Emotions?

Nagano, Japan—a place of quiet mornings and serene landscapes. Amid the peaceful hills and bustling streets stood a small, nondescript house. Within it lived a young man who carried a burden far greater than anyone could imagine. Atsuki Saito (斉藤あつき), a name whispered with both awe and fear, was no ordinary person. He was the kind of individual whose very existence felt like it belonged in legends, not the mundane world he inhabited.

Since childhood, Atsuki had known what it was like to stand apart. From his earliest memories, people avoided him. Parents would pull their children away when he approached, and neighbors spoke of him in hushed tones. "There's something unnatural about that boy," they'd say. To them, his strength was not a blessing but a curse, an omen of something dark and incomprehensible.

Atsuki couldn't understand why he was treated this way. As a child, all he wanted was to play and laugh like everyone else. But every time he tried to join a group, they would scatter, their fear plain as day. The isolation became suffocating, and by the time he was old enough to truly grasp what was happening, he had already built walls around his heart.

Physically, Atsuki was striking. He was tall and lean, with long, dark brown hair that shimmered under the sunlight. His sharp jawline and deep, piercing eyes gave him an air of mystery that many found alluring. Girls would often steal glances at him, their admiration evident. But beauty alone wasn't enough to bridge the chasm that separated him from the world.

A rumor began to spread in Nagano, one that cast an even darker shadow over Atsuki's life. Some said he was connected to the Voidbringers—the malevolent beings who brought chaos and destruction. It didn't matter that there was no proof; fear needed no evidence to thrive. This baseless rumor turned admiration into avoidance. The few who might have approached him kept their distance, wary of the supposed danger he represented.

Amid this sea of loneliness, there was one person who never wavered: his grandfather. A kind and gentle man, he was the anchor in Atsuki's turbulent life. His grandfather believed in him, not as a weapon or a threat, but as a boy who deserved love and happiness. "Your strength is a gift," he would say, "but it doesn't define who you are."

Atsuki clung to his grandfather's words, but life had other plans. He had already lost his mother at birth, her life traded for his. His father, unable to cope with the loss, abandoned him when he was only two. Atsuki grew up without a father's guidance, but his grandfather's love filled the void—for a time.

When Atsuki turned seventeen, the unthinkable happened. His grandfather, the one person who had always stood by him, passed away. The loss shattered Atsuki, leaving him adrift in a world that seemed determined to reject him. Alone and grief-stricken, he had no choice but to fend for himself.

He found a part-time job at a small bakery, where he worked in relative anonymity. The job didn't pay much, but it was enough to cover the rent for a modest house and put food on the table. Atsuki's grandfather had left him a significant inheritance, but Atsuki was cautious. He used the money sparingly, saving it for emergencies.

Despite his efforts, life didn't get easier. By the time he turned nineteen, the inheritance had nearly run out. Atsuki had to find a better job to sustain himself. It was a hard transition, but he managed. Survival had become second nature to him, and he refused to let the weight of his past drag him down.

At twenty-one, Atsuki completed his studies and landed a stable job. It wasn't glamorous, but it provided a sense of normalcy. For the first time, his life felt steady. The fear and whispers that had followed him for so long seemed to fade into the background. Atsuki convinced himself that he didn't need anything more than this simple, uneventful life.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, a question gnawed at the edges of his mind. Every time he turned on the news, he saw them: the Arcane Warriors. These were the people who stood on the front lines, battling the Voidbringers to protect humanity. They were heroes, revered and celebrated. Atsuki couldn't help but wonder if he was meant to be among them.

He had powers, after all—powers that defied explanation. He could feel the strength coursing through him, a force so immense it sometimes scared even him. But what if that strength wasn't a gift? What if it was a curse, just as everyone believed?

Atsuki often imagined what it would be like to join the Arcane Warriors. He pictured himself standing beside them, wielding his strength to fight for a cause greater than himself. But then, the doubts crept in. Could he handle the responsibility? What if he failed? Or worse, what if he became the very thing people feared—a weapon of destruction?

These thoughts haunted him, but he kept them buried. Life was easier that way. He convinced himself that he didn't need to be a hero, that he could live quietly and avoid the chaos that came with power.

But deep down, Atsuki knew the truth. He couldn't run from who he was forever. The world was changing, and whether he liked it or not, his destiny was tied to the battle between the Arcane Warriors and the Voidbringers.

For now, though, Atsuki chose to ignore the call. He told himself that an ordinary life was enough, that he didn't need to prove anything to anyone.

Yet, as he stared out the window of his small home, watching the sun dip below the horizon, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. A storm was brewing, and Atsuki Saito was standing at its center—whether he was ready or not.