The classroom door stayed open. Aryan waited outside, giving a small wave. The teacher looked back at Mayo and nodded. Mayo took a breath and walked into the hallway.
Aryan grinned and held out his hand, and they did that handshake they'd done a hundred times before. Aryan was a year older and a grade higher, always the top of his class, but he never acted like it around Mayo.
"Where's Elina?" Aryan asked, looking past him.
"She didn't come today," Mayo said.
Aryan's face fell. "Oh man, on a day like this?"
Mayo frowned. "What's today?"
"You don't remember?" Aryan shook his head. "I should have known… Today's the final match. Ozair's fighting Isa—that guy from the number one school in the country."
Mayo felt his knees go weak. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Don't play dumb," Aryan said. "I told you three times last week."
He pulled out two tickets and waved them between his fingers.
"Here, this one's yours. And this one's for Elina. Since she's not here, I'll drop it off at her place later."
They parted ways, and the rest of the day drifted by in a blur. When the clock finally struck three, Mayo made his way toward the free-fight club.
The building pulsed with noise. Families, coaches, and students filled the entrance and crowded the hallways. The air smelled faintly of sweat and anticipation.
Mayo pulled out his phone and called Aryan.
"Hey, I'm here. Where are you?"
"Inside. You see the ring?"
Mayo spotted it raised high in the center. "Yeah."
"Waiting for you there." Aryan hung up.
Mayo pushed through the crowd until the ring came into view, raised under bright white lights. Aryan stood near the wall, arms folded.
"Mayo! Over here!"
It was Aryan, waving him over, and when Mayo reached him, the first thing he asked was about Elina.
"I called and texted Elina," Aryan said before Mayo could speak. "She's offline. I even went by her house. No one answered."
A quiet knot formed in Mayo's chest. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Probably out with her mother. Come on. Let's check on Ozair."
They headed toward the preparation room.
Ozair sat on a bench while a coach wrapped his hands. He looked up and broke into a grin.
"Hey, there you guys are!"
They bumped fists and exchanged quick hugs, but then Ozair looked past them.
"Wait, where's Elina?"
"With her mother," Mayo replied.
Ozair exhaled through his nose. "On a day like this."
Aryan stepped forward. "Focus on winning. This isn't any normal match."
Ozair nodded and slipped his mouth guard in, tapping his chest to get in the zone. But then Aryan added, "Just understand something first. Even if you win, you're still below me."
Ozair's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't have to remind people I'm strong. They already know."
"Keep telling yourself that."
Before the tension could rise further, the door swung open. A little girl rushed inside, followed by a man and a woman.
Ozair's family.
Aryan scooped up the girl, Ozair's little sister. "Hello Ava, looking full of energy today."
"Hello, big bro, Aryan!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "After seeing you, anyone gets fresh because you're the strongest!"
Aryan laughed and looked at Ozair. "See? Even she knows."
Ozair's face went red. "Seriously, Ava? That moron isn't even close to me."
They were about to go at it again when the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, calling the fighters to the ring.
Ozair's dad, a former boxing champion, stepped forward and placed both hands on his son's shoulders.
"I believe in you. And I know you will win."
Ozair looked at his father for a long moment, then smiled. "Of course I will, Dad. Winning's what I do."
They stepped out into the arena.
The ring blazed under the lights. Isa stood inside, bouncing lightly on his heels, eyes sharp.
When Ozair entered, they met at the center.
Isa got right in Ozair's face and shoved him hard.
Ozair stumbled back, then recovered and shoved back just as hard.
One of Isa's guys swung at Ozair. Aryan caught his wrist an inch from impact, grip like iron.
"Back up."
The man tried again. Aryan slipped aside, seized him by the collar, and drove him onto the canvas.
"Warned you."
Officials rushed in and separated them. The fighters returned to their corners.
The bell rang.
Isa came out fast, throwing aggressive combinations. Ozair guarded tightly, absorbing the pressure. He watched, waited, then answered with a sharp counter that snapped Isa's head back.
