16:03 PM – August 23, 2009
JAPAN • Nara City • Heijo High School (平城高等学校, Heijō Kōtō Gakkō)
The afternoon air buzzed with the chatter of students, their laughter and conversations blending into the hum of the school's hallways. Groups of classmates gathered, making their way toward the classroom doors, eager to leave as the final bell had rung moments ago—signaling the end of another school day.
For most students, this meant heading to karaoke, the arcade, or spending time with friends. But for Satou Senji, it was just another uneventful day.
A lone figure sat at his desk near the classroom window, silently watching as his classmates trickled out one by one. Eventually, the room emptied, leaving him as the last to remain.
But he had no intention of leaving just yet.
Satou leaned back, flipping open his old mobile phone. His fingers navigated the tiny keypad as he scrolled through the internet, searching for his next destination—an abandoned place to explore under the cover of night.
It wasn't as if he had nowhere to go. He had a home, a family, and the ability to live like any other high school student. He could have been out with friends, maybe even dating someone. But that was never his fate.
For seventeen years, Satou had drifted through life unnoticed, barely acknowledged by his classmates. To them, he was little more than a shadow—an existence that faded into the background. Perhaps some didn't even realize he was in their class.
But that didn't matter to him.
Love, friendships, and high school memories were things he had no interest in. Instead, his world revolved around one thing—exploration.
The thrill of venturing into forgotten places. The mystery of what might be hidden beyond locked doors and crumbling walls.
That was when he truly felt alive.
---
As he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone, the screen suddenly lagged. A small loading icon appeared in the bottom right corner.
[LOADING FOR MORE SEARCH RESULTS…]
Satou tapped his fingers impatiently against his desk. After a few minutes, the screen finally refreshed, displaying a list of new search results.
His eyes flicked to the top suggestion:
[An Abandoned Asylum in Kyoto – Hidden Deep in the Forest. Believed to Be Built During World War II…]
The rest of the description blurred in his mind as he skimmed through it. He didn't care much for historical details. His main concern was whether the place was worth the trip.
Satou clicked on the link, and an old, low-resolution image of the asylum loaded on his screen. As expected, the quality was poor—just a pixelated photograph of a decayed white building, its windows shattered, graffiti smeared across its walls, and vines creeping along the exterior.
Typical.
He was about to exit the page when something caught his eye.
A highlighted section of text stood out beneath the image, marked in yellow as if demanding to be read.
Odd. He hadn't noticed it when he first clicked the link.
> After World War II ended, this asylum, originally built to house soldiers suffering from PTSD, schizophrenia, and even cannibalistic tendencies, was shut down. However, rumors persist that some soldiers, meant to be deported back to their home countries, were abandoned here—left to rot within its walls.
> Over time, the asylum became infamous for its hauntings, with multiple reports of a ghostly girl with gray hair appearing at the windows, watching visitors as they leave…
« SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE INFO »
Satou smirked, tilting his head slightly.
"A haunted asylum? A ghost girl? ..now that's a twist.." He muttered under his breath, amusement tugging at the corner of his lips.
Of course, he wasn't the type to believe in supernatural nonsense. People heard strange noises in abandoned buildings all the time—it was just the wind, creaking wood, or small animals scurrying in the dark. He had visited countless places with similar ghost stories, and not once had he seen anything remotely paranormal.
He wasn't that gullible.
Still…
His finger pressed down, capturing a screenshot of the page. He saved everything he needed: the location, the building's description, the image, and most importantly—the highlighted mention of the ghost girl.
A quick glance at the timestamp of the last reported sighting showed that it had been just two weeks ago.
Not that long ago.
Perfect.
Tonight, he would explore the asylum. Alone.
"All set. Got the info," he muttered to himself, flipping his phone shut with a sharp clack. His mind was already running through a mental checklist.
' Flashlight? Need to check if it's charged.'
'Pocket knife? Still in the side pocket of my sling bag.'
'Backup batteries? Probably should buy some on the way home. My phone's flashlight is useless.'
He glanced at the asylum's pixelated image once more, a flicker of anticipation sparking in his chest.
He would eat dinner as usual so his mom wouldn't suspect anything, then slip out once the night settled in. The asylum was in Kyoto, which meant catching a train. It would take about ten to seventeen minutes on foot to reach the station—or five to nine minutes if he ran.
Satou leaned back in his chair, flipping his phone open once more to glance at the grainy image of the asylum. His pulse quickened slightly—not from fear, but from anticipation.
"Kyoto, huh? Let's see if this place has anything… worthwhile."
With that, he snapped his phone shut.
Click.