“What time is it?” Kojo thought. 

A single street lamp lit the entire street, but why were the rest of the street lamps turned off? Were they broken? 

A slight breeze met his face as he walked towards the light. It was quiet, there were no distant sounds of engines or horns, no barking dogs or screeching cats, not even the familiar sounds of footsteps could be heard. Just how he liked it. 

The street lamp gave him a certain sense of calmness, standing proudly amidst the dark, he sat down under the circle of light. Kojo began to rummage through the belongings in his bag. Scrummaging past notebooks, an untouched lunchbox, scraps of paper and a bottle of water he managed to find his headphones. However, the silence around him eventually started to make him feel uneasy, it was simply too quiet. 

“Oy, oy, oyyyy, Kojo, scared of the dark now are we?”

Kojo shot up onto his feet, crouched, aware, he scanned his surroundings, but nobody came into sight. His walk home ran parallel to the Kamo River, Kyoto, therefore the open promenade should have revealed a person, but to his surprise it remained empty. He began to quickly pack his things in a panic, but suddenly noticed the air turned ice cold. He glanced over his shoulder to notice a tall, shadowy figure. He was much taller than Kojo, lean, wearing an all-black outfit with white runners, he would have noticed him if he had simply walked up to him. 

“I hear you’re scared of the dark Kojo”

Kojo jolted forward before turning around to face the strange figure. This seemed to make him laugh as he leaned against the street lamp. Kojo seemed to notice how long his limbs were at this point, there was a sinister shape to his body and extremities, as if he was simply put together with a selection of peculiar body parts. 

“Who are you, what do you want?” Kojo whimpered, almost bringing a face of disappointment to the unknown figure.

“Osore Kojo, 16 years of age, likes Ocha Tea & Game shows, dislikes horns, snoring, crossing roads, speaking to people, ordering food, making eye contact, co-“ 

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP” screamed Kojo, practically bent over and on his knees. He felt dizzy, lightheaded, his lungs wouldn’t work, the more he tried to pull in oxygen, the more his body rejected it.

“sighs.. the names Gorojo Katsubō, but you’ll forget that. I’m here to deliver a message”

Kojo felt small, he wanted to run but his legs wouldn't let him. Now on his knees, he struggled to stay afoot, he tried screaming out but his throat tightened, refusing to comply. Suddenly, a purple spark flashed from his neck. His arms and legs, enraged in a purple flame began to expand, his nails suddenly started to extend absorbing a violet colour from the embers burning on his body.

“Yes, yes, YES” screamed Gorojo, his face enthralled by Kojos transformation, his eyes transfixed on the sudden mutation before his eyes. 

Kojo examined himself, his nails as sharp as katanas and as thin as sushi knives. The sole street lamp revealed purple patterns and designs, now embedded into his fingernails. His quads, calves, biceps and forearms encircled in what seemed to be streams of purple fire, carelessly emitting streaks of flames as he stood within the darkness, scared, anxious, full of fear. 

“The soul of hatred seeks your companionship, he awaits you very impatiently Kojo. We’ll arrange a meeting. When the time is right of course, but for now, it is quite late and I’ve seen MORE than I could have ever hope-“

A sweeping wave of hazy purple appeared before Gorojo making contact with his chest, sending him sprawling away from the streetlamp light into the darkness. Kojo sprinted forwards, already prepared for his next attack.

“Adieu friend” smirked Gorojo as he vanished into the darkness. 

Unable to stop, Kojo punched the remnants of what he thought was Gorojo, setting ablaze to the wall in which he sent him flying into earlier. However, Gorojo had vanished, with no trace left behind. Kojo wheezed slowly, unable to grasp what just happened. Glancing at his own hands, he began to panic, unable to quench the purple flames surrounding his palms. Struck with fear, he began to lose consciousness, wavering back and forward, until he welcomed the darkness like an old friend.