Beyond the Door
The darkness swallowed Yona whole, but it wasn't empty. It breathed.
He took one step, then another. The air around him was thick..not with dust, but with presence. Like the space itself was aware of him. Watching. Listening.
Behind him, the doorway shimmered. Mia stepped through next, her breath hitching as the shadows clung to her skin like mist. Then Ayumi.
The stone groaned shut behind them. The sound of it made Mia flinch. No going back now.
The tunnel was gone. This place wasn't stone anymore. It pulsed faintly, like veins under skin. The walls curved in unnatural ways organic, wet with dew, echoing whispers that didn't seem to belong to any voice they knew.
"Where are we?" Mia whispered.
Ayumi scanned the path ahead, flashlight flickering. "Not underground. Not really." Her voice was steady, but even she sounded unsure.
They walked in silence for a long while. The path curved, coiled, twisted like a living spiral. The deeper they went, the more time seemed to shift moments stretching and collapsing in strange rhythm.
Then they heard it. A sound ahead. A voice. Faint. Calling.
"…Mia…"
Mia's breath caught. "That's.."
She started forward, but Yona grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
The voice came again, louder. "Help me…"
But something about it was wrong.
The tone was cracked. Hollow. Like someone trying to sound like Lena, but forgetting how her heart had shaped her words.
Ayumi narrowed her eyes. "That's not her."
The walls pulsed again. A shape peeled itself from the dark..a figure. Slender. Pale-eyed. Wearing Mia's face. Mia gasped and stepped back. It smiled at her ..her own smile. But something behind it was off, fractured, like a mirror held just slightly too long in flame.
"Give me the key," it said in Mia's voice.
Mia shook her head, backing away. "No."
The figure tilted its head. Then, softly..its voice unchanged but suddenly urgent :
"Wake up, Mia. Wake up. "
Her eyes widened. Something in that voice not hers, not Lena's..pierced straight through her. Like it knew something she didn't. Like it wasn't just a mimic… but a warning. The figure smiled again.
And then—without a sound it dissolved. Like smoke swallowed by the dark.
Ayumi exhaled. "Illusions. This place plays with your mind."
"It knew my name," Mia whispered.
"And it'll know more," Ayumi said. "If we don't move."
Elsewhere
Lena pressed her ear against the glowing wall. She heard something. Voices, faint and distant, like they were on the other side of a lake she couldn't see. She whispered again.
"…Yona…"
Deeper Inside
The corridor widened. They stepped into a chamber, circular, carved with strange runes glowing dim blue. In the center stood a pedestal.
And on it: a single, crumpled photo.
Mia stepped closer, her breath catching. "This is… us."
They all gathered around it. But silence fell heavy.
Because it wasn't just any photo. Daiki stood beside Aria, the two of them glowing with some inside joke. Yona had one arm around Lena, their smiles soft, close. Ayumi leaned into Noir, both half-laughing like the camera had caught a moment between words.
And off to the sid....Mia...Alone. Several steps back. Her hands behind her back. Her smile too wide. Too still. Her eyes sharp in a way that didn't feel human.
Ayumi frowned, unease crawling up her spine. "Wait… we never took a picture like this. "
Yona shook his head slowly. "No… we didn't."
Ayumi stared harder at Mia's face. "…Why are you standing like that?" she muttered to herself. "Why are you… smiling like that?"
Mia couldn't look away from her own image.
What is this? she thought. Why am I so far from the others? What's wrong with my face?
Her gaze flicked to Yona...He was frozen, eyes locked on the image of Lena. Gently, his hand reached out, brushing the surface of the photo.
He whispered, so soft only the walls might've heard:
"Lena… where are you?"
Then—
The room reacted. The runes lit up violently, casting harsh light across the chamber. The walls groaned, then split open. A new path unfolded, not carved in stone, but torn into the air itself
A fracture. A crack through the world. Through reality. Mia turned to Yona, her voice shaking.
"If we go in there… we don't come out the same. Do we?"
He didn't speak . But in the silence, Yona remembered. Noir's voice, sharp in the back of his mind:
"Don't trust her "
Ayumi glanced back at them, eyes steady.
"Let's go," she said.
Behind the Fracture
They stepped through. And the world changed.
A forest..if it could still be called that. Trees spiraled impossibly high, bending like smoke. Their ember-like leaves shimmered under a starless violet sky. In the far distance, a jagged black tower reached through the clouds, vibrating faintly.
The air shimmered with sound. Someone crying.
They followed it. The woods twisted around them..paths vanishing, reappearing. Time staggered and folded. And memory hung heavy in the air.
Mia could feel them brushing her: her mother's voice, Lena's laugh, Yona's silence.
Then—
A clearing...And at its center.....Lena.
Curled beside an enormous tree, her hair a tangled mess. Her clothes torn. Her skin pale, but her eyes open. Alive.
"Lena?" Mia ran forward, heart pounding.
Ayumi held back, eyes narrowing as she watched. She's acting like she cares, Ayumi thought. Since when does Mia care about Lena? Something's wrong.
Lena blinked.
Tears welled in her eyes. "You came," she whispered.
Mia dropped to her knees beside her.
Yona followed, slowly..then dropped to his knees too. His voice cracked, full of pain.
"Lena… I didn't believe you were gone."
He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry. For leaving your hand that day. Forgive me…"
Lena didn't move at first. Then she looked at him. Really looked. Her expression shifted..confused. Wary.
"You're not Yona," she said softly. "But… you have his face."
