THE PRESENT
The classroom buzzed with life. Laughter. Whispers. Gossip. Just background noise for most people. But not for him.
Kairos Aetheris sat at the back of the room, arms folded, head resting against the window. The sunlight poured over his messy black hair, while his cold golden eyes stared out through the glass like he wasn't really there.
But he was. He saw everything.
The students passing notes in the front row. The bribes exchanged under the table. The teacher's fake smile. And the boy two seats away, already planning to frame someone with stolen test papers.
He noticed all of it. And he did nothing.
To them, he was just the quiet one. The weird transfer student. The guy with average scores, no club activities, and no interest in making friends.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
They didn't know he was Phantom, the one who wielded Absolute Zone. The first to conquer a Celestial Accord and survive its curse. They didn't know what moved beneath his skin or the power hiding behind that blank stare.
Some of his enemies still believed he was dead. Some of his comrades were still searching for him. And the shadows… were beginning to move again.
The bell rang.
Everyone rushed out, but Kairos didn't move. He stood slowly, adjusted his collar, and slipped on his earphones. No music played. He just liked hearing the world through a filter.
As he stepped into the hallway, someone called out behind him.
"Hey, Kairos! You forgot this."
It was Selene. Cheerful. Quiet. Top of the class. Secretly a tech genius. She handed him a book he hadn't even noticed was missing.
He gave a small nod. No words. No thanks. Just a nod.
She adjusted her glasses and gave a half-smile. "Still pretending to be emotionless, huh?"
He answered without looking at her. "If only I was pretending."
Her smile faded slightly. "Touché."
They walked together for a few seconds. That was all they ever did. Walk. Talk a little. Pretend they weren't both hiding secrets bigger than the school itself.
Then Kairos froze.
His eyes narrowed. There it was again. A flicker in the corner of his vision. A distortion in the air. A trace left behind by a Celestial Accord.
Someone had used one. Recently. And very close.
He looked up. The rooftop.
Without saying a word, he turned and started toward the stairs.
Selene sighed. "So much for a quiet day."
On the stairway, Kairos changed. His steps slowed as a black cloak with gold lining formed around him. A sleek mask covered the lower half of his face. He became Phantom.
Rooftop.
The air was colder up here.
At the edge stood a boy in a red jacket, silver hair shining in the light. His eyes glowed faintly with unstable power, and his hand trembled as he held a small obsidian shard.
Phantom recognized it instantly. A lesser fragment. The boy was unbound. Unstable. Probably didn't even know what he was holding.
The boy turned and faced him. "Who are you?" he growled.
Phantom didn't answer.
"Don't come any closer!"
"I won't," Phantom said calmly. "Unless you make me."
The boy's aura flared. "You don't get it! This thing, this power, it's mine!"
Wrong choice of words.
He charged forward.
Phantom sighed, stepped ahead, and raised his hand slightly. In that instant, time seemed to slow down. A black light wrapped around his hand like a living serpent.
"Absolute Zone. Celestial Accord."
The attack never landed.
Phantom was already behind him, arm outstretched. The shard floated gently into his hand. The boy collapsed, unconscious but alive.
Selene arrived a few seconds later. Her hair whipped in the wind.
"You handled that fast," she said.
"He was inexperienced," Phantom replied. "And loud."
She raised an eyebrow. "You used Absolute Zone in broad daylight."
Phantom turned to her, the mask fading briefly from his face. "Then we'd better clean this up before the others notice."
Selene smiled a little. "You're still a perfectionist, Phantom."
He turned back to the skyline. The world was starting to wake up again. And Phantom would be ready.