Swords of Fate

Soto was screaming, his heart pounding as he ran. A man with a snake's tail slithered after him, closing the distance with terrifying ease.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" Soto shouted, his voice trembling with fear.

The snake man grinned, his eyes glinting with malice. "What do I want, Soto? I want you. I want to see how you bleed. I want to hear your cries for help... knowing no one is coming to save you."

Soto's face contorted with terror. "You're wrong! The police will stop you!"

As if on cue, officers surrounded the snake man, their guns drawn. A volley of bullets rang out. But the snake man moved faster than their eyes could follow, his tail lashing out in a blur of deadly force. One by one, the officers fell, lifeless.

"See, Soto? No one can help you."

Suddenly, Soto's family appeared before him—his mother, father, and sister standing protectively in his path.

"Don't worry, Soto," his mom said softly. "We won't let this monster hurt you."

Before Soto could respond, the snake man's tail struck like lightning, impaling all three of them.

"No!" Soto screamed, frozen in horror as their bodies crumpled to the ground.

The snake man tilted his head, his sinister grin widening. "Look what you made me do, Soto. Where are you? Hmm? Where are you, Soto...? Soto!"

"Soto!"

A sharp slap jolted him awake. A girl stood over him, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice breaking through the haze of his nightmare.

Soto blinked, his vision blurred as he stared ahead with a blank expression. He rubbed his eyes, slowly realizing he was back in his classroom. Sitting beside him was Yuki, leaning over with a curious look.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Soto hesitated, his mind still muddled. "Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine."

Yuki smirked playfully. "Were you dreaming about me?"

Soto's face turned bright red as he stammered, "Wha—no! I mean, n-no, you..." He trailed off, fumbling for words.

Before Yuki could tease him further, the teacher walked into the room, unusually late. The class fell silent.

The teacher cleared her throat, her tone somber. "Sadly, many students in our school lost their lives in the tragedy last month. Today, we'll take a moment of silence to honor those who have passed."

The room grew quiet, a heavy stillness settling over the class. After three minutes, the teacher spoke again, her voice soft but steady.

"If anyone feels overwhelmed or needs support, please know you can visit the counselor's office at any time. Or, if you'd like to share now, you're welcome to speak."

Several students raised their hands, their voices trembling as they spoke of the close friends and family they had lost. Soto scanned the room, his eyes lingering on an empty desk. Saga's seat... it's empty.

"Did Saga..." Soto whispered, his voice trailing off.

Yuki looked at him, her expression shadowed by worry. "I hope not," she said, crossing her arms tightly. After a brief pause, she forced a small smile and leaned closer. "Hey, we should go somewhere after school. Just you and me."

Soto blinked in surprise, then a hopeful grin spread across his face. "Like a date?"

Yuki chuckled, her smile softening. "Yeah, it could be a date."

Soto does a small cheer as the bell rings. "Okay, class stay safe." The students then left the classroom

"Alright, Yuki, where do you want to go?" Soto asked as they strolled down the street. Yuki pointed toward a cozy shop in the distance. "How about that coffee shop?" she suggested with a playful smile.

Soto's face lit up. "I love coffee!"

Yuki giggled, her laughter soft and genuine. As they walked, Soto reached out and hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. Yuki squeezed it gently, smiling back at him.

The warmth of the moment was interrupted when Soto suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Hey, Yuki, is that Saga?" he asked, nodding toward the other side of the street.

Yuki turned her head, spotting their classmate. "Yeah, it is. What's he up to?"

Soto tilted his head, curiosity sparking. "Do you want to follow him?"

Yuki put a finger to her chin in mock thought, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "How about we make this part of our date?"

Soto chuckled and nodded. "Alright, let's do it."

They trailed behind Saga, keeping their distance as he walked briskly through the streets. The path led them to an abandoned house with a creaky, weathered door. Saga stepped inside, glancing over his shoulder before disappearing into the shadows.

Yuki and Soto exchanged a glance. "Come on," Soto whispered, motioning for her to follow.

Inside, the house smelled of damp wood and decay. The floor creaked beneath their cautious steps. They watched as Saga opened a door leading to a hidden staircase, holding a lantern aloft as he descended into the dark.

Soto leaned close to Yuki and whispered, "Let's go."

The staircase led them into a vast underground cavern, the air thick and cold. The walls were plastered with papers—maps, diagrams, and photographs, all carefully pinned in place. Saga moved quickly, snapping pictures of the information. His movements were frantic, as if time were running out.

Saga froze when his eyes fell on one paper in particular. His face twisted in shock as he muttered under his breath, "Soto… This is your fault?"

He dropped the paper, his hands trembling, before hurriedly ripping the rest of the documents off the walls and stuffing them into a bag. Without looking back, he bolted up the staircase, leaving Soto and Yuki behind in the eerie stillness.

Soto's chest tightened as his mind raced. "What is he talking about? My fault?"

He hesitated, then bent down and picked up the discarded paper. "Yuki, what is this?" he asked, his voice shaking as he held the paper up for her to see.