She pulled back slightly, frowning. "Who are you?"
Yona froze, arms loosening. He stared at her, then looked to Mia as if searching for reason. "I think… she's in shock."
Ayumi's thoughts were sharp, her voice silent. No, Yona. Something's definitely wrong, she told herself.
Lena slowly stood, shaky and weak. She leaned against Mia's shoulder for balance.
"It lives here," she whispered. "And it's watching."
The ground trembled beneath them. A sound like thunder rolled through the twisted forest. A shadow spilled over the clearing cold, jagged, crawling like smoke. Mia stood, the key burning in her pocket.
"We have to run," Lena whispered.
"No," Ayumi said. Her voice was calm, eyes locked on the shape shifting above. "We're not running anymore."
Yona rose beside her, silent.
"Then what do we do?"
Ayumi pulled the notebook from her coat. She flipped to a page none of them had seen before.
The words burned across the paper:
"To return what was taken, one must choose what to lose."
Ayumi looked up. "This place wants a trade."
Mia stared at Lena. At Yona. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Then who… or what… do we have to leave behind?"
And far above, something ancient stirred. And it whispered:
"Choose."
They started walking again. Ayumi's eyes stayed fixed on Mia and Lena. She watched their movements carefully, a growing knot of unease tightening inside her. There was something off something she couldn't shake.
She glanced at Yona, who was walking beside Lena, his face unreadable. Suddenly, Ayumi stopped. The world around her blurred.
A vision slammed into her mind...Mia standing alone in the middle of their school. Blood poured from the walls, pooling around her feet, staining her hands and clothes crimson. Mia's smile was twisted, unnatural.
Then, just as quickly, the vision shattered.
Ayumi gasped, blinking hard. She took a deep breath and turned, eyes narrowing as she watched Mia from behind, walking beside Lena.
Yona was close, so she stepped toward him.
"I need to use the bathroom " she said quietly, a plea and a warning all at once.
Yona looked at her, puzzled.
"I want you to come with me. I need someone watching while I do this."
He nodded without hesitation, falling in step beside her. As they moved between the trees, Ayumi's eyes flicked back. Lena was whispering into Mia's ear. Mia's eyes suddenly widened, the fear stark and sharp. Ayumi's gaze hardened, but she kept walking.
Yona glanced at her. "I think it's far enough. Hurry up and let's get back to them."
Ayumi stopped and faced him, her voice low but steady.
"I don't need to 'take care of business.' Don't you feel something's wrong with Lena? Even with Mia?"
Yona looked at her, conflicted.
"I don't know… everything here feels strange."
Ayumi gripped his hand tightly and without hesitation started running...pushing as fast as she could, putting as much distance between them and the others as possible.
Yona's eyes widened, trying to keep up.
"What are you doing, Ayumi? We have to go back to the others."
"We're not going back," she said fiercely, breath quickening. "We need to run or else you are dead"
Yona's eyes widened in surprise.
"Dead? What are you saying, Ayumi? Are you losing your mind?"
Ayumi didn't answer. She kept running, her grip on his hand tightening like a lifeline...her eyes locked ahead, full of urgency and fear.
Yona walked cautiously toward the small wooden house.
"Grandfather?" he called softly as he stepped inside.
The house was empty. Not a single sign of life. Dust motes floated in the stale air. Yona frowned.
"It feels strange…"
Ayumi folded her arms, looking around.
"It's the same house... but not the same at the same time."
They stepped out and headed toward the nearby city. Despite the deep night sky, the streets were bustling with people. Shops were open, and people walked as if it were midday.
"What the hell is happening?" Ayumi whispered.
"I... I don't know," Yona replied, fear creeping into his voice.
They made their way toward the school, curious and cautious. As they entered their classroom, they froze. Daiki was already there, speaking with Aria in his usual, teasing tone.
"You know, Aria, if you were any slower, I'd have time to take a nap before you caught up."
Aria laughed, nudging him playfully. A boy from the back of the room called out,
"You two look like a cute couple!"
Aria's cheeks flushed bright pink.
Then Yona noticed himself, sitting alone at his desk, staring worriedly out the window.
Daiki caught his gaze and smiled.
"Worried about Lena? Don't be. She likes staying home sometimes, just to have some time to herself."
Ayumi's eyes drifted to Noir, who was sitting in the corner. She was beside him, watching silently. Noir's eyes locked onto Ayumi's, but suddenly, she vanished behind the wall. Noir got up, scanning the empty hallway. He ran a hand through his hair and muttered,
"I think I'm imagining things."
Ayumi quietly followed him, concern tightening her voice. "Is everything okay?"
I thought I saw you."
She glanced at him, surprised. "Me?"
He nodded gently. " yes but It's nothing."
Without another word, Ayumi reached out and held his hand for a brief moment. Noir gave a small, grateful squeeze before returning to thier seat. Yona and Ayumi quickly ducked behind the stairs, hearts pounding.
Ayumi whispered to herself, eyes narrowing as she peeked from behind the stairs.
"I saw myself ... and all of us. Like copies. What's happening here?"
Her heart pounded as she tried to make sense of the strange, twisted world they'd stepped into. The faces were familiar, but everything felt off like a reflection in a cracked mirror. She glanced at Yona beside her, then back toward the classroom, dread settling deeper in her chest.Yona's voice trembled, eyes wide with fear.
"What the hell is this…?"
He swallowed hard, unable to tear his gaze away from the unsettling scene inside the classroom. The world they knew felt fractured like reality itself was unraveling right before them.
To eb continue ...