The night was long and silent.Ryujin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, eyes hollow. The tears that had escaped hours ago had dried against his skin, leaving faint traces of salt and pain. His body trembled lightly, not from cold — but from everything he had kept buried inside.
The moonlight slowly faded as dawn approached, but Ryujin didn't sleep. He only blinked into the pale light that crept through the window.
When morning came, his face looked ghostly — pale skin, dark circles under his eyes, his hair a mess. He finally rose, heavy and slow, his mind blank.
He walked into the bathroom and splashed water over his face. The reflection in the mirror barely looked like him. His eyes seemed distant, like someone who had seen something he wasn't meant to.
The House of Silence
Ryujin's home was a modest two-floor house — simple, warm, and full of memories. The base floor had a small hall, a tidy kitchen, a dining room filled with photo frames, a bathroom, and his parents' bedroom. A narrow staircase led downward — to a basement he had never entered.His parents had always said, "That place is not for you."He never asked why.
The upper floor held three rooms — one for him, one for his elder brother Meiji, one for his younger sister Akane, and a shared washroom between them.
Everything was as it always was… yet somehow, something felt wrong.
He dried his face and stepped out of the bathroom.Silence.No voices. No footsteps. No smell of breakfast.
He frowned."Where are Akane and Meiji?" he muttered. "They should be here — Akane always shouts when she can't find her socks, and Meiji's usually halfway out the door by now…"
He went downstairs, expecting the usual morning chaos. But there was nothing — only still air. The kitchen was clean. The table empty.
He felt an uneasy chill crawl down his spine."…Mom?" he called. No reply."…Dad?"
Still nothing.
The air felt heavier, pressing on his chest. His breathing quickened.
He walked back to his room, checked the clock — and froze.
The hands were stuck at 12:00.
He blinked."What the—? Midnight? But it's morning outside…"
He ran to the window.The sky was bright, sunlight streaming down. Birds chirped. The world looked normal — too normal.
And then, he saw them.
A group of crows — maybe fifteen, maybe twenty — perched on the fence, all staring straight at him.Their eyes were sharp, unblinking, full of something dark.They didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stared.
His heart pounded. "What the hell is this…"
He reached toward his drawer and pulled out a small revolver — one he had kept from his father's old security gear, loaded with mana bullets for protection. His hands trembled slightly as he aimed toward the window.
"Go away…"
The crows didn't move.
He pulled the trigger. Bang!One fell. Then another. And another.
He kept shooting until the entire flock was gone — until the noise of wings and gunfire echoed like thunder through the silent house.
Then… darkness.
Awakening
Ryujin gasped awake, drenched in sweat. His heart hammered violently in his chest. His room looked the same — but everything was normal again.
He turned toward the clock.
6:30 a.m.
He exhaled shakily. "A dream…?" He held his head. "No… not again."
He glanced at his calendar pinned to the wall. The date was 20 August 2037 — Lunar Phase.He marked it with a red pen.
Just below that, another marking glared back at him — 10 January 2037.
He stared at it for a long moment."…It happened again," he whispered.
He stood up, walked to the window, and let out a soft breath of relief — because outside, everything was real.
Akane was running across the hallway below, her hair messy, shouting, "Mom! Where's my uniform ribbon?"
And Meiji, tall and calm as ever, was already slinging his bag over his shoulder, heading out for college.
Ryujin smiled faintly."They're safe… good."
Then he checked the time again. His eyes widened. "Crap, I'm late!"
He jumped up, half-dressed, running into the hall. Akane was just passing by with toast in her mouth.
"Outta my way!" Ryujin yelled, playfully shoving her.
She dodged instinctively — but tripped and fell on the carpet."Hey! Watch it, idiot!"
Ryujin laughed, running into the bathroom. "Bye, noob!"
"Not funny!" she shouted back, pouting.
Breakfast Rush
Downstairs, their mother's voice thundered across the hall."RYUJIN! AKANE! YOU TWO ARE LATE AGAIN!"
Ryujin came sliding down the stairs, shirt half-tucked, shoes barely tied. Akane followed, fixing her bow mid-run.
Their mother glared, holding a spatula. "Do you ever wake up on time? Look at Meiji — already gone for college, responsible as always!"
"Sorry, Mom!" they both said at the same time, cheeks puffed, mouths full of bread. "We'll never do this again!"
Their father peeked from behind a newspaper, chuckling. "Should I teleport you two to school? You'll reach on time that way."
Ryujin and Akane waved their hands quickly. "No, no, Father! You're heading to work — we'll manage!"
"Then run!" he said, smirking.
They grabbed their bags and rushed out the door.
Outside, Kai was standing by the gate, arms crossed, looking furious."You dumbhead! You didn't even pick up my calls!"
Ryujin grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! Overslept again!"
Kai sighed. "I swear, one day I'll leave you behind!"
"Like you could," Ryujin teased, pulling him along.
Akane rolled her eyes. "Boys…"
And the three of them ran off toward the academy, the morning sun shining bright over the streets.
Somewhere Beyond the Light
As they disappeared down the path, a faint shimmer appeared in the alley near Ryujin's house.
A silhouette stood half-hidden in the shadow of a tree — tall, cloaked, eyes glowing faintly with pale blue light.
They watched Ryujin's retreating figure.
A whisper escaped their lips — smooth, cold, almost approving.
"A good growth indeed…"
The shadow smiled slightly — and vanished like mist in daylight.