Kashima stumbled back, his slippers sliding on the marble. Seijurou didn't even look at him as a son; he turned to the butler with arrogant disgust. "Is this how you run my house? Servants grabbing me whenever they want? Have you lost control?!"
"Master, please—" the butler said quickly. "That is your son—"
"My son?" Seijurou laughed, bitter and loud. "I didn't call for a servant with her eyes."
The words cut deep.
The butler bowed his head slightly. "Forgive him, Young Master," he whispered, his voice heavy with shame. "He is not himself."
Seijurou leaned forward again, barely able to stand. "Take me upstairs," he said. "I'm tired of this house."
The butler nodded and guided him away. As they moved toward the stairs, he glanced back at Kashima. His eyes were full of apology.
Then they were gone.
The hall fell silent again.
Kashima stood alone in the dark. His collarbone burned like fire. He pressed a hand to his chest, breathing slowly, trying to steady himself. His fingers shook.
He walked back to the counter and threw the bottle down with a sharp thud.
"Son of a bitch!" he shouted, his voice low and shaking. He rubbed the spot where his father had shoved him, anger and pain mixing in his chest. "You loud, pathetic… son of a bitch."
He did not wait for the house to settle. The image of his father's drunk, mocking face was burned into his mind was a reminder he couldn't ignore. He turned and marched toward the main entrance.
Before he could reach the heavy wooden doors, they swung open with a rush of freezing air.
Two butlers hurried inside, their movements rushed. These were men who were usually invisible and perfect, but now their faces were pale, and their eyes darted around in panic.
One of them almost tripped over his own feet as he crossed the entrance.
"Young Master—!" the first butler gasped, his voice thin and high.
The second man glanced over his shoulder at the darkness outside before pulling the door nearly shut. His fingers trembled as they gripped the handle. "Please don't go out, Young Master," he said, his voice cracking.
"It's… it's very cold outside. Far too cold."
"Yes," the other added, stepping into Kashima's path. He reached out with a shaky hand. "You should stay inside. It's not safe right now. Please, return to your room."
They both moved at once, trying to block him. One caught Kashima's arm, and the other placed a desperate hand on his shoulder.
Kashima turned his head and looked at them. His blue eyes were sharp, cutting through their panic like glass.
The butlers froze. The grip on his arm loosened as if they had touched a hot stove.
He pulled his arm free in one hard, violent move. "Don't touch me," he said quietly. His voice didn't rise, but it was heavy with a dangerous authority. "And don't forget your place in this house."
The butlers stepped back instantly. Their shoulders dropped, and their heads lowered in shame and fear.
Kashima didn't wait for another word. He pushed the heavy door open and walked out into the night.
The cold air hit his face like a slap, but he barely felt it. The front of the mansion was bathed in a soft, yellow glow from the garden lights. And right there, idling just in front of the stone steps, a car stood like a dark beast.
A black Mercedes. Its long, polished body usually looked like a symbol of power and control, a car for a man who ruled empires. But as Kashima walked closer, the golden light revealed a horrific sight.
The front of the car was ruined.
A huge, ugly dent covered the hood. The expensive metal was crushed and bent inward, twisted as if it had hit something solid with terrifying force. The silver emblem on the front was broken and gone.
Kashima's breath caught in his throat.
He stepped closer, his heart beating against his ribs. He reached out, his fingers trembling as he placed his hand on the jagged, damaged metal. His skin felt something wet. It was thick and sticky.
He frowned, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach. He pulled his hand back and brought it closer to his face in the dim light.
He smelled it. That sharp, metallic scent that he had smelled only in nightmares.
His eyes widened, and he felt a wave of nausea.
Slowly, his gaze drifted down to the small stones beneath the car. The ground was dark and wet. A thick, shimmering pool was spreading out from under the engine, shining like black ink under the garden lights.
BLOOD.
A lot of blood.
Kashima's heart started pounding so hard it hurt. He took a stumbling step back, his eyes darting from the crushed metal to the red stain on the earth.
