The city never felt this heavy before. Every corner seemed to hum with secrets, every shadow looked like it was watching. Haruya and Kaito moved quietly through the narrow streets, their steps careful, their eyes scanning the darkness. The gang from the alley wasn't far behind, their presence like a storm cloud looming over them.
"Why does it always feel like trouble finds us?" Kaito muttered, his hand brushing against the strap of his bag, where the sketchbook rested.
Haruya laughed softly, shaking his head. "Because we're special. Everyone else is boring. And trouble? It likes me. Can't blame it."
Kaito groaned. "Special? Yeah, right. You mean cursed."
Haruya smirked but didn't reply. Somehow, even in the middle of danger, he managed to carry that air of careless charm that always made Kaito laugh despite himself.
They ducked into an abandoned convenience store to catch their breath. Dust floated in the dim light that seeped through broken windows, and the silence pressed against them like a living thing.
Kaito took a deep breath, finally daring to glance at Haruya. "You know," he said softly, "for once… I wish you would take things seriously. Not every time we fight gangs or run into weird stuff, you can just smile and joke."
Haruya leaned back against a shelf, stretching lazily. "And ruin the fun? Never. Someone has to keep the mood light while you panic, Kaito."
Kaito shook his head but couldn't help a small smile. That was their dynamic. Humor and chaos intertwined, and somehow it always worked.
---
From the shadows, a faint sound made them freeze. It wasn't footsteps this time—it was a whisper, almost too soft to hear, yet somehow distinct.
"Follow the lines…"
Haruya's brow furrowed. "What was that?"
Kaito swallowed, his fingers tightening around the sketchbook. "I… don't know. But it came from that alley… the one we ran through earlier."
Before they could discuss further, movement flickered at the edge of their vision. A figure darted past the broken window. Quick. Silent. Haruya's pulse raced—not with fear, but curiosity.
"I'll check it out," he said, already moving toward the shadow.
Kaito hesitated, then followed. Somehow, he always followed, even when he wanted to resist.
---
The alley was darker than before, narrower, and every step they took felt heavier, like the air itself was pressing down. The faint hum of the city seemed far away, replaced by a tense quiet.
And then, they saw her.
The mysterious girl. Standing in the center of the alley, notebook in hand, her eyes glinting under the weak light of a single flickering streetlamp. She didn't move when they approached—she just waited, calm, almost untouchable.
"You came," she said softly.
Haruya tilted his head. "Of course. You're hard to ignore, you know."
The girl's gaze shifted to Kaito. Her expression softened just slightly. "You remember nothing, do you?"
Kaito's hands shook slightly. "No… I don't. Who are you?"
Her lips curved faintly. "Someone who has been watching over you… across time."
Haruya blinked. "Across time?"
The girl nodded, flipping open her notebook. On the page were drawings—lines, circles, arrows—but this time, they were more intricate than any sketch Haruya had ever seen. "Every line, every mark… it's not just a drawing. It's a path. A warning. A choice."
Kaito leaned closer, eyes wide. "Choice for what?"
"For survival," she said simply. "And for him," she added, pointing at Haruya. "He's the key."
Haruya's grin faded slightly. "The key to what?"
The girl didn't answer. Instead, she closed her notebook with a snap and stepped back into the shadows, vanishing before either of them could react.
Kaito let out a sharp breath. "She's… she's like a ghost."
Haruya chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… a very mysterious, scary ghost. But man, she knows her way around drama."
---
The next morning, the gang gathered again in their warehouse hideout. Tension filled the room, but so did curiosity. Every member had questions about the girl who appeared, the lines she spoke of, and what exactly the sketchbook meant.
Riku spoke first, breaking the silence. "We need a plan. 'The Hunt' gang won't wait forever. And that girl… she knows things we don't. Things that could tip the balance."
Haruya leaned on the table, smirking. "Or maybe she's just messing with us. People love mysteries, right?"
Kaito shot him a glare. "Not funny, Haru. She's not messing. I felt it… something about her felt… real. Dangerous. And important."
The room fell silent again, the weight of the unknown pressing down.
Haruya finally sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. Then we follow the lines."
Kaito frowned. "Lines? What lines?"
Haruya opened his sketchbook, flipping through page after page. Some were his drawings, others Kaito's. Then, hidden among them, were faint marks—lines and symbols neither of them remembered drawing.
"The lines she mentioned," Haruya said quietly. "They're already here. On our pages."
Kaito's stomach twisted. "But… how?"
Before Haruya could answer, the warehouse door slammed open, a sudden gust of cold air sweeping in. The gang tensed, hands ready.
And there, standing in the doorway, was the girl. Her eyes seemed to pierce every shadow in the room.
"This isn't just a city," she said calmly. "It's a map. And you—both of you—are part of something bigger. Something the lines want to protect. And something that the shadows want to destroy."
Riku stepped forward. "Then tell us! What is it? What do we do?"
The girl's gaze shifted slowly from Haruya to Kaito, her voice almost a whisper yet cutting through the tension like a blade. "First… you survive tonight."
And with that, she disappeared again, leaving only the echo of her presence, the faint smell of rain, and the weight of a thousand questions pressing down on everyone.
Haruya exhaled, closing his sketchbook. "Well… looks like we got work to do."
Kaito swallowed, nodding. "Yeah… and somehow I don't think this is the kind of work we can joke through."
Haruya just grinned. "Oh, we'll joke. Just… maybe after we survive."
The night waited outside, full of whispers, shadows, and secrets, ready to test them in ways they could not yet imagine.
—