Chapter 2: The Art of Looking Normal

Hikari stood at the front, radiating energy that made Kaito want to crawl behind a bush. “Today we focus on teamwork!” she announced, clapping her hands. “Pair up with someone whose ability complements yours!”

Kaito instinctively drifted toward the edges. He found a spot near a crumbling wall and pretended to inspect his fingernails. Maybe if he looked busy enough, no one would notice him.

“Tanaka.”

He froze. Ren Yoshida stood beside him, arms crossed, wearing an expression that suggested he'd already solved a puzzle and was waiting for the pieces to confess.

“We're partners,” Ren said.

Kaito blinked. “Are we?”

“Everyone else paired up. You were the last one left.” Ren's eyes narrowed slightly. “Unless you'd rather train alone?”

“No, no. Partners. Great.” Kaito forced a smile. “What's your ability again?”

“Analysis. I can see the structure of things—spells, barriers, even people's energy flow.” Ren paused. “Yours is Null, right?”

Kaito nodded, already regretting this.

“Interesting.” Ren's tone carried no warmth. “I've been reading about Null abilities. They're supposed to be completely inert. No magical signature, no effect on the environment.”

“That sounds right.”

“Yet yesterday, during the attack, I noticed something. The demon beast stopped mid-charge. Everyone thought it was their spells, but the timing was off. It stopped before most of them even finished casting.”

Kaito shrugged. “Maybe it tripped.”

Ren stared at him. “Demons don't trip.”

“This one might have been clumsy.”

Before Ren could respond, Sir Garvin's voice boomed across the field. “Pairs! Begin defensive drills! I want shields up in three seconds!”

Hikari raised her hand, and a golden barrier bloomed around her. Other students followed suit, their shields flickering in various shades of blue, green, and red. Kaito stood still, waiting.

“You're not casting,” Ren observed.

“I can't.” Kaito spread his hands. “Null, remember?”

“Then what are you going to do during a real fight?”

Kaito had anticipated this question. He'd prepared an answer that sounded suitably pathetic. “I'll… throw rocks? Or maybe run away and get help.”

Ren's eyebrow arched. “That's your plan?”

“I'm a background character. Background characters don't fight. They provide moral support and die off-screen.”

Ren opened his mouth to reply, but a sharp whistle cut him off. Sir Garvin was pointing toward the treeline. “Demon scout! Single creature, heading this way. Defensive positions!”

Panic rippled through the class. Hikari immediately took command, shouting orders. “Front line, prepare barriers! Healers, stay behind me! Everyone else, get ready to attack on my signal!”

Kaito shuffled toward the back, but Ren grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

“To find a rock?”

“Stay close. If you're Null, you're a liability. I need to keep an eye on you.”

Kaito suppressed a sigh. This was exactly what he didn't need—a suspicious classmate watching his every move.

The demon emerged from the trees. It was smaller than the one from the previous night, about the size of a bear, with matted black fur and eyes that glowed like embers. It sniffed the air, then locked onto the group of students.

Hikari stepped forward, palms glowing. “Stay back! I'll handle this!”

She launched a bolt of light. The demon dodged, skittering sideways with surprising speed. It lunged toward a cluster of students near the left flank. Screams erupted.

Kaito's heart raced. He couldn't let anyone get hurt, but he couldn't reveal his power either. He needed a distraction—something subtle.

As the demon charged, Kaito focused on a loose stone near its path. He nudged it mentally, just enough to make it roll. The demon's clawed foot caught the stone, and it stumbled, crashing into a training dummy instead of the students.

“It tripped!” someone shouted.

“Attack now!” Hikari yelled, seizing the opportunity. A volley of spells struck the demon, and it dissolved into smoke.

Cheers erupted. Hikari beamed, accepting congratulations. Kaito exhaled slowly, letting his shoulders relax.

Ren turned to him, eyes narrow. “That stone.”

“What about it?”

“It moved. Right before the demon fell.”

Kaito blinked innocently. “Maybe the wind blew it.”

