Juson ran without daring to look behind him. Every desperate step carried him farther from the kitchen window, yet the dreadful sensation refused to leave. His heartbeat hammered violently against his ribs while his breathing became heavier with each stride. Behind him, the strange dust no longer drifted aimlessly through the air. It poured out of the kitchen window like a living stream, flowing low above the ground before gradually rising and accelerating as though it had discovered its target. It no longer behaved like ordinary dust scattered by the wind.
Every tiny particle remained bound to the others, twisting together into a single pursuing cloud that followed him with terrifying precision. The gate appeared only a few metres ahead, and Juson threw himself toward it, grabbing both iron panels with trembling hands before forcing them together with every ounce of strength left in his body. The metal crashed shut just as the cloud reached the entrance.
For one brief heartbeat the particles hovered motionless beyond the bars, as though confused by the obstacle. Then they slowly began slipping through the narrow gaps between the iron rods. Juson's face drained of colour. A cry for help escaped his throat almost instinctively, echoing across the empty street before vanishing unanswered into the afternoon silence. There was nobody outside. Nobody came. Fear finally overwhelmed every remaining thought, and he turned away from the gate before sprinting toward the car with every bit of speed his exhausted legs could produce.
The cloud continued after him without hesitation. It seeped through the gate as though the iron offered no resistance and floated rapidly across the yard, reducing the distance between them with frightening ease. Juson reached the driver's door just before it caught up, yanked it open, threw himself inside and slammed it shut so violently that the entire vehicle shook.
For several seconds he simply sat there, struggling to breathe while his mind desperately tried to process everything he had witnessed. Nothing made sense. Nothing fit within any explanation he had ever believed possible. Beside him, Herik stared quietly at his father, completely confused by the sudden panic. "Where are we going?" he asked innocently. Juson ignored the question as trembling hands searched for the ignition. The engine roared to life beneath them. "Hold tight," he said hurriedly, pressing the accelerator. The car lurched forward, but at that exact moment his eyes widened in horror.
Herik's side window remained slightly open. Before he could reach across the seat to close it, several glowing particles drifted through the opening. Unlike before, they floated gently inside the vehicle, almost peacefully, their faint blue glow making them appear strangely beautiful despite the terror they inspired. Juson immediately shouted, "Don't touch them!" His voice filled the cabin, sharp enough to make even himself flinch. Yet curiosity had already taken hold of Herik.
The child watched the glowing particles with complete fascination. Slowly, almost absentmindedly, he lifted his hand toward them. "No!" Juson's desperate cry came too late. Herik's fingers entered the cluster, and the moment they touched, a brilliant spark flashed through the air. The entire cloud collapsed instantly. Every glowing particle lost its light and dropped lifelessly onto the seats and floor like ordinary grains of sand. At the same instant, Herik screamed in pain.
The tyres screeched violently as Juson slammed on the brakes. The car stopped so abruptly that both of them were thrown forward before the seatbelts caught them. Without wasting another second, Juson removed Herik's belt, pulled the boy into his arms and called his name repeatedly. There was no reply. Panic rose inside him as he pressed trembling fingers against Herik's wrist.
The pulse was unbelievably fast, beating beneath the skin so forcefully that every blood vessel seemed to beat at once. His breathing remained steady, yet his body had become completely limp, as though consciousness itself had vanished the moment he touched the strange particles. Juson's eyes darted toward the road outside. The cloud that had chased them had disappeared entirely. No glowing dust hovered around the vehicle anymore.
The road stood silent beneath the dark sky, giving no sign that anything extraordinary had happened. Then, so quietly he almost missed it, a weak voice reached his ears. "...Dad." He looked down immediately. Herik's eyes had opened. They were no longer ordinary. A faint light glowed from within them, gentle yet unmistakable, like two small lamps burning in darkness. Juson froze. He could only stare, unable to force a single thought into words. Finally he managed to whisper, "How do you feel?" Herik blinked once before answering calmly, "I feel... safe."
Still unable to understand what he had witnessed, Juson slowly placed Herik back onto the seat before stepping out of the car. The evening air had become strangely peaceful. The wind had almost disappeared, leaving only an unnatural stillness behind. He walked around the vehicle carefully, searching for any trace of the cloud. Then he stopped beside the driver's side and looked upward. Every inch of the car's roof had become covered with a fine layer of grey dust. Unlike before, however, none of it moved. There was no faint humming, no blue glow, no flowing motion. The particles rested perfectly still across the metal surface, resembling nothing more than ordinary dirt left behind after a long journey.
Hesitantly, Juson reached up and brushed his fingers across the layer. Nothing happened. The particles remained completely motionless. Dead. His thoughts immediately returned to Herik. The child had touched them. Moments later every particle had lost both movement and light. Was it merely coincidence, or had Herik somehow done something impossible? Juson could find no answer. Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, intending to call Yokina immediately.
Before he could dial, however, another vehicle approached the house. Yokina stepped out first, followed closely by Wanna carrying her daughter in her arms. Juson quietly returned to the driver's seat, where Herik had already fallen asleep once again as though the entire incident had drained every bit of strength from him. He restarted the engine and drove the remaining distance toward the gate, stopping only a few metres away before lifting the sleeping child carefully into his arms.
Yokina's attention immediately shifted toward the entrance. Her eyes moved from Juson to the closed gate before returning to his face. "The gate's closed," she observed quietly. "What happened?" Juson hesitated only briefly before forcing himself to answer. "It was probably the wind," he said calmly. "And... there was a cat inside the kitchen." The explanation sounded weak even to him, but neither Yokina nor Wanna questioned it.
Wanna smiled slightly. "I told you," she said. "It must've been the windstorm." Relieved by such an ordinary explanation, Yokina finally relaxed. After exchanging a few final words, Wanna carried her daughter,Nitsuki back to the car, gently settling the little girl into her seat before preparing to leave. "Take care," she said warmly. "You too," Yokina replied with equal warmth.
Moments later the car disappeared down the road, leaving the family alone once more. Juson and Yokina entered the property together, Herik resting quietly against Yokina's shoulder as though still asleep. Just before they crossed the doorway, however, Herik slowly lifted his head. His glowing eyes turned upward toward the entrance.
The two electric bulbs fixed above the gate flickered once. Then again. A third flicker followed before both lights gone completely, leaving the entrance in sudden darkness. Neither Juson nor Yokina noticed the change. They continued walking inside, unaware that only Herik remained quietly watching the darkness above them.