For Luna Yi, today should have been just another Tuesday.She woke up, tied her electric-blue hair into her signature double buns, threw on her uniform, and walked to school. Just an average day.

Except for one thing. The new guy was staring at her. Again.

He had transferred to the school about a week ago. Jin. He was tall—six feet of brooding silence—with spiky black hair and an intensity that made the air around him feel heavy. He hadn’t spoken a single word to anyone since he arrived. Luna had barely noticed him at first, dismissing him as just another shy transfer student. But today, she could physically feel his gaze burning into the back of her neck.

"Earth to Luna. Hello?"

Luna blinked, snapping back to reality. Her best friend, Sulynn—or Lynn, as she demanded to be called—was waving a manicured hand in front of her face.

"Sorry," Luna mumbled, shifting her backpack. "I’m just... distracted."

"Don't look now," Lynn whispered loudly, leaning in with a mischievous grin, "but the mysterious new kid is totally locked onto you. It’s intense."

"Yes, Lynn, I’ve noticed," Luna sighed, gripping her books tighter. "It’s really starting to bug me. It’s not a ‘cute’ stare. It’s a ‘predator watching prey’ stare."

Lynn laughed, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. She stood an inch taller than Luna and radiated the kind of confidence that bordered on aggressive flirting. "I don't know, maybe he likes you. You have to admit, in a dark, brooding, serial-killer kind of way, he is a total snack."

Luna rolled her violet eyes. "I don't care. It's creepy."

"Luna, Luna, Luna," Lynn tutted, shaking her head. "Another cute boy obsessed with you, and as always, you're all ‘Eww, no.’ Fine. Since you’re not interested, maybe I’ll go break the ice."

"Be my guest."

Before Lynn could make her move, a smooth, familiar voice cut in. "Well, how are the two most beautiful women in the school doing on this fine morning?"

Luna suppressed a giggle as Leven Soto approached. Leven was the definition of "peaked in high school." Heir to the Soto Martial Arts Academy, rich, handsome, and painfully aware of all of it. He ran a hand through his purple hair, his uniform customized with gold chains that jingled softly.

"Hey, Leven," the girls said in unison, Lynn giggling while Luna kept her cool.

Leven leaned against a locker, striking a pose. "Hey, Luna. Is that new guy over there bothering you? I saw him eyeballing you from across the hall."

Great, Luna thought. Now even Leven noticed. She knew Leven considered himself her unofficial protector—mostly because he wanted to date her—and the last thing she needed was him starting a turf war.

"Who, him?" Luna lied smoothly. "No, he isn't bothering me. I honestly didn't even notice him until you mentioned it."

Lynn, however, had lost patience. "Okay, boring conversation. Watch this." She strutted across the hallway, marching straight up to the silent boy.

"Hey, new guy! How you doing?" Lynn beamed, popping her hip. "I noticed you noticing my friend and me. We both agreed that you are a complete mystery wrapped in a snack."

Jin looked at her. His expression didn't change. He didn't blink. He just... existed.

"Soooo, anyway," Lynn continued, undeterred by the brick wall of silence. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Sulynn, but like, OMG, please call me Lynn."

Silence stretched out, thick and awkward.

"Like... this is the part where you tell me your name," she prompted.

The boy finally shifted. His voice was deep, calm, and surprisingly melodic. "Jin. My name is Jin."

Lynn’s eyes widened. He could talk. "Well, Jin, it's nice to meet you. That beautiful lady you've been laser-focusing on is named Luna."

The bell rang, shrill and loud.

"Well, Cutie Jin," Lynn winked, backing away. "Time for class. Guess I'll talk to you later, bae."

The school day dragged on, and the feeling of being watched never left Luna. Every time she turned her head, Jin was there—at the edge of the hallway, three desks back in history, across the courtyard. He wasn't hiding it. He was tracking her.

By lunch, Luna’s nerves were frayed. She grabbed her tray and practically dragged Lynn toward the exit.

"OMG, Lynn. I swear to God, that guy hasn't blinked in four hours," Luna hissed.

"Who? Jin?" Lynn glanced over her shoulder. "Oh... um, don't look now, but he’s sitting at that table back there. And yup. Still looking at you."

Luna slammed her apple onto her tray. "Okay, I'm getting out of here. I can’t eat with an audience."

"Girl, wait for me!"

They abandoned the cafeteria, retreating to the sanctuary of the girls' bathroom—the one place Luna knew he couldn't follow.

"Okay, so yeah," Lynn said, checking her makeup in the mirror. "I thought he was cute earlier, but now I think you're right. He is acting like a total Stan. It’s giving killer vibes."

"I know, right? I almost wish I’d let Leven go talk to him."

