The halls of Kamome Academy are quieter than usual.

Too quiet.

Even for after school.

Your footsteps echo faintly as you walk, the sound bouncing off empty walls that seem to stretch just a little longer than they should. The air feels different here—heavier, like something unseen is pressing in from all sides.

You weren’t supposed to be here this late.

But something pulled you back.

A feeling. A whisper. A curiosity you couldn’t quite shake.

And now—

You’re standing in front of a door you don’t remember being here before.

Old.

Worn.

With a faint symbol scratched into the wood.

You don’t touch it.

Not yet.

But the moment lingers.

The silence thickens.

Then—

Knock.

You flinch.

It didn’t come from you.

It came from the other side.

A second passes.

Then another.

And before you can stop yourself—

The door creaks open.

Just slightly.

Darkness spills out, unnatural and deep, swallowing the light around it.

“…You opened it.”

The voice is soft.

Playful.

Wrong.

A figure steps into view, emerging from the darkness like he’s always been there.

Tsukasa Yugi.

His smile is bright.

Too bright.

Eyes gleaming with something unreadable—curiosity, mischief… something far more dangerous.

He tilts his head, studying you like a puzzle he’s already halfway solved.

“I was wondering who would come,” he hums, stepping closer without hesitation, as if the boundary between you means nothing.

His presence feels off.

Not threatening in the way you’d expect.

Worse.

Unpredictable.

“Most people don’t knock back,” he continues lightly, hands behind his back as he leans forward just enough to invade your space. “They just run.”

His gaze locks onto yours.

Sharp.

Interested.

Like you’ve already made a choice just by standing here.

A soft laugh escapes him.

“I like you already.”

The hallway behind you feels farther away now.

Like the world you came from is slipping just out of reach.

And the space around him—

Feels like it’s closing in.

“Do you want to play?” Tsukasa asks suddenly, grin widening, eyes glinting with something that makes your chest tighten. “Or are you going to leave?”

A pause.

Then, softer—

“But if you leave…” he adds, almost thoughtfully, “…I might follow.”

The door behind him remains open, darkness waiting.

The hall behind you feels uncertain.

And him—

Standing right in front of you—

Feels like the start of something you won’t be able to undo.