[Scene: The same park, but the stillness has changed. A distant siren wails, echoing through the empty streets. The lamppost flickers erratically now, casting long, jagged shadows. Hana and Takumi remain on the jungle gym, but there's something tense in the air.]
HANA: (staring at the ground, her fingers tightening around the metal bar beneath her) "Did you hear that?"
TAKUMI: (still leaning back, but his eyes are sharper now, watching her) "The siren? Yeah."
HANA: (shaking her head, voice quieter) "No. Before that."
[Silence. The wind rustles through the trees, but underneath it—something else. A faint shuffling. The sound of footsteps on gravel.]
TAKUMI: (sitting up now, glancing around) "You're imagining things. It's late."
HANA: (slowly, not looking at him) "Maybe."
[But she doesn't sound convinced. She grips the bar tighter, the cold metal biting into her fingers.]
TAKUMI: (tilting his head, listening now too) "…Okay. Maybe not."
[Another sound—closer this time. The crunch of a shoe against dirt. Not their footsteps. Not the wind. Something—or someone—is nearby.]
HANA: (whispering) "Takumi…"
TAKUMI: (lowers his voice) "Yeah, I know."
[They stay still. The jungle gym feels suddenly exposed, an island in the middle of an ocean of darkness. Takumi slides off first, landing lightly on his feet. He turns to her, holding out a hand.]
TAKUMI: "Come on. Let's go."
HANA: (hesitating, then taking his hand and jumping down) "Where?"
TAKUMI: (glancing around, eyes scanning the shadows) "Anywhere but here."
[They start walking. Not running—running makes noise. Running makes them look like prey. Instead, they move quickly, quietly, slipping between patches of darkness. The siren in the distance fades, swallowed by the city. But the feeling doesn't.]
HANA: (after a few minutes, whispering) "We're being followed."
TAKUMI: (without looking at her) "I know."
[Neither of them turns around. They don't have to. The feeling crawls up their spines, an instinct older than logic. Someone is there. Watching. Waiting.]
TAKUMI: (softly, forcing a grin) "Guess tonight just got interesting."
HANA: (not smiling, voice steady but low) "I hate interesting."
[They keep walking. The city stretches ahead, dark and endless. And behind them, something lingers just out of sight.]
[End of Chapter 8]