wanted to talk to them. But you already knew, didn't you?"

Ryo remained silent, watching her. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of controlling the conversation.

Sera leaned against the railing, her eyes never leaving his.

"You're a mystery, Ryo," she said. "That makes people curious. It makes them want to dig deeper."

Ryo didn't react.

She tilted her head slightly. "But you already knew that too, didn't you? You've spent years making sure no one pays attention to you. And yet, now…"

Her smirk widened.

"Now, they can't look away."

She was right. He knew it. She knew it.

But that didn't mean he was going to confirm anything.

Instead, Ryo took a slow step forward. Just one. Just enough to shift the balance of power.

Sera's expression didn't change, but he saw it. The briefest flicker in her eyes.

She had expected him to stay passive. To react, not act.

A miscalculation.

"I should warn you," she said, her voice still light, but the underlying tension was there. "The more you stay silent, the more I'll want to figure you out."

Ryo finally spoke.

"Then you've already lost."

Sera's eyes widened slightly. Just for a fraction of a second.

He let the silence settle between them before he turned to leave.

The game had officially begun.

---

The Aura Awakens

That afternoon, the whispers spread.

Sera had made sure people saw her watching him. Now, after their rooftop encounter, the effect had multiplied. Students who had never paid him any attention were now looking twice, searching for something they couldn't explain.

Ryo ignored them. He moved through the school as if nothing had changed.

But he felt it.

The pressure of eyes. The weight of expectation.

He walked past a group of students, and they fell silent. Conversations halted when he entered a room. He caught the way some of them hesitated when crossing paths with him, as if sensing something off.

It was happening.

Not just curiosity. Fear.

They didn't know why, but something about him made them uneasy.

Aura.

It wasn't something you could see. It wasn't something you could explain.

It was something you felt.

And right now, they were feeling it.

He could use this.

He could turn it into something even greater.

---

The First Threat

By the time the final bell rang, Ryo already knew someone would try to test him.

Attention was a double-edged sword. The moment people noticed you, someone would want to challenge you.

So when he stepped outside, he wasn't surprised to find three boys waiting near the school gates.

The leader was tall, broad-shouldered, confident. The type who thought strength came from size. The other two flanked him, acting as reinforcement.

Ryo assessed them in seconds.

Not a real threat. Just noise.

"Yo," the leader called out, stepping forward with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "You've been getting a lot of attention lately, huh?"

Ryo didn't answer.

The leader's grin twitched. "People are saying all kinds of things about you. Some think you're some kind of genius. Some think you're just a freak."

Silence.

The other two shifted uncomfortably.

Ryo took a step forward.

One step.

And the air changed.

The leader's grin faltered. The others stiffened. They didn't understand why, but something about Ryo's presence had shifted.

Something cold.

Something dangerous.

Ryo tilted his head slightly, his gaze empty, unreadable. He didn't need to threaten them. He didn't need to fight.

They already knew.

The leader clenched his jaw. "Tch." He scoffed, but he took a step back. "Whatever. Just don't think you're untouchable."

He turned and walked away. His friends hesitated before following.

Ryo didn't move until they were gone.

Then, slowly, he exhaled.

This was only the beginning.

He had stayed in the shadows for years.

But now, it was too late.

The world had started to notice him.

And soon…

They would fear him.