Itami floated in darkness.
Cold. Wet. Like drifting in a void.
He blinked—and found himself lying in a pool of dark liquid, face just above the surface. When he tried to move, his limbs wouldn't obey. Something heavy pinned him down. No ground beneath, no sky above. Just black water and silence.
Where am I? Am I dreaming?
Then—a voice.
Aika's voice.
It didn't come from around him. It was inside him, wrapped around his skull like fog.
"There is a world where I help you get home… That's not a world I know."
Her words echoed, sinking into his ribs like weight. Then the surface broke—and Itami was pulled under. The cold gripped him like claws. He thrashed, tried to swim upward, claw his way back to breath.
Useless.
The dark drank him deeper and deeper—until a hand grabbed his wrist.
It yanked him up.
He gasped as air returned, coughing up the void. Choking. Shaking. Then he looked.
The hand belonged to himself.
No—not him. His copy. Its eyes burned red, staring into him as Aika's final words rang out like a bell
"Draw your final breath"
Itami's eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above him was still. Too still. Sweat traced a cold line down his temple. His shirt clung to his chest. His left arm throbbed under the bandage—the place where the rebar had gone through. The soreness pulsed steady, like a second heartbeat.
Morning light slanted through the curtains. Dust floated in the beams.
He exhaled.
Then—
SLAM.
His bedroom door swung open like a kicked-in gate. Kael strode in without pause.
"Get up, rookie. You trying to oversleep? Not on my watch."
Itami blinked hard, grounding himself in the present. "I'm up," he muttered, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold under his feet.
Kael lingered a moment, then tossed a rolled-up black compression shirt at his chest. "It's Combat training today. Don't flake just 'cause you got some rest days. You're still expected to move."
"Didn't plan on flaking," Itami said, voice a little lower than usual.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Good. Riven's in a mood. Didn't get to drink his weird tea, so if he starts throwing heavier punches than usual, don't take it personal."
"I thought it was just gonna be you and Sauske?" Itami asked, pulling the shirt on over his head.
"He thought so too," Kael said with a grin, already turning toward the hallway.
Itami gave him a side glance. "Alright. Give me a second to brush my teeth."
"Make it quick, We don't got all day."
Itami looked at his phone and saw a weird message. A pin drop of Hosu from Midorya.
Huh weird coincidence.
He stared at it a second longer before locking the screen and slipping the phone into his pocket.
Outside, the sun was already climbing, heat rising off the courtyard where, instead of sparring mats, massive stones and rusted weight sets lined the ground. Kael was shirtless, cracking his knuckles like he was warming up for a fight. Riven sat cross-legged on a patch of grass, eyes closed—either meditating or pretending to. Sauske stretched with mechanical focus, as if his limbs had no joints.
"I thought we were sparring," Itami said, stepping into the field.
Kael slapped his chest and grinned. "You want to spar with that twig body? Build the engine before you hit the gas."
Then, without warning, he heaved a boulder toward him. "Catch."
Itami caught it—barely. His arms trembled, and the stone dropped to the dirt with a solid *thud*.
"What the hell?!"
Kael barked a laugh. "See? Point proven."
He folded his arms, the grin fading just enough to let something else show. "We've all got raw strength. But if you don't refine it—don't build the foundation—you get missions like the last few. Sloppy. Dangerous. The Shit we're nearly got you and your whole class wrecked."
Itami clenched his jaw, dust settling around the boulder.
"I'm working on it," he muttered, more to himself than to Kael.
Kael tilted his head, expression unreadable for a moment. Then he slapped Itami's shoulder—not hard, but firm. "Yeah, well. Work faster. This world doesn't wait for you to catch your breath."
From the grass, Riven finally spoke, eyes still closed.
"That is, if you even want to catch it."
Itami looked over. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Riven cracked an eye open. "You've been walking around like a guy running from something, not toward it. That gets you killed faster than weak muscles ever will."
