The morning light filtered through the curtains as Raito stirred awake. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair before glancing over at the calendar on his wall. One date was circled in red—today's. His expression darkened slightly as he stared at it, unmoving for a moment.
He shook the thought away and got up, slipping into his usual clothes and heading to Raika's room. A soft knock followed by a slightly louder one roused her.
"I'm up," Raika mumbled, already stretching as she rolled out of bed, surprisingly ready for school. She looked at Raito as he stood at the door, arms crossed.
"I'll be out in five minutes," she said, brushing her hair. "Emi's bottle is in the fridge. If she gets fussy, try holding her over your shoulder, and bounce her a little. Oh, and don't let her chew on the curtains again."
Raito nodded absently, his mind clearly somewhere else.
Raika squinted at him. "Are you even listening?"
He blinked. "Yeah. Bottle. Curtains. Got it."
She frowned but let it go, grabbing her backpack. On the way out, Raito kept one hand on the steering wheel while the other tapped against his leg in a rhythmic pattern, his eyes distant.
As they pulled up near the school, Raika glanced at him again.
"Make sure Emi eats properly, okay?" she said softly. "And don't worry about picking me up today. Grandma Mei said she'd get me after school."
Raito finally looked at her and gave a small nod. "Got it."
She hesitated before stepping out of the car, her expression thoughtful. He's more distant than usual today… But she didn't say it aloud.
Raito watched her go, then shifted the car into gear and drove back home, Emi cooing softly in her car seat.
As he stepped back into the villa, the familiar silence wrapped around him again. He unbuckled Emi, gently cradling her against his chest. She giggled, tugging at his collar.
Then came Kurai's voice in his mind, casual and teasing.
"So... what's with the red circle on the calendar, Raito? Something important? A date with destiny? Or maybe an old ghost?"
Raito didn't answer at first. Instead, he carried Emi through the hallway until he reached a door at the far end of the villa—one that looked no different from the rest, but bore a lock that hadn't been touched in a long while.
With Emi resting calmly in his arm, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. A quiet click echoed in the hallway.
Raito pushed the door open slowly, revealing stairs leading down into darkness.
"This room..." he thought to Kurai, "Only I know about it."
Kurai was silent now.
Raito flicked on the light switch, illuminating the first few steps. The air beyond the doorway felt heavier, older, like it had been waiting.
Without a word, he stepped inside.
The door creaked closed behind him.