Morning broke over the mansion, sunlight streaming through the windows, casting warm golden rays onto the stone walls and wooden floors. For Ryuto, this was one of the rare, quiet mornings, no cultists, no shadow monsters, just a chance to relax and recover. He stretched, savoring the rare moment of peace, and tried to clear his mind of yesterday's battle.
The peace, however, was short-lived.
From down the hall came a loud, sudden clatter, followed by a shriek that could only belong to Nina. Ryuto bolted upright, scrambling out of bed and hurrying into the hallway. Just as he reached Nina's door, she burst out, barefoot and clutching a towel around her, dripping water all over the floor.
"Ryuto!" she gasped, catching sight of him with wide, alarmed eyes. "Something's in the bathroom, it grabbed me! I swear!"
He tried to hide a smile. "Uh… what exactly did it look like?"
