Kenzo’s life slipped back into routine too easily. He went to work. He laughed when he was supposed to. He slept through the night without dreams. On the surface, everything looked normal — too normal — like a story that skipped its most important pages. But something inside him felt muted. He noticed it when his mother hugged him and he felt nothing. When a joke landed and he smiled a second too late. When sadness came and passed without staying long enough to hurt. “You’ve changed,” Tunde s...

Kenzo’s life slipped back into routine too easily. He went to work. He laughed when he was supposed to. He slept through the night without dreams. On the surface, everything looked normal — too normal — like a story that skipped its most important pages. But something inside him felt muted. He noticed it when his mother hugged him and he felt nothing. When a joke landed and he smiled a second too late. When sadness came and passed without staying long enough to hurt. “You’ve changed,” Tunde s...

Kenzo stood frozen at the bus stop, the night humming softly around him. The figure in the glass behind him didn’t move — didn’t breathe — just waited, patient in a way only something certain could be. “You survived,” a voice said calmly from the reflection. Not threatening. Almost proud. “You did exactly what you were meant to do.” Kenzo swallowed. “I didn’t let you win.” The figure tilted its head. “No. You made room.” The truth settled slowly, heavily. The mark hadn’t been removed — it had...

Kenzo stood frozen at the bus stop, the night humming softly around him. The figure in the glass behind him didn’t move — didn’t breathe — just waited, patient in a way only something certain could be. “You survived,” a voice said calmly from the reflection. Not threatening. Almost proud. “You did exactly what you were meant to do.” Kenzo swallowed. “I didn’t let you win.” The figure tilted its head. “No. You made room.” The truth settled slowly, heavily. The mark hadn’t been removed — it had...

Kenzo woke to silence. No engine. No flickering lights. No breathing beside him. He was lying on a bus seat, sunlight spilling through the windows like nothing bad had ever happened. The road outside was normal again — traffic, people, noise. Morning. For a moment, relief washed over him. Then he pressed a hand to his chest. The mark was gone. No warmth. No glow. Just skin and a strange, aching emptiness beneath it. He sat up too fast, heart racing, scanning the bus. The hooded woman was gone...

Kenzo woke to silence. No engine. No flickering lights. No breathing beside him. He was lying on a bus seat, sunlight spilling through the windows like nothing bad had ever happened. The road outside was normal again — traffic, people, noise. Morning. For a moment, relief washed over him. Then he pressed a hand to his chest. The mark was gone. No warmth. No glow. Just skin and a strange, aching emptiness beneath it. He sat up too fast, heart racing, scanning the bus. The hooded woman was gone...

Kenzo gasped as the symbol on his chest split, the glow dividing into two uneven halves. One pulsed warm, almost familiar. The other burned cold, sharp with intent. He staggered back, clutching his shirt as if that could hold himself together. The hooded woman whispered, shaken, “It’s forcing a choice. One mark keeps you human. The other lets it in.” Outside the bus, the thing wearing Tunde’s face watched closely, eyes shining with patience. “Don’t think too hard,” it said gently. “You’ve alw...

Kenzo gasped as the symbol on his chest split, the glow dividing into two uneven halves. One pulsed warm, almost familiar. The other burned cold, sharp with intent. He staggered back, clutching his shirt as if that could hold himself together. The hooded woman whispered, shaken, “It’s forcing a choice. One mark keeps you human. The other lets it in.” Outside the bus, the thing wearing Tunde’s face watched closely, eyes shining with patience. “Don’t think too hard,” it said gently. “You’ve alw...

Kenzo woke with a strange calm sitting in his chest — not peace, not fear, but something in between. It felt borrowed, like a coat that fit too well to be his. All day, the feeling followed him. At work, he watched a coworker argue, voices raised, hands shaking. Kenzo felt nothing. No discomfort. No urge to look away. Instead, a quiet thought slipped into his mind: They’re revealing themselves. The thought startled him. He didn’t think like that. Or at least, he didn’t used to. Later, walking...

Kenzo woke with a strange calm sitting in his chest — not peace, not fear, but something in between. It felt borrowed, like a coat that fit too well to be his. All day, the feeling followed him. At work, he watched a coworker argue, voices raised, hands shaking. Kenzo felt nothing. No discomfort. No urge to look away. Instead, a quiet thought slipped into his mind: They’re revealing themselves. The thought startled him. He didn’t think like that. Or at least, he didn’t used to. Later, walking...

