It was morning in Tokyo.
The city bustled with life.
Cars and buses filled the streets, rushing to get people to work.
Some were enjoying their lives.
Some were struggling to survive.
And some...were fighting silent battles no one could see.
The scene zooms in on an ordinary building in the heart of Tokyo.
A man named John was getting ready for his office job when he was startled by a loud scream.
"Daddy!"
John groaned internally.
No! She's going to insist we go to that place again...
He called back loudly,
"I'm busy today!"
The response came just as loud—and just as annoying.
"You always say that!"
John glanced at his watch.
'Crap! I'm late!'
He checked his outfit quickly, making sure everything was in place, then rushed out of his room and bolted down to the first floor.
At the bottom of the stairs, his daughter was standing in front of the door, arms crossed, blocking the exit.
"I won't let you go today,"she said defiantly.
"I'm late! I need to get to the office!" John replied in a hurry.
"What about the ticket? Tomorrow's the last day!"she argued, clearly annoyed.
"I'll buy one online—today!"he shot back.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Will you?"
John stepped closer, smiled, and ruffled her hair playfully.
"I will. Promise."
At that, she finally stepped aside. John reached for the door, cracked it open, and turned back one last time.
"Stay safe, Emily."
Her name was Emily.
After making a few exaggerated annoyed faces, Emily couldn't help but chuckle.
"You too. Take care of yourself."
John stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Emily was now alone. Left alone in the silence, boredom crept in fast. She made her way to the lounge, where a big television dominated the wall. Dropping onto the sofa, she grabbed the remote and switched it on.
The screen flickered to life.
First, a few kiddie shows popped up, but Emily was no child. She quickly flipped the channel to the news—Tokyo local news, to be exact.
She was just getting immersed in it when the anchor's tone suddenly turned serious.
"Citizens of Tokyo, please stay alert. A serial killer is on the loose. Multiple bodies have been found throughout the city over the past month. The most disturbing part? Not a single drop of blood remained in any of the victims..."
Emily shivered.
That's… eerie.
She quickly changed the channel again.
This time, the anchor was discussing a survival game being hosted in a massive building—with a prize pool of one million dollars.
"The game will not be broadcasted publicly. Only the winner will be announced."
A wide smile spread across Emily's face.
This was the one.
This was the game she'd asked her dad to buy the ticket for.
They'd been going through hard times, and Emily wanted to do something about it.
If she could win—even just maybe—she could ease some of the burden.
Now, hearing the news again, she felt a wave of excitement wash over her.
And exhaustion.
She turned off the television and headed to her room.
Slipping under the sheets, she closed her eyes. Sleep came swiftly, like a fog rolling in over a tired mind. She slept through the entire day, until evening fell.
Then—
DING-DONG!
The doorbell rang.