The city of Osaka never truly slept. Neon lights flickered against the horizon, casting an ethereal glow on the streets below. People hurried by, faces lost in the blur of the crowd, unaware of the quiet chaos unfolding just outside their view. Kaku stood on the edge of a rooftop, the cold wind tugging at his hair as he looked out over the city.
He'd always felt different. Not in the way that others felt like they were meant for something bigger, but in a much more subtle way. He had the ability to feel the air shift around him, to sense the threads of time and space pulling at his consciousness. But that wasn't all. He could teleport — slip through the cracks of reality like water through a sieve.
"Hey, Kaku!" a voice called from behind him.
Kaku turned, his gaze softening as he spotted her. Kiku, the girl who had been his closest friend since they were children. Her presence was always a comforting constant in his life, even though they both knew they were not quite like everyone else.
"Did you get lost in your head again?" Kiku grinned, hands stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie. Her hair, a vibrant shade of purple, caught the wind as she joined him on the edge of the rooftop, her feet barely brushing the ground.
"Maybe," Kaku admitted, looking at her with a mixture of fondness and concern. "You know how it is."
Kiku shrugged. "Well, you're not alone. I've got this power too, remember?" She raised her hand, a subtle shimmer of light trailing from her fingertips, like threads of the universe bending to her will.
Kaku had always admired Kiku's easygoing nature, her ability to embrace the supernatural with a smile. Unlike him, who spent most of his time locked in contemplation, Kiku was fearless, daring, and often reckless with her powers. But that was what made them such a perfect pair.
"We should test it again," Kiku said, eyes alight with mischief. "Let's teleport somewhere crazy. How about the mountains? Or… I don't know, the middle of the ocean?"
Kaku smiled, though his heart felt a little heavier than it should have. He didn't want to admit it, but the more they used their powers, the more it hurt. Not just physically — but emotionally. Every time they shifted through space, a small piece of something was left behind.
"I don't know…" Kaku murmured, hesitating. "The more we use it, the more I can feel it, you know?"
Kiku's playful grin faltered, and she leaned in closer. "Feel what?"
"The pain," he said quietly. "Like something's… breaking inside of me every time we do it."
For a moment, there was silence. Kiku stared at him, her eyes searching, before she took his hand. Her fingers were warm and firm, as though she were grounding him, pulling him back from the edge of his thoughts.
"I get it," she said softly. "But if we don't keep going, if we don't keep moving forward, what's the point of having these powers?"
Kaku didn't answer right away. The weight of her words hung in the air. They had always used their abilities for good — to help those in need, to explore the world, to do things others could never even imagine. But every time they teleported, there was an emptiness that lingered. It was like a part of them was chipped away with each jump.
"Maybe you're right," Kaku said, the words feeling like they were coming from someone else. "But I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."
Kiku squeezed his hand reassuringly. "As long as I'm here, you won't have to do it alone."
The moment stretched between them, as if the very universe was holding its breath. Kaku knew Kiku would always be by his side, but that didn't make the weight of their powers any easier to bear.
With a deep breath, Kiku let go of his hand, her eyes alight with excitement. "Alright! Let's teleport to the moon, then! We can figure out the consequences later!" She winked, her energy infectious despite the heaviness that still hung in Kaku's chest.
Kaku let out a small chuckle. He couldn't help it. The way Kiku refused to let anything weigh her down was both maddening and endearing. She was everything he wasn't — free, unburdened, and always searching for the next adventure.
"Alright," he said, pushing away his doubts for the moment. "Let's do it."
Kiku stretched out her hand, and Kaku placed his in hers, the familiar warmth radiating between them. He could feel the hum of power gathering between them, the invisible threads of the universe bending to their will.
They both closed their eyes, and in an instant, they were gone — slipping through the cracks of reality, leaving the city behind as they jumped into the unknown.
End of Chapter 1