Iron and shadows

Disclaimer:

This is a fan-created work inspired by the world of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), created by Kōhei Horikoshi. All rights to the original characters, settings, and concepts belong to their respective owners. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for commercial use. The original character Yami Kurogane and the plot of this fanfiction are my own creation.

Yami's sleep was brief but deep. When he woke up, the world around him had changed again. He was no longer in Haruno's warm arms or in the quiet hospital room. Now, he was in a room filled with shrill sounds, bright lights, and the pungent smell of disinfectant. Around him, other babies cried, squealed, and moved, creating a chaos that hammered his senses like a sledgehammer.

Yami tried to close his eyes, but even that was difficult. His body didn't respond the way he wanted it to, and every sound, every light, every smell invaded him with unbearable intensity. It was as if something inside him was amplifying everything around him, though he didn't understand why. The pain was overwhelming, a constant pressure that made him feel like he was on the verge of exploding.

But Yami didn't cry. He didn't scream. Instead, he took a deep breath—or at least tried to. His tiny chest rose and fell with difficulty, but it was a start. He wasn't going to be a "weak bitch," as he told himself in his mind. He wasn't going to give in to the chaos. If he couldn't control his surroundings, he would control his mind.

With a determination that didn't match his infant body, Yami began to meditate. It wasn't easy. Every sound, every movement around him distracted him, but he forced himself to focus. He breathed again, slower this time, imagining the air entering and leaving his lungs as a calm wave enveloping him. Gradually, the chaos around him began to feel more distant, as if it were behind a glass wall.

It wasn't perfect. The pain was still there, lingering, but it no longer dominated him. Yami realized something: what he was experiencing wasn't normal. The other babies cried and moved without apparent concern, but he felt everything with an intensity that couldn't be natural. Something about him was different, something he didn't understand but knew made him unique.

But Yami didn't lament it. Instead, he felt a spark of curiosity. If his body was different, if his mind was different, then he had to understand it. He had to learn to control it. He couldn't afford to be vulnerable, not when the world was so chaotic and dangerous.

With that determination in mind, Yami continued to meditate, breathing slowly and deeply until the chaos around him became a distant murmur. Finally, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted back to sleep once more. But this time, he slept peacefully, knowing he had taken the first step toward control.