"No, no, no," Lynn waved her mascara wand. "Leven would have killed that poor boy. Leven has been training since he could walk. Jin looks tough, but Leven is... Leven."

"I just wish he would knock it off," Luna sighed, leaning against the sink.

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, the tension had not dissipated with the girls' departure. Leven Soto had watched Luna rush out, and he had seen exactly who she was running from.

Flanked by his lackeys, Burt and Mitch, Leven strode over to the solitary table where Jin sat quietly eating a cup of noodles.

Leven slammed his hand onto the table. "Hey, weirdo. What's your deal?"

Jin didn’t flinch. He carefully wound noodles around his plastic fork, ignoring Leven entirely.

"Hey. I'm talking to you."

Jin’s eyes slid to the corner, locking onto Leven with a look that was colder than ice. "Ooooooh. That was a scary look. Cancel the glare," Leven said. "I've seen scarier things in my sleep."

Mitch snickered. "Maybe he's too scared to talk."

"Yeah," Burt added, cracking his knuckles. "I don't think I've seen him say anything to anyone since he got here."

Leven, accustomed to being treated like royalty, felt his temper flare. "You got a name, Sir Talks-a-Lot?"

Jin sighed, putting his cup down. "You guys shouldn't talk so much. It lets people know how stupid you are."

The table went silent. Then, chaos.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Leven roared. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah!" Mitch chimed in. "Do you know who he is?"

Jin let out a short, dry laugh. "Aww. Look at that. You trained it to repeat what you say."

Burts’s face turned a shade of red, as he slams his fist on the table. "That’s it. You’re talking to three of the top students of the Soto Martial Arts Academy.”

“Yeah and Leven's father is the Grandmaster. Do you know what that means?"

"You get to play patty-cake for a discount?"

"You asked for it," Leven hissed, dropping into a pristine fighting stance. "Get up. I'm going to break your face."

Jin whispered, "Guys, you don't want this."

"Oh, I think we do," Leven retorted.

"Just pipe down and stand up," Burt goaded.

Jin stood up slowly, cup of noodles still in his left hand. He stood a full two inches taller than Leven, his build denser, heavier.

Leven moved first. He was fast—an expertly trained martial artist. He threw a sharp jab aimed at Jin’s jaw. Jin didn't block, he simply tilted his head a fraction of an inch to the left. The fist sailed through empty air.

Leven frowned and unleashed a flurry—hook, cross, and a high roundhouse kick. Jin weaved through the attacks like smoke, taking a sip of the broth from his cup in the middle of Leven’s combination.

Frustrated, Mitch charged from the side. Jin pivoted on one heel, letting Mitch fly past him. Burt tried to capitalize on the distraction, grabbing Jin from behind in a bear hug.

"Got ya, bitch!" Burt yelled.

With Jin immobilized, Mitch scrambled back and wound up for a haymaker. Jin waited until the last possible microsecond, then dropped his weight and twisted. Mitch’s fist slammed squarely into Burt’s nose with a sickening crunch.

"Ow! My freakin' nose!" Burt shrieked, letting go of Jin and clutching his face. Blood began to pour.

"Oh crap, I'm sorry Burt!" Mitch yelled.

"Focus!" Leven commanded.

Leven and Mitch circled Jin, who looked bored. At a silent signal, they attacked simultaneously from opposite sides. It was a classic pincer move.

Jin didn't retreat. He stepped in. With a burst of speed that the human eye could barely track, he grabbed Leven’s wrist and Mitch’s shoulder, redirecting their momentum.

CRASH!

Leven and Mitch collided violently, skulls knocking together. They collapsed to the floor in a heap of groans and bruised egos. Jin stood two feet away, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.

He walked over to where Burt was rocking back and forth on the ground.

"Hey. You alright?" Jin asked, his voice devoid of mockery.

"Does it look like I'm alright?!" Burt garbled through his hands.

"Let me see." Jin knelt, pulling Burt’s hands away. "Mmm. Yup that’s broken." He placed a gloved hand gently on the bridge of Burt’s nose. "This is going to hurt a little bit."

"Huh?"

"I said, this is going to hurt a little bit.”

CRACK.

Jin snapped the cartilage back into place with surgical precision.

"SON OF A MOTHER CANUCKER!" Burt howled, falling back.

Jin stood up and retrieved his cup of noodles. "Well, guys, that was fun. But I have class."

By the time the final bell rang, the rumor mill was on fire. Luna, however, just wanted to go home. She bolted from the classroom, practically leaving a dust cloud behind her. Lynn had to sprint to catch up.

"OMG, girl, stop!" Lynn panted as they reached the sidewalk. "Did you hear about the lunchroom?"

"No, what?"

"Leven got into it with Jin."

Luna stopped. "No way. I saw Jin in fifth period; he didn't have a scratch on him. Leven would have messed him up."

