Kiki's Entrance

The world had been a kaleidoscope of muted grays and worried whispers for weeks. Every shadow seemed to stretch a little too long, every unfamiliar face felt like a potential threat. My parents, Yuji and Nobara, were shadows themselves lately, their usual warm smiles replaced by tight lines of concern, their laughter hushed. Hiding. That’s what we were doing. Hiding from people who wanted something from me, something I didn’t even understand myself. My powers, they called them. Untamed. Dangerous.

I was just David. Fourteen years old. I liked video games, terrible puns, and the smell of rain on hot pavement. I wasn’t supposed to be a walking, talking danger. But then, everything changed. My parents. Sorcerers. And me? Apparently, the strongest one in the world. The thought still felt like an ill-fitting coat, too heavy and too big.

We were holed up in a small, nondescript apartment on the outskirts of a city that felt more like a labyrinth than a home. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and unspoken fears. Yuji, ever the calm anchor, was meticulously cleaning his cursed tools, his movements precise, his gaze distant. Nobara, her fiery spirit usually a beacon, was pacing the small living room, her fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on her thigh.