At 7:56 p.m., Ryu sat alone at his desk, facing the pale glow of his computer screen. Lines of code bloomed across the blank canvas before him as his fingers moved with quiet precision. Inside the stillness of his dorm room, he was building a game—an assignment he had planned carefully, one that could earn him top marks and carry him, clean and unblemished, toward graduation.
A small name tag rested on the table beside the keyboard. Written in elegant, almost old-fashioned handwriting, it displayed his full name: Ryu Senariyu.
He leaned back slightly, resting his feet on the wooden bar beneath the desk. His pants clung a little too tightly, outlining the shape of his body without subtlety—but there was no one around to notice. Alone in his single dorm, appearances hardly mattered.
The room belonged solely to him. No roommates, no shared space—unless he ever chose to invite someone over, which he never did. Even if he had, they would likely end up sleeping on the floor. The dorm itself was unusually spacious, nearly twice the size of a typical single bedroom, giving it an almost empty, echoing feel.
From the doorway, the bed sat to the right, neatly arranged as if untouched. White sheets were stretched smooth across the mattress, unwrinkled and pristine. White wasn't his favorite color, but he appreciated the quiet cleanliness it conveyed. He took care to keep the bed just as orderly after sleeping as it was before, preserving its calm perfection like an unspoken rule.
In that quiet room, with nothing but the hum of his computer and the ticking of time, Ryu continued to code—focused, determined, and very much alone.
His desk held little more than the computer he had brought himself. Though the dormitory requirement was only a laptop, Ryu had arrived with both a laptop and a full desktop setup. It was his way of working—overprepared, efficient, leaving no room for inconvenience. With both machines at hand, any assignment could be tackled without excuse or delay.
Aside from the computer, the desk was dotted with books, stationery, and a handful of random items he had carried with him. Most of them served no real purpose beyond decoration, filling the empty space and making the desk feel lived in.
So deeply immersed in his work, he failed to notice how long he had been staring at the screen. A sharp pain suddenly pierced his eyes, forcing a hiss of breath from his lips. It was his body's quiet warning to stop.
"Shit—" he muttered, blinking rapidly. "I forgot to blink… forgot to look away."
Tears welled up without permission, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. The work wasn't going as smoothly as he had hoped. Not even close.
That, at least, was understandable. The assignment had been labeled the most difficult task of the entire final semester. Even the professor had offered guidance at every opportunity, aware of how demanding it was. At first, Ryu had thought it manageable—almost simple. Now, nearing the end, he felt stranded, staring at the problem with growing frustration.
He leaned back and let his gaze drop to the floor, doing nothing for several minutes except breathe and rest his eyes. When the sting finally faded, he straightened his posture, sat properly, and returned his focus to the glowing screen. His fingers resumed their work, the quiet clatter of keys once again filling the room as he sank back into concentration.
Then, suddenly, the sound stopped.
A ringtone cut through the silence, sharp and unexpected. The phone vibrated against the desk, lighting up with a number he recognized instantly. His father.
Ryu hesitated for only a moment before tapping the green icon beside the red one. He lifted the phone to his ear, pressing it close, and spoke softly.
"Hello, Dad?"
He spoke in his native language—Japanese. Even after years of living in California, the words still came to him effortlessly, fluent and natural. With his father, he never used English. There was no point. His father wouldn't understand a single word of it.
"Son, where are you?" his father asked the moment the call connected. "What were you doing?"
There was panic in his voice—barely restrained, but unmistakable.
Ryu frowned. "What's wrong, Dad? I'm working on my assignment right now…"
On the other end of the line, his father released a heavy sigh, as if a weight had finally been lifted.
Ryu straightened in his chair, muscles tightening, his body unconsciously preparing to stand. Something was off. He could feel it through the silence that followed.
"Dad," he pressed, more firmly this time. "What's wrong?"
For several seconds, nothing answered him but the faint static of the call.
Then his father spoke again, slowly.
"From now on… don't stay awake past eleven."
Ryu blinked.
"Not until you graduate."
Another pause.
"Unless you want to ruin your college life…"
His grip on the phone tightened.
"And once you graduate…"
The words came heavier now, deliberate.
"Leave."
"And come back here. As soon as possible."
