The night was quiet as Kaito focused, the crystalline container of the Night Thread hovering before him. Its dark aura pulsed faintly, whispering of potential. He traced his fingers along the thread's surface, feeling the energy resonate with his Karma Thread.
"Tonight, we see if all the effort pays off," he murmured to Liora, who leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed but eyes gleaming with anticipation.
With a subtle gesture, Kaito connected the Night Thread with his Karma Thread. The threads intertwined, the air around him shifting. A faint shimmer outlined the small room, then vanished as the Night Thread responded to his Karma's guidance. Slowly, methodically,—its power solidifying, finally elevating the rank 2 night thread.
"It's done," Kaito said, a rare note of satisfaction in his voice.
Liora's smile was calm, knowing. "Expected. You always get what you want."
Yet even the Night Thread had its curse. Its domain warped perception, stretching every second into eternity until the mind began to fracture beneath the silence. Most Weavers who invoked it for too long were left reeling — disoriented, drained, their thoughts scattering like smoke.
But to Kaito, whose soul had weathered 7,777 years of time itself, such strain was nothing. The fatigue that shattered others barely brushed the edge of his focus, fading like a dream the moment he willed it away.
---
The next morning, the academy buzzed with usual energy. Kaito and Liora moved through the corridors, subtly catching the curious eyes of other students. Class passed uneventfully until Professor Lian called him aside.
"The Headmaster wishes to see you," Lian said, his expression sharp.
Inside Headmaster Ryuzen's office, sunlight streamed in, casting long shadows. The Headmaster's gaze cut straight to Kaito, unyielding.
"Kaito Fei… yesterday's display… the alignment of clouds, the rainbows, the auroras… you created an event no one has seen in decades—perhaps centuries," Ryuzen said, voice measured yet laced with suspicion.
Kaito met his gaze calmly. "Extraordinary weather can be anticipated, sir. Timing, probability… small nudges."
Ryuzen leaned back, fingers steepled. "Nudges? Clouds, light, petals… all forming with such perfection? You expect me to believe that's mere chance?"
"I expect you to believe that patience and observation can do wonders," Kaito replied lightly, crimson eyes unreadable.
Ryuzen studied him, suspicion etching deeper. "You're hiding power. I know it. But I cannot prove it. Yet I must warn you… any display beyond the ordinary, any misstep…"
Kaito inclined his head, faintly amused. "Understood, sir. I'll be mindful."
The Headmaster's gaze softened slightly, though his suspicion remained unshaken. "Very well. You may return to your classes… for now."
---
Later, Kaito approached Liora, lowering his voice. "Want to test the Night Thread, privately?"
Liora smirked. "Don't worry, I know you better than anyone. I won't lose."
Kaito's crimson eyes flickered with amusement. "Don't worry, I won't use full power or Karma Thread. Just testing my two Lifeline Threads—the Dark Thread and Night Thread."
Within moments, the private duel began. The moment Kaito activated the Night Thread, the space around them shifted. Darkness enveloped the domain, a confined space accessible to only the two of them.
A faint pulse echoed in his skull — the Night Thread's toll. The world slowed, his perception stretching thin as reality warped around him. For any ordinary Weaver, the mental strain would have splintered focus within seconds.
Kaito barely noticed. To him, the pressure was little more than a whisper in the dark.
Shadows twisted as he teleported, using Night Thread's unique movement advantage.
Liora countered with her Thread of Seals, temporarily negating portions of Kaito's teleportation. But his agility, strategy, and thread mastery allowed him to outmaneuver her, eventually landing a light, controlled strike to claim victory.
They laughed afterward, the tension dissolving into familiar flirting. Noon arrived, and the two shared lunch in their usual spot, surrounded by envious gazes from passing students.
---
That afternoon, Soren Kal, a top-five first-year Rank 2 Thread Weaver specializing in strength-type Vital Thread, approached. Kaito had often declined duels, but today he decided it was the perfect time to test his dark thread fully on a strength type thread.
The duel was legal, professors observing from the sidelines. Kaito chose not to use Night Thread—teleporting to another domain would make it impossible for professors to monitor—but relied solely on his Dark Thread.
Soren charged, enhancing his strength with his Vital Thread, aiming a powerful punch at the calm Kaito. The moment his fist neared, Kaito stepped onto Soren's shadow, one of the Dark Thread abilities.
A chill crawled up his spine — the Dark Thread's corruption testing its new master. For a heartbeat, whispers of static brushed his thoughts, a hint of madness that had devoured lesser Weavers.
Kaito exhaled once, steady. The noise faded, leaving only a faint ache behind his eyes — the price of wielding darkness without fear.
Soren froze, immobilized. Kaito's precise strike knocked him out gently but decisively.
Kaito's thoughts were clinical. Lot weaker than I expected.
Liora approached, smiling. "Not too bad, huh?"
"Not too bad at all," Kaito replied, brushing off imaginary dust. They resumed as they returned to casual conversation, students watching with envy and awe.
---
By evening, Kaito sat in the Nothing Club's usual corner, the Night Thread now fully integrated with his Dark Thread. Liora rested nearby, their conversation light but charged with subtle amusement.
Kaito's mind wandered briefly to the Headmaster's warning. Suspicious… but powerless to act. Patience will do for now.
He allowed himself a small smirk, knowing the threads in his hands—Reverse Time,Dark, Night, Karma—were pieces of a larger game only he could play. The academy watched, the sky hinted at his control, and even the Headmaster could do little but observe.
The day ended quietly, but for Kaito, the real game—the subtle, hidden manipulation of probability and fate—was just beginning.
---