I left Rico and Miyoko behind
It was not a planned decision
And not an escape
I just needed to breathe
To return to a place without screens
Without labels
Without words like SS and removal
The road home felt longer than usual
Every step was heavy with what was said
And with what was not
The organization
The third party
And that feeling that everyone knew something about me
Except me
When I arrived
Night had started to settle quietly
Few cars
No loud sounds
I opened the door
And stepped inside
The first thing I noticed
Was the smell of food
A warm smell
Familiar
Slowly coming from the kitchen
As if it was saying that this place
Was still normal
At least from the outside
I paused for a moment
And closed the door behind me
The sound of the lock felt louder than it should
At that moment
I noticed something else
No echo
No faint sensation
The one that had started to appear before everything
Ever since I woke up in that room
Just a mild headache
And exhaustion from a long day
My ability felt
Silent
I wondered quietly
Why is it not working now
I shook my head
As if pushing the thought away
And took a step inside
For a moment
I thought the house was empty
Then her voice came
From inside
Calm
Steady
As if it had been waiting for that exact moment
"You are late today Ginso"
I raised my head
My mother was standing near the table
Not sitting
Not moving
Her hands were clasped in front of her
Her gaze steadier than I expected
"University?" she asked
But her tone was not a question
"Yes" I answered
"It was a long day"
She stepped closer
Looked at me
Not just at my face
But as if she was trying to see what was behind it
"The coming days will be longer"
She said it calmly
Like a fact
Not a warning
I took off my shoes
And left my bag aside
"Is everything okay?" I asked
Even though I was not sure what I meant by everything
She nodded
"For now yes"
Then after a moment she added
"But that does not mean it will stay that way"
I felt a strange weight
Not fear
But the sense that the conversation was walking on a thin line
"Mom" I said
"Do you feel something?"
She looked at me for a long time
Then turned her gaze toward the window
"When a person lives long enough"
She said
"They learn to recognize the calm that comes before movement"
She turned back to me
And smiled slightly
More reassuring than it should have been
"Do not worry now"
"All you need to do is be careful"
I did not ask how
Or why
I sat down
The smell of food was still in the air
And my ability was still silent
And I realized that this day
Despite everything that happened
Was not the end
But a short pause
Before something
That was getting closer
With quieter
And more dangerous steps