Tuesday Night – Kagawa Residence, Tokyo
The clock ticked softly against the silence of the room.Outside, the city hummed faintly — distant cars, the whisper of wind against the glass. But inside, everything was still. Too still.
Ryota sat by the living room window, staring at the street below. He had been waiting for almost an hour now. His father said he'd come soon.But "soon" was beginning to feel endless.
He rubbed his palms together, restless, glancing at the clock again.11:36 PM.
Ryota (murmuring): Dad… where are you?
He stood up, stretched a little, then wandered toward the hallway mirror.The light above flickered once — just enough to catch his reflection's shimmer.
Ryota stared at himself. His eyes looked tired. His skin pale.But there was something else.
A shadow.
Behind his reflection, faint, for a split second — a darker shape rose, taller than him, edges twisting like smoke.Its outline leaned forward slowly, until it seemed to breathe down his neck.
Ryota froze. His heartbeat stuttered.
Ryota (whispering): …What the—?
He spun around. Nothing.The hallway was empty.
He looked back at the mirror — the shadow was gone. His reflection stared back, normal, calm, like nothing happened.
He swallowed hard.
Ryota (quietly, to himself): What… am I?
His hand trembled slightly as he touched the glass. It was cold. Too cold.
Moments later, a car pulled up outside. Headlights cut through the window blinds.
Ryota turned. Footsteps hurried up the steps. The front door opened.
Yori: Ryota!
His father rushed in, his coat half-buttoned, glasses crooked from the run. His face was pale, eyes sharp with worry.
Yori (breathing hard): What happened? Are you hurt? Did it do something to you?
Ryota (relieved, but tense): Dad... you came.
Yori: Of course I came! You said something went inside you! I drove straight from the institute!
He dropped a small black case on the table, flipping its latches open. Inside were medical tools, a scanner, vials, and an empty syringe.
Ryota: Institute? You mean your old lab?
Yori (focused): Never mind that now. Tell me everything, from the start.
Ryota sat down, his hands clasped tightly together.
Ryota: It was last night. There was this… package on the table. It had your name on it — From: Kagawa Yori. I thought it was from you, so I opened it.
Yori (frowning): I didn't send you anything. You know that.
Ryota: I know that now! But the label — it was exact. Your handwriting. The same way you write "Yori."
He swallowed, his voice trembling.
Ryota: When I opened it, there was this small metal cage inside… and this creature. Red fur, glowing faintly. Like it had light beneath its skin. It looked… alive. Small. Maybe the size of a kitten.
Yori (leaning forward): Did you see its face? Tell me exactly what it looked like.
Ryota hesitated, closing his eyes, recalling the image.
Ryota: It had… sharp eyes. Not like an animal's. More human, almost. And these ridges — small horns, like bone growing out of its head. It didn't move much at first. Then the moment I unlatched the cage, it looked straight at me and—He swallowed hard.—and it jumped. Right into me. Straight into my mouth. I couldn't stop it. It was… like liquid. I couldn't breathe.
Yori stared silently, his eyes narrowing, hands tightening on the case.
Yori (low voice): That description… doesn't match anything I've seen. It's not from our database.
Ryota (confused): Database? Dad, what are you talking about?
Yori (quietly): Just… something I worked on before. Years ago. Nothing for you to worry about.
He pulled out the syringe, attaching a needle, and motioned toward Ryota's arm.
Yori: I need a blood sample. Just to be sure.
Ryota (uneasy): What do you mean "be sure"?He tensed as the needle pierced his skin.Ryota: Am I infected or something?
Yori didn't answer immediately. He filled the syringe halfway with dark red blood, sealed it in a vial, and labeled it.
Yori: It's not infection I'm worried about.He sighed deeply.Yori: I just need to know what we're dealing with.
Ryota (frustrated): You keep saying that — "we." You sound like you know what's going on, but you don't tell me anything! That thing could've killed me!
Yori (softly, guilt in his tone): I know, Ryota. I know.He set the sample in the case and closed it gently.Yori: But this isn't something simple. I've seen strange organisms before — parasites, bio-experiments, symbiotes — but what you're describing doesn't match any of them.
Ryota (sarcastic): Great. So I'm the first?
Yori (sternly): Don't joke about this.
He turned to face his son, eyes sharp again.
Yori: Did you feel anything since then? Any pain, heat, voices, dizziness?
Ryota hesitated. The image of the shadow in the mirror flashed in his mind — that faint whisper of movement behind his reflection.
Ryota (quietly): …No. Nothing. Just... tired.
Yori didn't look convinced, but he nodded slowly.
Yori: Alright. I'll run this sample to the lab tomorrow.He picked up his coat and the black case.Yori: For now, listen to me carefully. Live your life normally. Go to school. Eat, sleep, act like nothing happened.
Ryota (surprised): What? That's it?
Yori: Yes. Just ignore it for now. If you panic, it might react. If you act like everything's normal, it might stay dormant.
Ryota (confused): It? You mean that thing's still alive inside me?
Yori (after a pause): Possibly.He forced a thin smile.Yori: But don't think about that. If anything strange happens — and I mean anything — you contact me immediately. Understand?
Ryota: Yeah… I understand.
Yori (softer): Good.He put a hand on Ryota's shoulder, his voice lowering to a whisper.Yori: Don't tell anyone. Not your friends. Not even Tetsuya. The fewer who know, the safer you are.
Ryota (nodding): …Okay.
Yori exhaled, relieved, though his eyes were still heavy with worry. He glanced once more at his son — at his pale skin, his tired eyes.
Yori (quietly): You look just like your mother when she was sick.
Ryota blinked.Ryota: Mom? What does she have to do with this?
Yori looked away, grabbing the case.
Yori: Nothing. Just... memories. Go rest. I'll call you tomorrow.
He left quickly, shutting the door behind him. The sound of his footsteps faded into the night.
Late Night – Kagawa Residence
The house was silent again. The faint hum of the refrigerator returned — that low, steady rhythm that filled every pause.
Ryota sat back on the couch, staring at the spot where his father had been. His arm throbbed slightly from the injection.
Ryota (murmuring): Live normally, huh… easy for you to say.
He stood, walked toward the hallway again. The mirror glinted faintly under the dim light.
He hesitated — then looked at his reflection once more.
This time, it stared back perfectly. No shadow. No distortion.
Ryota (softly): Maybe I'm just imagining things.
He turned away, heading to his room. But as he closed his door — the mirror's surface rippled faintly, like disturbed water.
For just a second — a red shimmer appeared where his reflection once was.
And deep inside his mind, something stirred.
??? (whispering): "Host… acknowledged."
Ryota's eyes twitched in his sleep. A faint red glow flickered beneath his eyelids.
Fade to black.
To be continued…