The following days were tense. Every step I took, every person I passed, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It was as though I had entered a different world, one where shadows moved with purpose, and every action could trigger a response.
Yuzuki noticed it too. She seemed more anxious than ever, her usual carefree smile replaced with an intensity I had never seen before. But despite the tension, we both knew what was coming. The game was already in motion.
We met in the usual spot, the quiet corner of the school grounds. The breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, but the silence between us felt heavier than the wind.
"I've been thinking," Yuzuki said, her voice low. "We can't keep running from them. They're too strong, too connected. It's not just about us anymore."
I looked at her, my eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"They've already planned everything. They know us better than we know ourselves. They won't stop until they've erased us completely."
Her words hit harder than I expected. I'd always known they were dangerous, but hearing it out loud made the threat real. They weren't just some faceless enemy. They had been watching us, planning their moves for years.
"I'm not going to let them win," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Yuzuki looked at me, her eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place. "Then we fight," she said simply. "But we need to be smart. We can't rely on power or speed. We need to outthink them."
It wasn't the answer I wanted. I was ready to fight, to take them head-on. But I knew Yuzuki was right. We couldn't just charge in blindly. If we did, we'd be dead before we knew it.
We spent the next few days planning, not knowing exactly what to expect. Every action, every word felt like a step in a dangerous game of chess, with both of us as pawns in a war we never asked for. But as the days passed, I began to feel something growing inside me. It was more than just the desire for revenge. It was the need to protect, to ensure that no one else would suffer the way we had.
The first move had been made. Now, it was our turn.