Fractured Wings

The rain didn't stop. It had been two days now, the rhythmic patter against the window almost made me forget that this isn't a real world. 

I found myself in an inn—a quaint, quiet place that seemed like it belonged in another time. I wondered if it really existed in the real Hosu. The walls were made of weathered wood, the floorboards creaked underfoot, and the faint smell of dampness lingered in the air, mingling with the scent of aged leather and mothballs. 

The rain had dulled the world outside to a muted gray, but here inside, there was warmth, a flickering fireplace casting dancing shadows across the room. It felt safe, or as safe as anything could feel in this cursed game. 

The inn was full of faces, most of them were young. Children ran through the narrow halls, their laughter brittle and fleeting. Their were elderly people too, their faces lined with worry and weariness, their eyes haunted by the knowledge that they would not last long if they for some unforeseen circumstances had to leave. 

Then there were the young adults, those my age or a little older, none past their early twenties. They were the ones doing all the work in here, they moved in silence, doing everything they could to maintain a semblance of normalcy. 

The oldest among them was a woman, only 22, with a kind demeanour. She acted as a caretaker for the children, her voice was gentle as she soothed their fears and mediated their squabbles. Her boyfriend, a tall and broad-shouldered man with a permanent look of exhaustion, worked alongside her, they were both keeping the group together with a silent strength. They had done well to create a sense of peace and belonging in these fragile walls. 

But peace is a delicate thing. 

I sat by the window staring at the rain-soaked streets, watching the rivulets of water carve patterns down the glass. I liked looking at the rain fall but I didn't like being out in it. Not necessarily because I liked staying dry. The rain made my quirk harder to use. 

Wet paper lost it's strength, it's durability, it's edge. I would have to pointlessly continue to reinforce it which could just be a bother. Out there, I was at a disadvantage, and in here I was surrounded by good people, although I could tell some of the more sensible one's didn't trust me. 

One of them was a girl with short black hair and sharp eyes. She watched me from across the room, she didn't try to hide it and she had been doing so since I got here. Her gaze was piercing, unblinking, like she was trying to see through me. I ignored her, this was her home after all, her safe space. I was the outsider here. 

The children were playing in the corner, their laughter cutting through the gloom like a knife. Most of them ran and shouted, their energy was boundless, despite their circumstances, but one boy sat apart from the rest. He was small, his knees pulled to his chest as he stared down at the floor. His hair was a messy tangle of brown, and his eyes were distant, unfocused, as if they were somewhere far away. 

I'd seen that look before. It was the look of someone lost in their own head, someone trying to make sense of a world that didn't make sense. Without thinking, I stood and walked over to him. He didn't look up as I approached, his gaze was fixed on the ground. 

"Hey," I said softly, crouching down to his level. "What's your name?" 

He didn't answer. His hands fidgeted with his shirt, his shoulders tense. A sheet of paper began floating in my hand. With a flick of my wrist, it folded itself into a bird, it's wings flapping as it hovered in the air. The boy's eyes widened slightly, his focus snapping to the bird as it fluttered in front of him. 

"Pretty cool huh?" I said, letting the bird gently land on his knee. 

He didn't respond, but his hand reached out hesitantly, his fingers brushing against the paper wings. I created another figure, this time a fox, it's tail curling as it pranced around in a circle around the boy. His lips parted slightly, the feintest hint of a smile breaking through his otherwise stoic demeanour. 

"I can make anything," I said, keeping my tone light. "What do you want to see?" 

He glanced at me for the first time, his voice was barely a whisper. "A dragon." 

I smiled and nodded, folding the paper with practised ease. The dragon unfurled in the air, it's wings spreading wide as it soared above us, it's tail curling like smoke. The boy's eyes lit up and for a moment he looked like any other kid, free of the weight this game had placed on him. 

He stood suddenly, his voice still quiet but filled with a newfound energy. 

"I'm going to show the others." he said as he ran toward a group of children. 

I watched him go as my creations followed him, a faint warmth blooming in my chest. But it was short-lived. The moment passed and the weight of reality set back in. I felt like I was a little more desperate to get out of this game for some reason. 

I stood slowly, my joints stiff, and I made my way to the door. 

As I stepped outside into the hallway, the girl with the sharp eyes was waiting for me. Her arms crossed and her expression hard. 

"You need to leave." she said, her voice carried venom. 

I raised my eyebrow, tilting my head slightly. "Excuse me?" 

"I know who you are." she fired back. "You're Soryu. A villain." 

My stomach twisted but I kept my face neutral. "I'm not here to hurt anyone," I said calmly. "I just needed to stay out of the rain." 

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "You're a villain. You're a bad guy. And bad people bring trouble. If you stay here I'm sure something bad will happen. So leave!" 

I met her gaze, seeing her fear and anger in her eyes. She wasn't wrong, my presence here could just result in a major risk. 

"Fine." I said after a long pause. "Tell the others I left to find a friend." 

She blinked, surprised by my compliance, but nodded. "Good." 

