A Warning in The Dark

Souta lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his phone still clutched in his hand. The last message from Toru echoed in his mind:

"Goodbye, Souta."

And then, just like that, he was gone. No way to reply. No way to reach him. The chat had ended, but the unease in Souta's chest refused to fade.

It wasn't just the mystery of who Toru was. It was the way he spoke, the weight behind his words. The way he made it seem like… something had already changed.

Souta sighed, rubbing his eyes. Maybe I should just let it go…

His phone vibrated.

A sharp jolt of fear shot through him. He sat up, staring at the screen. His pulse hammered in his ears.

Unknown Number: "Stop looking for me."

Souta's breath caught in his throat. His fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Souta: Toru?

No reply.

Seconds turned to minutes. The silence pressed down on him like a heavy blanket.

Then

Knock. Knock.

A slow, deliberate sound against his window.

Souta's body froze.

His heart pounded as he turned his head toward the window. The curtains were drawn, but he could feel it,someone was there. Watching.

His mind raced. Maybe it's just the wind. Maybe I imagined it.

Then, another knock. Louder this time.

Souta's stomach twisted. His hands were sweaty as he forced himself to move, creeping toward the window. His breathing was shallow, every step feeling heavier than the last.

He hesitated for a moment, his fingers shaking as he reached for the curtain.

With a deep breath, he yanked it open.

Nothing.

The street outside was empty. The wind rustled the trees, but there was no sign of anyone.

Souta exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

Then, his phone vibrated again.

He looked down. Another message.

Unknown Number: "I told you not to look."

Souta's blood ran cold. His body locked up, his fingers clenched so tightly around his phone that his knuckles turned white.

Whoever it was… they knew he had checked.

This wasn't just a game anymore.

This was real.

The next morning, Souta barely touched his breakfast. His mother noticed.

"You look tired," she said, her voice laced with concern. "Did you stay up too late again?"

Souta hesitated before nodding. "Yeah… something like that."

He couldn't tell her the truth. She wouldn't understand. How could she?

After breakfast, he walked to school, his eyes darting to every passing figure. Every shadow felt suspicious. Every face seemed unfamiliar.

By the time he reached class, he was exhausted. His best friend, Riku, immediately noticed.

"Man, you look like you fought a ghost last night," Riku joked, nudging him. "You good?"

Souta forced a chuckle. "Yeah, just… didn't sleep well."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Something happen?"

Souta hesitated. He wanted to tell someone. He wanted to unload the weight crushing his chest. But something told him that if he involved Riku, he might put him in danger too.

So he just shook his head. "It's nothing."

But it wasn't nothing.

It was the beginning of something far worse.

That night, Souta sat on his bed, staring at his phone, debating whether or not to text the unknown number.

Part of him wanted answers.

The other part was terrified of what those answers might be.

As he wrestled with his thoughts, his phone buzzed.

A new message.

Unknown Number: "Go to sleep, Souta."

His breath hitched.

His hands trembled as he typed

Souta: Who are you?

The reply came almost instantly.

Unknown Number: "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to."

Souta's body stiffened. His heart pounded so loudly he could hear it in his ears.

Then, another message.

Unknown Number: "You're not alone."

Souta's breath caught. He felt it,something in the air, an unshakable presence.

Slowly, he turned his head toward the window.

And this time

There was a shadow standing outside.

To be continued…