Bab 8: Chapter 8: A Spark of Interest
Reiji leaned against the window of his new apartment, staring out at the city below. The faint glow of streetlights reflected off the glass, casting long shadows across the quiet streets. His fingers absentmindedly brushed over the ring on his hand—the ring that had ignited his life in ways he could never have imagined.
The memory of the fight in the alley still burned fresh in his mind. The way the Dying Will Flame had roared to life, giving him strength when he had been on the brink of defeat. But more than that, the flame hadn't empowered him physically—it had made him feel calm. His heart had beat with precision, his body moving efficiently, almost like a martial arts master in perfect control of every movement. He had struck down the thugs with ease, not out of anger or desperation, but with a cool, focused determination.
It had saved him, but it also left him with more questions than answers.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. The flame wasn't something he could just call upon. He had tried. He had spent the last few days attempting to summon it again, to ignite that same fire within him. But no matter how hard he focused, no matter how much he strained his will, the flames wouldn't come.
"Why now, but not when I need it?" Reiji muttered under his breath. He glanced down at his hand, remembering how the orange flames had flickered on his forehead in the heat of battle. The flame had responded to his desperation, to his need to survive—but now, in the calm after the storm, it remained dormant.
Reiji pushed himself away from the window and paced across the small room. The apartment was simple, bare of any real decoration save for a few basic necessities. It wasn't much, but it was better than the place he had called home before. Selling the jewel from the mansion had given him enough to afford this space, but that comfort was temporary. He had bigger things to worry about now.
His mind wandered back to the alley—specifically, to Shinya. The man had appeared out of nowhere, stepping in just after Reiji had won the fight. Shinya had been calm, composed, as if the fight hadn't surprised him in the least. And the way he had spoken about Reiji's flames—as though they were just another superpower, nothing out of the ordinary.
Reiji ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling in his chest. Superpowers. That's what Shinya had called it. But Reiji knew there was more to it than that. This wasn't just some ability that anyone could have—it was tied to the Vongola legacy. To something ancient, powerful, and far beyond the scope of what Shinya or anyone else understood.
But how could Reiji explain that? He had barely grasped it himself. He didn't even fully understand what it meant to be a Vongola heir, or why the flames had chosen him.
A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
Reiji froze, his heart skipping a beat. He wasn't expecting anyone. Slowly, he walked over to the door, peeking through the small peephole. To his surprise, it was Shinya standing on the other side, his familiar dark coat draped loosely over his shoulders.
Reiji opened the door cautiously. "Shinya?"
Shinya glanced around the hallway, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings before stepping inside. "I figured I'd check in on you. Thought you might have questions about what happened."
Reiji nodded, closing the door behind him. "I do. But I'm guessing you're not here to give me answers."
Shinya Kogami's POV
Shinya Kogami sat at his desk, flicking through the incident report from the previous night. The thugs he had caught weren't anything out of the ordinary—just low-level troublemakers who had been causing problems for a while. But one name stood out on the report: Reiji Hayato. The kid hadn't seemed like a typical victim.
Something was off. The report showed that Reiji was meek, a timid figure by all accounts. He worked simple jobs, never caused any trouble. But suddenly, he had money and had fought back against the thugs—effectively, at that. None of it made sense. How could someone like Reiji, with no record of physical prowess, take down a group of street thugs?
Shinya glanced at a separate document—a financial trail linked to the fight. One of the thugs had mentioned that Reiji had come into some money recently. Nothing illegal had popped up, but it was strange. The kid had sold a jewel to a dealer in the city, a jewel worth more than a typical street rat could afford to stumble upon.
His instincts were nagging at him. There was something about the kid's sudden wealth, his mysterious flames, and the fight that didn't add up. Could Reiji have ties to the same underground groups causing trouble in the city?
Shinya leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he recalled the fight. Flames on the kid's forehead. That wasn't something you saw every day. And now, with the sudden appearance of money, Shinya knew it was worth taking a closer look.
"Guess it's time for a visit," he muttered, grabbing his coat. It didn't hurt to check it out. Reiji might be involved with more than just a simple mugging. Besides, a routine check wouldn't take long.
Back to Reiji's Apartment Scene
Shinya took a few steps inside, his eyes scanning the sparse room. His gaze was sharp, missing nothing. Reiji shifted under his scrutiny but said nothing.
"So," Shinya started, leaning against the wall, "about that jewel you sold. Where'd you get it?"
Reiji tensed, his hand unconsciously brushing over the ring on his finger. "It was something I found. In a mansion outside the city."
"A mansion, huh?" Shinya's tone was skeptical. "And I'm supposed to believe you just happened to find a valuable jewel lying around?"
Reiji frowned. "It's true. The mansion belonged to the Vongola."
Shinya raised an eyebrow. "Vongola? What's that? Don't ramble about some unknown name like that."
Reiji's frustration grew, but before he could explain further, Shinya waved him off. "Look, I don't really care about old family names or what mansion you found it in. Treat this as my apology for being late to help you in that alley."
Reiji blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in tone.
Shinya's expression softened just slightly as he continued, "But here's some advice: register your power. Unless you want to be treated as a vigilante, it's better to get ahead of things before the wrong people notice."
Reiji clenched his fists, still unsure how to respond. The weight of his connection to the Vongola was too much to explain to someone like Shinya, someone who clearly didn't believe in old legacies. But he knew Shinya was right about one thing—he needed to be careful.
Shinya pushed off the wall, turning toward the door. "Stay out of trouble, kid. And remember what I said—register your power. You don't want more problems than you already have."
As he stepped out of the apartment, his thoughts drifted for a moment. Vongola? He shrugged it off. Doesn't matter. The kid probably isn't connected to anything serious. He paused, thinking about the routine check he'd just completed. Anyway, the kid doesn't seem tied to them. I've done my check. The rest isn't my problem.
With one last glance over his shoulder, Shinya left the building, his mind already shifting back to his own mission.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone