The streets were quiet, apart from the occasional rustle of leaves carried by the cool night breeze. Kazuki walked with his hands in his pockets, his breath visible in the crisp air. The world felt still, as though it were holding its breath.
He had said his goodbyes to Aya and Ren just minutes ago, watching them disappear down their respective streets with a wave and a shout of, "See you soon!" Now, the silence seemed deafening in their absence.
Kazuki liked moments like this, when the world slowed down, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He glanced up at the sky, the stars scattered like tiny diamonds across the inky black.
"Last exam, huh?" he muttered to himself, kicking a stray pebble down the pavement. "Guess I'm officially done with high school."
"Not gonna lie, I will surely miss this student life one day"
The thought felt surreal. A chapter of his life had closed, just like that. No more classes, no more cramming for tests, no more arguing with Aya over which of them had the worst handwriting.
His lips curved into a small smile as he remembered Ren's deadpan sarcasm during their study sessions. "Kazuki!!, if you fail math again, I'm disowning you as a friend" Ren had said.
Kazuki chuckled softly. "Guess you're stuck with me, Ren. I passed."
But beneath the humor, a sense of unease lingered. What came next? College? A job? Life was supposed to feel wide open, full of possibility, but tonight it felt... heavy. Like the stars themselves were pressing down on him.
He stopped walking, standing in the middle of an empty street. The faint glow of streetlights pooled on the asphalt, but the edges of the road dissolved into shadow.
"Man," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "What's next?"
—
A Sudden shiver
The air shifted. It was subtle at first, like the faintest change in the wind's direction. Kazuki frowned, glancing around. The street was empty, the houses dark and unassuming.
But something felt... off.
He shook his head and kept walking, his footsteps echoing louder than they should have. The shadows seemed to stretch further, pooling around the edges of the streetlights like ink spreading in water.
Kazuki tightened his grip on the straps of his backpack, his heart beating a little faster. He tried to laugh it off. "Calm down, Kaz. You're just imagining things."
Then he saw it…a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision.
He stopped dead in his tracks, snapping his head to the side. Nothing. Just an empty alleyway, the darkness yawning like an open mouth.
Kazuki swallowed hard, his breath hitching. He glanced over his shoulder, half expecting to see someone…something …standing behind him. The street was as empty as before.
But the unease didn't leave. If anything, it grew stronger, crawling up his spine like cold fingers.
Keep walking, he told himself, forcing his legs to move.
The shadows seemed to thicken with every step he took. The streetlights overhead flickered once, twice, then steadied, casting a pale, unnatural glow.
Kazuki's instincts screamed at him to run, but he didn't. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. The faint light from the screen was oddly comforting as he unlocked it and scrolled to his contacts.
Ren's name hovered at the top of the list. Kazuki's thumb hesitated over the call button. Don't be ridiculous. It's probably nothing.
But just as he was about to put the phone away, he heard it.
A sound.
A low, guttural growl, so soft it could have been mistaken for the wind—if it weren't so close.
—
Kazuki's breath hitched as he froze, every muscle in his body screaming at him to run. Slowly, he turned his head.
There it was.
A shadowy figure stood at the edge of the streetlight's reach, impossibly tall and broad. Its outline was jagged, shifting, as though it were made of smoke. No face, no features, just darkness.
Kazuki's phone slipped from his hand, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
The figure didn't move. It simply stood there, its presence oppressive, suffocating.
Kazuki's heartbeat thundered in his ears. "Who... who's there?" he stammered, his voice trembling.
No response.
The figure took a step forward, and the streetlight above Kazuki flickered violently, casting the world into brief darkness.
When the light came back on, the figure was closer.
Kazuki stumbled back, his foot catching on the edge of the sidewalk. He hit the ground hard, the impact jarring his senses.
"Stay back!!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet.
The figure didn't listen. It took another step, the shadows around it writhing like living things.
Kazuki turned and ran.
—
*.....*
His footsteps pounded against the pavement as he sprinted down the street, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He didn't dare look back.
But it didn't matter.
The air shifted again, and Kazuki felt it, something heavy, something wrong. Before he could react, a sharp, overwhelming pain exploded at the back of his head.
The world spun.
His vision blurred, then faded entirely, and the last thing he heard was the faint, echoing sound of his own heartbeat.
Then, silence….
—End of Prologue 3—