The sunlight hit me like a slap.
Not the gentle kind either—the annoying, blinding kind that leaks through curtains like it has a grudge. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face into the pillow. Maybe if I ignored it, it would go away.
Nope.
"Get up, Kaito! You're going to be late!"
That voice. Soft, chiming. Feminine, but not human. I cracked one eye open. A glowing orb floated near my bedroom door, pulsing with light—my house spirit.
"Five more minutes," I muttered.
"You said that ten minutes ago," she replied with that motherly tone she always used when pretending not to lose patience. "First day at your new school, remember?"
Ugh.
I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. She had a point.
The orb had been with me for years—ever since my parents passed. She didn't have a real name. Just… warmth. She was the only thing in this house that made it feel like home.
"You can't even go outside," I mumbled.
"Which is why I'm making sure you do," she said.
Fair enough.
I stretched, muttered something halfway human, and dragged myself into motion.
The streets buzzed with magic—literal, shimmering traces of it hanging in the air. People walked with familiars or enchanted gadgets. Floating drones zipped by. Delivery charms fluttered past like paper birds, and you could hear whispering spell-scrolls tucked in people's pockets.
The world had changed, sure. But magic? Magic stayed.
I walked among them, trying to blend in.
I didn't have powers.
Or… at least, I thought I didn't. Unlike everyone else in this modern magical world, nothing had ever shown up for me. No flame in my fingers, no chant in my throat. Just emptiness. I lived believing I was born without an ability. If I had one—and that was a big if—it was locked away somewhere unreachable.
The moment I stepped into the classroom, everyone looked.
Of course they did. New kid.
The teacher smiled and waved me in. "Please introduce yourself."
I scratched the back of my head. "Uh, I'm Sazaki Kaito. I like reading, drawing, and... music."
"And your ability?"
Silence. Like someone hit pause on the whole room.
I hesitated. "I... don't have one."
Whispers rippled through the class like a cold draft.
The teacher chuckled nervously. "Maybe he's just shy," she said, trying to smooth it over. But the damage was done. The whispers didn't stop.
At recess, a few students cornered me.
"Is it true?" one asked. "You really don't have any ability?"
Before I could respond, another held out a glowing crystal orb.
"Let's find out."
The orb pulsed once in his hand, then dimmed completely.
"No way..." someone muttered. "It didn't even flicker."
Another laughed. "He's a void! Powerless!"
Then came the shove.
A tall guy, obviously a bully, pushed me up against the wall. "What are you even doing here, freak?"
I winced but didn't fight back. I'd heard this before—just never this bad.
Footsteps echoed.
Someone stepped between us.
She was stunning. Long, dark hair with a silvery sheen, calm eyes, and that quiet kind of confidence that made people stop and stare.
Kohane.
"That's enough," she said.
The bully sneered. "And what are you doing here, cutie? You shouldn't be around when I'm getting serious."
He reached toward her chin.
Bad move.
She caught his wrist mid-air, twisted it just enough to make him wince—not break it, but send a message.
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Touch me again," she said coldly, "and your crystal will be colorless too."
Silence. Heavy. Absolute.
He pulled back, rubbing his arm, muttering as he backed off with his lackeys.
I stood there, stunned.
She turned to me.
"I meant what I said," she said. "Don't let people like him get to you."
I nodded, not sure how to even process what just happened.
"But... I've gotta ask," she tilted her head. "You really don't have an ability?"
I hesitated. "I don't. Nothing's ever shown up. Not even a flicker."
"Nothing?"
I shook my head. "Tried everything. Still nothing."
She looked at me for a moment, thoughtful.
"Everyone's born with something. Maybe yours is just... hiding."
Someone called her from across the courtyard.
"Kohane! Let's go or we'll be late!"
She glanced back at me.
"Sometimes, the ones who awaken last are the ones who shake the world most."
And with that, she ran off.
Her silhouette faded into the crowd, but her words stayed.
Shake the world??
I could barely shake off a nap.