"…What?" he whispered, the word disappearing into the wind.
His hand began to shake uncontrollably. He gripped his own wrist, staring at the car, then back at the door where his father had just disappeared.
'Father…'
The thought hit him like a physical blow.
'He hit someone. He drove home like this.'
His chest felt so tight he couldn't catch his breath. His mind raced through the possibilities, each one worse than the last.
'Who was it?
A stranger on the road?
A servant in the driveway?
A passerby in the dark?'
'Are they lying out there somewhere? Are they alive… or dead?'
Kashima stood frozen in the center of the driveway, the cold night air pressing against his skin like a shroud. The truth sank in slowly, heavy and poisonous.
The perfect family. The perfect house.
'Are they lying out there somewhere?
Are they alive… or dead?'
_THE NEXT DAY_
The morning was cold and grey. A thick layer of clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun and making the world look dim. It was not raining yet, but the air felt heavy. A chilly wind swept through the empty streets, carrying the scent of wet stone.
In front of the tall, iron gates of Kami High School, two students stood waiting.
One of them was Kento Kamitani. He wore his school uniform with his hands crossed tightly over his chest to stay warm. His dark, brownish-black hair was being tossed around by the wind, and his green eyes looked tired, as if he hadn't slept at all. He stared at the school entrance with a blank, dull expression.
"Huh..." Kento muttered, his voice disappearing into the wind.
Standing next to him was Shido Kirishima. His dark blue hair was messy from the breeze, and his light blue eyes were fixed on the school's main door. He looked confused, scratching the back of his head as he tried to make sense of why the gates were still locked.
He stepped closer to the notice board, where a large white paper was taped to the glass.
"Dear students," Shido read aloud. "Kindly note that the school is closed today..."
His voice faded away as he saw a smaller piece of paper pinned below the first one. It had a thick black border around the edges.
'Due to the sudden and tragic passing of one of our students, Kami High School will be closed today. We ask that all students and staff take this time to mourn. Our deepest thoughts are with the family.'
A heavy silence fell between the two boys. Shido took a step back, his eyes wide as he looked at Kento.
"A student died?" Shido asked, his voice low. "Just like that? That's... that's crazy."
Kento didn't respond immediately. He was staring at the black-bordered paper, his mind seemingly far away. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and held the device to his ear, turning away from the wind.
"Hori? It's me," Kento said into the phone. "Don't come to school. It's closed."
He paused, listening to the girl on the other end.
"There's a notice on the gate," Kento continued, his voice flat. "They said a student died. They want everyone home to mourn. Just stay back."
He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He looked at the empty school buildings, which looked cold and lifeless under the cloudy sky.
Shido leaned against the metal bars of the gate, looking at the notice one more time.
"They didn't even put a name," Shido muttered, his brow furrowing. "I wonder who it was. Was it someone too close the whole
school... Who could have died?"
The wind gave a sharp whistle through the iron bars, but the school remained silent, hiding its secrets behind the locked doors.
The grey morning felt heavy as Kento and Shido turned away from the iron gate of Kami High School. A cold wind slipped into their uniforms, making them shiver. Kento exhaled slowly, watching the white mist of his breath fade into the air. "A student died…"
The words from the notice board echoed in his head. A second-year girl. No name. No face. Only silence.
Beside Kento, Shido stood with his hands in his pockets, kicking a small stone with every step. His brows were pulled together in annoyance.
'Maybe the student was drunk,' Shido thought, his jaw tightening. 'Or the driver was drunk. Or maybe both.'
He felt a flash of anger toward a person he had never even met. 'This is exactly why students shouldn't be out late. Nights only bring trouble. Nothing good ever happens after midnight.'
They had barely taken a few steps when a soft female voice spoke over the tall brick wall near the entrance. "We should visit the house soon… we have to go there today."
Both boys stopped at once. Shido's foot froze in mid-air. Kento's fingers tightened around the strap of his bag. They turned their heads toward each other. No words were needed; their eyes said everything.