I walked over to a window in the hallway and opened it, I pulled my hood up with her staring at me as I go. I leapt out, cold water instantly started soaking my clothes. I didn't look back.

___

The streets were empty, the rain muting the world around me. I walked for a few hours not feeling any strain on my legs, I had stopped by a few places to avoid the rain and only left whenever I heard people approaching in groups. 

The girls words lingered in my mind. They made me think of my sister. Yuki. I wondered what she was doing right now. 

Eventually I stopped in front of a small convenience store, it's fluorescent lights flickering in the rain. I stepped inside, the bell above jingled softly. 

And I was met with an unexpected presence. 

The Rabbit hero Mirko. 

'She was also in this game.' 

Her presence hit me like a tidal wave. She was a force of nature, her silver hair cascading down her back like moonlight, her ears twitching as she scanned the room. Her posture relaxed and alert, her muscles taut beneath her hero costume. She was beauty and strength personified. 

Her crimson eyes opened and flickered towards me. Sharp on instinct, and calculating, and for a moment, the storm outside felt like a whisper compared to the intensity of her gaze. Her gaze was pinning me in place, she recognized me. 

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked finally, her voice as steady as a sharp blade. 

I blinked. "Shouldn't what?" 

Her smirk was humourless. "Kick you through that wall." 

There it was, the unspoken tension given a voice. My heart raced, but I forced my expression to remain calm "Well, I'm not her to fight," I said. "And because it would be pointless." 

"Pointless?" her tone was mocking, but their was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. 

"I'm just trying to get out of this game, same as you." that was meant to be framed more as a question but she glossed over it. 

Her smirk faded slightly, replaced by a calculating look. She tilted her head, her ears twitching again. "If you're not here to fight then show me your points." 

My stomach tightened. 

"Why?" 

"I don't trust you villain." she said simply, she was a lot smarter than she gave off on first glance. If I were just coasting and acting like I just wanted out of the game my points wouldn't have changed past 8. But the four days had passed and I would have died, so the only way to bypass that was having my point score change whether it went down from transferring a point, or up from receiving. "I wanna know if you've survived by stacking up bodies." 

Overhaul was a known villain so was named a villain in this game, like me, so he was worth ten points leaving me at eighteen. If she were to know that, then there was a likelihood she would assume I'm playing for all the wrong reasons. 

Would she even give me a chance to explain? "What's the matter? Got something to hide?" 

"Matter a fact, don't answer!" She said with a point. "Just pull out your Bug and show me!" It was a demand. 

I couldn't fight her. Not here in this small convenience store. The fight would eventually break off outside, into the rain. My quirk was already at a disadvantage and Mirko was a top hero. Even in a fair fight, I'd struggle. 

With a slow, deliberate motion, she walked over to me and I started to materialize my Bug. The screen came on. The holographic display began to glow faintly, the number 18 just starting to flicker into view—

"{New Rule Added: Every three days, players will be transported to random locations within the city. Transportation begins now...}" 

And I disappeared. 

'Luck seems to be on my side.' 

The sensation was overwhelming, instead of the seamless transportation in game. I felt more like I was pulled and swirled in a new direction, a little disorienting. 

When my vision cleared, I was lying on my back, rain still falling around me My head pounded, and the metallic taste of adrenaline lingered in my mouth. 

I pushed myself up, blinking away the droplets clinging to my lashes. 

A voice broke through the haze, soft but sharp. "You..." 

I turned sharply, My muscles tensing. It was the girl from class B, part of the group that I left a couple days ago. Yui Kodai. She had a neutral face but her eyes were shaking with slight fear. 

Before I could say anything, I felt it. 

A pressure. A weight. 

It rolled over me like a tidal wave, thick and suffocating, laced with the intent to kill. My breath hitched as I locked eyes with him, standing in the rain, his silhouette illuminated by a single street lamp. 

Abyss. 

His grin was wide, feral, his gleaming eyes fixed on me like a predator who had just found his prey. His sharp shark-like claws flexed as he took a slow step forward. The rain cascaded off his hulking frame. 

"Well, well." he drawled, in his voice was a low rumble of mockery. "We meet again. How delightful." 

A sudden burst of water shot towards us, sharp and deadly as a spear. My instincts screamed, and I moved without thinking, surging forward with blinding speeds. 

"Move!" I grabbed the class B student and pulled her in close before leaping mid-air as the water sliced through the spot we'd just occupied, slamming into the wall behind us with a deafening crash. 

We hit the ground and skid to the shadows of a nearby building. I could feel her heart racing, her breaths were fast and shallow. 

She stared at me with a mixture of shock and confusion. 

The sound of Abyss's laughter echoed through the patter of the rain violently hitting the ground. Deep and unrelenting. 

"There's no need to run little mouse," he called out with glee. "The night's just getting started." 

There was probably no way out of confrontation. 

And as his laughter reverberated, I seemed to only realize something from our last encounter. 

The rain is his domain.