My body felt like lead. But my mind was still running miles a minute.
I walked into the kitchen, pulled open the fridge, and grabbed a chilled soda. As I poured it over ice, the soft, mundane sound of the liquid filling the glass felt grounding. Simple. Normal.
For a brief second, it almost felt like an ordinary evening.
But I knew better.
Glass in hand, I slid the balcony door open and stepped outside. I needed fresh air. More than that, I needed clarity.
The night breeze was cool against my face. The city spread out below was unusually quiet, the dark sky above scattered with faint stars.
I leaned against the metal railing, took a slow sip of my drink, and let my eyes fall shut.
And my mind pulled me right back to the past.
"When I was thirteen..." I whispered to the empty air.
That was the year everything changed. My grandfather—a man the underground circuits considered an absolute legend—had suddenly decided to retire.
For most people, retirement is a normal, expected phase of life. For me, it felt like a massive, protective wall had just been torn down.
His voice echoed clearly in my memory, as steady and unshaken as it had been in life.
A strong spirit only becomes stronger when it senses your fear.
I opened my eyes, staring out into the dark horizon.
And when you fight, you must stay completely confident. You must stay focused.
Those weren't just philosophical words. He didn't speak in metaphors. They were concrete rules for survival.
My grip tightened around the cold glass.
Then, the darker memory surfaced. The first time I ever crossed paths with Jason.
Even now, just thinking about that encounter made my blood run cold. Back then, I was arrogant. I didn't understand the scale of what I was facing. I didn't know the rules.
I only knew that the entity standing in front of me was dangerous.
I tried to fight him. I launched an attack without comprehending even a fraction of his true strength.
That was the mistake that ruined everything.
"Jason didn't just fight back," I murmured, the night wind carrying the words away. "He cursed me."
That exact moment was still razor-sharp in my mind. The sudden, paralyzing feeling of being targeted. Of being entirely exposed and outmatched. Like I was nothing more than an insect on the pavement.
I looked down at my free hand, flexing my fingers.
For him, I was just an easy target to make an example of.
But then, everything shifted. My grandfather stepped in. Without hesitation. Without a single ounce of fear.
"He took the curse... onto himself."
My voice dropped to a harsh whisper. That single, split-second decision saved my life.
But it cost him everything.
My expression hardened as the final memory locked into place. My seventeenth birthday. A day that was supposed to be a milestone.
Instead, he was lying in his bed, his body failing, utterly hollowed out by the curse. Yet, he was completely calm.
Right before his lungs stopped pulling in air, he looked at me and said the words I would never be able to forget.
You can finish this case.
Those words echoed inside my chest, over and over again. I had repeated them to myself a thousand times over the last few years.
But standing here now, looking out over the city, I realized I still didn't fully understand them.
Did he give me something? I wondered. Did he leave behind a hidden mechanism, a clue, something specifically designed to help me finish this?
I tried to connect the scattered pieces. The curse. Jason. The shadows in the school. The missing staff members. His final words.
There had to be a thread tying it all together. A blind spot I was missing.
I stood there on the balcony for a long time, replaying the timeline, searching for the missing link.
But nothing fit perfectly. The picture remained incomplete.
Finally, I let out a long sigh and tipped the glass back, finishing the drink.
"No," I muttered. "This isn't getting me anywhere."
All this overthinking, and I was still standing exactly where I started. It was maddening. But I knew that standing in the dark and obsessing over the past wasn't going to solve the problem in front of me.
"Tomorrow," I whispered, turning away from the city. "Maybe tomorrow I'll carve out the answers myself."
I walked back inside, left the empty glass on the counter, and headed to my room.
The rest of the night passed in a quiet blur. Eventually, exhaustion won, and I fell asleep.
Next Morning-
I woke up early. I went through the motions of getting ready with absolute mechanical precision, not wasting a single second. I was preparing myself—not just physically checking my gear, but locking down my mental state.
Then, I grabbed my bags and walked out the door.
Haroku's apartment wasn't far. Within fifteen minutes, I was standing on his welcome mat, rapping my knuckles against the wood.
The door swung open.
"Hey," I said.
"Everything okay ?" he replied, already fully dressed and holding his duffel bag.
I looked him up and down. "You eat breakfast?"
He nodded. "Yeah, bro. Fueled up and done." He hoisted the bag onto his shoulder. "So... what's the actual plan today?"
I didn't hesitate.
"Bro... I'm completely ready."
My voice was dead steady.
"This time, we don't observe. We fight Jason properly."
There was no doubt in my tone. No lingering hesitation. Just absolute, cold determination.
Haroku studied my face for a long second, searching for any cracks. Finding none, he gave a firm nod.
"Alright."
No more words were needed. We walked out to the car and hit the road.
The drive out of the city was silent. No radio. No random banter. Neither of us needed to voice what we were walking into. We both already knew the stakes.
An hour later, we arrived.
The old school stood exactly where we left it. Silent. Looming. Waiting for us.
The principal was pacing near the front gate. The moment his eyes locked onto my car pulling up, a massive wave of relief washed over his pale face.
"Thank God. It is so good to see you, sir," he practically gasped as we stepped out of the vehicle. "It's been half a week."
I stepped forward, offering a slight nod. "I'm sorry for the delay, sir."
He shook his head frantically, waving his hands. "No, no! I didn't mean it as a complaint. I'm just grateful you came back."
"It's fine," I assured him.
I looked past him, my eyes locking onto the dark, empty windows of the old building wing. My voice dropped, calm but entirely unyielding.
"From today..."
I adjusted the strap of my gear bag.
"...we officially restart the investigation."
This time, the preparation phase was over. We weren't setting up cameras or running away. We were ready.
Ready to face whatever was waiting for us in the dark.