The sentence hadn't even finished echoing in his mind when the call ended.
"Dad, I don't—"
The line went dead.
Ryu stared at his phone for a long moment, the screen still glowing with the contact name he had saved long ago: Reckless Father. Slowly, he set it back down on the desk and shook his head, forcing himself to turn back to his work.
But the words refused to leave him.
Don't sleep past eleven…
Why?
At first, he tried to reason it away. Maybe his father just wanted him to rest properly, to take care of himself. That would make sense. Except—
Not until you graduate.
So you won't mess with your college life.
Once you graduate… leave.
Come back home.
It sounded like an ordinary request. Something any parent might say. Yet the tone—serious, almost urgent—clung to him uneasily.
…Ah. Whatever. I'm probably overthinking it.
Ryu exhaled and rubbed his temples.
His father was just being a father. Worried. Lonely. Missing his son after so many years apart.
He probably just misses me.
With that thought, Ryu pushed the lingering unease aside, returned his hands to the keyboard, and forced himself to focus once more—letting the steady rhythm of his work drown out everything else.
***
9:44 p.m.
Three hours had passed without him realizing it.
Ryu had been working nonstop, eyes glued to the screen, fingers moving almost mechanically. Only now did his body finally protest. Hunger twisted in his stomach, sharp and undeniable. He stopped coding and leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. For a moment, he simply sat there, taking steady breaths, stretching his arms and shoulders to loosen the stiffness from sitting too long. Thankfully, his back didn't ache—at least not yet.
He needed food.
His first instinct was to order something online, but the thought barely lasted a second. Most places would be closing by now, and even if they weren't, he was far too hungry to wait. With a quiet sigh, he decided it would be faster to go out himself.
The dormitory hallway greeted him with silence.
As he stepped outside his room, he realized he was the only one there. The corridor stretched ahead, empty and still. Either everyone was buried in their assignments—or already asleep. It didn't matter much. Even if someone were around, he didn't really have anyone to walk with.
Well… that wasn't entirely true.
James. Leon. Kenny.
He had friends—at least three—but they were probably drowning in work just like he had been.
Should I text them?
They're probably busy… but going alone feels kinda risky.
What if I get robbed?
The thought made him hesitate.
He pulled out his phone and opened the group chat, the one with all four of them. His fingers hovered briefly before he typed.
[Yo guys.]
[Anyone online? Asking for a company…]
Ryu stood there in front of his dorm door, checking his phone again and again. Seconds passed. Then more. No replies.
Figures, he thought. They're probably busy as hell.
He huffed quietly. I didn't even check my phone earlier until something forced me to.
Maybe calling one of them would work.
He lifted his phone, thumb hovering over a name—just as the hallway lights flickered.
Bzzzt.
Ryu froze.
"…Huh?"
The light above him dimmed, then brightened, flickering unevenly. His brows furrowed. This had never happened before. The hallway lights were usually stable—reliable.
What's wrong with the light…?
Is it finally wearing out?
He blinked. The flickering continued.
I should report this to the hall manager…
Another wave of hunger rolled through him, harsher than before.
But I'm starving.
I'll deal with it later.
With a small shake of his head, Ryu pocketed his phone, ignored the uneasy flicker of the lights, and started walking down the hallway. Moments later, he pushed through the doors and stepped out of the dormitory building, letting them close quietly behind him.
When he stepped outside the building, Ryu noticed a small group gathered beneath the hut near the exit. They were studying together, voices low, books and papers spread across the table. He recognized them—not by name, but by familiarity. Faces he'd seen often enough around campus to remember, though never spoken to. There were five of them in total.
He didn't stop.
Ryu had never been the type to greet strangers, let alone join them. Unless it was his friends, he kept to himself. So he walked past the group without a word and headed toward the grocery store down the path. It stayed open until 11:00 p.m.
He checked the time.
9:58 p.m.
I spent way too long standing in the hallway…
With a quiet sigh, he picked up his pace.
When he reached the store, he pushed open the glass door and stepped inside. Behind the counter stood the cashier—a girl whose name he'd never learned. He only knew that she worked here part-time and usually took the night shift.
