The Shattered Cry of Friendship
[FLASHBACK – Kindergarten Playground, 10 Years Ago]
The afternoon sun was warm, but the air in the playground felt heavy. Children's laughter echoed everywhere—swings creaking, sneakers scraping against sand—but in the farthest corner of the yard, away from the noise, one boy knelt in the dirt.
Kane Jayson.
His small hands were pressed against the ground, trembling. His knees were scraped and raw, streaked with dust and blood. The voices circling him were sharp, mocking, filled with that cruel joy only kids could wield so easily.
"Look at him!"
"The rich kid's crying again!"
"Daddy's money can't save you now, Kane!"
The laughter felt endless. Kane wanted to disappear, to melt into the sand. He bit his lip so hard it almost bled, fighting not to cry—but his chest hurt too much, and the tears came anyway.
Then—
"Hey!"
The shout cut through the noise like lightning.
Three heads turned, startled.
A boy with messy brown hair stood a few feet away, breathing hard from running. His uniform was crooked, his shoes half untied, and his fists were clenched with an anger far too real for someone his age.
"Three against one?" the boy yelled. "That's cowardly!"
The bullies scoffed. "And what are you gonna do about it, huh?"
The brown-haired boy didn't hesitate. He ran straight at them.
"Back off," he said, planting himself between Kane and the others. "If you wanna fight, fight me."
The older boys hesitated. Something in his eyes—something raw and fearless—made them take a step back. They sneered but eventually retreated, muttering under their breath.
Kane blinked through his tears as the boy turned toward him and offered a hand.
"Hi," the boy said, smiling despite the dirt on his face. "I'm Ryan."
For a second, Kane couldn't speak. The world had been cruel for so long that kindness felt like a trick. But then he looked at Ryan's outstretched hand—steady, warm, real—and slowly took it.
"I'm… Kane."
Ryan's grin widened. "Nice to meet you, Kane. Let's be friends."
It was a simple sentence. But for Kane, it felt like the first time someone had really seen him—not as the rich kid, not as the heir of the Jayson name, but as just him.
And that moment became everything.
[FLASHBACK – Aura Evaluation Plaza, 5 Years Later]
The plaza was alive with light and cheers. Families gathered as the young trainees lined up for their first aura evaluations. A massive crystal stood in the center, humming with energy as each child stepped forward, one by one.
A voice echoed from the speakers:
"Next up—Kane Jayson!"
The crowd murmured with excitement. The Jayson name carried weight. Kane, now taller, more confident, took the stage with a practiced smile. He placed his hand on the crystal, and golden energy flowed through it.
The numbers appeared instantly:
"800 units of Primordial Aura!"
Gasps filled the air. Applause followed. Parents whispered to each other. Kane basked in it, chest swelling with pride. His father's approving nod in the distance only made his heart pound harder.
Ryan was next. He ran up with a bright grin, clapping Kane on the shoulder. "That was amazing! Now it's my turn!"
He placed his hand on the crystal.
The machine flickered… once… twice…
Then fell silent.
No light. No hum. Just stillness.
"Is it broken?" someone muttered.
A few seconds later, a cold digital voice announced:
"0 units."
The laughter started immediately.
"No aura?!"
"What a joke!"
"He wants to be a hero?!"
Ryan blinked, confused. "W-wait, that can't be right—" But the words were drowned out by laughter.
Kane stood frozen. He looked at Ryan—his best friend—standing there under the weight of every cruel voice. His heart twisted. He wanted to defend him, to shout at them all to shut up. But then he saw it—his father watching from afar, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
No one can know I'm friends with someone like that…
The thought slithered in like poison.
Kane's palms grew sweaty. The weight of the Jayson name crushed him. Everyone was laughing, expecting him to laugh too.
Just… do what everyone else is doing, he told himself. Don't be weak again. Not this time.
He forced a laugh.
"Hahaha! No aura? That's pathetic!"
Ryan turned to him, eyes wide, disbelief flooding his face. "What…? Kane… aren't you my friend?"
Kane couldn't meet his gaze. He felt something in his chest break as he whispered, "I don't even know you, kid."
The world went silent for Ryan.
He stared for a long moment—long enough for tears to blur everything. Then his knees hit the ground.
"KANE!!"
His cry echoed through the plaza.
But Kane didn't turn back.
[PRESENT – Hero Academy Rooftop]
The wind was cold.
Ryan walked through the corridor, steps steady despite the whispers trailing him since the aura test. He didn't look back when he heard the voice behind him—cold, sharp, familiar.
"Hey, Ryan. I want a word. Alone."
Ethan immediately stepped between them. "No way. If you touch him—"
Ryan raised a hand, calm. "It's okay, Ethan. Let's talk, Kane."
Kane said nothing, just turned and headed toward the rooftop. Ryan followed.
The city stretched endlessly below, bathed in the golden hues of sunset. The wind carried a faint scent of rain. For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kane's voice broke the silence. "You're hiding something."
Ryan tilted his head. "What?"
"Don't play dumb," Kane said, stepping closer. "You've had aura all along, haven't you? You're pretending to be weak. Admit it."
Ryan's eyes softened with quiet fatigue. "I've been tested a hundred times, Kane. You know that."
Kane slammed his fist into the railing. The metal groaned under his anger. "Lorien. Inavy. They both saw something in you today! You think I didn't notice? You glowed, Ryan! You're not some powerless nobody—you're lying!"
Ryan looked up at the orange sky. His voice, when it came, was calm but heavy. "I have no aura, Kane. What you saw… was just strength. The kind that doesn't need light."
Kane's jaw tightened. His heart hammered against his ribs. Anger, pride, and something else—something that felt too close to guilt—boiled together until he couldn't tell them apart.
"Don't give me that crap!" he shouted. "I'll prove it! In this Draft, I'll expose you in front of everyone. I'll crush you, and then they'll see who the real hero is!"
Ryan turned slowly. His expression didn't change. There was no fear in his eyes—only quiet resolve.
"Then I'll see you at the Draft… Kane Jayson."
The words hit like a blade—clean, calm, final.
Kane didn't reply. He just stood there, chest heaving, watching as Ryan walked past him, the setting sun casting long shadows across the rooftop.
For a brief moment, Kane's hand twitched—half reaching out, half ready to strike—but he froze. The same fear from years ago returned, that same cold, suffocating fear of weakness.
And as the wind howled through the silence, he realized something terrible.
The friend he'd betrayed all those years ago… was no longer the boy who needed saving.
Ryan stopped at the door and looked back over his shoulder, his hair blowing in the wind.
"Some things," he said quietly, "don't need forgiveness to move forward."
Then he left.
Kane remained alone under the darkening sky.
He clenched his fists so tight his nails drew blood.
Why does he still look at me like that… as if I'm the one who needs saving?
The wind carried the distant sound of laughter from below—the Academy alive with life and noise, unaware of the storm brewing above.
The rooftop lights flickered once, reflecting off the tears Kane refused to let fall.
And beneath the noise of the city, the echo of a memory whispered:
"Hi. I'm Ryan. Let's be friends."
End of Chapter 7 – "The Shattered Cry of Friendship"
"The past never forgets. And broken bonds become the most dangerous chains."