(Yuki's POV)
I'm not sure what was heavier—the pendant in my pocket or the weight of Aoi's words lingering in my mind.
"You're not doing this alone."
They were simple words, but they stuck with me like a lifeline. I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear them until she said them. The thought of someone standing beside me, not out of obligation but because they wanted to… It was overwhelming in the best way.
Still, part of me couldn't stop worrying. How long could this last? How long before she realized just how messed up this all was and decided it wasn't worth it?
The pendant pulsed faintly, as if reminding me that time wasn't on my side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We ended up in the cafeteria, the soft hum of chatter and clinking trays creating a comfortable background noise. Aoi handed me a sandwich and a bottle of water, her expression a mix of determination and worry."Eat," she said, sitting across from me. "You look like you haven't had a decent meal in days."
I wanted to argue, but she wasn't wrong. My appetite had been non-existent since this whole nightmare started. Still, I unwrapped the sandwich and took a small bite, more to appease her than anything else.
Aoi watched me for a moment before leaning back in her chair. "So, this hooded figure… You said they told you to look into your family's past?"
I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. They said the curse started generations ago. Something about a debt my family owes to some spirit named Karyu."
She frowned, tapping her fingers against the table. "And they didn't give you any specifics? Like where to start looking?"
"Just something about the truth being hidden in plain sight," I said, my voice heavy with frustration. "I don't even know what that means."
"Maybe it's something in your house," Aoi suggested. "Old photos, letters, family heirlooms… anything that might give us a clue."
I hadn't thought about that. My moms were always careful about what they shared when it came to our family history. They'd tell stories sometimes, but they always felt sanitized, like they were leaving out the parts they didn't want us to know.
"It's worth a shot," I said, though the thought of digging into my family's secrets made my stomach churn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After lunch, Aoi walked me back to my apartment. She didn't say much, just kept glancing at me like she was waiting for me to collapse again. It was both comforting and mildly annoying."You sure you're okay?" she asked as we reached my door.
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure I believed it myself. "Yeah. I'll… I'll start looking tonight. See if I can find anything."
"Text me if you find something. Or if you feel… weird again."
Her concern was evident, and it warmed something in me that I hadn't realized was so cold. "Thanks, Aoi. For everything."
She waved it off with a small smile. "Don't thank me yet. We've got a long way to go, and I'm not letting you slack off."
I laughed softly as she turned to leave, her presence lingering even after she disappeared down the hallway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That evening, I sat on my bed with the pendant in one hand and an old photo album in the other. The album was dusty, the leather cover cracked from years of neglect. It was one of the few things my moms had kept from our old house when we moved.Flipping through the pages, I saw photos of family trips, birthdays, and random moments of everyday life. But there was something… off. A lot of the pictures felt incomplete, like someone was missing. My moms, both smiling and carefree, were in almost every photo, but there was a noticeable absence of my dad. Or, at least, the person who had been my dad before the curse took them.
The pendant pulsed again, stronger this time, and my hands shook as I turned the pages. Toward the back of the album, there was a photo tucked into the corner, hidden behind another image. I pulled it out, my breath catching in my throat.
It was an old black-and-white photo of a man and a woman standing in front of a large tree. The man had sharp features and a confident smile, while the woman looked soft and serene. They were holding hands, their other hands resting on a small box between them. The same swirling patterns from the pendant were etched into the box.
My chest tightened as the realization hit me. This wasn't just any tree. It was the tree from the visions—the one by the pool in the forest.
The truth was closer than I thought, but it also felt further away than ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I texted Aoi a picture of the photo, my hands still trembling. Her response was almost immediate:Aoi: Looks like we've got a lead. Meet me tomorrow morning. We're figuring this out together.
Her determination gave me strength, even as fear crept in at the edges of my mind. Whatever this photo meant, whatever secrets my family had been hiding, I was one step closer to finding out.
And I wasn't alone.