Morning arrived with golden light piercing through the bedroom curtains. Kazuki awoke slowly, blinking away the remnants of another strange dream. He couldn't remember what it was—just a deep pressure in his chest, like something vast and ancient had briefly brushed against him.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
The window was shut, just like Yui had reminded him. Oddly, it felt colder than usual, despite the season. He could see his breath briefly fog the air.
"Spring, huh?" he muttered, tugging on his school blazer.
---
Downstairs, breakfast was already in motion. Their mother, Ayumi Nakamura, moved like a whirlwind between the rice cooker and the miso soup, her apron dusted with flour from packing lunches. Takeshi, their father, sat in his usual place, sipping coffee and skimming the news on his tablet.
Yui was already at the table, swinging her legs and poking at her tamagoyaki with chopsticks.
"You're unusually quiet this morning," Kazuki said, sitting beside her.
Yui blinked at him with wide brown eyes. "Just sleepy. I was up late... reading."
He raised an eyebrow. "Not manga again?"
She stuck out her tongue. "Nope. I was reading things."
"Creepy things?"
"Helpful things."
Their father glanced over the rim of his glasses. "Are you two speaking in riddles again?"
Ayumi cut in. "Kazuki, don't forget. You have parent–teacher conferences coming up."
"I know," he groaned. "But I'm not failing anything, am I?"
"We'll see," she replied with a knowing smile.
Yui grinned. "I bet your homeroom teacher secretly hates you."
"Thanks, squirt."
---
At school, the usual rhythm resumed. Chatter in the hallway. The thud of lockers. The strange smell of the biology lab.
Kazuki met up with Jun Yamazaki and Souta Fujimoto near the vending machines.
Jun leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You look like hell."
Kazuki cracked a smile. "Just weird dreams lately. It's nothing."
"Maybe your brain's telling you something. Like: drop dead and get more sleep," Souta joked, pushing coins into the machine. "Or maybe you're just turning into a middle-aged man. Got any back pain yet?"
"Only when I see your report card," Kazuki replied.
Jun snorted.
They took their cans of coffee and sat in their usual corner of the schoolyard. The cherry blossoms had started to bloom here too, casting a pink haze over the world. It would've been peaceful—except Kazuki couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. From the rooftop. From the trees. From somewhere.
---
That afternoon, during gym class, Kazuki stood alone behind the storage shed after a water break, trying to catch his breath.
His heart was pounding too fast. Not from exercise. It was something else.
His vision blurred for a second, and in that instant, the world dimmed. Colors faded. The breeze stopped. He heard something—not a voice, but a sound like wind through hollow bone.
Then it was gone.
He gripped the side of the shed, breathing hard.
"...Kazuki?"
He turned sharply.
It was Miyu Hoshino, holding a water bottle and a sketchpad against her chest.
"You okay? You look pale."
He managed a nod. "Yeah. Just dizzy."
Miyu hesitated, then quietly stepped forward and handed him her bottle. "Here."
He accepted it gratefully.
As she turned to leave, she added softly, "You ever feel like… time skips a beat around you?"
He froze. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing," she said quickly. "Just... something I thought of."
She walked off before he could ask anything else.
---
After school, Kazuki wandered into the shopping district to pick up some film for his camera. The shop owner, old Mr. Hirata, wasn't there—just a girl at the counter he didn't recognize. She looked up as he entered.
And froze.
Her eyes widened like she'd seen a ghost. She opened her mouth to say something—but the lights in the shop suddenly flickered, and a camera on the wall exploded in a burst of sparks.
Kazuki ducked.
The girl turned away, grabbed her coat, and ran through the back door without a word.
Kazuki stood in silence, heart thudding.
He left the money on the counter and exited the shop quickly.
---
That night, Yui peeked into his room again.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just… weird stuff today."
She didn't say anything.
He looked up. "Hey… if something weird was happening, would you tell me?"
Yui's lips pressed into a thin line.
"I don't want you to worry about weird things, Kazu-nii."
He narrowed his eyes. "That's not a no."
She offered a small smile—soft, almost sad. "Don't forget to lock your window tonight."
Then she turned and walked away.
---
Kazuki didn't sleep well.
That night, the dream returned. The field of fire. The girl with glowing eyes. But this time, she looked at him and whispered something.
He couldn't hear it clearly.
But it sounded like his name.
Not Kazuki.
Something else.
Something ancient.
---