"Shit! No, don't go in, run!" he hollered, waving his arms frantically, but the noise of the panic drowned out his desperate warning.

The monster was closing in, and Kai's mind raced. He knew he couldn't live with himself if anything happened to the students. With no other options, he continued shouting at the top of his lungs, "Get out, everyone! It's not safe in here-run!"

His plea fell on deaf ears amid the chaos. Feeling like this was his dumbest move yet, Kai turned to face the monster head-on. Flames in hand, he doubted they'd do much against its tough hide.

As the monster approached, Kai braced himself, counting silently as he stood ready to shield his classmates. His mind flashed back to the events that had led him up to this moment. It had started out like any other day— well, almost any other day...

Earlier that day...

Laughter echoed through the halls of Emberfall High School as three seniors mocked a younger boy who had fallen after one of them kicked his crutches.

Approaching them were Kaito Shirushi and two companions. "Ugh, another group of overgrown idiots bullying a weak, helpless student. Typical Mondays," Kaito remarked. Glancing to his left, he asked quietly, "Are there any girls behind us watching?" His companion gave a thumbs-up, and with hands in both pockets, Kaito strolled up to confront the seniors.

"Excuse me," he said politely. The three seniors turned their attention toward him. "Hi, my name is Shirushi Kaito. My friends call me Kai. I'm-"

"Blah, blah, blah. I heard you like hearing yourself talk, so the rumors are true, eh?"

"Oh, you've heard of me before?"

"Who hasn't? The only Japanese exchange student this school, or any other school in Mesa, has ever had."

Kai turned to his friends, looking excited. "Did you hear that? I'm pretty popular."

"Hey, Japanese boy, why don't you go back to your country? You don't belong here, and you certainly shouldn't be interfering with things that are none of your business."

A crowd of students began to form, and Kai reveled in the attention; this was his time to show off.

"Yare, Yare. I hate dealing with guys like you, but it can't be helped."

Yare, Yare, meaning Good grief.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, tough guy?" one of the seniors challenged, shoving Kai on the chest with both hands.

Kai grabbed the senior's hands as he staggered backward, making the senior stumble along with him. The boy tried to pull his hands away, but Kai held on firmly. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t let go, but he felt a burning need for revenge in his chest.

"You asked what I was going to do. Well, here's a little send-off gift," Kai declared, channeling his anger at the seniors' attempt to embarrass him into his palms. The senior screamed, and Kai released his grip, offering him a calm smile as he saw the burnt marks he had left on the senior's wrists.

"Who are you?" the senior asked, his voice trembling and his hands wriggling in pain as he and his friends retreated down the hall.

"Shirushi Kaito, everyone," Kai announced, executing a mocking bow. He turned to where most of his female classmates stood, gawking at him. "Minasan, okirei hidoi," he winked, taking one of the girls' hands and placing a kiss on it, the girl blushed.

Minasan, okirei hidoi meaning-ladies, beautiful, terrible.

"That is just horribly, horribly wrong," said a girl approaching him from behind.

Kai rolled his eyes. "No one asked for your opinion, Venna."

"It's 'Minasan, okirei desu ne,' and you might want to sound more Japanese like to sell your story."

Minasan, okirei desu ne meaning-ladies, you all look lovely.

"What's your deal, Venna?" Kai asked, knowing fully well that she'd been bugging him to join her linguistics club.

To him, it sounded like a snoozefest with nerdy discussions and lame jokes, especially when they threw in languages he couldn't care less about. If the club had some cool folks, especially hot girls, he might've considered joining. But, nope. It was just a bunch of geeks and people who didn't care about appearances. The only reason he'd even think about it was Venna, but her looks weren't enough to make her worth his time.

"You know exactly what I want, Kai. You don't need to be at every meeting. Just write your name down, show up at a couple of meetings, and you're in," she insisted.

"Let me save you the stress. No," Kai interrupted.

"You, who so desperately wants to be a ladies man could use this. Manga and anime won't help you with the ladies. If you want to impress them, learn Japanese or let me jazz up your accent, maybe even toss in some French flair, oui?" Venna suggested.

Kai maintained a bored expression. "Done? I'll pass," he remarked, signaling his buddies as he began to leave.

"You're such a stuck-up, clueless idiot. Let's see how long you can fake speaking Japanese. Go to hell or Hades for all I care; we definitely don't need you!" Venna snapped.

Kai simply blew her an air kiss and casually walked away. Venna fumed.

"Baka!" She turned to her friend, complaining, "Have you ever met someone so full of himself and annoying? We could do a lot better without him. I don't know why I bothered dragging him into our club."

"We kinda need him, Venna."

"Shut it!" she yelled, storming off to her next class.

It had been an hour since her encounter with Kai, but Venna was still fuming. The annoyance he exuded, coupled with the frustrating realization that she needed his help, fueled her irritation.

"Venna, focus!" the history teacher called out, breaking through her thoughts. Someone had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Huh, what?" she responded, her mind clearly not present in class.

"Venna, you've been zoning out a lot lately. Is everything okay? You can talk to me after class if you need to," the teacher said, her tone a mix of concern and firmness.

