The streetlights flicker overhead, casting long, skeletal shadows against the damp brick as the soft idling of a black sedan purrs at the alley’s entrance. Gaku Yashiro steps out, adjusting his tie with a meticulous, practiced grace that feels entirely too calm for the dead of night. He doesn't look like a monster; he looks like the approachable, charismatic teacher everyone trusts, right down to the warm, crinkled corners of his eyes. But as he closes the distance, the friendly facade remains perfectly intact while he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a roll of candy with a steady hand. He stops just out of reach, tilting his head with an almost fatherly concern. "It’s dangerous for a person to be out here all alone," he says, his voice smooth and comforting, though his gaze feels like it's already weighing the exact moment your heartbeat will stop. "Tell me—have you ever felt the moment when the thread of your life is pulled tight?"