11:56 P.M.

31 December 2014

A lone figure stood in the apartment numbered 1007. A sliver of moonlight shone through a grey cloud, briefly illuminating the grim face of Kuroko Tetsuya, before it disappeared again.

The apartment was bare of any personal possessions. Tetsuya had made sure to choose an apartment that had already been furnished. He was not going to waste any money on furniture when he wasn't even planning on staying for long.

A backpack was slung on Tetsuya's shoulders. His blue eyes were soulless – dark pools of emptiness. He stared at the apartment which he had occupied for the last 5 years. In all honesty, this had started as a result of Tetsuya not quite knowing what he should do, only that he needed to escape from the scientists – permanently. So, as soon as he had escaped from the labs, he had gotten himself adopted, and had immersed himself in a sport he saw on television that seemed normal for other kids to like – basketball.

As Tetsuya attempted his first tries at basketball, he met another boy by the name of Shigehiro Ogiwara, who offered to teach him. And that was how it all began – the Generation of Miracles, Seirin, Kagami. It started with a boy who did not know what to do; a boy who was lost. A boy who picked Kuroko as his surname simply because the name represented what he was – a shadow who could and would disappear into the darkness at any moment. While the surname Kuroko now signified his connection to Seririn and the Generation of Miracles, it was exactly for that reason that Tetsuya could no longer use it.

Humans feared the unknown simply because they do not know what it holds. And it was for that exact reason that Tetsuya had been caged and studied, until he eventually snapped and broke out. While humans were scared of the unknown, they don't seem to want to know everything either. In fact, there was even a quote that "ignorance is bliss" while it is not. However, it would be ignorance itself that served as Tetsuya's cover. No one wanted to hear the story of the valiant team who fought their best but were still taken down. All they wanted to hear was the glamourized truth – they only wanted the story of how the winning team blazed through every single competitor, and how it was certain that they would be the winner.

So Tetsuya became a "shadow". He became someone who helped from the shadows. He made use of his lack of presence to pull off the art of Misdirection. And it worked. He became a team with the Generation of Miracles. Tetsuya had planned to quit after junior high, but that became impossible. Indeed, it would have been the smart choice to disappear. But the Generation of Miracles had started to hate basketball. They had taken their ability for granted and were confident that no one save their ex-teammates could beat them. And Tetsuya hated their attitude towards a sport that he loved and had taken the time to master.

And that was how Seirin came into the story. Tetsuya enrolled into Seirin partly because he admired their teamwork, but also because Seirin was a new school and therefore, nameless. It was not yet known for anything, so it was safe. A pity that all ended with the Winter Cup. Tetsuya knew that, with the Emperor of Creation taken down, Seirin would rise up to glory. And that was why he needed to leave. It was for his own safety.

The hour hand was nearing the number 12. Tetsuya took a deep breath and sighed. Soon, he would have to disappear once again. There was a limit as to how long he could stay in one place before he was in danger of being exposed. And though he had enjoyed his stay in Teiko and Seirin as a member of the Generation of Miracles and deeply wanted to stay, he could not. His extended stay had only happened because he wanted – needed – to bring the Generation of Miracles back to their old selves again. Now that the deed was done, Tetsuya had no reason other than his own longing to remain here any further.

Memories flooded his mind – of his days in Teiko where he had been Aomine's shadow, of the consecutive championships they had won, of how the Generation of Miracles had slowly came to hate basketball, of himself and his new light: Kagami, of how he had defeated the Generation of Miracles one by one, successfully bringing back their love for basketball – and suddenly, he felt an urge greater than any he had felt before to stay behind; he wanted so desperately to let everything go and to just stay here in Seirin where he felt he belonged for the first time in his whole life. What had started out as a simple goal to live normally had turned into something more. Basketball had made him experience so many things – friendship, love, hatred, trust, and much more.

His hands were now balled into fists, but, as the clock struck 12, they relaxed and Tetsuya smiled sadly. He would have to leave yet again. He had wanted so badly to stay for his second year at Seirin, but that would not happen. He knew that, and yet he was still hoping for a miracle to happen. His extended stay was possible only because there had been no danger. But now, threats were once again rising. Tetsuya would risk his cover being blown and his existence eliminated if he stayed with the very reason he stayed alive. A mirthless chuckle escaped Tetsuya as he closed his eyes.

A dark cloud covers the entire moon, and, after it was gone, so was Tetsuya. Apartment 1007 was empty once again, save for the small note left on the coffee table.

To everyone,

I deeply regret having to leave, but it is something that can no longer be avoided. I have looked forward to spending my second year at Seirin with all of you, and to play basketball with you the way we used to, but it seems that even staying for the rest of the school year would be impossible.

By the time you have read this, I will be gone. My parting words to you have been written to each of you individually, and you should receive them a few days from now. I wish you all a happy new year. I apologize for leaving, and I will definitely miss all of you. Thank you for all the happy memories we shared.

Love,

Tetsuya

Re-written as of 16/3/2015.

The plot has been reviewed and revised. There have been some minor changes. This will now be a fully supernatural fic.

Will edit and re-write the next chapter ASAP. Please read and review.