The first light of dawn had barely touched the windows when Riko burst into Kaiya's room, her small hands shaking his shoulder urgently.
"Big bro! We're late! Mom's still not up!"
Kaiya groaned, sitting up in his messy bed, hair tousled and eyes heavy with sleep. He was still in his nightwear, the remnants of another restless night clinging to him. Rubbing his face, he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Is she still sick?" he asked, voice thick.
He padded down the hallway and gently pushed open his mother's bedroom door. The room was empty. The bed was perfectly made, untouched, as if no one had slept there at all. A sharp headache suddenly stabbed behind his eyes. He winced, pressing a hand to his temple.
"Ugh… my head…"
A faint shadow stretched across the wooden floor from the half-open curtains. Kaiya stepped closer, scanning the silent room. That was when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and stared at the screen.
The message read:
"Going out for a work trip. Sorry I couldn't wake you up. Please take care of Riko — it's just for a week. Sent at 3:00 AM."
Kaiya frowned. *Strange… why is this text only coming through now?*
He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease. Outside the window, the morning mist still hung low over the neighborhood, and the sun was just beginning to peek through the blinds.
Shaking off the strange feeling, Kaiya quickly dressed for school. His fingers moved mechanically—tying his shoelaces, straightening his uniform collar, smoothing down his shirt. Everything felt routine, yet nothing felt right.
When he walked into the kitchen, Riko was already sitting at the table, spooning cereal into her mouth.
"What are you eating?" Kaiya asked.
"Cereal… didn't want to bother Mom since she's sick," she replied with a small shrug.
Kaiya hesitated for a second, then said, "She's out of town. Got a text from her."
Riko looked up, surprised. "When?"
"Just this morning. Maybe a network glitch…" He handed her his phone. "Here."
Riko read the message carefully. "Okay… when will she be back?"
"She didn't say. But I'm sure she won't be gone more than a day or two."
Riko nodded slowly, though her eyes still looked uncertain. "Be fast! I'm getting late for school."
"Yeah… I'm coming," Kaiya muttered, quickly preparing something simple for himself.
After breakfast, he walked Riko to her elementary school. The streets were quieter than usual. He kept a protective eye on her as they crossed the road.
"Careful crossing the street!" he called out.
"Bye!" Riko waved with a bright smile before disappearing through the school gates.
Kaiya waved back, watching until she was safely inside. Then he turned toward Mizukiri High School, the uneasy feeling from earlier refusing to leave his chest.
When he arrived at school, the difference was impossible to ignore.
Mizukiri High usually had around a hundred students and teachers bustling through its halls. Today, only about forty-five had shown up. The campus felt eerily empty.
Ren and Mio were waiting near the gate, looking just as confused.
"Whoa… the school's empty," Ren said. "Half the students and teachers didn't show up!"
"Seriously?" Mio's eyes widened.
Kaiya stayed quiet, but inside his head the same thought kept repeating: *Something feels… off.*
"Maybe they all called in sick?" Ren suggested.
Mio shook her head. "All at the same time? That's not possible…"
Inside the classroom, students whispered nervously about their missing classmates. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.
At one of the desks, a curious classmate opened his laptop. "Check this out… some guy posted a vid that's going viral about missing people in town."
Daisuke scoffed. "They aren't missing. Maybe they're just sick."
"I didn't see my big sis today," the classmate replied. "All I got was some dumb message."
Marata leaned back with a grin. "Sorry, she couldn't send it… she was busy with me last night." He laughed loudly at his own joke.
"You wish," the classmate shot back.
On the screen, a shadowed figure with a blurred face spoke in a low, urgent voice:
"…Authorities are hiding it. People are missing. This goes higher than anyone realizes. This isn't the first time it's happened. Last time, only a few disappeared… now it's crazy. Kids and adults are vanishing. Something evil is going on in this town."
Marata rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. He's obviously talking loads of crap."
But the rest of the classmates leaned in closer, ignoring him, faces pale with growing worry.
They quickly checked mainstream news—local Japanese outlets—nothing. Not a single report.
Kaiya stared at the screen, his stomach twisting. *This can't be true… how would people just disappear like that?*
His mind flashed back to his mother's text with the odd spelling—"Rito" instead of "Riko"—and the delayed delivery time.
Suddenly, the video flickered. Static hissed through the speakers, and then the screen went completely black.
*Click…*
"It's gone!" someone exclaimed.
"What… where did it go?" another classmate whispered.
Yui Fujimoto, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, stood up and walked over. "Did it just go off?"
"I don't know… the site isn't loading anymore," the classmate said.
Yui leaned in. "Let me take a look."
She sat down and began searching for similar videos, her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. Kaiya watched her closely.
"Did you find anything?" he asked.
"Nothing… just nothing. The video is completely gone," Yui replied, frowning.
Before anyone could say more, Mr. Kuroda Seiji entered the classroom. His expression was calm, but his movements were deliberate. He walked straight to Yui's desk and gently closed the laptop.
Everyone froze in shock.
"Please, take your seats," Kuroda said quietly.
"Yes, sir," the class murmured.
"I know you're all wondering why your class isn't full today," he continued. "I ask for your patience. We'll contact your classmates to find out why they couldn't come."
Mio raised her hand, voice shaky. "Is there some virus or sickness spreading?"
"Yeah, we want to know!" several students added.
"The school principal will update you on any information regarding your classmates," Kuroda replied smoothly. "Now… let's return to our lesson."
Kaiya couldn't stay silent any longer. He stood up slightly.
"What about others who aren't here… people who are missing? I'm not saying Mom is missing, but she wasn't home this morning. She was sick last night. I tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail."
Kuroda looked at him with steady eyes. "Did she leave you a message?"
"Yes… but something feels off. It doesn't add up."
"As I said, we'll provide updates when we have them. And about your mother… I'm sure she'll be back soon." Kuroda's voice was gentle but firm. "Now, let's focus on today's work."
Kaiya sat back down slowly, but the knot in his stomach only grew tighter. The morning mist outside had finally lifted, yet the unease inside him felt heavier than ever.
To be continued…