The evening air carries a gentle chill as it drifts through the lantern-lit streets, brushing softly against the skin like a quiet reminder that night has fully settled in. Warm golden lights spill from shop windows on either side of the road, painting the pavement in soft glows, while the distant hum of conversations and laughter blends with the occasional sizzle of street food stalls. The scent of grilled skewers, sweet pastries, and freshly brewed drinks lingers in the air, wrapping the entire street in a comforting, almost festive atmosphere.
Fumiko walks alongside Ami, Yuki, and Rin, her hands tucked loosely around her bag straps, listening to their chatter. Their laughter rises naturally, effortlessly, like it belongs here, like this moment is something simple and safe.
And for a while… it truly feels that way.
Yuki suddenly spins in place, nearly bumping into Rin as she throws her arms up dramatically.
"Finally!! We are here!!"
Her voice bursts with excitement, loud enough to draw a few amused glances from passersby. Yuki bounces slightly on her feet, her energy almost overflowing, like a child who has been waiting all day for this exact moment.
Ami exhales a soft laugh, shaking her head as she looks toward the glowing sign ahead.
"Let's go inside before you explode from excitement,"
she says, her tone calm as always, though the small smile on her lips gives her away.
The karaoke shop stands snugly between a café and a convenience store, its neon sign flickering faintly in pink and blue hues, casting shifting colors across their faces. It's not a grand place, but it feels lively, welcoming in its own imperfect way.
As they step inside, the atmosphere changes instantly.
The air is warmer, filled with soft instrumental music playing somewhere in the background. The walls are covered in posters of bands and singers from different eras, overlapping slightly as if each generation refused to let go of its favorites.
Artificial flowers hang from the ceiling in loose strands, swaying gently whenever someone passes beneath them, while shelves display glowing discs and colorful karaoke catalogs.
It's chaotic, vibrant… alive.
Fumiko lets her gaze wander for a moment, taking it all in. There's something oddly comforting about places like this, where noise replaces silence, where laughter drowns out thoughts.
She and Rin step forward to book a room, exchanging a few quick words with the receptionist, while behind them, Yuki and Ami are already leaning toward each other, whispering excitedly about songs.
"I'm telling you, I'm starting with that new pop track! no arguments!"
Yuki insists.
Ami smirks.
"We'll see if you survive the high notes first."
A few minutes later, Rin turns back, holding up a small ticket between her fingers.
"Room's booked. Let's go, girls."
They follow the staff down a narrow hallway, passing closed doors from which muffled singing and laughter leak out, until they finally reach their room.
It's small, but cozy, two couches facing each other, a low table in between, and a large screen mounted on the wall. The karaoke system hums quietly, already alive, already waiting.
Yuki doesn't waste even a second.
"ME FIRST!"
She practically lunges forward, grabbing the microphone before anyone can protest, her grin wide and unstoppable. She scrolls quickly, selects a song, and within seconds, the room fills with upbeat music.
Her voice follows.
It isn't perfect, sometimes slightly off-key, sometimes too loud, but it carries something far more important than technical skill.
Joy.
Pure, unfiltered joy.
Ami claps along immediately.
"Wooohhh!! Go, Yuki-chan!!"
Rin leans back with a smirk, tapping her foot to the rhythm, while Fumiko finds herself smiling without even realizing it. The heaviness in her chest, the lingering unease that has been haunting her for days, loosens, just a little.
For these few minutes, nothing feels wrong.
Nothing feels dangerous.
By the time Yuki finishes, striking an overly dramatic pose like a performer on a grand stage, the room erupts into laughter.
"Thank you, thank you! Autographs later!"
she declares proudly.
"Yeah, yeah,"
Rin mutters, reaching for the mic as Yuki shoves it toward her.
"My turn before your ego gets any bigger."
Rin selects a song, something slightly more intense, and when she starts singing.
Even Fumiko blinks in surprise.
Rin's voice is smooth, controlled, carrying a depth that feels unexpectedly powerful, like something hidden beneath her usual casual attitude.
"Okay… wow,"
Ami says, raising an eyebrow.
"You've been hiding this?"
"Maybe I have,"
Rin replies with a shrug, though the faintest hint of pride slips through.
Time begins to blur after that.
Songs overlap into laughter, laughter into teasing, teasing into shared moments that feel almost timeless. Ami orders snacks, and soon the table fills with plates of fried food, glasses of soda, and the comforting smell of something warm and familiar.
Fumiko sings too, hesitantly at first, then more freely when Ami joins her. Their voices don't always match, but that doesn't matter.
Nothing has to be perfect tonight.
And for a while… she forgets.
For a while, the dreams, the shadows, the voice calling her "Child of Dawn"… all of it fades into the background like something distant and unreal.
"It was so FUN!!"
Yuki collapses onto the couch dramatically, hugging a cushion as if it were her audience.