They moved back quietly and leaned against the cold stone wall. Shido pulled out his phone and pretended to read, while Kento bent down to adjust his bag. To anyone passing by, they looked like two bored students wasting time. But their ears were sharp, catching every word from the other side.
In a small circle, several teachers were whispering. "The principal is very firm," a woman said. "We are not allowed to reveal her name yet. Not until the police finish their report."
"She was a second-year student," another voice added, heavy with sadness. "Such a bright child. Always smiling. She had so much potential."
"I feel so sorry for the mother," someone else whispered. "People are already blaming her for letting the girl out so late. As if she isn't suffering enough."
A man spoke next, his voice sharp with anger. "The driver is the one to blame. To hit a girl and leave her like that… it's inhuman."
Another teacher added quietly, "Yesterday was her birthday. She only went out to receive a present from a friend. That's all. Just kindness."
The wind whistled through the iron bars. Then, someone asked the question that changed everything."When exactly did the accident happen?"
There was a pause.
"Three in the morning. Exactly 3:00 AM."
Shido's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened, and he turned sharply toward Kento.
"Kento."
Kento looked at him. "What?"
"Last night," Shido said. "At three in the morning." Kento glanced up at the grey sky. "Technically, that's morning."
"Don't play with words!" Shido whispered. "Be serious." Kento stared at him. 'The most unserious person I know is telling me to be serious,' he thought. 'This is a rare moment.'
"Fine," Kento said aloud. "Continue."
"That time," Shido said, stepping closer. "That is exactly when Mom and Dad left the house. Remember?"
Kento hesitated. "I didn't check the clock."
"I did," Shido said firmly. "It was three."
"So?" Kento asked, though his heart was starting to beat faster.
Shido's eyes darkened. "Link it! Isn't it strange? A girl gets into an accident, and at the same hour, our parents rush out of the house. The accident and them leaving… they must be connected!"
"Shido."Kento closed his eyes, cutting him off. "You're forgetting something."
Shido frowned. "What?"
"Our parents' job," Kento said calmly. "They're lawyers. Not doctors. Not investigators."
Shido opened his mouth to argue, but Kento raised a hand.
"Lawyers don't rush out at three in the morning unless there is a case. And there is no court at that hour. It was probably a client call or something private. You're forcing connections that aren't there."
The wind moved Shido's hair across his eyes. Seconds passed in silence. "...Yeah," Shido finally said, looking at the road. "Maybe you're right."
But inside his chest, the doubt remained.
'The timing is too perfect,' Shido thought as he looked back at the school gate. 'The house was too tense. This isn't a coincidence. Something is linked.'
He knew deep down that this was only the beginning.
Shido opened his mouth, his eyes bright with the spark of an idea. "Kento, if we just go to the spot where—"
"You two!" The sharp voice cut Shido's sentence in half. A strict teacher from the group was marching toward them, his face flushing red. He waved his arms like a bird.
"Did you guys not read the notice?! Are you blind? Or just looking for a suspension on a day off?" he shouted, his voice echoing off the brick walls. "This is a place of mourning, not a playground for donkeys! Move! Go! Now!"
Kento's eyes turned cold. He adjusted his bag strap, his knuckles turning white. "Shido. Let's go," he muttered.
But the teacher wasn't finished. He followed them to the edge of the sidewalk, his voice rising in volume. "The youth of today have no respect! No discipline! Standing around like idiots near a tragedy! I should call your parents! I should—"
Kento stopped. He slowly turned his head, his green eyes burning with a quiet, dangerous fire.
"Alright...now shut your mouth," Kento said.
The words were quiet, but they hit like a slap.
The teacher's jaw dropped. His face turning from red to a dark, angry purple. "What? What did you just say to me? You foolish—"
"Tamiko!" Shido suddenly called out, his voice loud and bright, cutting through the teacher's rage like a bell.
The teacher froze, his mouth still open. He looked toward the corner.
