Morning sunlight drifted gently through the windows, filling the house with a quiet warmth that had been absent for days. Birds chirped somewhere beyond the backyard, their songs blending with the peaceful stillness of the early hours. Inside, however, the silence lasted only until Yokina's cheerful voice echoed through the hallway. She moved through the house with an excitement she could no longer contain, calling both Juson and Herik to wake up as though she had won a great prize.
Without waiting for any response, she strode into the bedroom, pulled Juson's blanket away in one swift motion, and laughed at his sleepy expression. "Get up already!" she insisted, unable to hide how eager she was to meet Wanna again after so many years. Juson let out a tired groan while rubbing his eyes, and beside him Herik shifted slightly beneath the remaining sheets, still caught between sleep and wakefulness. Watching the two of them stirred something warm inside Yokina. After everything they had endured over the past few days, the ordinary chaos of a peaceful morning felt like a blessing.
Juson soon carried Herik into the bathroom, where the familiar morning routine unfolded with quiet simplicity. Herik stood patiently on the small stool while Juson applied toothpaste to the brush and gently cleaned the tiny row of new teeth that had only recently appeared. "Open properly," Juson murmured, guiding the brush with practiced care, and Herik obeyed without complaint. The routine felt almost comforting. The strange incidents of the previous days seemed distant, pushed aside by ordinary responsibilities that demanded no thought beyond the present moment.
For the first time in a while, Juson felt unusually light. The fading mark on Herik's neck no longer occupied every corner of his mind, and although unanswered questions still lingered somewhere beneath the surface, they remained quiet enough to let him breathe. The peaceful atmosphere settled over both father and son as they finished brushing before making their way toward the kitchen.
The rich aroma of breakfast welcomed them long before they reached the dining table. Yokina had insisted on preparing everything herself that morning, refusing even the slightest help. She moved confidently between the stove and the counter, no longer showing the exhaustion that had weighed on her during the previous week. Her strength had returned, and it showed in every movement. Juson and Herik paused almost instinctively upon entering the kitchen, both catching the delicious smell drifting through the room. Herik sniffed the air once, then again with greater curiosity, while Juson smiled faintly. "Smells good," he admitted before taking his seat.
As breakfast began, Yokina looked toward him with an excited expression. "Juson, you remember Wanna, right?" she asked. "Of course," he answered immediately. Herik quietly watched the exchange, uncertain why the conversation seemed so important to his parents. His attention slowly drifted toward the backyard window, where an uneasy feeling brushed against the edge of his awareness. He stared outside for several seconds before softly whispering, "Mumma..." Neither Juson nor Yokina noticed. They continued eating while Herik remained strangely focused on whatever had caught his attention beyond the glass. Expecting something to came up, but it was a little earlier.
Yokina eventually helped Herik finish the rest of his breakfast before placing the dishes aside with a satisfied smile. "You've gotten slow," she teased gently, brushing a few crumbs from his shirt before turning back toward Juson. "I can manage cooking now." Juson simply nodded, pleased to see her recovering so completely. Together they left the kitchen, but as they stepped into the hallway the lights overhead flickered sharply for only an instant before returning to normal.
Juson stopped briefly and glanced upward. "Probably wiring," he muttered, dismissing the incident as nothing more than a minor electrical problem. He closed the kitchen door behind them and followed Yokina into the bedroom. There she carefully changed Herik into clean clothes before putting on one of her own favourite dresses. Juson watched quietly from the doorway before smiling. "Cool," he complimented her, earning a bright smile in return. Outside, the sun continued climbing higher into the sky while the air gradually became warmer. Everything appeared calm. Everything appeared perfect. Yet somewhere inside Juson, a faint uneasiness refused to disappear.
Before leaving, Juson walked outside to prepare the car. He wiped the windows and mirrors carefully, more out of habit than necessity, his movements slow and methodical. When he finished, he opened the driver's door but did not start the engine immediately. Instead, he remained seated behind the steering wheel, staring through the windshield without truly seeing the road ahead. A strange feeling lingered within him, subtle yet persistent, as though something unpleasant waited just beyond his understanding. He could neither explain nor ignore it.
Outside, Yokina called his name, but for a brief moment her voice sounded impossibly distant, fading farther away with every repetition until it almost vanished completely. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, Juson gasped sharply and returned to himself. Yokina was standing right beside the open window, looking at him with concern. "What happened?" she asked. Juson blinked several times before answering awkwardly, "Nothing... the window blocked your voice." Even as the words left his mouth, he knew they made little sense.
The journey finally began in silence. The road stretched ahead beneath a clear sky while the quiet hum of the engine accompanied them. After several minutes, Juson spoke without taking his eyes off the road. "We should shift to another house." Yokina turned toward him immediately. "Why?" she asked, surprised by the sudden suggestion. Juson offered no explanation. He simply tightened his grip on the steering wheel and continued driving. The conversation ended there, replaced once again by silence.
Roughly half an hour later they arrived at their destination. Yokina's earlier excitement immediately returned as she stepped out of the car, almost hurrying toward the front door before pressing the doorbell with barely restrained anticipation. Juson followed behind with Herik in his arms, watching her smile with quiet amusement. The bell echoed through the house once... then a second time. They waited patiently as footsteps approached from inside, unaware that far away, back at their own home, someone else had already arrived.