The crack in the sky wouldn't leave Kei's mind. By morning, he had convinced himself it was a trick of the light, but a gnawing feeling in his chest said otherwise.
As he walked Hina to school, he noticed something unusual. A street lamp flickered erratically, casting long shadows that didn't seem to match their surroundings. It was subtle, but enough to make Kei's steps falter.
"You're staring again," Hina teased, tugging his sleeve. "What's so interesting about a boring old lamp?"
Kei shook his head. "Nothing. Just... spaced out."
Hina frowned, but before she could say more, Yui joined them. Her bubbly energy was a welcome distraction, and Kei found himself slipping back into their usual rhythm.
At school, the anomalies became harder to ignore. A clock in the hallway ticked backward, students swore they saw the same bird fly past the window on an endless loop, and the temperature in the science lab dropped so sharply that frost formed on the windows.
By lunch, whispers had spread among the students. Yui caught Kei in the hallway, dragging him outside.
"Okay, what's going on?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You've been acting weird since yesterday, and now all this creepy stuff is happening."
Kei hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "I think something's wrong," he admitted. "I saw... something last night. A crack in the sky. And now this..."
Yui blinked, her playful demeanor fading. "A crack? Like... in reality?"
"Maybe. I don't know," Kei said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's like... something's breaking."
Yui stared at him for a moment, then grinned. "Well, then, Detective Yui is on the case!"
Kei groaned, but her enthusiasm was contagious. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"
"I am!" she insisted. "But freaking out won't help. If something's wrong, we'll figure it out together."
Her words reassured him more than he expected.
After school, the walk home was eerily quiet. Kei's unease grew with every step, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. As he passed the park, he froze.
There it was again. The crack. This time, it didn't vanish. It hung in the air, pulsating faintly, as if beckoning him closer.
"Kei?" Hina's voice snapped him out of his trance. She stood a few steps behind, clutching her bag. "What are you looking at?"
Kei blinked. The crack was gone. He forced a smile. "Nothing. Let's go home."
That night, Kei couldn't sleep. He sat by his window, staring at the stars, half-expecting the crack to appear again. Hours passed, and just as he began to drift off, a low hum filled the air.
He opened his eyes, heart racing. The room felt... wrong. Shadows twisted unnaturally, and the hum grew louder, like a swarm of bees. Kei ran to Hina's room, shaking her awake.
"Hina, get up!" he whispered urgently. "Something's happening!"
She groggily rubbed her eyes. "Kei, what are you talking about?"
Before he could answer, the house shook violently. The hum became a deafening roar, and outside the window, the crack returned—larger, brighter, and pulsing with an otherworldly energy.
Kei stared in horror as the crack widened, its glow engulfing the night sky. For the first time, he felt the Void's presence—a cold, overwhelming force that seemed to reach into his very soul.
And then, everything went dark.