Chapter 1
Chapter 01 Chaos Before Class
The morning sun streamed through the Haru household, casting a warm glow over the breakfast table. Plates clattered, toast flew, and laughter—or maybe shouting—filled the kitchen. It was another ordinary morning… at least, as ordinary as it could be with Kaiden and Orin Haru under the same roof.
Kaiden Haru grabbed for the last slice of toast, only for Orin Haru to snatch it at the same time.
“Hey! That’s mine!” Kaiden shouted, tugging the toast toward him.
“No way, little brother! I saw it first!” Orin growled, stretching his long arms just far enough to keep it away.
“You two started again?!” Mira Haru, their older sister, rolled her eyes dramatically, tossing her own chopsticks down on the table. “Honestly, it’s like having toddlers in the house!”
Before anyone could argue, their mother, Elara Haru, leaned over from her chair and gave the top of Kaiden’s head a firm, playful smack. “ENOUGH! Stop fighting for food!”
Kaiden yelped, and Orin froze mid-tug, the toast wobbling precariously between them.
Tomas Haru, their father, peeked over his coffee cup nervously. “Mira… your mother… she’s scary sometimes,” he muttered, trying to sound brave. When Elara shot him a glare over the rim of her mug, he jumped slightly. “I-I mean… yeah… very scary,” he stammered, earning a small snort from Mira.
Kaiden looked at Orin and whispered, “You see? Mom’s actually scary!”
Orin groaned, letting go of the toast, which Kaiden triumphantly stuffed into his mouth. “Yeah… scary enough to let you win,” he muttered through a mouthful, glaring at his older brother-turned-brotherly-comrade.
Mira shook her head, smiling despite herself. “You two are impossible. Every morning…” she muttered, grabbing her own breakfast.
Elara smirked, sipping her tea as though the chaos around her was the most normal thing in the world. Tomas, meanwhile, quietly slid to the edge of his chair, eyeing the table like it might explode. “Please… no more… food wars…”
Kaiden Haru and Orin Haru burst out of the front door, their backpacks bouncing against their backs.
“Last one to the school gates buys lunch!” Orin shouted, already sprinting down the street.
“No way! I’m winning this time!” Kaiden yelled, taking off like a flash, dodging a mailbox with barely a glance.
The two brothers were neck-and-neck within seconds, their long strides eating up the distance, arms pumping wildly. Every step seemed to shake the neighborhood: hats flew, a shopping bag tore open, and a startled cat darted up a tree.
Meanwhile, at the school gate, the rest of their friends waited, watching the chaos unfold.
“Look at them go…” Elias Ito laughed, covering his mouth to hide a grin.
“They will never stop competing,” Liora Mizuno said, shaking her head with amusement.
Selene Takahashi smirked. “And I thought mornings were supposed to be calm.”
Sora Fujimoto and Aria Aiko exchanged wide-eyed glances.
“We have to move away now… before someone gets hurt,” Sora said, grabbing Aria’s arm.
“I know… this is insane!” Aria whispered, bracing herself.
Just then, the momentum from Kaiden and Orin’s wild sprint sent Dax Takumi flying backward as he tried to dodge them. He tumbled through the air, arms flailing, before landing with a thud a few feet away, dazed but unharmed.
“Dax!” Selene cried, rushing to scoop him up gently. “Are you okay? I told you to be careful!” she scolded, her cheeks flushed with worry.
Elias laughed even harder. “He didn’t even have a chance to move away!”
The brothers were almost at the school gates, still neck-and-neck, laughing and panting. With a final burst of energy, Kaiden and Orin crossed the finish line at exactly the same time, leaving everyone staring in disbelief.
For a split second, there was silence… and then, in perfect unison, Aria and Liora leaped forward, landing on the brothers and smacking them square in the head.
“YOU TWO FOOLS!” they screamed.
Kaiden and Orin toppled backward, foaming at the mouth in exaggerated, cartoonish fashion, eyes rolling as if the world had gone completely sideways.
Elias, Selene, and Sora couldn’t help but burst into laughter, though Selene quickly checked on Dax again, muttering, “At least someone stayed upright…”
Even as Kaiden and Orin lay there, slightly squirming and foaming, the chaos had already set the tone for what promised to be an eventful day.
And just as the last giggles faded, the school bell rang loudly, echoing across the yard. Everyone jolted, realizing that the first class was about to begin — and the real day was only just starting.
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students settled into their seats. The morning sun streamed through the windows, catching dust motes that danced lazily in the light.
