Night had settled heavily over Kaiya's house, thick and oppressive. The group sat in tense silence around the scattered files and photographs when three sharp knocks echoed through the quiet.
*KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.*
Everyone froze.
Kaiya stood slowly, heart hammering against his ribs, and opened the door with caution.
Standing on the doorstep was a boy their age, smiling warmly under the soft glow of the porch light. His face was familiar—too familiar.
Kaiya's eyes widened. "…H-Haru?"
"No way," Ren breathed.
Riko gasped and ran forward without hesitation. "Haru-nii!!"
Haru knelt down and hugged her gently, his smile softening with what looked like genuine affection. "You've grown so much, Riko."
Ren and Mio exchanged shocked glances.
Mio's voice was quiet, almost hesitant. "Long time no see…"
Haru stood back up, looking at the group with that same soft, familiar expression. "I wanted to come back sooner. But… things happened."
He turned to Kaiya with that gentle smile. "It's good to see you again."
Kaiya forced a smile, though unease twisted sharply in his gut. "…Yeah. You too."
---
They all moved into the living room and sat down. The air felt thick with unspoken questions and the faint scent of old paper.
Ren leaned forward, unable to hold back any longer. "Alright… what brought you here?"
Haru's expression shifted—darker, more serious. "I heard strange things were happening in town again. And… I've experienced them before."
Kaiya leaned in. "What do you mean?"
"There's a house… old, abandoned. I had an encounter there once. Something wasn't human."
The room fell deathly quiet.
Matthew's voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent. "Where is this place?"
"Mitru District," Haru replied.
Matthew nodded sharply. "Let's go there then. A clue or something might come up."
Mio glanced around the circle. "We go tonight?"
Kaiya's jaw tightened with grim determination. "We end this. No more running."
Haru smiled faintly. "I'll take you there."
---
Late that night, the group stood in front of an old, decaying house on the edge of Mitru District. Shattered windows stared out like empty, soulless eyes. The fence was half-rotted, and the entire place radiated something deeply, fundamentally wrong.
Kaiya suddenly clutched his head. "Ah—!"
A sharp, stabbing headache slammed into him like a blade behind his eyes.
Ren stepped closer, concerned. "You okay?"
"…Yeah. Just… something's off."
Haru stood calmly in front of the door, still smiling. "This is it. Come inside."
Kaiya hesitated. There was something unnatural about Haru's voice—too smooth, too inviting, like honey poured over broken glass. But the others were already moving, so he followed.
They stepped through the doorway.
---
The moment the last person entered, the door **SLAMMED** shut behind them with violent force.
Everyone flinched.
"Haru…?" Ren called uneasily.
Haru turned around slowly.
His smile was wrong now—stretched too wide, too still, too empty.
His eyes shifted, bleeding into pitch black with no pupils left.
"You're all too late," the creature wearing Haru's face said, voice layered with something inhuman.
Kaiya's eyes widened in horror.
A sudden flicker of visions crashed into his mind like broken glass:
Haru's real body lying motionless in a dark forest. Cold. Lifeless. Blood pooled darkly beneath him, soaking into the earth.
"…No… no way…" Kaiya whispered.
The imposter stepped forward, head twitching unnaturally. "He struggled… but humans break easily."
Riko grabbed Kaiya's arm tightly, trembling. "Nii-chan…"
The creature's head twitched again. "I've been waiting for this."
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Screams tore through the air.
Blood.
Then… everything ended.
---
**Four Seconds Earlier**
Suddenly—
*FLASH.*
Everything rewound in an instant.
The group was standing outside the house again, right before they had entered.
Kaiya gasped sharply, eyes wide with shock. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head, drenched in cold sweat and breathing hard.
"Kaiya?! What's wrong?" Ren exclaimed, rushing to his side.
Kaiya panted heavily, vision still spinning from the overwhelming glimpse of what was about to happen.
He had seen four seconds into the future.
To be continued…