---
Chapter 18: The Door to the Truth
The house was too quiet.
Too still.
Even the wind outside seemed to hush itself as Eve, Jason, Sera, and Riku stood at Kuro's front porch, knocking harder and harder.
"Again," Jason muttered, pounding his fist on the door. "Kuro! Open up!"
No answer.
No footsteps. No movement. Just silence.
Eve had already slipped to the back. Her eyes locked on the Sakura tree.
Its petals — usually soft, slow — were now pouring down like rain, bleeding from the bark like veins split open.
She swallowed, clutching Kuro's note in her hoodie pocket.
Jason stepped back. "Screw this."
One swift kick — BANG — and the door cracked open with a splintered scream.
They rushed inside.
Nothing. Just the faint scent of incense and something… off. Not quite rotting. Not quite clean.
"Where is everything?" Sera whispered.
The furniture was barely there — like it had been cleared out. Empty photo frames. Dusty shelves. Drawers missing. Even the kitchen had only one plate, one cup, one fork.
Like the house forgot how to be a home.
"Upstairs," Riku said, already heading up.
Each step creaked like it didn't want them to come.
Then they reached the door. Kuro's room.
Jason didn't wait. He shoved it open.
And froze.
There, on the wooden floor — Kuro.
Not bleeding. Not bruised. But pale. Ice cold. Curled into himself like a child trying to disappear.
"Kuro!" Eve rushed to him, falling to her knees.
He didn't move. Didn't speak. His breathing was shallow, but steady. As if he were asleep… or trapped somewhere far away.
Jason scanned the room and let out a shaky breath.
"Oh my god…"
Every inch of wall — the ceiling, the floor, even the mirror — was covered in photos.
All of the woods.
Some blurry. Some crystal clear.
Some with shadows too dark for the daylight.
Others with figures. Faces.
One was of a man. Tall. Covered in tattoos. Smiling wide with teeth too sharp.
There were scribbled messages under some of the photos:
"They watch when you don't."
"Don't look at the tree too long."
"He's not my father."
"It feeds on fear."
"Only smiles keep it away."
"She makes it quiet... Eve makes it quiet."
Sera picked up a small leather journal that lay on the floor near Kuro's hand.
She opened it slowly.
The first page:
"To whoever finds this… I'm sorry."
The pages beyond were frantic. Dozens of entries. About the disappearances, the bleeding tree, the figures in the forest. About how he'd see them after every scream at night. How he began smiling to keep them from getting close.
How they grew angry when he stopped.
The last few pages weren't words — just drawings.
One of a girl standing in the center of black trees, her hand glowing.
It was Eve.
She clutched his hand now.
"Please," she whispered. "Wake up."
Kuro's finger twitched.
Riku's eyes snapped to it. "Did he…?"
"Do it again," Sera whispered.
Eve tightened her grip. "We're here now, Kuro. You're not alone anymore."
Jason looked out the window toward the tree.
The petals weren't falling anymore.
Now the tree breathed.
Slowly. Heavily.
Like it knew they were inside.
---
To be continued...