Her appearance was familiar in the way routine made things familiar. From a glance, he guessed she was around his height, maybe 160 to 165 centimeters tall, and likely close to his age. Her black hair fell to her shoulders, bangs framing her face neatly—unchanged, as always.
She never changes her hair…
The moment he entered, her voice rose with practiced clarity.
"Welcome back, Ryu."
The words were delivered professionally, almost mechanically. Her posture and expression suggested mild disinterest, as if customers were little more than passing shapes. And yet—
Ryu stopped.
Something about that greeting was wrong.
His heartbeat stumbled. A chill crept up his spine, and he felt sweat gather at his temples.
H-How… does she know my name?
I never told her.
I've never introduced myself.
I barely even come here…
Had someone told her? But who would bother—and why would she remember? He'd never had a real conversation with her. Not even once.
He realized, belatedly, that he had been standing there in silence for several seconds.
Forcing himself to move, Ryu cut off his spiraling thoughts and walked toward the shelves, pretending nothing was wrong. He took a few steps—
Then the cashier spoke again.
"It's already 10:05 p.m.," she said casually. "Why come so late?"
Her voice echoed a little too clearly in the quiet store.
This was their first real conversation.
Ryu hadn't expected her to speak to him at all, let alone ask him a question. The sound of her voice caught him off guard, and he stopped the moment he realized she was talking to him. Turning around, he met her gaze. She was smiling—the same polite, practiced smile she always wore during checkout.
He forced himself to calm down and act natural.
Replaying her question in his head, he answered a beat too late. "I… just hungry."
"Oh."
She responded simply, without pressing further.
Relieved, Ryu turned away and continued down the aisle. He scanned the middle racks, where most of the food was stocked, taking his time despite the lingering tension in his chest. After a brief search, he settled on two bags of potato chips and three onigiri. Then he moved to the last section, grabbed a regular-sized bottle of water, and headed back to the counter.
She was waiting when he arrived.
"Here you are," she said, reaching out to take the items. One by one, she scanned them, the soft beeps filling the silence.
While she worked, curiosity got the better of him. His gaze drifted to her name tag—for the first time.
Sarah Wayne.
The name lingered in his thoughts. Before he could talk himself out of it, he asked the question that had been bothering him since he walked in.
"How do you know my name?"
She looked up at him, her hands pausing mid-motion. The smile on her face softened—warmer, sweeter than he had expected.
"So Ryu was your name?"
Ryu blinked.
Huh?
So... Was she just guessing…?
He stared down at the items on the counter, trying to process it. The scanning resumed, quick and efficient. A moment later, she told him the total price.
The number snapped him out of his thoughts—but something told him she already knew exactly what was going through his head.
"You are wondering too much, aren't you? It's nothing like that. I called you Ryu because I sensed that you have some hidden talent or strength beneath your calm behaviour..."
She packed the items into plastic, then handed them to him.
"Ah... Is that so...? Do I really have a hidden talent?" He grabbed the plastic and pulled away from the counter.
"It's 10:26 PM. I'll be starting to clean this store and lock the door at 11. You should get going fast and sleep before it's 11."
The receipt was given by her and he took it politely. He then walked out of the store.
She gave similar advice like my dad's...
Felt like a coincidence.
He ponders while going to his dorm.
At the entrance into the building, he saw that the group of people under the hut had gone.
Probably already in their room...
He stared over the hut for a few seconds before continuing walking into the dormitory building.
***
10:42 p.m.
Back in his dorm, Ryu tore open his snacks and began to eat. He wanted to follow the advice he had received from two people tonight, though he knew perfectly well he wouldn't be asleep by eleven.
Rushing through food never ended well. He ate deliberately, slowly chewing each bite before reaching for the next. Between mouthfuls, he set the bags of chips down, letting the flavors linger. Every crunch, every chew, was measured, careful—not wanting to choke in his haste.
At last, his stomach felt full. He tossed the empty bags into the trash can beside his desk and set the half-finished water bottle down, drinking only a small sip. The room was quiet, save for the faint rustle of wrappers and the soft hum of the electronics around him.
He checked his phone.
10:55 p.m.
Almost eleven.
