The hours after the scrape on the shutter dragged like wet cement. None of them really slept, not even Hana. She would drift off, twitch, then stir awake again at every tiny sound. Riku stayed where he was, rifle balanced across his knees, until the pale glow of dawn began to bleed through the towels taped over the windows.
When the first light touched the floor, Riku spoke.
"Pack up. We're moving."
Ichika groaned, already hugging the walkie like a pillow. "So soon? We just got here."
Suzune didn't argue. She rose without a word and started collecting the few items they had. Miko nudged Hana awake and brushed her hair out of her eyes. The girl rubbed her face with tiny fists, then sat up obediently.
