The sky was painted with shades of gray. Clouds gathered like secrets too heavy to hold, and the town below felt quieter than usual. A silence that was not peace, but the silence before something breaks.
Kaito walked through the school corridors with his hands in his pockets. His mind was not in the classroom, not even in this world. The girl from before—the one who appeared out of nowhere—kept replaying in his head. Her eyes. Her strange words. And most of all, the way she disappeared like smoke, leaving a trace of cold that lingered longer than any normal person could leave.
"Still thinking about her?" Hikaru's voice came from behind.
Kaito turned and saw him walking side by side, calm as always, but there was a sharpness in his gaze. Hikaru had that rare look—the one that made you feel like he could see through walls, through lies, and even through your own thoughts.
"You saw her too," Kaito said quietly.
"Yes," Hikaru replied, "but that's not all I saw. Kaito has been acting strange lately. His energy… it's not the same."
Kaito's hand trembled slightly. "It's like… something is pulling him. And it's not just us."
The two boys shared a look, one that didn't need words. Both of them knew this was no longer just about strange dreams or whispers in the night. Something bigger was moving. Something dangerous.
---
Meanwhile, Kaito sat in the empty music room, strumming the guitar with slow, heavy notes. His face was pale, his hands trembling slightly. Each sound that came out of the strings was dark, almost painful to hear. Every chord vibrated through the room like a warning.
"Why… why me?" he whispered under his breath.
His reflection in the window didn't look like him anymore. It looked older, crueler, with shadows stretching behind the glass. His own eyes seemed to flicker, almost as if someone else were looking out at him.
And then—just for a moment—he saw Reo's face staring back at him instead of his own.
Kaito dropped the guitar with a loud crash. His breathing grew fast, almost wild. His palms were clammy.
"Get out of my head!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty room.
But no one answered. Not even the wind.
Kaito's mind raced. Every drawing he had made, every line of every sketch, now felt like a map — a map he didn't understand but couldn't stop following. The girl's appearances, Reo's influence, the strange coincidences with the gangs — it was all connected. He could feel it deep in his bones.
---
That night, the three of them—Miyuki, Hikaru, and Kaito—met at the rooftop of the old building behind school. They didn't plan it. Somehow, they were just… pulled there, like pieces of the same puzzle.
The wind was strong, tugging at their hair and clothes, carrying the faint smell of rain and asphalt. The city lights far below looked like tiny sparks of life, but here, everything felt isolated, fragile, as if one wrong move could shatter it all.
"We can't run from this anymore," Hikaru said. His voice was low but steady, carrying more weight than the wind could lift. "The girl, the shadows, the name Reo… it's all connected. And Kaito, you're right in the center of it."
Kaito's fists clenched. He wanted to deny it, but deep inside, he knew Hikaru was right.
Miyuki stayed quiet, watching both of them. She had learned to read their expressions, to notice the smallest flicker of change. Something was shifting between them, a silent agreement that whatever came next, they would face it together.
Suddenly, the air grew colder. A whisper of movement, a shadow stretching unnaturally long. The three turned at the same time.
There she was again—the mysterious girl. Her long black hair flowed like water in the wind. She stood just a few steps away, her presence almost tangible, like a weight pressing on their chests.
"You finally came together," she said. Her voice was soft but carried power, a sound that could make silence scream. "Good. It's time."
Miyuki's heart pounded. "Time for what?"
The girl's smile grew wider, almost haunting. "For the truth to step out of the shadows."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Truth? What are you talking about? Who are you?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked closer, each step deliberate, precise. Her gaze locked on Kaito, and for a moment, he felt as though every secret he had ever held was being pulled out, laid bare under the night sky.
"You think your drawings are just lines on paper," she said, her tone almost teasing. "But they are threads… threads that pull reality toward what you desire, whether you want it or not."
Kaito's throat went dry. "I… I don't understand…"
The girl's eyes softened, just for a heartbeat. "And that's why I'm here. To make you understand. To make all of you understand."
Hikaru stepped forward. "And if we refuse?"
Her smile didn't falter. "Then the shadows will answer for you. And you won't like their answers."
The rooftop lights flickered violently, plunging everything into darkness. The wind roared like it was alive, carrying the weight of an unspoken warning.
Miyuki, Hikaru, and Kaito stood together, staring into the void. The threads had begun to tighten, and none of them could see the end yet.
—