Both Shirayuki-sensei and I stood in stunned silence, staring at the sprawling suburban landscape in front of us. This definitely wasn't what I expected.
I had assumed we would be transported to some countryside setting again.
Moreover, there was nothing familiar about the surrounding buildings. It was unsettling—dark houses lined up, not a single streetlight on, and not even a flicker of light coming from the windows. For a nighttime suburban neighborhood, the lack of illumination made it unnervingly eerie.
It was, of course, a mental world, where anything could happen. But still, could it not have been just a little brighter?
As I mulled over this, I noticed a faint thread extending from my chest. Without exchanging words, Shirayuki-sensei and I both moved in unison, following the thread to its source.
Our pace quickened, soon turning into a sprint as we dashed across a crosswalk devoid of any traffic lights or life.
"Itsuki-kun, stop!"
