Morning came quietly, darkness thinning into a dull gray that slipped through the broken windows and stretched across the floor in uneven lines.
Kenji hadn't moved much. At some point, he had shifted from sitting to standing without noticing, his body adjusting on its own while his focus stayed locked elsewhere.
The presence hadn't faded. If anything, it felt clearer—not stronger, just easier to notice.
He rolled his shoulders once. No sleep, no rest, and yet he wasn't as tired as he should have been. That was new.
He looked toward the window, watching the light creep across the floor, then stepped forward.
The resistance wasn't the same. It was still there, but weaker. Or maybe he had gotten used to it.
He tested it. One step. Nothing. Another. Still nothing.
He stopped and turned slightly. "It's not pushing back anymore."
No answer.
But the silence felt different. Not empty—just quiet.
"That's not good."
Because if it wasn't resisting, then it was adapting. Or he was. Neither option sat well.
He walked toward the rusted metal door on the far side of the warehouse. He hadn't gone outside since he woke up. Now he wasn't sure he should stay inside either.
His hand reached for the handle, paused, then pulled it open.
The door groaned as it moved. Outside, the world looked exactly the way it should—empty streets, faded buildings, nothing out of place.
Normal.
Kenji stepped out and stopped.
The air felt different. Not heavier, not lighter—just clearer.
He took another step, scanning without turning too much. No movement. No sound.
But the feeling came with him.
He exhaled slowly. "Of course you did."
He walked farther from the warehouse, putting distance between himself and the place where everything started.
It didn't matter.
The presence stayed. Close. Unseen. Unmoved.
Kenji stopped in the middle of the empty street and looked ahead, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Then we're doing this," he said quietly.
Still no answer.
But this time, he didn't need one.
Because whatever it was—it wasn't just following him anymore.
It was staying.