Before the Light

Izuku Midoriya always believed that if he worked hard enough, endured long enough, and stayed kind despite the pain, things would get better. But the bullying at Aldera Junior High never stopped-it only got worse. Not even his acceptance into U.A. High under Principal Nezu's elite scholar program could silence the cruelty of classmates who refused to see his worth.

Desperate to escape, Izuku finds solace in an online role-playing game, where his only peace lies in the late-night conversations with a mysterious friend: BlastKing. Neither of them knows the other's real identity-or the past they unknowingly share.

But when Izuku's pain overwhelms him and the darkness nearly takes him, BlastKing breaks through more than just the screen-he breaks into Izuku's real world. And standing there is Katsuki Bakugo, the very person who once tore him down... and who now might be the only one who can help him heal.

In a story about hidden scars, silent strength, and the kind of love that chooses to stay, Before the Light explores what it means to be seen, to be saved, and to save yourself.