Acknowledging the lateness, he turned off the light and climbed into bed. But before surrendering to sleep, he checked the group chat one last time. A few messages scrolled across the screen:
[James: "Ryu, we're about to sleep already lol." - 10:29 PM]
[Kenny: "What the heck… Convenience store at this hour? Nah." - 10:30 PM]
[Kenny: "I'm too tired already. Why don't you just order online?" - 10:30 PM]
[James: "Right… Oh yeah, Leon is spectating us lol." - 10:31 PM]
[Kenny: "Really?" - 10:31 PM]
[Kenny: "Man… He always like that." - 10:31 PM]
[Kenny: "Hey, Leon. Anything to say? Lol." - 10:31 PM]
[James: "Don't bother him lol. He could be too tired to type and just decide to spectate our chat lmao." - 10:32 PM]
[Kenny: "Right right lol." - 10:32 PM]
Dumbass...
He shook his head, chuckling softly at the familiar chaos of his friends, then shut off his phone and placed it on the bedside cabinet. The clock blinked 11:00 p.m.
Ryu lay back, closing his eyes, letting the quiet of the night wash over him. Slowly, sleep claimed him.
This was meant to be a peaceful night, a simple, restful pause.
But deep in the shadows of the room, something had already begun to shift.
***
Unknown places. A dark void.
A space where nothing existed.
And yet, Ryu Senariyu awoke here.
He found himself standing in the middle of emptiness. He looked around, confusion twisting his thoughts. Every step felt unreal—he floated rather than walked, the floor beneath him like nothing at all. He reached out, but his hands met nothing but air.
"Where the hell am I…" he murmured, his voice swallowed by the void.
Then, suddenly, light pierced the darkness. A figure began to emerge, slowly at first, glowing softly against the black expanse.
She was angelic. Her presence floated toward him, wings unfurling and flapping with a grace that was almost hypnotic.
After a few moments, she stopped, close enough for him to study—but her face remained hidden, blurred beyond recognition. It shifted, flickered, glitched, making her both mesmerizing and terrifying. Ryu instinctively stepped back, his pulse quickening.
The figure did not advance. Instead, she lifted her left hand, palm outward. From it, tiny particles of light began to swirl, connecting into lines, shaping themselves into some symbol…
And then, just as quickly, the pattern collapsed. The lights vanished, and the angelic figure screamed, covering her ears. Her body trembled violently, a sudden fragility in her form that made Ryu hesitate, unsure whether to step closer or run.
Slowly, her figure began to disintegrate, pixelating into nothingness. When the last fragment disappeared, a strange warmth lingered in the void—soft, gentle, almost comforting. It washed over him, and before he could understand what had happened, darkness claimed him again.
His eyes closed.
Silence.
The world returned to stillness, as if nothing had happened. The night continued its usual rhythm, leaving only the memory—or was it a dream? A nightmare?—to haunt him.
The next day: 17th January 2025, Friday
5:33 a.m.
It was still early—too early for most—but Ryu's eyes were already open. He rubbed the sleep from them and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up.
He couldn't remember anything from last night. Nothing at all.
And yet… he felt different. His ears tingled warmly, his body buzzing with a strange vitality. Every muscle, every fiber seemed alive with energy, as though he had woken up infused with something far beyond normal.
He began the morning with basic stretches and light exercises. After several minutes, he reached for the water bottle he had bought the night before and drained it completely.
Most people might have tossed it straight into the trash, but not Ryu. He carefully placed it in a large black plastic bag he used for storing emptied bottles. The bag was already half-full, a small archive of his disciplined routine.
Sweat dripped through his shirt, soaking it, yet even after all that movement, his energy didn't wane. If anything, it urged him onward. He decided to go further—out onto the field for a morning run.
Friday offered a rare window of freedom. Classes were scheduled for 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the first session, then 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoon. Game development was his chosen path, a dream he'd clung to ever since receiving the college invitation. His ambition was clear: he wanted to become a game developer, nothing less.
By 6:11 a.m., he was on the field. A few other students were already jogging or working out, but Ryu barely noticed them. His mind focused on the rhythm of his own steps, the cool morning air filling his lungs.
Alright… as usual, he thought. I'll get through this day, like I always do.
But somewhere deep inside, a part of him wondered if today really would be "as usual."