CHAPTER 8 — The Day Before the Storm
After the call ended—
I didn't move.
For a few seconds, I just stood there… my phone still in my hand, my grip tighter than I realized.
The room was silent.
But not empty.
The principal's words echoed in my mind.
Five to six staff members… have disappeared.
This wasn't preparation anymore.
This wasn't waiting.
Something had already begun.
I took a slow breath.
Then another.
Forcing myself to calm down.
Panicking wouldn't help.
It never does.
What I needed now—
Was clarity.
Focus.
Timing.
Without wasting another second, I picked up my phone again and called Haroku.
The call connected after a few rings.
"Hello?"
"Hello Haroku, what's up?" I said, keeping my voice steady.
"I'm good," he replied casually. "Tell me."
I paused for a moment.
Choosing my words carefully.
"Be ready early tomorrow morning," I said. "We need to reach there by afternoon."
He didn't ask questions.
He didn't need to.
"Okay… no problem," he said.
Then after a brief pause—
"By the way… are you okay?"
That question—
It caught me off guard.
For a moment, I didn't respond.
Not because I didn't hear it—
But because I wasn't expecting it.
In the middle of everything…
Someone asking about me felt strange.
Unfamiliar.
"Yeah bro… I'm okay," I said quietly. "Thanks for asking."
There was a small pause.
Then Haroku spoke again, his tone calm—but meaningful.
"Bro… we've been friends for seven to eight years."
"I know how you feel in situations like this."
"That's why I gave you space."
"So you could recover."
Something softened inside me.
Just a little.
Memories flashed—
The day we met.
The times we trained.
The fights we survived.
The trust we built.
He wasn't just my partner.
He never was.
"Yeah… thanks a lot," I said, my voice low. "I needed that."
Then I straightened slightly.
My tone shifting again.
"Just be ready tomorrow morning."
A pause.
"This isn't going to be a normal day."
He didn't hesitate.
"Yeah… definitely."
Silence followed.
Not awkward.
Not empty.
Just understanding.
"Alright," I said.
"Alright," he replied.
The call ended.
I placed my phone down slowly.
Then leaned back in my chair.
The room hadn't changed.
Papers still scattered everywhere.
Symbols. Ink. Notes.
Everything the same.
But the feeling—
Was different.
Tomorrow wasn't just a visit anymore.
It was a turning point.
Later that night—
I sat at the dinner table with my family.
Everything around me felt normal.
Calm.
Peaceful.
The sound of plates.
Soft conversations.
A routine that hadn't changed.
But inside my head—
There was nothing but noise.
Jason.
I picked up my spoon, taking a bite—
But I couldn't taste anything.
"Who is he… really?" I thought.
Until now—
He had just been a name.
A presence.
A shadow in the dark.
But now—
People were disappearing.
Fear was spreading.
And whatever Jason was—
He wasn't ordinary.
My grip tightened slightly.
"Is he even human?" I questioned silently.
There were too many unknowns.
No face.
No origin.
No limit.
Only shadows.
Only chaos.
I remembered everything—
The movements.
The silence.
That constant feeling—
Of being watched.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't something we could predict.
This was something deeper.
Something dangerous.
I looked down at my plate again.
Lost in thought.
"If he's behind all this…"
"…then tomorrow won't just be another step."
"It might change everything."
A strange feeling filled me.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Something in between.
For others—
Tomorrow would just be another day.
But for us—
It wouldn't.
It would decide something.
Maybe everything.
Answers.
Or more questions.
I finished my dinner quietly.
No one noticed anything unusual.
To them—
I was normal.
But inside—
I was preparing.
Mentally.
Emotionally.
Completely.
After dinner, I returned to my room.
The moment I stepped in—
My eyes went straight to the papers.
Stacks of them.
All created over the past few days.
I walked closer.
Placed my hand over them.
"This is it…" I whispered.
Every effort.
Every sleepless night.
Every moment of focus—
All leading to tomorrow.
I picked up one paper.
Examined the symbols carefully.
"No mistakes," I said under my breath.
"Not this time."
I placed it back.
Took a deep breath.
Outside—
The night was calm.
But inside—
A storm was building.
As I lay down to sleep—
One final thought crossed my mind.
"Tomorrow…"
"…is going to be a legendary day."
Not just because we're going back.
But because something—
Is about to change.
And somewhere deep inside—
I could feel it.