The cold night air carried a whisper of impending doom.
"We have to go now," Matthew said, his voice low and urgent. "More are coming. And they'll keep coming until we're all dead."
1:15 AM — 7 days after the disappearance
**Mizukuri General Hospital, somewhere in the dimly lit corridors
Ren's eyes fluttered open, the sterile scent of antiseptic heavy in the air. His body ached from the earlier ordeal, but something else pulled him from the haze of sleep — a presence.
In the far corner of the room, where the weak moonlight failed to reach, a figure stood motionless. A long black coat blended into the shadows, the face completely obscured by darkness.
Ren's heart slammed against his ribs. He stretched his arm toward the nurse call button, fingers trembling. His hand brushed the cord — it had been cut clean.
"Who… who are you?" Ren croaked, fear tightening his throat.
The figure remained silent.
"What do you want?" Ren demanded again, his voice cracking.
A low, gravelly voice finally emerged from the shadows.
"Matthew."
Ren froze.
"He's not who he seems," the man continued, each word dripping with warning. "You need to know the truth before it's too late."
"Nurse! Help!" Ren shouted, scrambling backward on the bed. He grabbed the first thing his hand found — the TV remote — and held it up like a weapon, his grip shaky. "Stay back! I know how to use this!"
The mysterious figure stepped forward, slowly emerging into the faint light.
Ren's breath caught. The face was unmistakable. Recognition washed over him, and his raised arm slowly lowered. The tension in his shoulders eased… just a little.
But the fear didn't vanish. It only changed shape.
1:49 AM — 7 days after the disappearance
Outside Mizukuri General Hospital
Footsteps pounded against the pavement as Kaiya, Yui, Nakayama, and the others raced through the hospital entrance, hearts racing from the fresh attack they had barely escaped.
"Sorry, we had to move him to the upper floor," a tired nurse explained quickly.
"Thanks," Nakayama replied, already sprinting toward the stairs with Yui right beside him.
The rest of the group followed, bursting into the ward and throwing open the door to Ren's new room.
They exhaled in unison at the sight of him sitting up in bed, looking relatively unharmed.
"What happened to you guys?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you run a marathon or something?"
Mio, Kaiya, and Miko rushed forward without a word, wrapping him in tight, relieved hugs.
"We were so worried," Mio whispered, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
Ren gently patted their backs, still confused. "What happened to you guys?"
"We were attacked again," Yui said, catching her breath.
Matthew stepped into the room last, closing the door behind him.
"We have to find a way to kill the Stranger," he said grimly. "If we can take him down, this nightmare might finally stop… and maybe we'll even bring the missing people back."
Mio nodded. "That's the only way this ends."
As Matthew spoke, Ren stared at him — deeply, suspiciously. His eyes narrowed, the earlier visitor's words echoing in his mind.
"How long has this been going on?" Ren asked quietly.
"Seven days now," Kaiya replied.
Ren's gaze never left Matthew. "There's something Matthew hasn't told us."
"What do you mean?" Yui asked, frowning.
Everyone turned to look at Matthew.
"The monsters we've been fighting… they were people once, weren't they?" Ren said, his voice steady but accusatory. "So how long does it take for a fake copy to appear?"
"Fake copy?" Kaiya echoed, confused.
"Remember the woman we saw at the library?" Yui cut in. "We found her missing persons photo right after we got arrested. And Haru… he had a fake copy too."
"So you're saying the missing people come back," Nakayama added slowly, "but changed into those… things?"
All eyes locked onto Matthew.
He exhaled, shoulders slumping slightly. "After the first day of disappearance… it takes one more day for the copy to appear."
The room fell into heavy silence.
Then Kaiya's little sister, Riko, stepped forward, clutching her brother's arm tightly.
"Big brother…" she said softly.
Kaiya knelt down to her eye level, his expression already shifting to dread. "Don't tell me…"
Riko's small voice trembled as she whispered the words that shattered the fragile calm:
"Mom came home."
Chapter ends.