Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 59: Full Merge: Ninety Seconds

The Legendary entity was healing. The bone armor knit itself together. The red eyes glowed brighter. The hum vibrated in Kaito’s teeth. The partial merge with Yuki-Onna and Fenrir was failing. The ice melted. The wolf claws blunted. Kaito stood in the rain of bone dust. His lungs burned. His vision blurred. He could not feel his legs.

Kuro said: "We are losing."

Kaito said: "I know."

Kuro said: "There is one way."

Kaito said: "No."

Kuro said: "It is ninety seconds."

Kaito said: "It costs too much."

Kuro said: "It costs less than dying."

Kaito looked at the beast. It was rising. The red eyes were brighter. The hum was louder. Jin was too far away. Ryota was asleep. Hana was dreaming. They were safe because he stood. If he fell, they were not.

Kaito said: "Do it."

Kuro said: "Hold on."

The shadow swallowed him. The human shape dissolved. Kaito was no longer Kaito. He was the Raven. He was the Void. He was the End. Time stopped. Or it moved too fast. He saw the entity. He saw its core. It was a pulsing red mass behind the bone. He reached out. His hand was a claw of darkness. He tore the core out. The entity screamed. The sound broke windows. The shockwave knocked him back. He landed on his feet. He did not feel the impact. Ninety seconds.

The shadow receded. Kaito fell. He hit the ground. He could not feel his legs. He could not feel his hands. He could not feel his face. He vomited. It was black. It was not blood. It was shadow. It pooled on the concrete. It smoked. Jin ran to him. Jin knelt. He touched Kaito’s shoulder. His hand was warm. Kaito did not feel it.

Jin said: "Kaito."

Kaito said: "I am fine."

His voice was wrong. It sounded like two voices. One human. One bird. Jin frowned. He did not argue. He helped Kaito sit up. Kaito leaned on him. He could not walk alone. His bones felt hollow. His marrow was gone. He felt light. Like wind could blow him away.

Jin said: "You are bleeding."

Kaito said: "It is nothing."

Jin said: "It is black." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Kaito said: "Wipe it."

Jin wiped the corner of Kaito’s mouth. The cloth turned dark. Jin looked at the cloth. He looked at Kaito. He did not ask. He knew better. He helped Kaito stand. They walked. The taxi ride was a blur. The lights were streaks. The sounds were muffled. Kaito closed his eyes. He slept for three minutes. He woke up when the car stopped. Jin paid. He helped Kaito out. They stood before the apartment building. The lobby was dark. The stairs were long. Jin did not complain. He carried Kaito up. One flight. Two. Three. Kaito’s head rested on Jin’s shoulder. He smelled detergent. He smelled tea. He smelled safety.

They reached the door. Jin opened it. He laid Kaito on the bed. He did not turn on the light. He pulled the blanket over Kaito. He placed the card on the desk. Next to the others. It glowed faintly. It was white and gold. Legendary.

Jin said: "Sleep."

Kaito said: "You?"

Jin said: "I will watch."

Kaito said: "Go home."

Jin said: "No."

Kaito did not argue. He was too tired. He drifted. The darkness took him. It was not NYX. It was just rest. He dreamed of ice. He dreamed of fur. He dreamed of a hum that never stopped. He dreamed of the ninety seconds. He dreamed of the power. It was addictive. It was dangerous. He wanted it again. He hated himself for wanting it. He woke at noon. The sun was high. The room was clean. Jin was gone. There was a note on the desk. It said: School covered. Rest.

Kaito sat up. His body screamed. He stood. He walked to the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair was white at the temples. A patch of it. He touched it. It was real. The cost of the full merge. It was not just stamina. It was life.

Kuro said: "You are aging."

Kaito said: "I know."

Kuro said: "It will grow back."

Kaito said: "Maybe."

Kaito washed his face. He put on a fresh shirt. He covered the white patch with his hair. He checked the deck. The new card was there. It was cold. It was powerful. It was worth it. He told himself that. He did not believe it. He opened the door. He walked down the stairs. He passed the second floor. The step was empty. Hana was not there. He was glad. He did not want her to see the white hair. He did not want her to ask. He did not want to lie to her.

He walked out into the afternoon. The city was bright. The people were happy. They did not know about the ninety seconds. They did not know about the black blood. They did not know about the price. Kaito thought: It is fine. He walked toward the school. He was late. He did not care. He was alive. He was standing. He was the wall. The wall had cracks. No one saw them.

He reached the gate. Ryota was there. He looked worried. He looked at Kaito’s hair. He did not say anything. He handed him a coffee. It was cold. Kaito took it. He drank. It tasted like sugar. It tasted like friendship. It tasted like ash.

Ryota said: "You look different."

Kaito said: "I am the same."

Ryota said: "Okay."

Ryota did not push. He walked beside him. Jin was on the other side. They formed a line. They walked into the school. The bell rang. The day continued. Kaito touched his pocket. The cards were there. The hunger was waiting. But he had won today. He would win tomorrow. He would pay the price. He would keep the secret. The sun warmed his face. The coffee stayed in his stomach. The friends were near. Kaito kept walking. He did not look back. The shadow followed. The light remained. He was ready.

He sat at his desk. He opened his notebook. He turned to a fresh page. His hand shook. The pen felt heavy. He wrote about the merge. He did not write about the cost. He wrote about the victory. He wrote about the card. He wrote: Full Merge. Kuro. He wrote: Duration: 90 seconds. He wrote: Result: Success.

He stopped. He looked at the words. They were lies. The result was not success. It was survival. There was a difference. He closed the book. He put the pen away. He looked at the window. The sky was clear. The clouds were moving. The wind was changing.

Kuro said: "You hid it."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Kuro said: "Why."

Kaito said: "They cannot help."

Kuro said: "They would try."

Kaito said: "Then they would worry."

Kuro said: "They already worry."

Kaito said: "This is worse."

Kuro said: "You are alone."

Kaito said: "I am not."

Kaito looked at Ryota. He was spinning a pen. He was alive. He looked at Jin. He was watching the teacher. He was safe. They were the reason he paid the price. They were the reason he hid the scars. The bell rang for break. Students stood up. They stretched. They talked. Ryota turned around. He grinned at Kaito.

Ryota said: "Same time tomorrow?"

Kaito said: "Yes."

Ryota said: "Good. I know a new place. Better beans."

Kaito said: "Okay."

Ryota said: "That is two words. You are talkative today."

Kaito did not answer. He just nodded. Ryota laughed. He turned back to his desk. He started talking to Jin. They argued about a video game. The sound was loud. It was normal. Kaito leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes for a second. The exhaustion was still there. The pain was still there. But the weight was lighter. He touched his pocket. The cards were there. They were cold. They were hard. They were weapons.

He touched his hair. The white patch was there. It was hidden. It was his. He would carry it. He would carry the ninety seconds. He would carry the black blood. He would carry the secret. The day continued. The sun moved. The shadows grew. Kaito walked home alone. Jin had club activities. Ryota had practice. Kaito reached the Grey District. He stopped at the alley. The wall was there. The brick was cold. He thought about the coffee. He thought about the smile. He walked deeper. The shadows welcomed him. The cards hummed. The night began. But the warmth remained. It was in his chest. It was in his pocket. It was in his mind. He was ready. The day began.