Mountain Road – 11:46 PM
The cold mountain air stung Yuiri's cheeks. She pulled Arata's jacket tighter around herself, her breath misting in the moonlight. The road ahead was little more than a strip of cracked asphalt winding between the dark silhouettes of pines.
Behind them, somewhere far in the trees, a dog barked again.
"That's the third time," Yuiri whispered.
Arata didn't look back. "Yeah. It's getting closer."
His voice wasn't panicked, but there was a new edge in it—a subtle tightening that Yuiri hadn't heard before.
They walked faster. The gravel crunched under their boots.
"Arata," Yuiri said after a moment, "that… thing we found. What was it?"
"I was hoping you'd tell me," he replied.
"I told you—I think I built part of it."
"Then you already know more than I do."
She didn't push him further. The truth was, she was afraid of what she might remember.
Fifteen minutes later, the road dipped into a small valley where the shadows grew heavier. A thin fog had settled, curling around their legs.
"Stay close," Arata murmured.
The sound came before the shape—soft, deliberate footfalls matching their pace.
Yuiri's chest tightened. "Someone's following us."
Arata glanced at her, then at the roadside forest. "Not someone. More than one."
He pulled her toward the ditch at the side of the road. "Down."
They crouched low, concealed by the tall grass. Through the mist, Yuiri could just make out three dark figures moving along the road where they had been seconds earlier.
Their pace was slow, methodical. One of them carried something long over their shoulder—rifle, maybe.
"They're not wandering," Arata whispered. "They're tracking."
Yuiri's mind raced. "Could it be because of that device?"
"Or you," he said simply.
The figures moved past without looking their way.
Arata waited until they were almost out of sight, then said, "We need to get off the road completely. There's a service tunnel near here, if it's still open."
"A tunnel? Where does it go?"
"Down the mountain. And hopefully, away from whoever the hell that is."
They moved fast, cutting into the forest. The moonlight broke in shards through the branches, glinting off the wet leaves. Yuiri stumbled once on a root, but Arata caught her by the arm before she fell.
"You okay?"
She nodded, breathless. "Just… not used to running in the dark."
"You'll get used to it."
Ten minutes later they found the tunnel—a squat concrete entrance half-hidden behind ivy and rusted fencing. A faded sign above it read Kitasawa Hydro Service Access – Authorized Personnel Only.
Arata forced the fence open with a grunt. The metal screeched softly.
Inside, the air was damp and smelled faintly of mildew. The tunnel sloped downward, its walls lined with pipes and cables. Their footsteps echoed in the confined space.
Halfway in, Yuiri asked quietly, "You've done this before, haven't you?"
"What?"
"Running. Hiding. Knowing where to go."
He gave a small shrug. "You pick things up when people try to kill you enough times."
The way he said it was so casual, but there was something in his tone—like it wasn't a joke.
They walked in silence for a while. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Arata flicked on a small flashlight, its beam cutting a narrow path ahead.
"You should try to remember more," he said eventually. "Names. Faces. Anything."
Yuiri frowned. "And what if I remember something I don't want to?"
"Then we deal with it when it comes."
A sound broke the quiet—a faint metallic clink from behind them.
Arata stopped instantly, his hand going to his pistol. "We're not alone."
The echo came again, this time closer. Yuiri felt her pulse hammer in her ears.
He switched off the flashlight, plunging them into near-total darkness.
"Stay behind me," he whispered.
The next thirty seconds felt like an eternity. Then—a beam of light swept through the tunnel from behind, accompanied by low voices in a language Yuiri didn't recognize.
They were moving fast.
Arata grabbed her hand and pulled her into a narrow maintenance alcove. They pressed themselves against the wall as the light drew nearer.
Yuiri could hear her own breathing, ragged and too loud. She clamped a hand over her mouth.
The voices came right past them, their owners no more than a meter away. Yuiri caught a glimpse of two men in tactical gear, their rifles at the ready.
As they passed, Arata mouthed, Now.
They slipped out silently, moving in the opposite direction.
The tunnel curved, and suddenly they were out—emerging into a basin lit only by the stars. The forest stretched ahead in rolling waves, endless and dark.
Yuiri looked back at the tunnel mouth, half expecting the men to appear.
Arata's voice was steady but low. "We keep moving. No stops until we're at least five kilometers away."
They pushed through the forest for what felt like hours. The undergrowth clawed at Yuiri's legs, her lungs burned, but she didn't complain. Every sound behind them felt like it could be the enemy.
Finally, they reached a ridge. Below, the faint glow of a small town flickered—streetlights and warm windows scattered like fireflies.
Yuiri almost smiled. "Civilization."
Arata's reply was grim. "Or another trap."
An hour later, they entered the outskirts. The streets were quiet, the air carrying the smell of woodsmoke.
They found a small inn—two stories, wooden walls, the kind of place that hadn't seen renovation in decades. Arata paid in cash, saying nothing more than "One night."
Inside the small room, Yuiri sat on the bed, finally letting herself breathe. "Arata… why are you helping me? Really?"
He looked at her for a long moment before answering. "Because once… someone helped me."
She didn't ask more. The truth was in his eyes, and it was enough—for now.
They didn't notice the small black drone hovering outside the window, its red light blinking softly in the dark.
End of chapter 4