The air grew colder as the night pressed in around them, the sky swirling with dark clouds, heavy with the weight of something that wasn’t quite natural. Akito stood frozen, his body trembling not from the power in his left hand, but from the suffocating dread that had descended upon him.

Aya stood beside him, her gaze never leaving the shadows that crept along the streets, as though something—or someone—was approaching. Akito could feel the tension in the air, a palpable sense of dread that had nothing to do with his own fear and everything to do with something far more dangerous.

And then it came.

A low rumble echoed through the ground, vibrating in the bones of the city. Akito’s heart raced as a figure emerged from the darkness, walking slowly toward them. He was tall, his long crimson cloak billowing around him like flames in the wind. The man’s face was obscured by the hood, but his presence was unmistakable—an aura of pure, unrelenting power that seemed to choke the life from the air.

As the figure drew closer, the streets lit up with an unnatural glow, the faint flicker of flame dancing along the edges of his cloak. The scent of smoke filled the air, and Akito could feel the heat from the man’s aura scorching his skin.

The figure stopped before them, his voice deep and cold, like the crackle of burning wood.

“Akito…” His voice was a command, a whisper and a threat all at once. “I’ve come to test you.”

Akito’s throat went dry as the man in red lifted his hand. The flames flickered in the air around him, curling like serpents. “I’ve heard of your power. The Hand of Sin. A weapon capable of erasing anything. Let’s see if it lives up to its name.”

Before Akito could respond, the man raised a finger, and the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently. Akito staggered, his hands instinctively reaching for anything to steady himself.

And then the flames descended.

The sky above erupted in fire, and Akito’s stomach dropped as a giant structure—an apartment building—seemed to materialize from the flames. The building loomed in front of them, its windows glowing ominously. People inside, innocent people, moved about, unaware of the horror that was about to unfold.

The figure in red turned to Akito, his eyes gleaming from beneath the hood. “Erase it. Erase them all.”

Akito’s chest tightened, his left hand shaking uncontrollably. He knew what he had to do, but the thought of erasing a whole building—of erasing innocent lives—was too much to bear. The power in his hand pulsed, demanding release, urging him to act.

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“No!” Akito shouted, stepping back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “I can’t. I won’t do it.”

The man’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “You think you have a choice? Your power is a weapon, boy. It will bend to my will. Now, erase it.”

The flames rose higher, and Akito’s body felt as if it were being consumed by the heat. His heart pounded in his chest, the pressure building as the man’s command echoed in his mind.

“Do it.”

Akito’s body moved against his will. His left hand reached out, trembling, and before he could stop it, his fingers brushed the cold surface of the building. A sharp crack filled the air, and the world seemed to go silent.

The building… it was gone.

Just like that.

The flames flickered out, and in its place was nothing but empty space. The people inside—their lives, their memories—erased from existence. Akito stood, staring in horror at the spot where the building once stood, his hand still outstretched. The weight of what he had done pressed down on him like a thousand pounds. He had killed them. All of them.

And it wasn’t just the building. It was everything inside of it. The lives of innocent people, gone forever.

Aya’s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. “No… Akito, no…”

Akito turned to her, his chest tight with guilt, his throat raw. He hadn’t meant to do it. He couldn’t take it back.

And yet, as he looked at her, he saw the tears. Tears that streamed down Aya’s face, her hands trembling as she reached out to him.

The sight of her pain pierced through the darkness in his soul. It was as if her sorrow, her anguish, were the only thing that could reach him in the chaos of his own emotions. Akito’s heart twisted in agony.

“Aya…” His voice cracked as he reached for her, his left hand still trembling, the power in it burning with a hunger he couldn’t control.

But as her tears touched the ground beneath them, something inside Akito shifted. Her tears fell like raindrops, but in their wake, he felt a strange peace, a soothing calm that spread through his chest, easing the pain and guilt that had overwhelmed him. It was as though her sorrow—her love—had cleansed him in a way that nothing else could.

He closed his eyes, taking in a shuddering breath as he felt his power flicker and dim, as if her tears had doused the flames that had raged within him.

The man in red watched this moment with cold, detached amusement. He said nothing as he slowly turned on his heel, the flames around him flickering with malice.

“Well,” he said, his voice like ice, “it seems you have some control after all. But you are not yet ready. My Master awaits you, Akito. And when the time comes, your power will be tested again.”

With that, the man in red disappeared into the shadows, leaving Akito and Aya standing in the ruins of what had once been a bustling apartment complex. The air still hummed with the remnants of the flames, but the ground was empty—void of life, void of everything.

Aya’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, and Akito couldn’t help but let himself sink into her embrace, the weight of what he had just done crushing him from all sides.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I didn’t mean to…”

Aya’s voice was soft, her words a balm to his broken soul. “I know. I know you didn’t.”

But the truth was still there, lingering in the air between them. Akito had erased them all. And that was something he would never be able to forget.