The days blurred together in a haze of unease. Miyu couldn't remember the last time she'd felt truly present—everything felt distant, like she was watching her life unfold from behind a thick glass wall. Her thoughts kept circling back to that conversation with Eiji. There was something he wasn't saying, something important that kept her awake at night.
And then, of course, there was the strange feeling in her chest. The one that made her heart race every time she saw the moon—or, rather, the memory of it. That eerie second moon, a burning red orb in the sky, staring down at her like it knew all her secrets.
But that was impossible, right? It couldn't have been real.
Could it?
Miyu tried to push it all to the back of her mind, but the weight of the feeling followed her everywhere. It was like there was something lurking just beneath the surface, something waiting to break through.
It was the fourth day since Aki's disappearance. Every day that passed made it feel more and more like the answers were slipping through her fingers.
"Hey, Miyu. You alright?"
She snapped out of her thoughts to find Yuki standing in front of her, her brow furrowed in concern. Miyu offered her a tired smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, though she could tell Yuki wasn't convinced.
"You've been out of it lately. You're not usually this distracted. Are you sure you're okay?"
Miyu hesitated. How could she explain what she was feeling? How could she put into words the fact that the world felt wrong? That she didn't know if she was losing her mind, or if something bigger was happening?
"I'm just… trying to figure things out," Miyu said, the lie slipping off her tongue easily.
Yuki didn't seem convinced, but she let it go. "Well, if you ever want to talk, you know where I am."
Miyu nodded, offering another smile, though it felt hollow. "Thanks."
The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and the two of them headed toward their seats. As they sat down, Miyu couldn't shake the feeling that the world around her was shifting, changing in ways she couldn't understand.
When the lesson began, Miyu found it hard to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting back to the strange encounter with Eiji, and the unease she felt whenever he was near. It wasn't just his red eye—though that in itself was unsettling. It was more the way he spoke, the cryptic things he said. Every word seemed to carry a weight, like it held a truth she wasn't ready to face.
Miyu's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. She looked up just in time to see Tomo sliding into the seat next to hers. His presence was as sharp and unsettling as always, though today he seemed even more distant than usual.
"Miyu," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "We need to talk."
Her stomach churned. It wasn't the first time he'd said those words, but it always made her uneasy. There was a tension in his voice, something urgent that made her want to pull away, yet she couldn't ignore him.
"About what?" she asked cautiously, trying to keep her tone light.
Tomo glanced around to make sure no one was listening, his dark eyes flicking nervously. "It's about Aki."
Her heart stopped. "What about Aki?" she asked, her voice tight.
Tomo hesitated, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "I think I know what happened to her."
Miyu's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't hide the shock on her face. "What do you mean?"
Tomo looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "I don't know how to explain this, but there's something off about all of this. Aki's disappearance—it's not normal. It's tied to something bigger. Something that's been hidden."
Miyu's head was spinning. What was he saying? What could possibly be hidden? And why did it feel like Tomo knew more than he was letting on?
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though the fear was starting to creep in.
Tomo nodded slowly. "I've been digging around. And what I've found… it's not good, Miyu."
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Miyu barely noticed. The weight of Tomo's words hung in the air, suffocating her.
"Tomo, what are you talking about?" she asked, standing up from her desk.
But before he could respond, he suddenly froze. His gaze shifted to the door, his eyes widening in recognition. Miyu followed his line of sight, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing there.
Eiji.
He was leaning casually against the doorframe, his red eye gleaming in the dim light of the classroom. His posture was relaxed, but there was something about the way he stood there, watching them, that made the air feel thick and heavy.
Miyu's heart pounded in her chest, and for a moment, she could swear that time slowed down. Eiji's eyes locked with hers, and the moment felt like an eternity. Then, as if nothing had happened, he pushed himself off the doorframe and walked into the room, his gaze never leaving her.
He sat down at an empty desk, his presence as unnerving as ever. But today, there was something different about him. A strange, almost predatory energy clung to him, making the hairs on the back of Miyu's neck stand up.
Tomo's expression darkened as he turned back to Miyu. "We'll talk later," he said, his voice urgent. "Stay safe."
Before Miyu could respond, Tomo was gone, slipping out of the classroom as Eiji took his seat. Miyu stared at him, trying to ignore the cold shiver running down her spine.
There was a storm coming. She could feel it in the air, thick and heavy, like the calm before the storm.