The house felt suffocating.
Toshi sat on the floor of his room, back against the wall, lights still on. His eyes were wide, unfocused, darting from corner to corner like something might crawl out at any second.
His breathing was uneven.
Fast.
Shallow.
"…Come out…"
His voice cracked.
Not angry anymore.
Not scared either.
Just… broken.
Silence answered him.
Then—
A sound.
Soft.
Behind him.
Toshi's body stiffened.
Slowly—
He turned.
She was there.
Standing near the door.
Closer than ever before.
Not a dream.
Not paralysis.
Real.
Toshi's eyes widened.
Then—
Something inside him snapped.
"YOU—!"
He lunged forward.
His fist swung—
And this time—
It connected.
A solid impact.
Toshi froze for a split second.
"I… hit her…?"
The thought barely formed before rage took over.
He swung again.
And again.
Each hit landing.
Each strike real.
"You think you can mess with me?!"
His voice echoed through the room, unstable, shaking.
"COME ON—!"
He pushed forward, attacking wildly, pouring every ounce of fear, anger, and frustration into his blows.
But something was wrong.
She didn't react.
Not like a normal person.
Her body moved slightly with each hit—
But her face—
She was smiling.
That same unnatural smile.
Wider now.
Toshi staggered back, breathing heavily.
"…Why are you smiling…?"
No answer.
Then—
A whisper.
Not from her.
Behind him.
"I'm right here."
Toshi's eyes snapped wide open.
He turned instantly—
She stood behind him.
Perfectly still.
"…No…"
He spun back—
She was in front again.
Still smiling.
"No… no… NO—!"
Toshi grabbed the nearest thing he could find—
A knife from his desk drawer.
His hands trembled.
But his grip tightened.
"DIE—!"
He lunged forward.
The blade drove in.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Blood splattered.
Warm.
Real.
Toshi didn't stop.
He kept stabbing.
Over and over.
"You won't follow me anymore—!"
His voice cracked into something unrecognizable.
"You won't—!"
His movements became slower.
Weaker.
Finally—
He stopped.
Silence filled the room.
Toshi stood there, chest heaving, knife hanging loosely in his hand.
"…I… did it…"
His voice was barely a whisper.
Slowly—
He looked down.
And froze.
The white dress—
Was gone.
Instead—
There was blood.
Too much blood.
And beneath it—
A face.
Familiar.
"…Mom…?"
The knife slipped from his hand.
His body shook violently.
"No…"
He stumbled back.
Another body.
On the floor.
"…Dad…?"
More.
Everywhere.
People he knew.
Friends.
Standing.
Talking.
Visiting.
Now—
Lifeless.
Toshi's vision blurred.
"No… no no no no—!"
His hands trembled as he backed into the wall.
"This isn't real… THIS ISN'T REAL—!"
His voice broke completely.
Sirens echoed in the distance.
Loud.
Getting closer.
Later.
Lights flashed outside.
Voices.
Shouting.
Toshi sat on the floor, unmoving.
Eyes empty.
Covered in blood.
Police rushed in.
"DROP THE WEAPON!"
He didn't respond.
"He's not reacting—!"
"…Get him up."
Hands grabbed him.
Pulled him to his feet.
Toshi didn't resist.
Didn't speak.
Didn't react.
His eyes stayed fixed on something—
Something only he could see.
Days later.
A television flickered quietly in a hospital room.
"Breaking News: A tragic incident occurred last night—"
The screen showed Toshi's house.
Covered in police tape.
"A seventeen-year-old boy has been taken into custody after allegedly killing multiple family members and visitors."
Images flashed.
Blurred.
Bodies being carried out.
"Neighbors report the boy had been acting strangely for days prior…"
"…showing signs of severe mental distress…"
"…authorities have confirmed he has been transferred to a psychiatric facility…"
Toshi sat on the bed.
Still.
Silent.
His eyes stared at the wall.
Unmoving.
"…I didn't…"
His voice cracked.
"…I didn't kill them…"
Tears rolled down slowly.
"They weren't… them…"
Silence.
Then—
A soft sound.
A laugh.
Toshi's body stiffened.
Slowly—
He looked up.
And there—
Standing in the corner of the room—
She was there.
Untouched.
Unharmed.
Smiling.
Watching him.
"…No…"
Toshi shook his head violently.
"No… you're not real… you're not—"
She tilted her head.
That same unnatural movement.
That same smile.
And then—
She spoke.
Softly.
Calmly.
"Now… you see."
Toshi screamed.
Loud.
Broken.
Endless.
Mindlessly hitting his head on the wall.
Hours later—
The room was silent again.
Too silent.
Toshi sat in the corner.
Blood on the wall.
His head resting against it.
Unmoving.
Still.
Gone.
And in the darkness—
She stood.
Looking down at him.
Smiling.
Slowly—
Her form began to fade.
Disappearing.
Like she was never there.
But just before she vanished—
Her voice echoed softly.
Not to him.
But to something else.
Somewhere else.
"I'm coming."