"That's the thing!" Lynn’s eyes were wide. "Leven, Mitch, and Burt jumped him. And apparently, they couldn't touch him. People are saying Jin was so fast he made them beat each other up."

"Wait... we are talking about Leven Soto, right?" Luna asked, incredulous. "He's a black belt. He wins major tournaments."

"I know! Totes cray-cray. I didn't believe it until I saw the knot on Leven’s forehead in the hallway. Who is this guy?"

"I don't know," Luna said, a shiver running down her spine. "But if he can take out Leven without trying, that makes him way more dangerous."

"And kinda sexy," Lynn added with a grin. "Don't hate. I'm not saying I'd date a psycho, but competence is attractive."

"You're hopeless. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Be safe, babe!"

Luna turned down her usual route, her pace brisk. But five minutes later, the feeling returned. The prickle on the back of her neck. She glanced at a store window’s reflection.

Fifty yards back. Jin. Following her.

Panic flared in her chest. He had never walked this way before. He was hunting her. Luna sped up, her sneakers slapping against the pavement. She heard the rhythm of his footsteps match hers—faster, heavier.

She broke into a run.

Desperate to lose him, Luna spotted a narrow alleyway that cut through to her neighborhood. It was dim and smelled of garbage, a place she usually avoided, but fear made the decision for her. She ducked into the shadows, sprinting behind a large dumpster, and held her breath.

She watched the mouth of the alley. Seconds passed. Jin didn't appear. He must have run past.

Luna let out a shaky breath, her heart hammering against her ribs. Safe. I think I lost him.

"Well, well, well... what have we got here?"

The voice came from behind her. It sounded wet, guttural—wrong.

Luna spun around. Two figures emerged from the shadows of the dead-end alley. They looked human at first glance, but their limbs were too long, their skin a sickly shade of grey, and their eyes glowed with a predatory yellow light.

Demons. Low-class strays from Gehenna that occasionally slipped through the barrier.

"Looks like something pretty just wandered into our pantry," one hissed, licking its lips.

Luna backed up until her spine hit the brick wall. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your place. I'll leave."

"LEAVE?!" The second demon cackled. "No, no, no. Not before dinner."

They stepped closer, the air around them smelling of sulfur and rot.

"It's been a long time since we ate something this... ripe," the first one growled.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut. This is it. This is how I die. Eaten in an alley by monsters.

The demons lunged.

Suddenly, a massive surge of heat erupted from Luna’s core. It wasn't fear—it was power. Ancient, overwhelming power. A blinding red light flashed from her right eye, illuminating the dark alley like a supernova.

The demons froze, shielding their eyes. "What the—?!"

Luna’s feet lifted off the ground. A sphere of crimson energy manifested in the center of her chest, pulsing like a second heart.

BOOM.

A shockwave of pure Ki exploded outward. It threw the demons backward like ragdolls and slammed Luna hard against the brick wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and her vision went black for a few seconds.

When she blinked her eyes open, the demons were picking themselves up, looking scorched and furious.

"What the hell was that?" one snarled. "That was Ki energy. High level."

"You messed up, girly," the other demon growled, extending jagged claws. "We were gonna make it quick. But now? We’re going to play with you first."

They prepared to strike again.

WHOOSH.

A blur of motion dropped from the fire escape above.

Suddenly, Jin was standing between Luna and the monsters. He stood calmly, his back to Luna, his coat billowing slightly in the wind.

"Sorry," Jin said, his voice low and dangerous. "But I can't allow some low-class trash to harm Luna."

The lead demon laughed. "Low-class trash? Do you know who we a—"

Jin didn't let him finish. In a movement too fast to track, his hands went to his waist. There was a metallic shing sound. He held two Kodachi—short swords forged from a dark, shimmering metal.

"And now," Jin whispered, "it's over."

He dashed forward. He was a blur of dark blue and steel. He passed right through the demons, appearing behind them in a crouch. He slowly sheathed the blades with a sharp click.

As the swords locked into place, the demons split apart, bisected cleanly at the waist. They dissolved into ash before they hit the ground.

Luna sat on the dirty pavement, trembling, her mind struggling to process what she had just seen. "Wait... how did you...? Where did you...? WHAT IS GOING ON?!" she screamed.

Jin turned to her. The intimidating, scary stalker was gone. His expression was soft, almost reverent. He offered her a hand.

"Luna, calm down. I’m sorry for the secrecy, but I had to be sure."

"Be sure of what?!" Luna scrambled to her feet, ignoring his hand.

"That you were the one."

"The one what?! That explains nothing! Who are you really?"

Jin straightened his posture, placing a fist over his heart.

"I am Jin Motozawa. I am a Guardian from Toji Village. And my mission... is to protect you.”