Kenzo wiped the mirror clean, his hand shaking. The words vanished instantly, leaving only his pale reflection staring back at him — wide-eyed, unsettled, almost unfamiliar. “It’s over,” he muttered. Saying it out loud made it sound less real. But the reflection didn’t nod with him. It just kept staring. Kenzo stepped back. The reflection stayed still for half a second longer than it should have — then smiled slightly. Not his smile. Too tight. Too knowing. His heart dropped. “Stop,” he whisp...

Kenzo wiped the mirror clean, his hand shaking. The words vanished instantly, leaving only his pale reflection staring back at him — wide-eyed, unsettled, almost unfamiliar. “It’s over,” he muttered. Saying it out loud made it sound less real. But the reflection didn’t nod with him. It just kept staring. Kenzo stepped back. The reflection stayed still for half a second longer than it should have — then smiled slightly. Not his smile. Too tight. Too knowing. His heart dropped. “Stop,” he whisp...

For the first time in weeks, Kenzo felt normal. No strange thoughts. No borrowed calm. No whispers brushing the edges of his mind. He laughed easily, slept deeply, and woke without that heavy awareness sitting in his chest. He told himself it was over. The message never came back. The reflections behaved. The city felt like a place he belonged to again. Even Tunde noticed the change. “You’re back,” he said one evening, smiling with relief. Kenzo believed him. Days passed. Then a week. The qui...

For the first time in weeks, Kenzo felt normal. No strange thoughts. No borrowed calm. No whispers brushing the edges of his mind. He laughed easily, slept deeply, and woke without that heavy awareness sitting in his chest. He told himself it was over. The message never came back. The reflections behaved. The city felt like a place he belonged to again. Even Tunde noticed the change. “You’re back,” he said one evening, smiling with relief. Kenzo believed him. Days passed. Then a week. The qui...

It happened on a night Kenzo was too tired to fight himself. The city was loud, restless, full of people moving too fast and feeling too much. A man shoved past him on the street, muttering an insult under his breath. Normally, Kenzo would’ve ignored it. This time, something inside him leaned forward. He turned. One look was all it took. The man faltered, words dying in his throat as Kenzo’s calm gaze held him in place. Kenzo felt it then — the ease of it. The control. How simple it would be ...

It happened on a night Kenzo was too tired to fight himself. The city was loud, restless, full of people moving too fast and feeling too much. A man shoved past him on the street, muttering an insult under his breath. Normally, Kenzo would’ve ignored it. This time, something inside him leaned forward. He turned. One look was all it took. The man faltered, words dying in his throat as Kenzo’s calm gaze held him in place. Kenzo felt it then — the ease of it. The control. How simple it would be ...

The bus felt unbearably small as the doors continued to close, inch by inch. Kenzo’s chest ached where the two marks pulsed against each other, each beat tearing at him like he was being pulled apart from the inside. “I can’t choose,” he whispered, tears blurring his vision. “I don’t even know which one is me anymore.” The hooded woman’s voice softened. “That’s how it traps you. It makes you doubt yourself until you give up.” Outside, the thing wearing Tunde’s face watched with quiet sadness....

The bus felt unbearably small as the doors continued to close, inch by inch. Kenzo’s chest ached where the two marks pulsed against each other, each beat tearing at him like he was being pulled apart from the inside. “I can’t choose,” he whispered, tears blurring his vision. “I don’t even know which one is me anymore.” The hooded woman’s voice softened. “That’s how it traps you. It makes you doubt yourself until you give up.” Outside, the thing wearing Tunde’s face watched with quiet sadness....

The brighter mark burned hot against Kenzo’s chest, not painful — steady. He felt it spread through him, grounding him, reminding him of who he was before the fear, before the bus, before the shadows. “I remember myself,” he whispered. “You don’t get to take that.” The thing wearing Tunde’s face recoiled slightly, its smile finally cracking. “You don’t win by remembering,” it snapped. “You win by letting go.” Kenzo shook his head, tears streaming freely now. “No. I’ve let go my whole life. Th...

The brighter mark burned hot against Kenzo’s chest, not painful — steady. He felt it spread through him, grounding him, reminding him of who he was before the fear, before the bus, before the shadows. “I remember myself,” he whispered. “You don’t get to take that.” The thing wearing Tunde’s face recoiled slightly, its smile finally cracking. “You don’t win by remembering,” it snapped. “You win by letting go.” Kenzo shook his head, tears streaming freely now. “No. I’ve let go my whole life. Th...