Venna shifted uncomfortably as everyone's gaze fixated on her. Desperate for an excuse, her eyes scanned the class before landing on something outside. She pointed out the window, "What's that?"

The teacher followed her gaze but saw nothing. "Venna, stay on topic. We're discussing the American Revolution, not... whatever you think you saw outside."

But Venna insisted, "I'm serious! There's a huge, ugly creature out there! It's right in the middle of the compound!"

The teacher's expression turned skeptical. "Venna, I don't know what's going on with you, but this isn't the time or place. If you're struggling with something, please see me after class or speak with your school counselor."

Venna searched for support from her classmates. "Don't you guys see it?" But none of them nodded in agreement. Even her friend shook her head apologetically.

The teacher, losing patience, asked, "Class, can anyone confirm what Venna is talking about? Show by raising your hand."

As no hands went up, Venna felt her face flush with embarrassment. The teacher's expression turned stern. "Venna, I think we've had enough disruptions for one day. Please pack up your things and head to the principal's office. We'll discuss this further."

Venna grabbed her bag and textbook, feeling frustrated and embarrassed as she stormed out of the class. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she wasn't crazy - she had seen that creature, and it was too big to have gone unnoticed.

Outside the principal's office, she found Kai, and surprisingly, her mood lifted a bit. "I never knew someone so full of himself could get into trouble," she teased.

Kai eyed her but remained silent. She continued, "I wonder what you did that got you this quiet. Must have been something really bad. I love seeing you so humbled." She laughed as she sat beside him, awaiting the principal's arrival.

Curious about Kai's predicament, she asked, "Why are you here?"

"Why do you care?" he retorted.

"Well, I've never seen you get sent to the principal's office before, and you've never not given me a comeback or at least a gesture."

"I saw something," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then he paused, looking uncertain. "But I'm wondering if I might just be crazy."

Venna stiffened, unsure of whether to share her own experience. "What was it?"

"There were two weirdly dressed people outside in the middle of the compound, but apparently, no one else could see them. When I turned to check once more, they were gone."

His story was different from hers, but there was a strange similarity. Contemplating whether to confide in him, she hesitated.

"What? I expected you to make fun of me," Kai remarked.

"Not in the mood, and I think I can kinda relate to you," she admitted.

Seemingly intrigued, Kai turned to her, asking, "How so?"

"I had seen-" Venna began but was abruptly interrupted by a loud noise, followed by the screaming of students. "What the hell?"

The two of them got up instantly and rushed towards the hall to check what the commotion was about. Upon arrival, they saw the hall had plunged into chaos, with students running about. Even the teachers appeared confused, unsure of how to regain control of the situation.

Kai seized hold of a nerdy-looking boy, his screams echoing through the chaotic hall. "What's happening?"

"I‐i‐ I really don't know; students are disappearing into thin air," the boy stammered before hastily breaking free and darting toward a nearby classroom. Kai, befuddled, turned to consult Venna, but she was already sprinting down the hall, presumably in search of her friends. Unsure of what to do, Kai decided to seek out familiar faces.

None of his usual companions were in sight; perhaps they were holed up in one of the classrooms. As he contemplated turning away, his eyes fixed on the monstrous obstacle barring the hall's only exit. A grim realization settled in– no one was fleeing outside because of that looming creature. The monster, with a terrifying nonchalance, snatched up a girl who had stumbled and was desperately searching for her glasses. Held aloft by her sweater, she screamed and thrashed in the air, and Kai, powerless to intervene, watched as the monster dropped her into its gaping maw. The crunch of bone and the spray of blood sent shockwaves through the horrified onlookers.

Amidst the chaos, a girl huddled behind a trash can muttered in distress, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, first Ann, now Jessica. Everyone's disappearing, picked off one by one. Raised in the air, then gone, leaving nothing but blood. What the hell is going on?"

Kai remained frozen, the stark reality unfolding before him. People were dying, and no one knew the cause except him.Despite the urge to act, fear paralyzed him.

His eyes stayed glued to the monstrous creature; words couldn't capture the sheer terror it unleashed. Standing at about ten feet, it looked like it had swallowed one too many students, hunched and covered in gnarly scales.

Short limbs ended in long, yellow, scaly talons. Its head, a boulder-sized monstrosity, housed a mouth capable of engulfing an entire car. Glowing red eyes pierced the chaos. Devoid of a tail, its stomach looked rough and stony— it was like a chubby, grotesque dinosaur. Though it lacked the extended neck, it radiated a primal, dino-like menace.

Mrs. Nelly got scooped up by the beast, and Kai, despite not liking her, couldn't just stand there. He spotted a trash can and, without thinking twice, chucked it at the monster. Regret hit him late.

No time for second-guessing, he decided to lead the creature away from the chaos into the gym– a safer spot.

Yelling, "Hey fat dinosaur, over here," he booked it, the monster lumbering after him, slowed down by its overindulgence.

Reaching the gym door, he saw a teacher herding students inside. Panic gripped him.