“There's no wind.”

“A tremor, then. This world seems unstable.”

Ren's jaw tightened. “You're hiding something.”

“I'm hiding my lunch. I don't want anyone to steal my bread.”

“Tanaka.”

Kaito met Ren's gaze, keeping his expression blank. “I'm just a guy with a useless ability. That's all.”

Ren held his stare for a long moment, then looked away. “Fine. But I'm watching you.”

“Great. I love an audience.”

The training continued. Kaito spent most of it dodging exercises by claiming exhaustion, nausea, and once, a sudden allergy to grass. By midday, he'd successfully avoided any situation that required him to demonstrate his abilities.

As the sun climbed higher, Sir Garvin announced a break. Students collapsed onto the grass, groaning. Kaito found a spot under a tree, away from the main group, and closed his eyes.

He didn't sleep. He thought about the demon lord, the summoning, the weight of his secret. Every time he used his power, he risked exposure. But every time he held back, he risked someone's life.

“Kaito?”

He opened his eyes. Hikari stood over him, a water skin in her hand.

“You looked thirsty,” she said, offering it.

He took it gratefully. “Thanks.”

She sat beside him, crossing her legs. “You've been quiet all morning. Are you okay?”

“Just tired.” He took a sip. “Big day yesterday.”

“I know what you mean.” She gazed at the horizon. “I never imagined something like this would happen. One moment I'm studying for exams, the next I'm fighting demons.”

“At least you're good at it.”

She laughed softly. “I'm just trying to do what's right. Everyone's counting on me.”

Kaito felt a pang of guilt. She was carrying so much, and he was hiding the one thing that could lighten her load.

“If you ever need help,” he said carefully, “I'm here. Even if I can't do much.”

She smiled, warm and genuine. “That means a lot. Thank you.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Then Hikari stood, brushing off her clothes. “I should check on the others. Rest well, okay?”

She walked away, and Kaito watched her go. She was everything he wasn't—brave, open, willing to stand in the light. He admired her. He also envied her.

That night, as the class gathered for dinner, an announcement was made. Sir Garvin stood at the head of the table, his expression grim.

“We've received word from the capital. The demon lord's forces are mobilizing faster than expected. We'll be moving to the front lines in three days.”

Silence fell. Students exchanged worried glances.

“Three days?” someone whispered. “We're not ready.”

“You'll be ready,” Sir Garvin said firmly. “Or you'll die. That's the reality of war.”

Hikari stood, her voice steady. “We'll face this together. We've trained hard, and we have each other. No one will be left behind.”

Nods and murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Kaito kept his eyes on his plate.

Later, in the dormitory, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The moonlight filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the room. He heard the soft breathing of his classmates, the occasional rustle of someone turning over.

He closed his eyes. Sleep came slowly.

And then, he was somewhere else.

A dark plain stretched before him, lit by a crimson sky. The ground was cracked and dry, like a riverbed that had long since died. In the distance, a figure stood—tall, cloaked in shadow, with eyes that burned like twin stars.

The demon lord.

Kaito tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He was a spectator in his own dream.

“You think you can hide from me?” The voice was deep, echoing, as if it came from everywhere at once. “I see you, little one. The one who wears the mask of nothing.”

Kaito's heart pounded.

“Your power is a beacon. You cannot extinguish it. Soon, everyone will see.” The figure stepped closer. “And when they do, you will have to choose: hide and let them fall, or stand and become what you fear.”

Kaito wanted to speak, to deny, to run—but he was frozen.

The demon lord smiled. “I look forward to our meeting.”

The dream shattered.

Kaito woke with a gasp, sitting upright. Sweat clung to his forehead. The dormitory was quiet, undisturbed.

He looked at his hands. They were trembling.

The demon lord knew. Somehow, impossibly, he knew.

And if he knew, how long before everyone else found out?

Kaito lay back down, staring at the darkness above him. The clock was ticking. His secret was a bomb, and the fuse was burning faster than ever.

He didn't sleep again that night.