Sleep didn't come gently that night.
It dragged Toshi down.
At first, there was nothing.
Just darkness.
Not the kind you see when you close your eyes—but something deeper. Heavy. Thick. Like it had weight.
Then—
A sound.
Faint.
Struggling.
Toshi's eyes opened.
He was standing.
Not in his room.
The air smelled damp.
Old.
Rotten wood and dust filled his lungs as he looked around. He was inside a house—abandoned, broken, silent. The walls were cracked, the ceiling sagging, and the floor beneath his feet creaked softly when he shifted.
"…What is this place?"
His voice sounded distant. Like it didn't belong to him.
Then he heard it again.
A choking sound.
Weak.
Desperate.
Toshi turned toward the sound and started moving, each step slow, cautious. The deeper he went, the darker it became. The hallway stretched longer than it should have, shadows pooling unnaturally in the corners.
The sound grew clearer.
Someone was struggling.
He reached the end of the hallway—
And froze.
A man lay on the ground.
His hands clawed at something invisible around his throat.
No—
Not invisible.
A woman stood over him.
White dress.
Still.
Silent.
One hand wrapped tightly around his neck.
The man's eyes were wide, desperate, pleading—but no sound came out anymore.
Toshi's chest tightened.
"Hey—!"
He moved forward instinctively. No thinking. No hesitation.
"Let him go!"
No response.
The woman didn't move.
Didn't react.
It was like she hadn't even heard him.
Toshi's eyes darted around, searching for something—anything.
Near the wall, half-covered in dust—
An iron rod.
Old. Rusted. Heavy.
He grabbed it.
His hands tightened around the cold metal.
"Stop!"
He swung it.
Hard.
Straight at her head.
The rod passed through her.
Like air.
No resistance.
No impact.
Nothing.
Toshi stumbled forward, his balance thrown off.
"What—?"
Slowly—
Very slowly—
The woman's hand loosened from the man's throat.
The man collapsed, gasping weakly.
But Toshi wasn't looking at him anymore.
The woman moved.
Her head turned.
Not normally.
Not naturally.
It twisted.
Too far.
Too slow.
Until
She was looking directly at him.
Her hair shifted just enough to reveal her face.
Pale.
Still.
And her eyes
Deep crimson.
Not glowing.
Not bright.
Just… wrong.
Toshi couldn't move.
Not because something held him.
But because his body refused to respond.
She tilted her head.
Slightly.
The same way.
A smile formed.
Small.
Cold.
Unfamiliar.
And then—
Everything snapped.
Toshi's eyes shot open.
He was in his room.
His bed.
His ceiling.
But something was wrong.
He couldn't move.
His body felt locked.
Heavy.
Like something invisible was pressing him down.
His fingers didn't respond. His legs didn't move. Even his breathing felt restricted, shallow and uneven.
Panic rose instantly.
"What—what's happening—?"
But his mouth didn't open.
No sound came out.
His eyes shifted slowly.
Left.
Right.
The room was dark.
Faint light from outside barely touched the walls.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Then—
He felt it.
A light touch.
Near his ankle.
Cold.
Slow.
Like fingers brushing against his skin.
His heart slammed against his chest.
His eyes widened, trying to look down
But he couldn't move enough to see.
The feeling stopped.
Just like that.
Seconds passed.
Or minutes.
He couldn't tell.
Then suddenly—
His body jerked.
Movement returned all at once.
He sat up quickly, gasping for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
The room was empty.
Silent.
Nothing there.
Toshi ran a hand over his face, breathing hard.
"…Just a dream."
His voice was shaky.
Uncertain.
He swung his legs off the bed, standing slowly.
Everything felt normal again.
Too normal.
He reached for the light switch.
Clicked it on.
The room filled with soft yellow light.
Nothing.
No one.
Toshi let out a slow breath.
"…Yeah. Just a nightmare."
But as he turned back toward his bed—
He paused.
For a brief moment—
He thought he heard something.
A whisper.
Faint.
Close.
"…I'm coming…"
Toshi froze.
Then silence.
Complete silence.
He stood there for a long time.
Listening.
Waiting.
Nothing came.
Eventually, he lay back down.
Forcing himself to close his eyes.
Forcing himself to sleep.
But deep inside—
A thought settled.
Heavy.
Unshakable.
That didn't feel like a dream.