[Scene: A narrow side street, dimly lit by a single streetlamp. Hana and Takumi sprint down the uneven pavement, their footsteps sharp against the silence. The air is thick, suffocating, as if something unseen is pressing in around them.]
HANA: (panting, voice strained) "Takumi… do you even know where we're going?"
TAKUMI: (glancing over his shoulder, eyes sharp) "Not really. But anywhere is better than back there."
HANA: (gritted teeth, pushing forward) "Fantastic. Love the blind confidence."
[Behind them, the alley they left behind remains still. Too still. As if the darkness itself had swallowed whatever was there. But they don't dare stop to check.]
TAKUMI: (softly, more to himself) "They're not following us."
HANA: (frowning, slowing slightly) "That's… good?"
TAKUMI: (jaw tightening) "No. It means they don't have to."
[They round a corner and suddenly—light. A convenience store, bright and painfully normal, stands at the end of the street. It's open. A single cashier stands behind the counter, scrolling through his phone, oblivious to anything outside.]
HANA: (staring at the store, breath unsteady) "Should we—?"
TAKUMI: (already moving) "Yeah."
[They push through the doors, the artificial light buzzing overhead. The glass reflects their pale faces, their wide eyes. For a moment, the world feels real again. Safe.]
CASHIER: (barely looking up, voice monotone) "Welcome. Let me know if you need anything."
HANA: (whispering, still catching her breath) "He has no idea."
TAKUMI: (nodding slightly, scanning the aisles) "Good. Let's keep it that way."
[They move toward the back of the store, keeping close to the shelves. Bags of chips crinkle under Hana's unsteady fingers. Takumi grabs a bottled drink, more for the illusion of normalcy than thirst.]
HANA: (low voice, still watching the front entrance) "If they're still out there… what do we do?"
TAKUMI: (popping the cap off his drink, taking a slow sip, voice steady) "We wait. See if they make a move. See if they want us to."
HANA: (eyes narrowing) "And if they don't?"
TAKUMI: (smirks faintly, though his grip on the bottle tightens) "Then we find out what happens when we stop running."
[Silence. The store's automatic doors slide open. Hana stiffens. Takumi sets his drink down, every muscle in his body poised, waiting.]
CASHIER: (not looking up, same bored tone) "Welcome."
[A figure steps inside. Slowly. Deliberately. Not rushing—just… arriving. The glass doors close behind them.]
[Hana and Takumi don't turn immediately. But they feel it. That presence. The weight of unseen eyes locking onto them.]
HANA: (gripping the shelf edge, voice barely audible) "Takumi."
TAKUMI: (calm, too calm, like a wire pulled too tight) "I know."
[The fluorescent lights hum. The air between them holds, thick and electric. No one moves. The game has changed.]
[End of Chapter 11]