Rin exhales, taking a sip of her drink.
"You're done for the day. No way you have energy left."
Ami glances at her phone
And freezes.
"…Wait."
Her eyes widen.
"It's 8 PM."
Silence.
"WAIT—WHAT?!"
Fumiko nearly drops her glass.
They all stare at each other, disbelief spreading across their faces.
"How did that happen?"
Yuki groans.
"Time is a scam."
"Or maybe you just sang too much,"
Rin replies dryly.
Reluctantly, they gather their things and step back outside.
The night greets them with a cool breeze, sharper now than before. The sky stretches endlessly above them, and at its center hangs a full moon, bright, pale, almost too perfect.
"Aww… the moon is so beautiful tonight…"
Yuki whispers, her voice soft for once.
Fumiko looks up too.
For a brief moment, she feels something strange, like the light is watching her.
Not just shining.
Watching.
She shakes it off.
Ami nudges Yuki.
"Beautiful enough to make you forget your drama?"
"I KNEW you'd say that!"
Yuki snaps, pouting as she walks faster.
Their laughter echoes again as they head home.
Later that night, exhaustion settles deep into Fumiko's body.
She barely remembers changing into her pajamas before collapsing onto her bed, the softness of the mattress pulling her down like gravity has suddenly doubled.
"I'm… so tired…"
She murmurs, her voice fading.
Sleep takes her quickly.
Too quickly.
She opens her eyes.
And she already knows where she is.
The endless expanse stretches around her, a vast surface of water so still it reflects the sky like glass. Above, the sky itself is empty.
No stars. No moon. No sun.
Just a hollow, endless void.
Fumiko exhales slowly, her shoulders tensing.
"Not again…"
Her voice echoes faintly, swallowed by the emptiness.
She looks around, expecting
Hoping—
To see that glowing figure.
"Are you here?"
She calls out, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and desperation.
"I need answers."
Silence answers her.
Instead
A sound.
Soft.
Rhythmic.
Like something stepping across shallow water.
Her breath catches.
Slowly, she turns.
A cat stands there. Same as that day
White fur. Still. Unmoving.
Its mismatched eyes—one silver, one crimson, lock onto hers with an intensity that makes her chest tighten.
"…You again,"
she whispers.
Relief flickers, but only for a second.
"Hey… you shouldn't be here,"
she says, stepping forward cautiously.
"This place isn't—"
The cat turns.
And runs.
"Wait!!!!"
Fumiko moves instantly, chasing after it, her footsteps sending ripples across the surface.
But something feels wrong.
Very wrong.
She slows.
Her gaze drops.
Each pawstep the cat leaves behind
Is no longer water.
It's blood.
Dark.
Thick.
Spreading slowly like something alive.
Her stomach twists violently.
"…No…"
She stops.
And that's when
A voice cuts through the air.
"You… have it… don't you?"
It is not a normal voice.
It feels layered.
Distorted.
Like multiple whispers speaking at once, each slightly out of sync.
Fumiko freezes.
Her entire body locks.
Slowly… unwillingly… she turns.
The cat stands there again.
But something about it is different now.
Wrong.
"I would say you're brave… pretending not to hear me,"
It continues, its head tilting unnaturally.
"But you did hear me… didn't you… Child of Dawn?"
Her heart drops.
"…How do you know that name?"
She whispers.
The cat smiles.
Not like an animal.
Like something pretending to be one.
"Oh… so you don't remember,"
It murmurs.
"How disappointing. After everything… after all that burning light… all that screaming…"
Fumiko's breath trembles.
"What are you talking about?"
The air tightens.
Pressure builds around her chest,
squeezing, crushing
She coughs
And something warm spills from her lips.
Blood.
Her vision shakes.
The world distorts.
The water beneath her feet turns dark–thick– red.
The sky above tears apart into a violent crimson.
And when she looks back
The cat is gone.
Something else stands there.
Its body stretches unnaturally, limbs elongating, twisting into something grotesque. Its mouth splits wider than it should, filled with jagged teeth dripping with blood.
Its eyes burn.
"Ahhh… there it is…"
It hisses.
"That scent… that light… I remember it now…"
It leans closer.
"You were there… weren't you? When the sky broke… when the Abyss first tasted the sun…"
Fumiko shakes her head, tears forming.
"I don't know what you're saying–!"
"Lies."
Its voice sharpens.
"You forgot."
Its claw rises slowly, almost gently, brushing against her hair in a mockery of affection.
"But that's fine,"
It whispers.
"I remember enough… for both of us."
Its grin widens.
"And I've always wondered…"
Its voice drops into something hungry.
"…what it would feel like… to devour light itself."
Fumiko's body trembles violently.
She tries to move.
She can't.
"I think I'll start…"
The claw lifts higher.
"…with your head."
And this time
It doesn't hesitate.