Sauske let out a soft chuckle. "You're not a good example. You're always in the back and avoid strength training."
Riven shot Sauske a look as Itami bent down and grabbed the boulder again, lifting it with a strained grunt.
How the hell can a rock be so heavy?
Kael grinned, already hefting a larger boulder with ease.
"Good. Now let's get you some muscle."
I have a bad feeling about this…
Three hours later.
Itami lay sprawled out in the grass, drenched in sweat and completely out of breath. Every part of him ached. Kael stood over him, still holding the same boulder with a casual shrug.
"Come on, is that the best you can do? We haven't even gotten to the best part yet."
"You're crazy…" Itami gasped. His shirt clung to him, soaked, his bandaged arm throbbing faintly.
Kael whistled. "Doc, we need you over here. Rookie's down."
Sauske jogged over and knelt next to Itami. He extended a hand, calm and clinical—but his eyes never met Itami's.
Itami noticed.
Sauske's hands moved with practiced precision, his usual focus intact—but he couldn't look at him. Not once. Like even now, he couldn't face what happened.
Sauske raised his hand, light forming across his fingertips. "There. This should do it."
A warm aura enveloped Itami's body—and immediately lit his nerves on fire.
"AHHH—! I told you no light magic! It's burning my whole body!"
"Still pretty weird how it burns you." Sauske muttered, but there was a faint twitch of a smirk on his face as he pulled back.
The light faded. The soreness eased. But the tension lingered.
The magic soothed the pain in his muscles—but not the one twisting in his chest and mind Some wounds weren't in the flesh.
Kael stretched his arms with a satisfied grunt, finally dropping the boulder to the ground with a loud thud.
"Alright, that's enough for the first half. Be back here at 1800 sharp. No excuses."
Riven stood, brushing grass from his clothes. "Try not to collapse again, rookie."
Sauske gave a curt nod before turning to leave, finally casting a brief glance back toward Itami. Just for a second. Then he walked off without a word.
Itami didn't move. He sat up slowly, dragging himself toward the shade of a nearby tree. His legs felt like sandbags. His breath still ragged. The patch of shade welcomed him like a long-lost friend.
He leaned against the rough bark, eyes half-lidded as he watched the others leave in the distance — Kael's easy swagger, Riven's stiff gait, Sauske's quiet, purposeful stride.
They're moving forward, he thought.
Like nothing happened. Maybe that's the point.
The wind stirred the grass. The cicadas buzzed low.
Itami rested his head back against the tree and let his eyes slip shut. The warmth on his skin, the distant training grounds, the lull of post-exhaustion all pulling him under.
Just for a minute…Later.
A sudden kick of dirt jolted him awake.
"You nap like the dead, rookie," Kael said, standing over him with the sun behind his shoulders.
Itami squinted up at him, blinking against the light. "Time already?"
"Five minutes to spare. Count yourself lucky." Kael grinned, already cracking his knuckles again. "Second round's gonna be a little more hands-on."
Itami groaned softly and pushed himself to his feet, stretching as every muscle protested. Taking off the old and dirty bandaged.
Back to it.
The sun was dipping lower now, casting long shadows over the grass and stone. The air buzzed with leftover heat and the quiet hum of anticipation.
Itami stood center ring, shirt already damp again, hands flexing at his sides.
Kael stood off to the side, arms crossed. "You're up first, Riven. Don't hold back. The only rules is using your affinity's is not allowed. Hand to hand combat."
Riven cracked his neck with a lazy shrug. "Didn't plan to."
He stepped in front of Itami with a loose stance—shoulders low, knees soft. Almost bored.
"Let's see if you can keep up."
Before Itami could reply, Riven moved.
It was like fighting smoke. Riven's style was almost taunting—fast steps, disappearing just before Itami could connect. A jab to the ribs. A cuff to the head. Itami swung wide, overextended—again and again.
"Stop chasing air," Riven said between dodges. "You have to be quicker than that."