Yuki furrowed her brows, genuinely confused. "Why would I know?" she replied.

Soto unfolded the paper, his hands trembling as he began to read aloud:

"We have discovered the identity of the mystery child—the offspring of the Shadow Man and the Goddess of Light. His name is Soto Takeshi."

Soto's heart stopped. He dropped the paper and turned to Yuki, but the sight before him made his blood run cold.

Yuki's dark brown hair began to shimmer, turning pure white, and her black outfit shifted into a radiant white garment that seemed to glow with otherworldly light. Snowflakes swirled around her as a sword of icy blue energy, outlined in white, materialized in her hand.

Soto stumbled backward, his voice caught in his throat. "Y-Yuki… What's happening?"

Her expression shifted, and for the first time, there was no warmth in her eyes. Before Soto could say another word, Yuki swung the flat of her glowing sword at him, striking him across the head.

Darkness overtook him as he fell unconscious, the cavern's icy chill creeping into his bones.

Soto woke up in a dimly lit room, everything around him unnervingly calm. He realized he was lying in a bed, the mattress soft and oddly comfortable. For a moment, he almost forgot where he was. He furrowed his brow, trying to piece together the fragments of his memory.

"Saga... Yuki... our date... darkness..."

His thoughts were disjointed, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of what had happened. Soto attempted to sit up, but a metallic clink stopped him. Chains. He was bound to the bed.

Panic began to rise in his chest as the door creaked open. Yuki stepped in, her white hair glowing faintly in the room's dim light, her expression unreadable. Soto shivered at the sight of her—this wasn't the Yuki he knew.

"Has this always been you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Yuki didn't answer. She walked up to him slowly, her gaze cold and distant, and then, to his surprise, she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

An icy shock rippled through his body. His blood felt like it was trying to claw its way out of him. Pain surged through every vein, his body convulsing violently as black and white tendrils crept up his skin. His breathing grew ragged, and he screamed as the chains rattled against his struggles.

Yuki stepped back, her face still emotionless, watching as Soto's transformation began. His eyes turned black, with streaks of white veins surfacing across his body. Soto grabbed the chains binding him and, with a primal roar, yanked them free.

He stumbled to his feet, trembling, his body twisting in unnatural ways. Half of his hair darkened to an inky black while the other half turned stark white. His scream echoed through the room as his transformation deepened, his body morphing, his clothes blackening and fusing with his skin. Soto wasn't himself anymore—he had become a beast of pure rage and chaos.

With an enraged growl, Soto lunged at Yuki. His fist collided with her chest, but instead of meeting flesh, her body dissolved into a flurry of snowflakes. It had been a clone.

Soto roared, the sound inhuman, as his transformation consumed him further. His shadowed form pulsed with energy, red cracks forming across his darkened skin like molten veins. Yuki reappeared from behind him, her face twisted with guilt and resolve. She tackled him to the ground, pinning him momentarily.

"Soto, stop!" she cried, but the beast didn't listen.

He threw her off effortlessly, sending her crashing into the wall. Yuki gasped as blood trickled from her mouth, but she forced herself to stand, summoning her icy sword. Soto roared again, his glowing eyes locking onto her.

Yuki wiped the blood from her lips, her hand trembling as she readied her weapon. "Is this part of the date?" she quipped, her voice shaking but determined.

Soto charged, claws outstretched. Yuki rolled to the side, her movements swift, and brought her sword into a defensive stance. She watched as the red lines along Soto's blackened skin glowed brighter, pulsating violently. His beastly form began to falter.

The blackness that consumed his body started receding, revealing his human face beneath. Soto stumbled forward, breathing heavily. His transformation broke apart like cracking glass, leaving him kneeling on the floor. His hair, split evenly between black and white, fell into his face as he muttered through labored breaths, "Sorry… this date didn't go the way I expected."

Yuki dropped her sword, tears streaming down her cheeks. She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his trembling form.

"I'm so sorry, Soto," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I lied to you... about everything."

Soto's vision blurred as his body gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. Everything around him faded into darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar setting. The warm glow of the room, the faint smell of pine wood—this was his bedroom. He sat up slowly, his body surprisingly calm. His bed felt as it always did: soft, comforting, and safe.

Groggily, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and shuffled to the bathroom. Flipping on the light, he splashed water on his face and looked into the mirror. The reflection staring back at him was... normal.

His hair was its usual black, no white streaks, no glowing cracks on his skin. His eyes were their regular deep brown, not the black-and-white horror he had witnessed earlier. He stared for a long moment, his heart pounding.

"Was it… just a dream?" he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. The events replayed in his mind: Yuki, the transformation, the pain… It all felt too real to be a figment of his imagination.

Still, the familiar comfort of his home eased his nerves. Soto turned off the bathroom light and made his way back to bed. The soft sheets wrapped around him like a cocoon, and exhaustion overtook him.

As he drifted off to sleep, a faint voice whispered in the back of his mind, sending chills down his spine.

"Was it really just a dream, Soto?"

But sleep claimed him before he could answer.