Chapter 4: The Photograph That Shouldn’t Exist
Rainwater dripped from the bridge railing.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Airi stared at the old photograph in the strange girl’s hand.
Her fingers slowly trembled.
That was impossible.
Completely impossible.
In the picture stood three children beneath bright summer sunlight.
A small girl with black hair.
A boy with gray eyes.
And—
Her.
Airi.
Smiling.
No.
Not smiling.
Laughing.
Like she belonged there.
Like she knew them.
Her chest tightened.
“That photo...” she whispered.
The girl with red eyes tilted her head unnaturally.
Water continued dripping from her soaked uniform.
“You forgot again.”
Her voice sounded wrong.
Not human.
Like multiple voices speaking together.
Ren suddenly moved in front of Airi.
“Don’t answer her.”
The girl smiled wider.
“You always protect her.”
Airi grabbed Ren’s sleeve.
“Who is she?”
Ren didn’t answer.
Again.
Always silence.
Always secrets.
The girl slowly lifted the photograph higher.
“Airi promised.”
Promised?
Airi’s head suddenly hurt.
A sharp pain.
Images flashed through her mind.
Silver flowers.
A red moon.
Children running.
Someone crying.
Then—
Darkness.
She nearly lost balance.
Ren caught her arm.
“Don’t look at her eyes.”
Too late.
The red-eyed girl whispered:
“You left me there.”
A strong wind suddenly crossed the bridge.
Streetlights flickered.
One.
Two.
Three times.
Then everything became dark.
---
When the lights returned—
The girl was gone.
Only the photograph remained on the wet ground.
Airi immediately picked it up.
The back side contained handwriting.
Messy.
Faded.
Moon Festival — Summer, 8 years ago
Eight years.
Airi’s breathing became uneven.
“I’ve never been here before.”
Ren looked at the photograph.
His face lost color.
“You need to go home.”
“Stop saying that!”
Her voice echoed across the empty bridge.
“I keep seeing impossible things! You know something! Everyone acts strange around you! And now there’s a picture of us together?”
Rain weakened into soft drops.
Ren finally looked directly into her eyes.
“You really don’t remember.”
“Remember what?”
Silence.
Again.
Airi clenched the photograph tightly.
“I’m tired of secrets.”
Ren quietly spoke:
“The less you remember, the safer you are.”
“Safe from what?”
His answer came immediately this time.
“From the thing beneath this city.”
Cold spread through her body.
Thing.
Not person.
Not people.
Thing.
---
They continued walking.
The streets were emptier now.
Too empty.
Most shop lights had turned off.
Only convenience stores remained open.
Airi noticed something strange.
There were fewer people outside than before.
Much fewer.
“Where is everyone?”
Ren looked around.
His expression darkened.
“They went home already.”
Airi checked her phone.
7:18 PM.
That wasn’t late.
Not nearly late enough for empty streets.
Then she noticed something worse.
No cars.
No bicycles.
No voices.
Only rain.
And footsteps.
Not theirs.
Behind them.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Airi slowly turned.
Nobody.
The footsteps continued.
Closer.
Ren grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t stop walking.”
“Someone’s there.”
“I know.”
Airi’s heartbeat accelerated.
The footsteps matched theirs perfectly.
When they walked faster—
It walked faster.
When they slowed—
It slowed.
Then her phone vibrated violently.
Unknown Number.
She opened it immediately.
Do not turn around again.
Second message:
It walks behind people who remember.
Airi nearly dropped her phone.
“Ren—”
He suddenly stopped.
So did the footsteps.
Airi looked forward.
They had reached her apartment building.
Finally.
Safety.
Probably.
Ren released her wrist.
“Lock every door.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Wait.”
He turned.
Airi held up the photograph.
“Were we really friends?”
For the first time—
Ren looked sad.
“Once.”
Then he walked away.
Airi entered her apartment building.
Empty hallway.
Silent elevator.
Normal.
Everything normal.
She unlocked her apartment door.
Entered.
Closed it.
Locked it.
Exhaled.
Safe.
Then she looked toward the living room mirror.
Written across the glass with dripping water:
WELCOME BACK, AIRI.
And beneath the message—
A wet footprint slowly appeared on the floor.
Inside the apartment.
[End of Chapter 4]
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