Itami gritted his teeth, tried to time his attacks, but his body lagged just a hair behind. Riven swept his leg and sent him crashing onto his back.
"Speed kills," Riven said, offering a hand. "Figure it out."
Itami took it, jaw tight, lungs burning.
He's even faster than Iida. How can someone be that fast?
A flash of memory hit him—the Nomu lunging in flames, Drex dragging him out of death's grip.
He's right. I was too slow…
He moved back into position. Sauske stood ahead now, expression unreadable.
"I didn't know you could fight," Itami said, falling into his stance.
"I don't just heal people, you know," Sauske replied.
They circled. Itami launched first—a side kick. But Sauske slipped past it like water and drove his palm into Itami's chest.
The hit knocked the air from his lungs. He staggered, tried to grab Sauske's arm—but got flipped and thrown like it was nothing.
Itami hit the ground hard, rolled, and landed on one knee, gasping. Sauske didn't press—just stood, relaxed, almost calm.
"Told ya," Sauske said with a small grin.
I got him this time.
Itami rushed again, opening with another kick.
"You're not gonna hit me if you keep doing that," Sauske warned.
Itami feinted the kick—switched to a right hook. Sauske's brow lifted, surprised for half a second, but dodged cleanly.
Itami followed up with a barrage of punches and kicks, mixing his rhythm, trying to fake him out.
But it didn't matter.
Sauske danced around every strike. No wasted motion. Like he already knew the outcome. Then—
WHAM.
Itami hit the ground, face-down. Both arms pinned behind him.
"You're strong," Sauske said, not gloating. "But I can read your every move. Your fighting is predictable."
Itami clenched his jaw. Grass brushed against his cheek.
He hated how easy it looked.
Sauske released him. Itami stood, breath shallow, face flushed from more than just exertion.
Sauske raised a hand. A soft pulse of light swept over Itami's body, knitting muscle and easing aches.
Itami winced. "Ugh—damn light magic. Feels like acid on my skin."
Sauske gave a slight shrug. "You'll live."
Then, quieter—without eye contact:
"I'm sorry… for not doing anything."
Itami looked over, surprised.
Sauske didn't elaborate. Just walked back toward the sidelines as Kael stepped forward. Itami only looked at him in silence as moments in that room flashed in his mind for a second.
At least you said something to me.
"My turn rookie." Kael exclaimed as he cracked his buckles.
Kael cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders loose.
"Show me your true strength," he said, eyes sharp. "So I know this isn't a waste of time."
Itami didn't reply. He stepped into position, shoulders squared, eyes steady. The grass crunched softly beneath his boots.
Kael moved first—heavy-footed and direct. His punch came in wide, full of raw power. Itami slipped under it, rolled out, and came up fast.
He struck—jab, low kick.
Both landed. Neither moved Kael.
Kael grinned, wild and unshaken. "Not bad. But if you're gonna hit me, hit like you mean it—like your life depends on it."
Another punch came—this one faster. It clipped Itami's ribs and sent him stumbling, breath hitching in his throat.
Kael didn't press. He let the silence hang a moment. Not out of mercy. Out of challenge.
"You've got power," he said. "But your head's too loud. That hesitation? That gets you killed."
"What do you know," Itami snapped, his voice sharp with something deeper than anger.
Then he charged.
Ducking low, he dodged Kael's swing and threw a tighter combo—more focused this time. His fists moved fast. Sharper.
Kael took them like rain. Then grabbed Itami's forearm—and headbutted him.
Itami hit the ground hard his head slightly ringing. The grass did little to soften his fall.
Kael stood over him, looking down. "You've got fight in you, rookie. But that pain in your chest? That's not from me."
He paused.
"That's everything you're dragging behind you."
Itami coughed, forcing himself upright. His arms trembled. Sweat dripped into the grass. But his eyes stayed locked on Kael.
"Shut your mouth."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah? Then stop holding back and force me to."