Standing a few meters away was Tamiko Kaneri. She was clutching the straps of her bag so hard her knuckles were pale. Her hair was slightly messy from the wind, and her eyes were wide with genuine fear. She looked back and forth between the angry teacher and the two brothers, her lip trembling as if she were about to witness a fight.
Shido's expression shifted instantly. He let out a long, dramatic sigh and looked at the teacher with an accusing pout.
"Now look what you've done, sir," Shido said, gesturing toward Tamiko. "Poor Tamiko is absolutely terrified. She's worried sick because of your... well, your 'passionate' display of violence toward Kento. Look at her face. She's traumatized!"
The teacher blinked, his anger fading like a popped balloon. He looked at Tamiko's scared, delicate face, then back at Kento's icy, murderous stare. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling very awkward.
"Ah... no, no," the teacher said, forcing a small, nervous smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry, Tamiko! Everything is fine. I was just... explaining the rules. Very loudly."
He turned back to the boys, his voice dropping to a low shout. "Don't trouble her anymore. Go home.
Shido crossed his arms and began to nag immediately. "Us? Trouble her? Sir, we were the ones standing here peacefully until you started roaring like a lion. Honestly, the youth have to deal with so much stress these days."
Tamiko stepped closer, still looking worried, though she seemed relieved that the shouting had stopped.
"Are you guys okay?" she whispered, her voice soft and shaky.
"We're fine, Tamiko," Kento said, his voice softening just a fraction for her, though he still gave the teacher one last cold look.
"Yeah, we're great! Let's get out of here before Sir decides to start his opera again," Shido joked, gently nudging Tamiko to turn around.
The three of them began to walk away from the gate. Behind them, the teacher was still standing there, arms crossed, looking confused and annoyed.
"I'm still watching you, Kamitani!" he yelled after them. "Go straight home! No wandering!"
"Yes, yes, we hear you! Your voice carries for miles!" Shido called back over his shoulder, shaking his head. He leaned toward Tamiko.
"Can you believe him? Trying to pick a fight with Kento? He clearly doesn't know who he's dealing with."
Kento just sighed, the weight of the 3:00 AM mystery returning to his chest as they left the school grounds behind.
The three of them walked away from the school, the teacher's grumbling finally fading into the wind. Tamiko walked between the two brothers, her eyes still darting nervously toward Kento, as if checking to see if he was still angry.
"You really shouldn't talk to the teachers like that, Kento," Tamiko whispered, her voice small. "You'll get in trouble one day.
"He's already in trouble, Tamiko," Shido joked, waving a hand. "He was born in trouble. Besides, that guy was just looking for someone to bark at because he's stressed."
Kento didn't join the banter. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. To get back to the Kamitani residence, they had to take the long route—the one that passed by the bypass road.
It was a long, quiet road on the edge of the city. There were many thick trees and deep water ditches along the sides.
As they turned the corner toward the bypass, the light, teasing mood vanished.
"Wait," Shido said, his voice dropping. He slowed his pace.
Up ahead, the grey morning was broken by a flash of bright, artificial color. Long strips of yellow police tape were stretched across the sidewalk and wrapped around several trees, fluttering violently in the wind. The plastic made a sharp, snapping sound that felt like a warning.
One police car sat on the side of the road. Its lights were off. It looked like a hunting animal waiting to strike.
"Is that... where it happened?" Tamiko asked. She stopped walking, her face turning pale. She pulled her coat tighter around her chest.
Kento stepped forward, his eyes locked on a specific spot on the road.
---
✦ 🔮 A GLIMPSE INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER 🔮 ✦
"What awaits beyond this page...?" 🌙
(灬･◡･灬)♡
"OUT OF THE WAY!"
"Kashima? Are you okay?"
----
🌙 The stars may fade, and memories may sleep...
But the Spiral continues to turn.
Until we meet again beneath the same forgotten sky.
(｡･ω･)
— SakuraShinomiya