The sun had started to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the riverbank. Kaito sat on the sloped edge, staring at his own reflection as thoughts of Yuna clouded his mind.
Why did no one remember?
Why only me?
And what happened to that monster?
He let out a soft sigh, pushing himself up as the wind tugged gently at his shirt. It was getting late. The river glistened behind him as he turned toward the path home, a strange unease settling in his chest.
When he arrived at his house, he rang the bell.
No answer.
His brow furrowed.
"Mom?" he called, pushing the door gently. It creaked open.
Inside, the lights were off. The living room was quiet. Too quiet.
"Mom?" he called again. "Aoi?"—his little sister's name.
Silence.
He stepped into the kitchen cautiously, and—
BOOM!
"WELCOME HOME!!"
Party poppers burst in the air, filling the dark kitchen with bright flashes of color. Lights flickered on. His mother clapped, his sister giggled.
"Don't scare me like that!" Kaito groaned.
From behind the fridge, another figure stepped out.
"Yo, Kaito," Haruto grinned, brushing off a bit of confetti. "Did I get you?"
Kaito blinked. "Haruto? What are you doing here?"
"Your mom invited me," he shrugged. "It's your recovery party, idiot."
Dinner came next—rice, karaage, miso soup, the works. Aoi insisted Kaito wear a silly birthday-style hat. His mother beamed seeing him eat. It felt... normal.
Too normal.
Later, as plates were cleared, Haruto nudged Kaito's arm. "Let's head to your room. We need to talk."
Kaito nodded.
In his room, Haruto shut the door, his expression turning serious.
"Okay. Spill it."
"Huh?" Kaito blinked.
"Don't play dumb. In the hospital, you woke up screaming Yuna's name. You never even talked to her. Then you kept asking about her accident. How did you know? What's going on?"
Kaito looked away. "I'll tell you. But... it's going to sound crazy."
"I'm listening."
Kaito took a breath, his voice dropping.
"I remember everything. That day... it wasn't just a normal sports period. There was a monster. Students were killed. Yuna—she was about to be struck down. Then this glowing green shield appeared out of nowhere to protect her. I tried to reach her but I was too late. I held her locket... I remember it all."
Haruto stared, mouth slightly open. "You're serious?"
"I wish I wasn't."
Haruto rubbed his temples. "Okay... okay. Let's say I believe you. Why don't I remember any of this? Why does everyone else think it was a simple car accident?"
"That's what I want to find out," Kaito said softly. "Something is wrong. Something big."
The room fell silent for a moment, both boys lost in thought.
Finally, Kaito stood. "There might still be clues at school. That's the only place we can check."
Haruto nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow then. Let's figure this out."
The Next Morning
Haruto arrived early, dragging Kaito out of bed with his usual energy. The two walked to school, trying not to draw attention to their anxious curiosity.
At the gate, Mr. Hayashi greeted them.
"Kaito. Good to see you up and moving," he said with a kind smile.
"Thank you, sir."
Once classes passed in a blur, sports period arrived. The two slipped away from the group and started their investigation.
They checked classrooms first. Then the hallways. Storage areas. Infirmary. Everything was exactly as it should be.
No blood.
No damage.
No missing records.
It was like the massacre never happened.
Even the student registry held no names Kaito remembered dying that day.
"Nothing..." Haruto muttered, scratching his head. "Either we're both insane, or this was one really detailed dream."
"No. I'm not crazy," Kaito said, frowning. "There was a magic circle. It started everything. That field—it was right here."
He ran out to the back school field, where the event had occurred. Haruto followed, skeptical but silent.
Kaito dropped to his knees in the dirt, scanning the soil like a detective on a crime scene. Haruto stood behind, arms crossed, trying not to dismiss it.
Kaito turned to leave, disappointment on his face.
Then—
He glanced down one more time.
His footprint, freshly made in the loose dirt... had a pattern underneath it.
Lines.
Symbols.
A perfect arc.
"Haruto!" Kaito yelled.
"What?" Haruto came running, panting. "You found something?"
Kaito pointed. "Look—under my shoe."
Haruto crouched, brushing away the dirt with trembling fingers. The edges of a massive magic circle revealed themselves in a faint shimmer, like something etched into the world's memory.
And then—
A flash of light hit Haruto's eyes.
His body tensed.
His mind flooded with images—blood. Screams. The monster. The shield. The sword. Yuna falling. Kaito shouting.
Haruto gasped, stumbling backward.
"I... I remember."
Kaito's eyes widened. "You do?"
"Everything. Kaito... it was real. All of it. That thing—it wasn't human."
But before either of them could say more, the markings beneath their feet shimmered once... and vanished.
Gone without a trace.
Kaito knelt again, frantically trying to find the shape. But it was too late.
They were left only with the weight of truth—and the terrifying knowledge that something, someone had tried to bury it all.
End of Chapter