The night air felt heavier than usual—like the world itself was holding its breath.

Down an empty street, under the flickering glow of a streetlamp, a teenage boy stood alone.

His red hair caught the light just enough to reveal the sharp contrast of his outfit—a red and white jogging suit, slightly scuffed like he’d been through more than he should have. His hands were shoved into his pockets, but his posture wasn’t relaxed. Not even close.

This was Dark Heart.

But not the wild, shifting force of chaos most would expect.

No—right now, he looked… human.

Mostly.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as if listening to something no one else could hear. For a brief second, the air around him shimmered unnaturally—like heat waves rising off pavement—before settling again.

“...You feel that too, don’t you?” he muttered, though no one was visibly there.

A faint pulse of dark energy flickered at his fingertips, then vanished just as quickly. He clenched his fist, clearly trying to keep it under control.

“Great,” he sighed under his breath. “Just when I was getting used to this whole ‘normal’ thing…”

Somewhere nearby, something shifted—a noise, a presence, something that didn’t belong.

Dark Heart’s expression hardened instantly. Gone was the uncertainty—replaced by something sharper, more dangerous.

“Alright,” he said, stepping forward into the dim light, a faint smirk forming despite himself. “If you’re gonna lurk around, you might as well show yourself.”