Kyu... kyu... kyu...
The boy slowly opened his eyes, breathing heavily. Wet sand clung to his body, droplets still falling from his hair onto his face.In front of him, the sea stretched endlessly, and the sky was now clear after the storm — a faint sunlight shimmered along the horizon.
He looked at his chest — the wound that almost killed him had turned into a faint scar, barely visible.He slowly lifted his exhausted body, then looked around...
The beach was crowded with people — families, children, and bursts of laughter scattered through the air.But their eyes on him were strange... tense... questioning.
Whispers... murmurs...Unclear words passed between the people, fingers pointing at him.
A group of boys approached, one of them said nervously:"Are you okay? Do you need help?"
He didn't answer. He just stood up and walked away, his body still trembling, his breaths uneven.
"Hey! Wait!"One of them called out, but he didn't look back. He kept walking until the sound of the waves faded, and the city began to swallow him.
Beep... beeep... beep!
The boy lifted his head, eyes widening in awe.
Skyscrapers rose high into the sky, giant electronic screens flashing dazzling ads, cars rushing by, and the noise of modern life surrounded him like a fog of light and sound.
He stood in the middle of the road, frozen — as if seeing the world for the first time.
"Hey, you, boy!"
He turned quickly toward the voice — a security officer waving at him, approaching fast.
The boy panicked, his eyes darting between the man and the crowd, then he started walking faster.
"Hey! Young man, stop right there!"
He ignored him and began to run, the crowd scattering around him.
The officer raised his radio, panting:"Bsssh... This is Unit Three, I need backup! I repeat, I'm chasing a young male wearing white hospital pants, stained with blood, running through Kozuki District! He's extremely fast!"
The boy kept running without stopping — dodging people, bumping into others, hearing nothing but his racing heartbeat and the city's roar around him.
The officer behind him gasped: "Damn... how is he this fast?!"
Suddenly, a police car screeched beside him — two men jumped out quickly, and a third arrived on a motorcycle.
"Don't move! Stop right now!"
One of them tried to grab him from behind with handcuffs, but the boy twisted his body in a sudden motion, pushed him hard, dodged another strike, and the fight began.
They exchanged quick blows — one officer punched him hard, knocking him a meter back.A tense silence filled the air, sharp glares between them... then the boy struck back with double the force, knocking the man to the ground.
"What... who is this kid?!"
Voices rose, people gathered around — some shouting, others holding up their phones to record the scene.
The boy looked around with confused eyes, breathing heavily, his body wet and stained with blood, all the cameras pointed at him.
One of the officers lunged again, trying to grab him, but the boy shoved him so hard he crashed into the car and fell.
The boy ran instantly toward a side alley, the sound of footsteps fading behind him as he vanished deeper into the shadows.
The alleys grew narrower, twisting and branching — a leap right, then left... until he disappeared completely into the darkness.
One... two... one... two... ten rounds left! Keep going!
A man's voice — speaking English, strict, military-like.
The boy woke up to that voice, breathing fast, then realized... he had been dreaming.
He sat up against the wall, looked up at the sky — night had fallen, the city lights flickering in the distance behind the buildings.
He looked around — there were clothes tossed near a trash bin. He walked quietly toward them, picked up a dark shirt and pants, and put them on over his torn white hospital uniform.
He stepped out of the alley carefully, moving through the narrow paths one by one, until he reached a slightly wider street.
There, at the end, a red light flickered faintly in the distance — glowing softly in the dark.
The boy stopped, staring silently at that lonely light...
The chapter ends here.