Seiji's dream was just getting good when the noise from downstairs yanked him back to reality.
And Seiji's reality every morning was the same—unbearable.
Groaning, he rolled over, a raging boner throbbing under the sheets. Eighteen years old, high school senior, and as invisible as a ghost. Stuck in the crappiest loop imaginable: school, study, home. Repeat.
If only something—anything—would change.
And then he remembered. Yesterday. The box.
The delivery had been strange. A man in a suit, not a courier. "From your late grandfather, on his instructions now that you've come of age," he'd said. "It took me a while to find you."
Grandfather?
Seiji pulled the box from under his bed. The moment his fingers touched the dark wood, a subtle warmth ran up his arm. Not an electric shock. A thrumming, alive warmth.
He popped the lid open.
Inside, nestled on black velvet, was an amulet that stole the air from his lungs.
It wasn't just a trinket. On a heavy, woven chain was a deep, blood-red gem, cut with a hundred facets that seemed to drink the light and glow with their own inner fire. It felt ancient. Powerful. And dangerous.
Wow… this isn't just expensive. This is—extraordinary.
Beneath it, a note in sharp, commanding handwriting.
Grandson,
I hope you inherit more than my name. I hope you challenge the world the way I did and achieve as much, and more.
This stone has seen storms most would flee, and yet it endures—and so will you. Guard it. It will transform your life and fulfill your deepest desires.
And when you're ready, follow the paths I left behind.
Seiji swallowed. The words hit him like a physical blow.
This wasn't a gift. It was destiny.
A shiver ran down his spine. He lifted the amulet.
My deepest desires? No kidding?
His vision blurred for a split second, the air growing charged. He blinked, and the world snapped into focus. Colors were brighter. Sounds were clearer. He caught his reflection in the mirror. He was the same, but… he looked different. His eyes, his aura, felt magnetic.
"Seiji! Breakfast!"
The voice from the kitchen jolted him back. He slipped the chain over his head. The amulet settled against his chest, warm and humming.
He trudged downstairs. In the kitchen, his dad, Jun, was glued to his phone. His stepmother, Haruko, moved the dishes with the grace of a ballet dancer. The smell of bacon invaded his nostrils.
Then it happened.
As he sat down, his older sister, Yumi, glanced up from her baby. Her eyes—usually so distant—met his.
They lingered.
Seiji's heart stuttered. There was something in her gaze.
A flicker of surprise, then something else entirely. Appreciation. Admiration.
Appreciation? Admiration? No—desire?
Seiji's stomach twisted. No way.
He looked away, then back. Her gaze was still locked on him. Something new, dangerous, flickered in her eyes.
And deep down, Seiji knew. The amulet was real. His destiny was real. The ghost he used to be was gone.
His new life had begun.