The cafe was quiet that evening. The last customers had already left, leaving behind only empty cups and the soft tinkle of the bell above the door. Aika stood behind the counter, polishing glasses, her thoughts were far away. It had been several months since Reta had been behind bars, but his shadow still hovered nearby, like an uninvited guest who was in no hurry to leave.
— Aika, are you thinking again? Yumi's voice brought her out of her thoughts. A friend was sitting at a table by the window, her leg, still in a cast from recent events, was lying on a nearby chair. "You need to rest." You're working too hard.
—I know,— Aika smiled, but there was weariness in her eyes. — It's simple... I need something to do. Otherwise, I start thinking about him.
Yumi sighed, but didn't say anything. She knew who he was talking about. Peta. His name still made me shudder. He never spoke directly to Aika, but his presence was felt in every step, in every look that she caught on herself. He was the shadow that had haunted her for years, and even now that he was behind bars, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was still watching.
The door of the cafe opened again, and Aika automatically turned to greet the new guest. But the words stuck in her throat. A stranger stood in the doorway. Tall, with long black hair and piercing eyes, she looked as if she had just stepped out of the pages of an old family photo album.
"What about you?" The stranger said her name softly, almost in a whisper. — My name is Ayame. I'm Ryota's sister.
Aika felt the floor give way under her feet. She grabbed the counter to steady herself. A sister? But Ryota was always alone. He never talked about his family, he never mentioned anyone. She thought he had no one left.
"Are you... are you kidding?" — She finally managed to get out of herself.
Ayame shook her head. Her face was serious, but there was pain in her eyes. - no. I survived. And I need to talk to you.
Yumi, who had been watching in silence up to this point, finally intervened. —Wait, wait. Are you saying that you're Ryota's sister? The same Reta who... She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone already knew what she was talking about.
—Yes,— Ayame nodded. —And I know what he did. But that's not the whole story. And if you want to understand why he became like this, you need to listen to me.
Aika exchanged a glance with Yumi. Dozens of questions were spinning in her head, but one of them was the main one: what if the truth about Reta turns out to be even scarier than she thought?