"Whoa… whoa…"
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Yokina lay on the bed, exhausted but smiling faintly, holding a newborn in her arms.
For the first time since waking up, Juson's expression softened.
He stepped closer, slower this time.
Careful.
As if even breathing too hard might break something.
"Look at him," Yokina whispered.
Juson reached out and lifted the baby into his hands.
Small.
Warm.
Alive.
The child shifted slightly, his tiny fingers curling weakly.
Then—
His eyes opened.
Sharp grey.
Focused.
Too focused.
Juson's smile faded just a little.
That's… not normal.
The baby blinked once… then relaxed, drifting back into sleep.
Juson placed him gently into the cot.
But his eyes lingered.
A second too long.
---
Later, he sat by the window.
Silent.
The outside world moved as usual, but something inside him didn't.
"Why do you have bandages?" Yokina asked.
Juson glanced at his arm.
"…Just a fall at work," he replied.
A lie.
An easy one.
She looked at him for a moment… then nodded.
She didn't push further.
But he noticed.
She didn't believe him.
---
The drive home was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then—
Juson's eyes caught something.
A building.
Abandoned.
The windows were broken, jagged edges reflecting dull light. The entrance was sealed, but not properly. Boards nailed across it looked old… disturbed.
As if someone had gone in.
Or come out.
Juson slowed down slightly.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
A faint unease crept into his chest.
He looked away.
And kept driving.
---
The house was a mess.
Clothes scattered. Utensils piled up.
Normal chaos.
Juson started cleaning without thinking.
Folding. Arranging. Restoring order.
Something he could control.
Near the sofa, he pinned a small paper onto the wall.
One slipped.
From the pack.
And landed… pointing upward.
Juson paused.
Looked at it.
A strange feeling brushed against his mind.
That's… odd.
Then he shook it off and picked it up.
Just a pin.
Nothing more.
He placed it back.
Didn't realise
What he had done
---
By evening, Yokina arrived with the baby.
Life resumed.
Dinner.
Small talk.
Baby in the cot
Then—
The baby's fingers twitched.
A soft, almost invisible motion.
The air around the cot felt… heavier.
A spoon kept on the nearby table shifted slightly.
Just a fraction.
Then stilled.
The baby's eyes opened.
Wide.
Unblinking.
Not crying.
Not moving.
Just… watching.
Silence between words.
Almost normal.
But Juson kept noticing small things.
The baby's eyes.
The way the house felt quieter than it should.
And that pin—
For some reason—
He kept thinking about it