Mirror Shards

Chapter Eight: Random

Random ▶︎•၊၊||၊|။||||။ ၊|• 0:08

8:25 AM

Wednesday

Beigoma Academy 

Before School

Courtyard

Rantaro's 1st-Person POV

The morning air was cool, the kind that made you wish you'd stayed in bed just a little longer. I was sitting on one of the stone benches near the courtyard, munching on an energy bar since I'd skipped breakfast—again. Across from me was Valt, who was slouched over like someone had drained all the life out of him.

Now, Valt's not exactly a morning person, but this? This was different. His blue hair was messier than usual, sticking up in odd directions, and his brown eyes had these dark circles under them. It was like he hadn't slept in days.

I nudged him with my elbow. "Hey, Valt. What's up with you? You look like someone just destroyed Valtryek and then stepped on your lunch."

He blinked, his eyes focusing on me like he'd just remembered I was there. "Huh? Oh... yeah, I'm fine."

I gave him a skeptical look, crossing my arms. "Yeah, sure, because fine definitely looks like a walking zombie. Spill it, dude. Did something happen?"

Valt hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. That's when I knew it was serious—Valt usually couldn't keep a secret for more than five seconds. "I... I had this dream," he muttered.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back a smirk. "A dream? Really? That's what's got you all bent out of shape?"

"You don't get it, Rantaro!" His voice was sharper this time, and I could see his hands tightening around his backpack straps. "It wasn't just some random dream. It felt real. Too real."

That got my attention. I leaned back against the bench, folding my arms. "Alright, I'm listening. What happened?"

Valt glanced around, like he was checking to make sure no one else was eavesdropping. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost like he was afraid to say the words out loud.

"There was this... place. It was all dark, like a void. And there was this blader there, but I couldn't see their face. They were covered in shadows, and their Bey... Rantaro, it was the weirdest Bey I've ever seen. Black and silver, with this creepy hum, like it was alive."

The way he described it sent a chill down my spine, but I tried to play it cool. "Okay, so you battled them, right? What's the big deal?"

Valt shook his head, his expression growing more intense. "It wasn't like a normal battle. Every time Valtryek clashed with their Bey, it felt... wrong. Like it was draining Valtryek. With every hit, I could feel Valtryek getting weaker, like it was losing its spirit."

He paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "And then... I saw their face. Or at least, I thought I did. It wasn't just some random blader—it was me, Rantaro. Their face was mine, but twisted, like a nightmare version of me. Their eyes were empty, and their smile..." He shuddered. "It was all wrong."

I stared at him, not sure what to say. Valt wasn't the kind of guy to get worked up over a bad dream, but the way he was shaking... it was hard to brush it off as nothing.

"And then their Bey," Valt added, his voice barely above a whisper. "It grew huge, like some kind of monster. It chased me, and no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't get away. Just before it hit me, I woke up."

I frowned, leaning forward. "Okay, that's definitely freaky. But... it's just a dream, right? I mean, it's not like shadow bladers actually exist."

Before Valt could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air.

"So, you've had the dream too."

We both turned, and there was Shu, standing a few feet away. His white hair gleamed in the morning sunlight, and his crimson eyes were sharp, locked onto Valt. He was wearing his uniform as usual, but his black tie fluttered lightly in the breeze, making him look even more composed than usual.

"What do you mean 'too'?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Shu stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "You're not the only one, Valt. I've had dreams like that before—battling a shadowy blader, losing to them, and feeling like it was more than just a dream."

Valt shot to his feet, his fear replaced by a spark of hope. "Wait, you're serious? This isn't just me imagining things?"

Shu nodded. "I've been trying to figure it out, but I don't think these are just dreams. There's something strange going on."

I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, but... what does it mean? Are we just gonna sit around and wait for this shadowy blader to show up in real life?"

Shu's eyes narrowed, and his voice was calm but firm. "No. We don't wait. We prepare. If these dreams are some kind of warning, then we need to be ready for whatever's coming."

"Prepare how?" Valt asked, his voice tinged with both fear and determination.

Shu looked at us both, his crimson eyes blazing with resolve. "We train. Harder than ever. And we stay alert. If this blader shows up, we'll face them together—and we'll win."

There was something about the way Shu said it, so calm and confident, that made me believe him. Still, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my chest.

As the morning bell rang in the distance, signaling the start of class, I glanced at Valt. He was gripping Valtryek tightly, his knuckles white.

This was more than just some bad dream. Something was coming, and whether we were ready or not, it felt like it was already on its way.