The crowd surged.
Second round.
Isa grew reckless, chasing a finish. Ozair remained composed. A clean hook landed flush. Isa's legs wavered, but he stayed upright.
By the third round, exhaustion clung to Isa. Ozair stepped forward with controlled pressure, forcing him back again and again until the referee finally stepped between them.
Ozair's hand was raised. He had won.
The arena exploded with cheers.
The belt was fastened around his waist. His family rushed the ring. Ava bounced near the ropes, shouting his name.
Mayo stood beside Aryan, watching it all. "Hey Aryan, do you remember how we met him?"
Aryan was quiet for a second, then smiled. "Of course, I do."
They had been kids, maybe six or seven.
There was an empty lot at the edge of the neighborhood, overgrown grass and a rusted swing set. A snarling dog guarded it like a throne.
Every day after school, Mayo, Aryan, and Elina would peer through the fence and dream about playing there, but they never dared go in.
Then one afternoon, they heard barking and a boy's voice shouting back.
They ran to see.
A kid their age stood facing the dog, clothes torn, a scrape on his cheek, blood dripping from his nose. He wiped it with the back of his hand and growled, "I'll kick your ass. I haven't given up yet!"
And then he charged.
Mayo's eyes went wide. "Hey!"
The boy glanced over but didn't stop.
"He's a dangerous dog!" Mayo shouted. "If you fight him, you'll get hurt!"
The boy grinned through gritted teeth, a gap where his front tooth should have been. "Hah! Is that supposed to scare me?"
Before anyone could react, Aryan dashed forward and stood beside him. Elina followed, picking up stones and throwing them. Mayo stood frozen for a second, his heart pounding, then a fierce, warm feeling rose in his chest.
"I'm a hero too!" he yelled and ran to join them.
It was not truly a fight. Just four stubborn children refusing to back down.
By sunset, the dog retreated.
They were sitting in golden sunlight, muddy and scraped but victorious. Mayo looked at the boy with the bloody nose. "Hey, what's your name?"
The boy grinned. "I'm Ozair. The Titan of Terra!"
Elina giggled. "Why such a long name?"
"Well, actually, it's just Ozair. But Titan of Terra sounds cooler, right?"
They all laughed. Aryan clapped Ozair on the shoulder. "Let's be friends."
Ozair looked at each of them—Aryan's boldness, Elina's quiet strength, Mayo's hopeful smile—and his expression softened. "Of course. I'll be your friend. And your protector."
The memory faded.
Back in the present, the celebration was still going. When they finally put Ozair down, he hugged his parents and Ava, then walked over to Mayo and Aryan.
He put one hand on Mayo's shoulder and the other on Aryan's, and for a moment they just stood there, Aryan and Ozair laughing about something Mayo hadn't caught.
Mayo looked at them. I'm so happy right now… But how do I show them?
Before he could figure it out, Ozair grinned. "Seems like someone's stronger than someone here."
He wasn't talking about Isa. Everyone knew who he meant.
Aryan raised an eyebrow. "You really wanna do this now?"
"Why not? You've been running your mouth all day."
Ozair turned to Mayo. "Who's stronger? Tell him."
Mayo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked at Aryan, then at Ozair. Both of them are so powerful. How am I supposed to choose?
He could not choose.
Later that evening, after the celebration ended, Mayo returned home and told his parents about the match. They listened and smiled. For a while, everything felt steady.
When he finally climbed into bed, he fell asleep quickly, exhaustion pulling him under. He dreamed of nothing, only darkness until morning.
When he opened his eyes, the ceiling crack was there waiting for him. He stared at it, then sat up and rubbed his face. The light outside was strange, muted.
He went downstairs. Breakfast was the same as always, his mother at the stove, his father with the coffee. Mayo smiled in the right places, laughed when he was supposed to, then grabbed his bag and headed out.
The sky was heavy with clouds.