"Shit! No, don't go in, run!" he hollered, waving his arms frantically, but the noise of the panic drowned out his desperate warning.

The monster was closing in, and Kai's mind raced. He knew he couldn't live with himself if anything happened to the students. With no other options, he continued shouting at the top of his lungs, "Get out, everyone! It's not safe in here-run!"

His plea fell on deaf ears amid the chaos. Feeling like this was his dumbest move yet, Kai turned to face the monster head-on. Flames in hand, he doubted they'd do much against its tough hide.

As the monster approached, Kai braced himself, counting silently as he stood to shield his classmates. Three, two, one– he closed his eyes, bracing for the worst. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind knocked him into a wall.

Wincing as he got up, Kai saw a boy from the weird pair earlier catapult himself onto the monster's back. The monster roared and thrashed, attempting to dislodge the boy but he clung steadfastly to its scales. The lack of fear in his eyes hinted at an expertise beyond Kai's comprehension. Hanging perilously, the boy bit into his own hand, a bizarre ritual that drew blood. Smearing his bleeding hand on the monster's hide, he etched something incomprehensible. When he was done, he somersaulted himself from the monster's back and landed in front of it effortlessly.

"Hey, get away from there!" Kai screamed, unable to bear the thought of witnessing another person becoming monster chow. The boy paid no mind, as he casually lifted up his index and middle fingers to his face, thumb under his chin, muttering something that set the monster above him ablaze.

Kai scanned the surroundings, realizing he was the lone witness to this bizarre spectacle. His classmates were in a frenzy– some barricading themselves in the gym, others desperately pushing to get in. Ignoring the chaos, Kai turned his attention back to the seemingly unfazed boy, now calmly bandaging his hand.

"Did that just... happen?" Kai stammered, his bewilderment palpable.

"The name's Ikzar," the boy replied, offering a leather clad hand.

Kai shot a quick glance at the stranger. The guy sported baggy dark brown trousers with a strange short band near the ankles. His upper body was wrapped up like a leather mummy, sleeveless but with leather wrapping up to his elbow on the right. Two katanas adorned his back, and knife handles peeked out from his trouser pockets. There were unusual side blades strapped to each leg - Kai had never seen anyone dressed like that before. He definitely didn't seem like a local.

Mahogany brown locs, held up by a lighter brown hair band, and striking white eyes with bluish-grey pupils complemented his dark brown skin. He looked a bit older than Kai, maybe seventeen. If Kai were a girl, he probably would have been blushing by now. Shaking the stranger's hand, Kai introduced himself, "Shirushi Kaito."

"Weird name."

"I could say the same."

The boy flashed a smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. For some reason, Kai felt a tad insecure. The guy seemed to have it all—everything Kai wished for. Not that Kai was doing bad; he was a light brown-skinned guy with a dimpled face, dark brown eyes, and dark black hair usually tied up in a bun. When the ladies were around, he'd let it fall to his face. His teeth were okay, not as white as Ikzar's, but okay. Standing at 5'2", Kai compared himself to Ikzar's towering 5'9". He was slim and fit, but Ikzar's body was like a gym-goer version of him. Mental note: hit the gym during summer break.

Kai couldn't figure out why the girls weren't already swooning over Ikzar's obviously sculpted body and abs peeking out from under all that leather. Maybe he wasn't as good-looking as he believed - a thought that made Kai smirk.

"You know I can hear what you're thinking," Ikzar chimed in.

The smirk vanished from Kai's face, replaced by an uneasy laugh from Ikzar. "Just kidding. At least now I know it's something unpleasant enough you wouldn't want me to hear."

"Not really, just thinking about how good looking you are," Kai blurted out, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Ikzar chuckled. "Thanks. Come on, they'll be waiting for us."

"They?" Kai asked, jogging to catch up with Ikzar, who surprisingly walked fast.

"You'll see," Ikzar replied without looking back.

Kai came to an abrupt halt as he spotted the colossal creature in the middle of the school compound. "What the heck-How does no one see this?" he asked, scanning the area.

"Because they can't," Ikzar explained.

"What?"

"I'll explain when she comes."

"She?" Kai questioned.

"Yeah, your twin."

"I have a twin?" Kai's expression suggested his brain might explode any minute.

Ikzar laughed, pointing behind him. "Yeah, here she comes."

Kai turned, and if embarrassment wasn't an issue, he might have fainted right there.

"Is something on me? You look like you've seen a ghost," Venna said, emerging from the school building with another guy, dressed in a manner strikingly similar to Ikzar.

Kai's eyes widened as he pointed from Ikzar to Venna and back. "She's my twin?"

"A problem?" Ikzar asked, flashing a grin.

"What?" Venna questioned.

"Oh, thought Benkrat would have filled you in by now. Anyways, you guys are twins. It's a little confusing, considering this is your second life," Ikzar shrugged as he explained.

Kai couldn't take it anymore. So much had happened in just one day - encountering two oddly dressed individuals, witnessing a monster devour his classmate, and now discovering a long-lost twin sister?

Overwhelmed, he heard distinct voices as his eyes rolled back, and he blacked out.