Kai sprinted through the trees, lungs burning, heart hammering in his chest. Branches whipped against his skin, roots snagged at his ankles, but he didn’t dare slow down.

  “Kai…”

  His sister’s voice drifted through the darkness — soft, almost tender. But Kai knew better. Aiko was home. She couldn’t be here. And whatever was chasing him, whatever was calling his name in her voice, wanted him to look back.

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  He clenched his fists, teeth gritted. Don’t look. Don’t turn. Just run.

  The ground beneath his feet shifted. His boot slipped on wet moss. Suddenly, the earth vanished.

  “Ah—!”

  Kai fell, tumbling down a steep slope. Branches scratched at his arms; sharp rocks ripped at his clothes. And then — air. A long drop.

  Splash.

  The cold hit him like a slap. For a moment, Kai was under — spinning, struggling — before his head broke the surface. He gasped, fighting the current as the river dragged him through the ravine. His vision blurred. His strength faded.

  “Aiko… I’m sorry…”

  The world slipped into darkness.