When he reached the school gate, the guard called out to him. "Didn't you see the group chat? School's closed today."
Mayo stared at the school for a second and turned around without saying anything.
The rain started when he was about ten minutes from home. Not hard at first, just a few drops here and there, but then it opened up, and within minutes, he was soaked.
He could have stopped under a shop awning or waited it out somewhere dry, but he didn't. He just kept walking, his hands in his pockets, his glasses fogging up.
At a crosswalk, he paused. The light was red. Cars passed in sheets of spray.
He closed his eyes and let the rain fall against his skin.
Then it stopped. Not the rain. Just the rain hitting him.
He opened his eyes and saw an umbrella above his head. He turned to his right.
Elina was standing there, holding the umbrella, smiling at him. She was in her school uniform too, her bag over one shoulder, her hair a little damp around the edges.
"Elina?" The word came out rough. "What are you doing here?"
"Same as you. I didn't know about the holiday today."
Mayo grinned, "And why didn't you come yesterday?"
"I went somewhere with my mother. Sorry, I didn't tell you. My phone's been acting up, so I didn't see any messages."
They walked together beneath the umbrella. He told her about Ozair's victory. She listened and laughed quietly.
For a while, the rain didn't matter, and that was enough for a smile.
They reached his house first, and Mayo remembered the book in his bag. He pulled it out and handed it to her. "Elon wanted you to have this back."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh. Thanks, Mayo."
Their eyes met, and for a moment neither of them spoke. Mayo was the first to look away. He said goodbye.
When he walked through the door, his parents were in the living room, the television on. His mother looked up. "Back already? What happened?"
"School's closed," he said, shaking some of the water from his hair. "Bad weather."
On the TV, a news anchor was speaking in that urgent voice they used for storms and disasters. A weather map swirled with reds and purples behind her.
"...severe storm system moving in. The Meteorological Department is advising all residents of Hanabira City to stay indoors after noon. This is not a typical storm—expect high winds, torrential rain, and possible lightning strikes. Your safety is our priority. Stay home, stay safe."
Mayo watched for a moment, then went upstairs.
The sky outside his window had turned black. Rain hammered against the glass.
He sat at his desk, put his head down on the cool wood, and before he knew it, he was asleep.
The dream took him again.
The tower. Cold stone. Echoing footsteps. Behind him, the smiling mask, always the same distance away.
Thump, thump, thump.
He passed a landing and saw a window, stormy gray light spilling through. He lunged for it, but the stairs carried him down to another level, and there it was again, mocking him.
He kept running.
Further down, in the gloom, he saw a figure standing still. Broad shoulders. Familiar.
"Father."
He burst through a heavy door, finding himself outside...
"Father!" Mayo gasped, stumbling toward him. "Help me, someone's chasing—"
He grabbed the man's sleeve.
The figure turned.
It was the mask. The painted, perpetual smile.
Mayo woke with a jolt, a silent scream trapped in his chest. He was at his desk, the room dark, the storm still raging. It was already evening.
Just a dream. It's always just a dream.
He tried to shake it off and thought about the homework he needed to do.
He pulled out his notebook and textbook, movements mechanical and routine. As he cleared space on his desk, his hand brushed against something folded, buried under a pile of books.
He pulled it out. Last week's test.
Lightning flashed, painting the sky orange-red. In that brief light, the bright red zero at the top seemed to glow.
He stared at it.
A deafening crack of thunder shook the house. The lights flickered once, twice—
And went out.
Darkness swallowed the room, broken only by the occasional flash from outside. Mayo sat still, the test paper still in his hands.
Then he heard it.
A faint sound came from behind him. Soft. Unfamiliar.
Slowly, he turned and looked around the room. Nothing moved. The walls were still. The window was closed.
Then it came again.
This time, he knew where it was coming from.
He turned toward his closet.
A soft, steady blue glow was leaking from under the door.
His breath caught.
The glow pulsed once, then again.Then the closet door slowly creaked open.