Inside the airplane, a boy around Kaiya's age sat by the window, calm and unnervingly composed. His sharp eyes watched the endless sea of clouds roll beneath them as the plane began its slow descent. Sunlight glinted off the wing, painting fleeting gold across his face.
The flight attendant's voice came softly over the speakers: "We'll be landing in Mizukiri Town shortly."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of the boy's lips.
"…Home at last."
His eyes remained unreadable—cold, calculating, and ancient in a way that no teenager's should ever be.
The screen cut to black.
---
The next morning, Kaiya knelt by the front door, tying his shoelaces with steady, deliberate hands. Riko came running in, her small backpack bouncing on her shoulders.
"Nii-chan!"
Kaiya looked up and offered her a soft, reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm done. Let's go."
Outside, the streets of Mizukiri appeared deceptively peaceful—birds chirping in the trees, neighbors waving from their doorsteps, children laughing as they hurried to school. But beneath the ordinary surface, the weight of everything they had learned pressed down on them like an invisible storm cloud.
As they walked, Riko's small voice trembled. "I'm scared…"
Kaiya stopped and knelt down to her level, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "I'm scared too. I've always been scared… But I'll protect you. And you protect me, okay?"
Riko nodded quickly, her eyes serious beyond her years. Kaiya's gaze softened with quiet worry as he stood and took her hand in his.
---
At the school gates, Ren waved lazily. "You're late."
Mio crossed her arms with a small grin. "He's still earlier than usual."
Yui shot Kaiya a serious look. "We've been waiting. You need to take things seriously."
Nakayama, standing slightly behind them, thought to himself: *But… we just got here.*
Kaiya nodded. "Had to drop Riko off. Let's go. We don't have time to waste."
**Flashback – Earlier at Matthew's House**
Mio had spoken firmly: "School resumes soon. If we don't show up, they'll suspect us because of the fire."
Kaiya had agreed. "After classes… we start searching again."
Ren had nodded. "Alright."
**Back to the present**, the group headed into the school building together, their footsteps echoing a little too loudly in the familiar halls.
---
Inside the classroom, students chatted casually, laughing and gossiping as if nothing had changed. Kaiya took his seat, trying to blend into the normalcy. Everything seemed ordinary… until the homeroom teacher walked in.
A sharp *THROB* hit Kaiya's head. His vision blurred for a moment. The teacher's footsteps echoed strangely loud in his ears, each step reverberating like a warning.
"Good morning, class," the teacher said with his usual calm tone.
Kaiya forced a steady breath. Ren leaned over and whispered, "You okay?"
"…Yeah. Just a headache."
But Kaiya's eyes stayed locked on the teacher, unease crawling up his spine like icy fingers.
---
A random student raised a hand. "Sensei, Marata still isn't here."
The class murmured among themselves.
Kaiya's face froze. Violent flashes of Marata's brutal death replayed in his mind—the scream, the blood, the grotesque twist of limbs.
The teacher smiled gently. "Marata? I'm sure he's just sick. Don't worry."
One classmate laughed lightly. "Oh, so that's why the class is so quiet."
A few students chuckled—except Kaiya, Mio, Ren, and Yui, who remained stone-faced, the weight of the truth heavy in their chests.
---
Four hours later, the final bell rang. Students packed up and began streaming out of the classroom.
"Kaiya. Stay for a moment," the teacher called.
Ren gave him a concerned look. Kaiya nodded. "I'll meet you outside."
Once the classroom emptied, the teacher sat casually on the edge of his desk.
"You seemed troubled today. Everything okay at home?"
Kaiya hesitated, then relaxed slightly. The teacher's voice sounded genuinely caring.
"Yeah. Just tired."
The teacher smiled warmly. "If you ever need help, my door is always open."
"…Thank you, Sensei."
"Is your mom back from her trip?"
"No, but she'll be back soon."
"And your sister? She doing alright?"
"She's good. We're good."
"I don't mean to intrude. I just want to know how you're doing. You've felt… off lately. How about I take you and your sister out for dinner sometime?"
"Yeah… thank you, Sensei."
Kaiya walked out and met Ren in the hallway.
"What was that about?" Ren asked.
"Nothing," Kaiya replied quietly.
---
That night, back at Kaiya's house, the entire group sat in a circle on the floor. Papers, notes, missing-person posters, and Matthew's files were spread across the low table like a map of nightmares.
Ren broke the silence. "So what's the plan? We searching tonight?"
Kaiya stared at the documents, jaw tight. "We follow Matthew's clues. The Stranger has to slip somewhere."
Yui's voice was steady, edged with steel. "And if he shows up?"
Kaiya's eyes hardened. "…We kill him."
A heavy, quiet tension filled the room, thick enough to taste.
Suddenly—
*KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.*
Everyone froze.
Ren whispered, "…You expecting anyone?"
Kaiya swallowed hard and stood slowly, heart pounding in his chest like a war drum.
*Who…?*
He reached for the door handle, fingers brushing cold metal.
To be continued…