Chapter 1: Awakening
Sixteen years old, Haruto considered himself the last bastion of normalcy in a world that had apparently lost its collective mind. Ever since those weird rumors started spreading about "Awakened Ones" - people supposedly developing supernatural powers overnight like they were living in some cheap light novel - everyone at school had been acting like idiots, constantly checking their phones for the latest "sighting" videos that were obviously fake as hell.
"Haruto, breakfast is ready!"
The voice that drifted up from downstairs was soft, melodic, and belonged to his sister Satsuki. She was twenty-two, worked as a nurse at the local hospital, and had been his guardian for the past three years since their parents decided to have an unfortunate encounter with a drunk driver. Most people would call her beautiful. Hell, most people did call her beautiful, which was why half the guys in the neighborhood found excuses to walk past their house. Her long black hair always seemed to catch the light just right, and her eyes had this warm, caring quality that made patients trust her instantly.
But sometimes, when she thought he wasn’t looking, those same eyes would get this... intensity to them. Like she was memorizing every detail of his face, cataloging his expressions, filing away information for some purpose he couldn’t quite grasp. It was probably just normal sibling worry... She’d been taking care of him since he was thirteen, making sure he ate properly, walking him to school whenever her schedule allowed, somehow knowing his daily routine better than he did.
"Just normal sibling care," Haruto muttered to himself as he dragged his sorry ass out of bed. Though lately, he’d started noticing how she always seemed to know exactly when he’d be home, how his favorite foods appeared in the fridge before he even realized he was craving them, how she’d gotten really good at steering conversations away from any girls at school he might mention.
Probably nothing. Definitely nothing. Sisters were supposed to be protective.
He stumbled downstairs to find breakfast laid out with military precision: perfectly cooked eggs, toast cut into exact triangles, orange juice poured to the optimal level. Satsuki stood by the counter in her nurse uniform, looking like she’d stepped out of a medical drama, except for the way her eyes tracked his every movement.
"You look tired," she said, reaching up to brush an imaginary piece of lint from his school uniform. Her fingers lingered a moment too long on his shoulder. "Are you sleeping okay? Maybe I should check your room temperature tonight, make sure it’s not too hot or too cold..."
"I’m fine, Satsuki. Really." Haruto wolfed down his breakfast, trying to ignore the way she watched him eat with the focus of a scientist observing a rare specimen. "Thanks for this. I gotta get to school."
"Have a good day!" she called after him, her voice sweet as honey. "Be careful! And remember, if any girls give you trouble, you can always talk to your big sister about it!"