#distorted reflection

(JJK OC | Canon Compliant | Prologue | Part 3)

Kagami was still sitting on the edge of the bed.

She wasn’t crying anymore — she had run out of tears. Besides, she had never liked crying for long. It didn’t change anything.

She wiped at her damp cheeks with the back of her hand. Her eyes felt gritty, like sand had been poured into them, her temples throbbing dully. Her head swam a little.

But compared to Mizuki...

It felt wrong to even think about herself.

Kagami and Mizuki had always been close. They played together often, visited each other, shared toys and secrets. Mizuki sometimes called her weird, but never cruelly. Never laughed at her the way other children did. Never whispered behind her back. Never looked at her like something was wrong.

Kagami was older, and both of them were only children. Mizuki had always gravitated toward her — open, trusting, admiring.

Kagami glanced at her cousin.

Still unconscious.

The monitor beside the bed continued its steady rhythm. Beneath the bandages, the shape of small fingers could be made out.

The image flashed again.

Blood in the gym. The crack of metal. The scream.

Guilt tightened around her throat. Breathing became harder. Her thoughts spiraled into endless what ifs.

“Zuki…” Kagami whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry… Please. I won’t do that again. I promise.”

Her gaze dropped.

She couldn’t bear to look at her any longer.

And then...

it came back.

That same heaviness in her chest.

The air thickened, turning dense and wrong. A chill ran down her spine. The beeping of the monitor dulled for a second, like someone had pressed a hand over it.

Her heart skipped.

Kagami froze.

She knew this feeling.

Something was gathering in the corner of the room. The shadow there didn’t match the direction of the light. It pulsed, swelling slowly.

And something crawled out of it.

Large.

Too long.

Its ribs jutted out like a skeleton’s, but stretched between them were thin, membranous layers, insect-like. Its elongated limbs scraped against the floor, leaving black marks that vanished just as quickly.

Its head tilted.

It was looking straight at the girls.

Not at the adults.

Not toward the hallway.

At them.

Kagami had never seen one this close before.

And she understood, with sudden, terrifying clarity, what would happen next.

The creature lunged.

Time stretched.

Sound vanished.

Kagami moved.

She scrambled up onto the bed, throwing herself in front of Mizuki.

Not this time.

She wouldn’t just stand there.

Even if it killed her.

She thrust her arms forward, as if she could push it back, squeezing her eyes shut...

Impact.

But not against her body.

Something collided in midair with a dull, heavy force.

Kagami opened one eye.

The creature had slammed into something invisible and been thrown back toward the wall at an unnatural angle, like the space itself had warped.

She gasped.

Pain tore through her body — sharp, sudden, like she had been the one thrown into concrete. Her chest seized. Blood welled at the corner of her lips. Her palms burned, tingling as if scorched.

The air in front of her trembled.

Like a distorted reflection.

What… is this…?

The creature hissed, its jaws snapping, and lunged again.

Another wave of pain struck her.

A thin line of blood ran down her chin.

The space twisted again and the creature was flung back.

She didn’t understand what she was doing.

But she could feel it one more hit like that, and she wouldn’t be able to hold on.

The creature coiled for another strike.

At that moment, the door opened.

A tall man with white hair and bandages wrapped over his eyes stepped inside.

Unhurried.

Almost lazy.

As if nothing here surprised him.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

The air grew heavy but differently.

Dense, like the moment before a storm breaks.

The creature froze.

Then, abruptly, it darted toward the corner, trying to melt back into the shadows.

The man lifted his hand slightly. That was all it took.

The creature twisted, crumpled as if crushed by an unseen force, and dissolved into black smoke. For a brief second, the air smelled of ozone and something burnt.

Silence.

Kagami dropped to her knees.

Her chest tightened painfully. Every breath hurt. Her heart pounded so hard her vision darkened at the edges. She barely managed not to throw up.

The man stepped closer and stopped in front of her.

He didn’t rush.

He watched.

Waited until her breathing evened out—at least a little.

Then he crouched down so they were at eye level.

“Well now,” he said, almost thoughtfully. “That’s interesting.”

Kagami lifted her head.

His eyes were hidden beneath the bandages, but she could feel his gaze — sharp, attentive, studying her. A faint smirk played on his lips.

She flinched.

His presence felt different.

The power in him was overwhelming but not chaotic. Not hungry, like the creature’s.

It pressed down on her, but it didn’t terrify her. Didn’t paralyze her.

Standing near him felt… calmer.

“You’re not scared of me?” he mused, casually wiping the blood from her chin with his thumb. “That’s new.”

He had no sense of personal space. Too young-looking for a hospital. Too relaxed.

“What’s your name, kid?”

Kagami frowned.

“Ka...” Her voice cracked. She swallowed. “Kagehara.”

“Kagehara, huh,” he drawled. “Not bad for your first fight with a curse. Especially at your age.” A small pause. “Lucky for you I was nearby.”

Kagami blinked and looked toward the spot where the creature had been.

A curse?

He saw them too?

So she hadn’t imagined it all this time?

Questions crowded her mind.

But the man was already standing.

“You’ll figure it out when you’re older,” he said over his shoulder, opening the door. “See you around, Kagehara.”

And just like that he was gone.

The room fell quiet again.

Kagami looked back at Mizuki. Still asleep. Unaware of everything that had just happened. Kagami was glad.

Slowly, she turned her gaze toward the door.

And for the first time, the guilt inside her shifted. It didn’t disappear.

But something else settled beside it.

She wasn’t the only one who could see. Which meant this wasn’t madness.

And somehow, she knew this wouldn’t be the last time they met.

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Previous part

Here is the third and final part of the prologue. I’m already working on the next chapter.

In the future, I plan to move the prologue to AO3 and continue posting the next chapters there.

Naked 28 – 9

Many thanks to @valeriemperez forbeta’ing.