Itami gritted his teeth as his emotions took over.
Everything he'd been trying to bury rose up—Aika's voice, the Nomu's scream, Lyra's concern, Sauske's averted eyes. The weight of it all snapped inside him like a frayed wire finally giving.
He rushed Kael.
Faster. Sloppier.
Kael met him head-on. No quips now. Just brute force. He dodged one blow, caught the next with his forearm, then slammed his elbow down toward Itami's shoulder. Itami ducked. Spun. Threw a punch that finally made Kael stagger half a step.
Kael grinned. "There it is."
But Itami didn't stop. Couldn't.
A shout tore out of him, raw and guttural—and the air around him cracked.
Kael's eyes sharpened. He felt it before he saw it.
Darkness flickered across Itami's face—like shadows twisting under his skin. Black markings clawed their way up from his neck, curling over his jaw. His right eye flashed purple, bright and unnatural.
It lasted only a second—but enough for Itami to land a gut punch and drive his knee into Kael's face.
Kael launched forward to Itami as Itami blocked his punch with his forearms and countered with a side kick to the head. Kael stepped back with a wide grin on his face as Itami took a step back.
"There it is, that's your true strength." Kael laughed as he spat out some blood. "Let's call it a day."
Itami stood for a second, chest heaving but fell down on the grass. His muscles ached even more and both his hands and foot, stung. He looked into the air as Kael approached slowly, offering a hand.
Itami looked up with sweat in his eyes and took his hand as Kael pulled him to his feet.
"This is our reality." Kael said firmly, his voice different than usual. "
"Our line of work. We're not the good guys or the bad guys. I've killed more than I can count. But I can't let that hold me back."
Kael glanced ahead of him, more serious now. "If I hesitate for just a moment, I'm dead. Take it too heart."
Itami nodded. He wanted to believe that. Needed to. But something still twisted quietly in his chest.
Later that night…
The halls of HQ were still, lit by the low hum of fluorescents and the faint mechanical hiss of air conditioning.
Kael stepped into the operations room, sweat still drying on his skin. A dark bruise bloomed along his jaw. He spotted Drex at the center table—armor peeled off, focused on mission data glowing across the interface.
"You look like shit," Drex muttered without looking up.
Kael smirked, dropped into a chair across from him. "He got me good."
Drex's eyes finally lifted, sharp and unreadable. "Report."
Kael didn't speak right away. He leaned forward, voice low.
"I saw it again. Same as in your domain."
Drex went still as he listened more closely.
Kael continued, eyes hard now. "The markings. The eye. Just for a second, but I know what I saw. That kid's got a dark affinity tethered to that beast. No doubt."
Drex leaned back, arms crossed. "I felt it, too. Same presence. It hid—but not well enough."
Kael exhaled through his nose. "So. We reporting it?"
Drex didn't answer right away. He flicked the holoscreen off with a gesture. The room dimmed.
"No. This stays between us. Black Scale only. Not Geto. Not Lira."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Lira too?"
Drex's gaze sharpened. "Especially Lira."
A pause.
"She's always followed orders. Never asked why. Never pushed back. She's too loyal too Geto."
Kael lit a cigarette. The flame crackled, breaking the quiet. "What about the others?"
Drex answered " I don't know yet but I believe Riven and Sasuke aren't on Getos pockets.
There was another moment of silence, then Kael said.
"You think Geto's playing us?"
"I think he already has. That mission with the performer. . Whatever he's not saying—it's dangerous. And now this kid's walking around like a ticking time bomb"
Kael took a drag, exhaled slowly. "So what's the plan?"
"We train him," Drex said flatly. "Prepare him mentally. He needs to control that power. Because if it gets loose…"
He paused.
"It won't be just a mistake. It'll be a crater."
Kael stared into the smoke curling off his cigarette.
"You think he'll break before we finish training him?"
Drex didn't look away from the dark screen.
"That's up to us and him ."