remember me beyonder oblivion

10:30 AM – End of the Exam

The classroom was a mix of relieved sighs and chairs scraping against the floor as students handed in their papers. Aenna turned to Kairo with a smile and gave him a high five.

— "Done! And with this, we can officially relax… at least until the results come out."

Riven yawned, stretching as if he had just run a marathon.

— "If I fail this exam, just know it's because of my hunger. Studying drains way too much energy."

— "Or maybe it's your fault for not studying enough and spending all your time at the gym," Lyra teased, laughing.

The usual back-and-forth brought them back to normality, if only for a moment. But Kairo was distant. He couldn't get the image of what he had seen in the hallway out of his head. The masked man.

He had really been there. It wasn't a hallucination.

Aenna watched him, tilting her head.

— "Kairo, you're in your own world again. Are you okay?"

He forced a smile.

— "Yeah, just tired."

But Aenna didn't look convinced.

— "Come on, let's get something to eat," Lyra suggested. "We all need a break."

Kairo nodded, but the echo of that voice still lingered in his mind.

I've found you.

---

11:00 AM – Café Yoru

The café was bathed in warm, welcoming light, filled with the clinking of cups and the murmur of customers. Riven dropped into his chair with a theatrical sigh.

— "I have never been happier to see food in my life."

— "Drama king," Aenna said, rolling her eyes.

— "No, he's right," Lyra agreed, biting into a cookie. "This is the reward we deserve."

Laughter, chatter, normalcy. Kairo allowed himself a moment to breathe.

Then, suddenly, he felt a weight on his chest.

An invisible pressure.

His skin prickled. Something was watching him.

He turned toward the café's large window.

Outside, among the crowd walking along the sidewalk, he saw him.

The masked man.

Standing still, unmoving among the passersby, who seemed unaware of his presence.

Kairo's heart skipped a beat.

The man tilted his head slightly. A barely noticeable gesture.

Kairo stiffened. This time, it wasn't a dream. It wasn't a trick of his mind.

— "Who the hell is that?" Riven whispered, swallowing hard.

Lyra, always so cheerful and carefree, suddenly looked serious.

— "G-Guys… I don't know who he is, but he's giving me chills."

Aenna couldn't speak. She was frozen.

Kairo clenched his jaw.

— "You see him too?"

Before anyone could answer, something moved behind the masked man.

---

11:15 AM – Café Yoru

Behind the masked figure, something dark was forming in the air.

It wasn't a normal shadow. It was alive.

It twisted like a vortex, taking on unnatural shapes. A distorted presence.

The other café customers didn't seem to notice it, but outside, some passersby had stopped. Some were backing away slowly, others were frozen in place, mesmerized.

The shadow stretched out, slithering like black smoke.

It was becoming something.

---

11:17 AM – Outside Café Yoru

The masked man turned and took a step forward.

Kairo shot to his feet.

— "Who are you? What do you want?" he shouted, his voice shaking with both anger and fear.

The masked man stopped. He looked at Kairo. Then, he looked at his friends.

And without a word, he started walking again.

Kairo moved to follow him, but in the blink of an eye, the man was gone.

But he had left something behind.

The shadow.

And now it was changing.

Its twisted shapes stretched, bent, becoming more defined.

The people around them paled. Someone pulled out their phone to call the police.

The air grew heavy. Every breath felt harder to take.

Then, the shadow took form.

---

11:21 AM – The Nightmare Awakens

From the darkness, two appendages emerged. They shot forward in an instant.

A second later, they pierced two people.

Blood sprayed into the air like red paint on a canvas.

Their screams died instantly.

Time seemed to freeze.

And then, panic erupted.

Screams. People running in all directions. Tables and chairs overturned.

But Kairo couldn't move. He was staring at the creature.

It was growing. Changing.

It stretched further, its arms becoming more defined. Its hands ended in long, razor-sharp claws.

It rose, nearly two meters tall. Its body was humanoid, but distorted, grotesque.

Then, it opened its eyes.

Two glowing violet slits.

---

September 14, 2024

11:25 AM

Tokyo, Café Yoru

The first official appearance of an unidentified creature.

No one knew what it was. But one thing was certain.

It was thirsty. Thirsty for blood.

The air vibrated.

Then, the creature roared.

A sound so powerful it shattered the café's windows.

Kairo felt his legs tremble. He had no idea what was happening.

But one thing was clear.

They had to run. And fast.