Chapter 9: The Watchers
Kaito stood on the platform of Tokyo Station, the distant hum of the city filling his ears. The nightmare was over. Or so he thought.
As he turned toward Yuki and Haru, a strange sensation washed over him—like a whisper at the edge of his consciousness. The same voice from the island. You may have escaped, but the train never stops.
His breath hitched. He spun around, searching for the source, but the station was as normal as ever. Commuters rushed past, oblivious. The bright lights, the scent of food stalls, the digital signs flashing arrivals and departures—everything was real. But then… why did he feel like he was still being watched?
Yuki grabbed his arm. "Kaito… look."
Haru followed her gaze, and Kaito turned just in time to see them—the figures. The same pale, hollow-eyed passengers from the ghost train. They stood among the crowd, blending in yet eerily still. Their empty eyes bore into him. And then, just as before, they vanished into the mist that wasn't supposed to be there.
Kaito's stomach twisted. "They're here."
"The train let us go," Haru whispered, his face pale, "but the island… the watchers… they're still with us."
Yuki clutched her necklace, a nervous habit. "Maybe we didn't break the curse. Maybe we just became part of it."
Kaito swallowed hard. The train was gone, but something told him the journey wasn't over. The watchers were still waiting.
And one day, the train would return.
The End-