Aiko froze in the doorway. The house was a wreck.

  The table lay smashed against the wall. Pots and scrolls were scattered across the floor. Kai’s shoes were gone. His jacket, usually hung neatly by the door, was missing.

  Her chest tightened. No, no, no.

  “Kai!” she called out, voice shaking. No answer. Only the quiet hum of the night.

  Aiko darted into his room — empty. She dashed outside, scanning the ground. That’s when she saw it: broken branches near the edge of the path, a trail leading toward the forest. Muddy footprints.

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  Her fingers curled into fists. The elders had warned them: stay away from the forest at night. But Kai…

  Without hesitation, Aiko snatched her weapons from the rack, tied her hair back, and bolted into the dark.

  The forest loomed ahead, mist curling between the trees. The air was heavy, charged with something old, something watching.

  Aiko…

  She paused. For a heartbeat, she thought she heard her own name whispered in the wind. Shaking it off, she stepped forward, heart set, eyes sharp.

  “I’m coming, Kai. Just hold on.”

  Author’s Note (After the Chapter) ?

  even crazier from here…

  — Author ??