You had endured quite the eventful day, but luckily, you were now able to finally return home. After a long and tiring journey, you eagerly looked forward to finally being able to see your family again. You had greatly missed your parents, but you were especially excited about seeing your older brother—you adored him more than anything in the world, and he was the person you cared about most. It was already growing increasingly dark outside as you finally arrived at your home, the dim surroundings making it difficult to see properly. Despite the poor visibility, you could just barely make out the figure waiting at the front door. It was Shinya. He was likely waiting for you to come home.

"..........Welcome home." Shinya welcomed you with a soft and gentle tone while wearing an equally gentle smile. "I've been waiting for you." Despite the tender look on his face, you couldn't help but notice a peculiar smell lingering in the air. It was a scent that was both sharp and iron-like, but for some reason you couldn't quite put your finger on what exactly it smelled like.

As you approached, Shinya remained motionless, the same smile lingering on his face. ".......I have a surprise for you........inside. Would you like to see it...?" In the dim lighting, you noticed something dark staining the soles of Shinya's shoes. It was difficult to make out the exact nature of the substance due to the limited visibility, but it seemed to be the same metallic-scented liquid that was also seeping from the front door.