Sho's legs burned with each step as he made his way home, but he didn't care. The image of the man's face still played in his head—the man he had saved.
His chest was still tight, but this time, it wasn't from guilt. It was from something heavier. Fear. Because now, everything was real. He hadn't imagined it. He had changed fate.
And that meant there would be more.
Sho walked through the front gate of his house and opened the door quietly. The scent of simmering soup floated in from the kitchen.
"Sho? Are you okay?"
He shook his head. "I'm fine."
He hid his bruised hand.
"Okay, set the table your Haruki is on his way."
"Okay." Sho was happy Haruki was vising, he was Sho's favourite uncle but something about felt wrong. Deeply wrong.
Then came the knock at the door.
His mother stood and peeked through the glass. Her eyes widened. "Haruki?"
Sho looked up.
Standing on the porch was a tall man with a lean frame, a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder. His short dark hair had some gray streaks now, and he wore a navy jacket over a simple white shirt. He looked tired but smiled as soon as Sho's mum opened the door.
"Sis," he said warmly, and they embraced.
Sho blinked. "Uncle Haruki?"
"Sho," Haruki said, stepping in. "Wow, you've grown. You look like your dad more every time I see you."
Sho stood to bow slightly. "It's been a while."
His uncle nodded and chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Too long. Figured I'd stop by before my trip."
His mother frowned. "Trip? You didn't mention that when you called."
Haruki waved a hand. "Just a short one. There's a reunion happening in Kamakura. I haven't seen those guys in decades."
Sho's eyes narrowed a little. "Kamakura?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow morning. I'll be taking the first train out, so I'll crash here tonight. That okay?"
"Of course," his mum said, ushering him in.
Sho tried to stay calm. He even smiled faintly when his uncle handed him a small souvenir bag. But inside, something didn't sit right. It never did anymore.
They talked for a bit longer, mostly Haruki catching up with their mom. Sho watched him closely, every movement, every word. Nothing seemed unusual.
But that night, it happened.
The dream returned.
The ground was stone. Narrow. The sound of waves somewhere nearby. There was a vending machine flickering, but the bulb inside was broken. A row of stairs led to an old train platform with no one else around.
Except him.
Haruki stood near the edge, looking out. Alone. Wearing the same navy jacket.
And in the far distance, a sound.
Sho turned.
A man in a hoodie. Something glinted in his hand.
Sho tried to shout, to move, to run.
Then came the horn. The train. The loud, sharp honk that always warned him.
But not just the horn.
A gunshot.
Then... Darkness.
Sho jolted upright, gasping.
His room was still. The clock read 5:12 a.m.
His hands were trembling.
No... Not Uncle Haruki... Not him
He rushed to the guest room but Haruki wasn't there which meant he had left.
He stepped outside, heart pounding. His legs moved on their own, he didn't even change out of his pyjamas. He had to get to the station. Now.
He didn't expect to see anyone.
But there she was.
Mina.
She was sitting on the curb just outside her house, hugging her knees. Her eyes looked tired, worried.
Sho slowed down. "Hey."
She looked up quickly. "Sho?"
He hesitated. "You okay?"
Mina bit her lip. "I… had another dream. A man. Maybe in his mid-thirties, he had short dark hair and had a navy jacket on."
Sho's breath hitched. "Where?"
"I don't know the place," she said. "But I remember the time. 5:30."
Sho pulled out his phone and showed her a picture. Haruki, smiling with Sho from a family trip last year.
"Is this him?"
Her eyes widened. "Yes, that's him, who is he?"
His grip on his phone tightened. "That's my uncle."
Mina blinked. "What?"
"He came by last night. Said he was heading to Kamakura today." Sho looked at his watch. "We don't have time. The platform in my dream had a number—Shichirigahama. I remember now. It's a small station near the coast."
Mina stood up quickly. "We have to prevent what's about to happen."
Sho nodded. "We have to catch if we take the Seibu Line".
They ran.
By the time they reached the station, Sho checked his phone. It was 5:20. If they moved fast, they'd make it.
In the train, Mina sat quietly. Sho stared out the window.
"There's a sound," he said finally. "Before it happens. Every time. A horn."
"A horn?"
"A train horn," he said. "Even if there's no train nearby. That's how I know when it's real."
Mina stayed silent, processing it. "I've never heard it."
Sho was silent the rest of the way.
The ride felt endless. Sho's knee bounced the whole way. Mina clutched the edge of the seat, her eyes scanning the time every few seconds.
The train pulled into Shichirigahama Station.
They ran.
Sho's legs burned, but he kept going.
The path from the dream came into view—stone steps, the broken vending machine, and at the top of the stairs, a narrow platform overlooking the sea.
And Haruki.
He was standing alone, duffle bag at his feet, checking his phone.
Sho shouted, "Uncle!"
Haruki turned, confused. "Sho?"
Sho sprinted, heart racing.
Then—
The horn.
That sharp, sudden blare.
He whipped around.
A man appeared from the other side of the platform. Hoodie. Black gloves.
Gun raised.
His heart thundered in his chest, screaming with urgency.
He pushed forward.
"GET DOWN!"
Haruki ducked just as Sho tackled him. But something hot ripped across Sho's arm.
He gasped as pain exploded through him. But as it struck, it deflected just enough.
The bullet hit Haruki's chest.
He collapsed.
"No—NO!"
Sho grabbed him, blood soaking through his jacket.
Mina reached them seconds later, hands shaking. "Sho.. Oh God!"
Sho cradled his uncle's head crying uncontrollably. "Stay with me! Please! Uncle Haruki."
Haruki coughed, trying to speak, but his eyes were dimming.
Sho's own wound stung badly, but he didn't care.
Sirens wailed somewhere far off.
But it was already too late.
Haruki's chest stilled.
Sho stayed frozen, holding onto him.
He'd gotten the dream. He'd run. He'd made it in time.
And still...
They failed.
Later, wrapped in bandages and sitting on the station bench, Sho stared at the ground.
Mina sat beside him, silent.
Sho's voice cracked. "Why is this happening?."
Mina didn't answer.
He clenched his fists. "Why see the dream if I can't save them?"
In the distance, a train rumbled by.
And Sho didn't look up. Because this time, he already knew.
He had heard the horn before it was too late.
But sometimes, even knowing isn't enough. The world had its own plans.