Kaiden Haru flopped into his chair, still catching his breath from the race. Orin, not far behind, dropped into the seat next to him with a loud sigh, smirking.
“You really think you could beat me today?” Orin teased, nudging Kaiden with his elbow.
Kaiden grinned. “I came so close! Next time, you’re toast.”
Elias, sitting a few rows over, chuckled and shook his head. “You two are unbelievable. No one else even stands a chance at keeping up with you.”
Dax , still recovering from his airborne incident, sat quietly beside Selene , who gave him a worried glance. “You need to stop letting them drag you into these things,” she murmured, brushing a strand of hair from his face.
“They never listen anyway,” Dax muttered, rubbing his arm.
Liora leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her eyes following the brothers with amusement. “Honestly, every day with them feels like a new adventure,” she said, smirking.
Sora sat upright at the front of the class, her expression calm but alert. “Let’s just hope today goes smoothly,” she said, glancing at Aria , who was twirling a pen between her fingers nervously.
Aria frowned. “Smooth? With them? You’re dreaming, Sora.”
Kaiden shot a sly grin at the group. “Hey, we’re not that bad.”
Orin snorted. “Speak for yourself. I am perfection.”
The teacher, exasperated by the noise, raised a hand and called out sharply, “Quit it back there! Some of us are trying to teach!”
The girls whispered to each other while the brothers bickered.
“We really need to focus,” Aria muttered, nudging Sora. “The test is next week, and we can’t afford to mess it up.”
“I know,” Sora replied, frowning slightly. “If Kaiden and Orin keep this up, we won’t get anything done.”
Elias laughed quietly, trying not to draw the teacher’s attention. “Good luck with that,” he muttered under his breath.
Dax cleared his throat, leaning toward Selene with a small smile. “So… are we still up for tonight’s movie, like we planned?”
Immediately, quiet whispers spread among the group.
“Yes, definitely,” Liora said softly.
“Of course,” Aria added.
“Sounds good,” Elias murmured, nodding.
Sora looked at Aria and nodded, “We’ll plan it more during the break.”
Selene smiled at Dax. “Absolutely,” she whispered, squeezing his hand lightly.
Kaiden and Orin, of course, didn’t hear a word of the conversation, still locked in their own world of rivalry.
The bell rang sharply, echoing through the halls of the school.
Kaiden shot out of his seat like a rocket, laughing wildly.
“Orin! You’re paying! You lost!” Kaiden yelled, dodging a backpack someone had left in the aisle.
“Ha! As if!” Orin shouted back, grinning. “You lost, not me! I’m not paying for this!”
The rest of the group shook their heads, trailing behind them. Elias laughed, jogging to keep pace. “Like wild animals,” he muttered, glancing at Dax, who just rolled his eyes with a smirk.
Liora and Aria exchanged amused glances, carefully navigating around the brothers. “We really have to plan for tonight’s movie,” Aria whispered.
Sora frowned slightly, keeping pace. “If they keep this up, we might get there late.”
Finally, the chaos settled as the group reached the grassy area outside the school. They dropped their bags and sat in a loose circle, catching their breath.
Kaiden, still laughing, plopped down and wiped his forehead. “No way! I was clearly faster! You lost!”
Orin groaned, shaking his head. “Ha! Nope. You’re the one paying. Admit it!”
Dax, sitting comfortably beside Selene, nudged her playfully. “So… tonight’s movie. Thriller, right? We’re all still in?”
“Absolutely,” Selene whispered, smiling.
Elias leaned back on his hands. “Can’t wait. A thriller sounds perfect. Some tension, some scares… kind of like this morning with those two,” he said, glancing at Kaiden and Orin.
Liora chuckled. “Yeah, except no one’s getting foamed at the mouth this time.”
Aria twirled a strand of her hair nervously. “I just hope it’s not too scary…”
Sora smirked. “I’ll make sure no one faints. Not on my watch.”
The group settled into a comfortable rhythm of laughter and chatter, enjoying the brief calm outside after the chaos inside the classroom. But the faint tingling in the air reminded them, even subconsciously, that this day might not remain normal for long.
The “Hero’s Journey” Outro
“Thank you so much for reading the beginning of the Eight’s journey! This world and these characters were built with the help of my 7 closest friends, and we are so excited to finally share Kaiden’s story with you.
If you enjoyed this first fight and want to see what happens to the world as it continues to crack, you can grab the full novel on Amazon right now for 2.99. Your support helps us keep the light alive in a world losing its light!”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKCDGDS1
