The sun had barely lifted above the rooftops, but the city already felt restless — like a body twisting in sleep, aware of some distant nightmare it couldn't escape.
Kai moved through the streets as though he was underwater. Every sound seemed muffled; every movement felt like it left ripples in an invisible pool no one else could see.
As he crossed an intersection, a delivery truck sped past, leaving behind a wake of exhaust and angry curses. A cyclist almost clipped him, swearing under his breath, but Kai barely flinched. His mind was stuck on the figure from yesterday — the white-eyed shadow standing at the far end of the street, waiting for him.
"What do you want from me?" he thought again. "Why me?"
A sudden buzz in his pocket snapped him back. He pulled out his phone. A group chat pinged — Marcus had sent a blurry video of a cat falling off a ledge, captioned "Bro, me trying to survive math class."
Kai managed a small laugh, a sound that felt too sharp against the hush inside him. He typed back a quick string of emojis, performing the part of "the funny friend" as always. But his thumb hovered longer than usual before he pressed send.
His reflection in the dark screen stared back at him — eyes hollow, mouth twitching with an almost-forgotten sadness.
He pushed open the doors of the community center, the creak of old hinges echoing down the empty hallway. The building smelled of sweat, disinfectant, and old paint. A place that had once felt like a second home, now felt alien.
In the corner, Marcus was already bouncing a basketball, his energy rattling off the walls. Marcus was a storm in human form — all sharp laughs, fast movements, and sparks of impatience.
"Yo, Kai!" Marcus shouted, tossing the ball.
Kai caught it, but the ball felt heavier than it should. As if it knew the tremor in his chest.
"You good, man? You look like you just crawled out of a horror movie," Marcus joked, his grin wide and careless.
Kai forced a laugh, pushing the ball back. "Nah, just didn't sleep. You know how it is."
But Marcus' eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of concern hidden behind the swagger. He always noticed more than he let on.
They played a few rounds, sneakers squealing on the dusty floor, their breaths sharp and rhythmic. But Kai felt off-balance. His movements lagged, as if someone else was pulling his strings half a second too late.
At one point, Marcus spun past him, shouting, "C'mon, slowpoke!" before slamming the ball into the net with a force that seemed to crack the air itself.
Kai stood frozen, staring at the rim, the echoes of Marcus' laughter bouncing inside his skull like trapped birds.
The world flickered. For a moment, the court looked... different. The floor twisted beneath his feet, tiny fractures crawling outward like spiderwebs. The lines of the court glowed faintly, as if they were veins pumping some unseen energy.
Kai squeezed his eyes shut. Not now. Please, not now.
When he opened them, Marcus was already at his side, hand on Kai's shoulder.
"You good?" Marcus asked, breathless but serious now.
Kai nodded, swallowing the rising panic. "Yeah… just lightheaded."
Marcus studied him, his hand lingering longer than usual before he finally pulled away. "Man, you need to eat more than air and vibes."
Kai laughed again, but it felt like shards in his throat.
Later, they sat on the bench, sweat dripping down their foreheads, plastic water bottles crushed in their hands.
Outside the window, Kai watched a group of kids chasing each other, their voices high and bright. A gust of wind pushed dust and wrappers across the playground. For a moment, he imagined a dark figure standing among them — silent, waiting.
"Bro, you ever feel like... something's coming?" Kai blurted, surprising himself.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Your mom with the belt when you break curfew?"
Kai smirked, but the question still pressed at his ribs. "No, like... I dunno. Like something big. Like the whole world's holding its breath."
Marcus leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Man, you always on that deep philosopher stuff. Just chill. We alive, ain't we?"
Kai watched him, envy blooming quietly. Marcus could just be. No masks, no echoing shadows behind his eyes.
They left the center together, Marcus dribbling the ball down the sidewalk, ignoring the occasional annoyed glance from passersby.
Kai felt the pulse again under his feet. Stronger now, like a second heartbeat syncing with his own. Every step felt like he was stepping on glass — thin, sharp, ready to shatter.
As they parted ways at the crosswalk, Marcus punched his shoulder lightly. "Yo, hit me up later. And don't ghost me like last week. You been actin' weird, for real."
Kai forced a grin. "Bet."
Marcus jogged off, disappearing around a corner.
Kai turned toward home but stopped. The sun had dipped lower, bleeding orange and red into the sky. The shadows stretched longer, reaching for him like claws.
He felt it then — a surge deep inside, something cracking open. His vision warped. The buildings leaned too far, the sky twisted like oil on water.
He clutched the brim of his hat, his knees threatening to give out. And in the warped reflection of a shop window across the street, he saw it: the shadow again. Closer now. Clearer. Its white eyes like two open wounds in the dusk.
A car horn jolted him back. The world snapped into focus, the illusion evaporating like breath on cold glass.
Kai staggered backward, his heart punching his ribs, lungs clawing for air.
"What is happening to me?"
He stood there, trembling, as the street lights flickered on, one by one, each glow feeling like an eye opening in the dark.
"Not just to survive.""Not just to blend in.""But to face it."
He took a shaky breath, the night air filling him like a cold wave.
Somewhere inside, he felt it — the awakening wasn't a distant storm. It was already here, crawling under his skin, echoing in every beat of his heart.
And the question wasn't if he would break.
It was when.
"The moment you see the shadow, it has already seen you a thousand times before."