The door felt cold under my fists as I slammed against it.
"Where's everyone gone?" I shouted. "Why did they leave me?! Damn... I overslept…"
Only silence answered me.
A heavy, oppressive stillness filled the room—until it was broken by a sudden, eerie laugh that echoed from nowhere.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Who? Who's that?!" I called out, my voice trembling.
My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I kept pounding against the door. But then—something strange happened.
My hand phased through the solid wood.
"What the—?"
I quickly pulled it back, my heart thudding like a drum.
Was it… the vibrations? My fear? Maybe the intense trembling of my body had caused my molecules to shift—to vibrate fast enough to pass through solid matter.
"If my whole body vibrates at the same speed…" I muttered.
But what if I failed halfway through?
Just thinking about it made me shiver.
"No time to waste."
With clenched fists and a deep breath, I focused. My body vibrated rapidly—and I dashed forward. In one swift movement, I phased cleanly through the door and stumbled outside.
"Huff… huff…" I steadied my breath.
Looking around the area, I tried to gather my bearings.
"If I remember correctly… they went in that direction."
I dropped into a running stance—then vanished.
As I zipped through the trees and burst out of the forest, buildings appeared on the horizon.
Far ahead, I spotted Riri and Misaki talking to a brown-skinned man wearing traditional Greek clothing. He sat atop a wooden cart. Misaki held a bundle of flowers tied with rope.
"Why does she have those flowers?" I muttered.
No way…
She isn't visiting her lover, right?
Before I spiraled deeper into that thought, the two girls climbed into the cart. It started moving.
"Damn…"
I resumed sprinting, keeping my distance so they wouldn't notice me.
"Where are they going? And where are my brothers right now?"
Eventually, the cart stopped—at a graveyard.
From afar, I watched them pay the driver with silver Asps before entering through the old iron gate.
The cemetery was wrapped in trees and shadows. I hid behind one of them.
They walked toward a particular gravestone. I strained my eyes to read the inscription.
"Raku… Wait—that's their pet's name? If I remember correctly…"
Misaki knelt and placed the fresh flowers gently. A few old, withered ones lay there already—someone had visited earlier.
A bowl beside the grave held burning bay leaves, filling the air with a sweet earthy fragrance.
Riri stood behind her, unusually quiet.
Misaki picked up a ladle from a wooden bucket of milk and poured some over the grave.
Then the two stood motionless, hands joined, eyes closed.
I wanted to ask so many questions…
But I stayed silent and watched.
Snap.
My foot broke a twig.
Riri's eyes snapped open. She turned sharply.
Panicked, I ducked behind the tree.
My foot broke a twig.
Riri's eyes snapped open. She turned sharply.
Panicked, I ducked behind the tree.
Rustling. Footsteps.
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.
I smirked confidently.
"Nobody saw me."
"How did you get here?"
Riri's voice came from right beside me.
"Huaaaaaaaa!!"
I slowly turned my head toward her.
Riri stood there, puzzled, blinking at me in confusion.
"I… I woke up from a weird dream," I muttered, still trembling.
"Weird dream?" she repeated, tilting her head.
"Uhh… forget it. Then I saw you two through the window. So I followed."
She stared at me for a moment.
"But we locked the door from the outside… to keep you safe. Don't tell me—you jumped from the window?"
She grabbed my arm, worry filling her face.
"You're not hurt, right?!"
I gently twisted free. "No, no—my powers… they're weird. I somehow phased through the door. Still figuring it out."
"Ohh…" she murmured.
We walked quietly toward Misaki, who still stood praying.
Riri whispered, "Please join your hands too. It's a way to pay respect."
I nodded and clasped my hands. Just before closing my eyes, I asked gently:
"May I ask… whose grave is this?"
Misaki answered without opening her eyes:
"It's my husband's."
My world stopped.
H-Husband?
A sudden breeze swept the graveyard, stirring the grass and carrying the scent of bay leaves across the air—