The cool October wind gently brushed the tall grasses covering the hill. Shinome walked slowly, his gaze lost in the distance, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with shades of pink and orange. This place, where they had promised to meet after the end of the school year, seemed both familiar and strangely silent, as if the atmosphere had changed since their last meeting.
Slowly, familiar voices reached him, punctuated by laughter and exclamations. His friends were there, gathered at the foot of an old oak tree, their silhouettes outlined against the fiery sky. Asaka, her face lit by a warm smile, waved as she spotted him. Reiji, casually leaning against the trunk, threw one of his usual jokes even before Shinome had a chance to approach.
"Hey, Shinome! You haven't changed — still slow to catch on, or is that just your way of meditating?" he teased in a mocking tone.
Yuriha, absentmindedly flipping through a sketchbook, rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "Let him be, Reiji. He's just thinking up his next excuse not to do his homework."
Shinome gave a faint smile. The warmth of their presence contrasted strangely with the cold that had settled in his chest since his father's death. He approached the group, feeling that bubble of friendship close around him, calming him a little.
"Have you been waiting long?" he asked, sitting down near Asaka.
"Just long enough for Reiji to tell three of his bad jokes," Asaka replied with a soft laugh. "He can't help himself."
Reiji pretended to be offended, but his honest smile betrayed his pleasure at being the center of attention. "Hey, someone's got to lighten the mood, especially with everything happening outside."
A silence settled for a moment, broken only by the rustling leaves and the last bird songs. The air seemed heavy with an invisible tension, a weight pressing on their shoulders.
"You know," Asaka began, her voice a little darker, "I've been wondering for a while… These disappearances, every October, it's not normal."
"Eight people, each time. Not one more, not one less." Yuriha set her sketchbook on her lap, her eyes dark.
Reiji tried to bring back a lighter tone. "Maybe it's the new weight loss plan? They make a few of us disappear every year to balance the population."
A nervous laugh broke out, but it didn't last. They all knew it wasn't really a joke.
Shinome looked away, his face closed off. He didn't yet understand what these disappearances meant, nor why they affected everyone without distinction. But one thing was clear: they were linked to what his father had left him.
The group stayed there for a moment, watching the darkening horizon, each lost in their thoughts. Yet, despite the weight of unspoken words, a silent strength united them. A tacit pact to protect what they had, not to be overwhelmed by fear.
Reiji finally broke the silence, more serious than usual. "Whatever happens, we have to stay together. That's our strength."
Asaka nodded, squeezing Shinome's hand. "Yes. We'll find answers, together."
Yuriha nodded, her gaze meeting Shinome's. "It's a promise."
Shadows lengthened over the hill as October night spread its veil. But there, beneath the old oak, amid the grasses, a fragile glow of hope still shone.
The sky darkened further, revealing the first stars timidly sparkling in the chilly October air. The group had huddled closer together, as if to shield themselves from the cold that seemed to come not only from the night but also from the deep unease weighing on them. Shinome felt his fingers growing numb, but he didn't want to leave. Not yet.
"Do you think anyone knows what's really happening?" Asaka broke the silence with a low, almost fearful voice.
"No one has ever spoken openly about these disappearances," Yuriha replied, staring at her fingers. "But some elders say it started many generations ago…"
"Yes, and always at the same time, every year. Eight people vanish, leaving no trace." Reiji rolled a stone between his hands, his expression darker than usual.
Shinome frowned. "It's as if time itself holds its breath during that period." He thought of what his father had whispered to him before dying — about old and hidden things.
"We need to understand this connection," Asaka said determinedly. "Maybe these disappearances are linked to something we don't see, something beyond us…"
A silence settled again. Each of them was lost in thought, wondering if the weight of this mystery would crush them. Yet deep inside, they all felt this enigma wasn't just a coincidence.
Suddenly, Reiji straightened up sharply, breaking the tension.
"Alright, enough with the dark stuff! We're going to end up like old grumps. Remember that time we tried to make a campfire and almost set the wood on fire?"
Laughter rippled through the group, briefly dispelling the shadow looming over their hearts. Even Shinome felt a wave of warmth rise within him.
"You're incorrigible, Reiji," Asaka whispered, smiling despite herself.
"That's what makes me the coolest in the group, right?" he replied with a mischievous glance.
But as the evening wore on, their conversation gradually shifted to their future plans. Far from disappearances and shadows, they talked about studies, dreams, and trips they hoped to take one day. Shinome listened, but his mind kept returning to his father, his secret, and the promise he made to protect his friends and the world around them.
When night had fully fallen, Asaka cast one last glance toward the hill, then at her friends.
"No matter what awaits us, we'll face it together. We're bound by more than friendship now."
Yuriha nodded, her gaze steely.
"We won't let fear divide us."
Shinome clenched his fists, a new fire burning deep within him. "Yes. Together."
The stars seemed to shine a little brighter, as if offering them a silent blessing. Under the old oak tree, in the heart of this October night, a pact had just been sealed — a pact of hope, courage, and loyalty.
But beyond the shadows, in a world only a few chosen ones could glimpse, an ancient power was awakening. And the path Shinome and his friends would take was far from easy.
The hours slowly passed as night wrapped the hill in a deep veil. The stars, shy at first, grew more numerous, sparkling like fragile promises in the darkness. The group was still there, gathered around the old oak tree, a silent circle united by a tension they couldn't ignore.
Shinome stared at the dancing shadows, his heart heavy with questions. The words exchanged earlier still echoed, and part of him wanted to push them away, forget the vague worry gnawing at him. But it was impossible. He felt deep inside that something important was coming, that his life had shifted, and that this return to the hill was only the beginning of a much darker path.
Asaka broke the silence, her voice soft but firm: "Shinome, you know you're not alone, right? We're here, no matter what happens."
Reiji, who until then had kept his playful smile, leaned forward with a serious look. "Yeah, and even if I joke a little too much sometimes, I'm ready to do anything to protect you guys."
A sincere smile crossed Shinome's face. This group, with their strengths and flaws, had become his family. A family he had to protect as much as himself.
Then Yuriha took out her sketchbook and showed it to her friends. Detailed drawings of ancient symbols, ruins, and a huge door surrounded by strange patterns. "I found this in the village library. Some talk about a Door, but no one really knows what it is. It might be connected to what's happening."
The silence grew deeper. This Door, mysterious and enigmatic, seemed to be the key to a mystery bigger than all of them.
Suddenly, a slight shiver ran through Shinome, as if an invisible presence was gliding around them. The wind seemed to whisper inaudible words, and in his mind, he briefly saw a blurry image: a massive door, covered in glowing carvings, slowly opening onto a strange world.
He shook his head, pushing away this vision that disturbed him more than it reassured.
"No matter what it is," he said with determination, "we have to stay united. What's happening is not just a coincidence. We have to understand, and we have to be ready."
Asaka nodded, a gleam of respect in her eyes. "Together. Always."
Reiji raised his fist in a gesture of defiance. "We're going to crush it. No way we're backing down."
Yuriha smiled, but her gaze betrayed genuine worry. "Promise."
The night stretched on, the chill deepened, but none of them moved. They stayed there, bound by a silent oath, ready to face the unknown that awaited them.
As the stars shone above them, Shinome felt a spark of hope, fragile but real, ignite in his heart. The road would be long and full of obstacles, but now he knew he wouldn't be alone.
The return to the hill had awakened more than memories. It had lit a flame. A flame they would carry together, against the shadow threatening their world.