Date: October 9
Time: 6:41 PM
Place: Tokyo, Japan – District 13, Suginami Ward
Main Character: Rei Nakamura, Age 17, High School Student
---
It began like any normal evening.
Rei Nakamura sat on the living room floor, a warm bowl of instant ramen in his hands and the TV flashing evening news in the background. Outside, the sky was painted with soft orange hues, signaling the end of another day. He lived alone since his parents were away on a business trip in Hokkaido. He was used to quiet nights—but tonight would be different.
The news anchor's voice suddenly turned serious.
"Breaking news: Reports are coming in from Europe and North America. Strange disappearances, blackout zones, and monstrous figures spotted during the night. Citizens are advised to stay indoors after sunset, turn off all lights, and make no sound."
Rei paused, noodles halfway to his mouth.
"This is not a hoax. The Japanese government has issued an emergency Level 1 Alert. Please listen carefully: Nighttime is no longer safe. Monsters—yes, monsters—appear after sundown. Only silence and darkness can keep them away."
"Repeat: Do not go outside after sunset. Stay inside. No noise. No light."
And then…
The TV screen went black.
Rei blinked. The lights flickered.
6:59 PM.
Sunset.
Outside, the orange sky rapidly faded into pitch black. Too fast. Too unnatural.
A low, humming sound began—like air vibrating at the edge of hearing. The neighborhood seemed to hold its breath.
Then came the scream.
A woman's voice. From the house across the street.
Rei ran to the window but stayed low. He gently peeked through the curtains.
What he saw burned into his brain.
A tall, twisted creature stood in the middle of the road. Its body was shadowy, dripping black like ink, with limbs bending the wrong way. No eyes. No mouth. But it turned—like it could see.
A flickering porch light from the neighbor's house suddenly snapped on.
The creature screeched—a horrifying, metallic sound—and leapt across the yard like a beast.
Glass shattered. The screaming stopped.
Rei fell backward, heart racing.
He remembered the broadcast: No light. No noise.
Hands trembling, he turned off every light in the house. He powered down his phone. He unplugged the fridge. The only sound was his heartbeat.
He sat in total darkness.
And the silence was worse than anything.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Tap.
A soft sound. At the window.
Tap... Tap… Tap.
He dared not move.
He held his breath.
Then—
"Rei?"
A voice.
It sounded like his mother. But she was in Hokkaido.
He didn't answer.
"Rei, open the door."
Now it was his father's voice.
No. It couldn't be.
Rei bit his lip, blood dripping into his mouth, just to stay silent.
Outside, the tapping stopped.
Footsteps scraped along the wall. Something was circling his house. Whispering.
"Come out… we're safe now…"
But morning was hours away.
And he knew—
The night had only just begun.
---
End of Chapter 1