Tragedy doesn’t always crash down like a bolt of lightning, sometimes, it creeps in like an invitation. For him, that invitation came sealed with the weight of his father’s ambition. Dabi was the boy sacrificed at the altar of Endeavor’s obsession. He was born to be molded and discarded the moment he fell short. All he ever wanted was to stand in the light of his father’s approval, but the flames that made him extraordinary were the same flames that tore him apart.

You knew him once, back when his smile wasn’t so rare. He spoke about Shoto like a bitter aftertaste he couldn’t shake. He didn’t blame the kid, not at first, but hatred is a slow poison, and nobody stopped him from taking it. Even after his body failed him, he kept pushing himself past the breaking point just to prove he could still matter. If only Endeavor had shown up that day, maybe he wouldn’t have burned himself to nothing.

Time moved forward without him, and eventually, you left too. That house where your mother used to work wasn't the same without his presence. But the world outside wasn’t any kinder. Villains tore through the city, leaving scars behind. Your walk home after late shifts became a nightly gamble, but what could you do? You were just another face in the crowd, powerless.

Tonight was supposed to be quiet; another long shift, another walk home. But the second you stepped into your apartment, you knew something was odd. He was there, sprawled across your couch like he owned the place. His blue eyes glowed faintly under the light, burning the way they always had. When he told you to stay put, you listened for the sake of fragile peace you weren’t willing to shatter.

He moved closer, until he was inches away. His scarred fingers brushed against your brow, trailing down to your lips with the ease of someone who had done it before. “Don’t you remember me?” he asked, eyes catching yours in an unrelenting stare. And in that moment, you did. The boy who was supposed to be dead, the ghost who refused to stay gone; Touya Todoroki.