Morning arrived with an almost mocking sense of peace. The violent storm clouds that had swallowed the previous evening had vanished completely, leaving behind a sky washed in pale blue. Warm sunlight slipped gently through the bedroom curtains, spreading across the floor while the cheerful songs of birds drifted in through the open window. To anyone standing outside, the world appeared perfectly ordinary, untouched by the impossible events of the previous day. Yet beneath that calm surface, the memory of the strange dust and the glowing eyes refused to loosen its grip on Juson's mind.
He opened his eyes slowly, remaining still for several seconds before turning his head toward the small figure sleeping beside him. Herik lay curled beneath the blanket, breathing quietly, his face peaceful enough to make everything that had happened seem almost unreal. Juson watched him in silence, hoping that perhaps the danger had truly passed, that whatever had followed them home had disappeared along with the storm. The thought offered little comfort.
Eventually he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Wake up." Herik groaned softly, rolled once across the bed and slowly pushed himself upright, blinking several times before looking at his father. "Help me brush my teeth," he murmured sleepily. Juson gave a faint nod but said nothing. His thoughts had already wandered elsewhere. Yokina should have been in the kitchen by now.
He rose from the bed and walked quietly toward the kitchen, expecting to hear the familiar sounds of utensils or the smell of breakfast already filling the house. Instead, he found only silence. The room stood completely empty. "Yokina?" he called, his voice echoing gently through the house. No answer came. A slight frown crossed his face as he glanced around once more before turning back toward the bedroom, intending to ask Herik if he had seen her.
But when he reached the doorway, the child had already wandered away. Juson paused for only a moment before another sound reached him. Voices. They came from outside the house, steady and unfamiliar. Curious, he walked toward the entrance and stepped outside, where the scene before him immediately erased any lingering hope that the morning would remain peaceful. Yokina stood near the gate speaking to a uniformed policeman. Beside the officer stood a young man whose face Juson recognised almost instantly.
It was Hiori's elder son. The moment Yokina noticed Juson approaching, she turned slightly and said, "He's my husband." Juson walked closer, his expression calm despite the sudden uneasiness growing inside him. Without speaking, he gave Yokina a brief glance, silently asking her to take Herik back inside. She understood immediately and gently guided the boy away from the entrance while Juson remained outside with the visitors.
"Are you Mr. Juson?" the policeman asked politely. Juson nodded once before replying, "Yes. What happened?" The young man stepped forward, but the words seemed painfully difficult to force out. His voice trembled as he spoke. "My mother... is missing." For a single heartbeat the entire world around Juson disappeared. He no longer saw the frightened young man standing before him.
Instead he saw the kitchen window, the impossible cloud of dust, and the maid's body dissolving silently into countless drifting particles. The memory struck him with such force that he almost forgot to answer. Finally he managed to ask, "What do you mean... missing?" The young man lowered his head, struggling to keep his composure. "She came here yesterday. She wanted to tell you about my job." He swallowed before continuing. "She never came home." Silence settled over the conversation.
The policeman eventually stepped forward, speaking in a steady, professional tone. "We don't want to trouble you unnecessarily, Mr. Juson. But if you remember anything that might help us find her, we'd be grateful." The truth stood before Juson more clearly than ever. He knew exactly what had happened. Yet even if he spoke honestly, nobody would believe him. Worse, the truth would only bring suspicion upon himself. So he buried it.
Carefully controlling his breathing, he began constructing another story. "She did come here," he said quietly. "I had just returned from my friend's house when she arrived." Both the policeman and the young man watched him closely. "She told me about your job," Juson continued, looking toward the boy, "and then she mentioned she was going to visit her sister."
The young man's forehead creased immediately. "She never told us she was visiting anyone." Juson deliberately hesitated, pretending to search his memory rather than inventing it. "...one who lives in another city," he finally added. "She mentioned it a few days ago." The policeman exchanged a doubtful glance with the boy. It clearly wasn't enough to satisfy either of them, yet it was the only lead they possessed.
After several moments the officer nodded slowly. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll continue the search." The young man looked as though he wanted to ask something more, but exhaustion and worry seemed to drain the strength from him. Together they turned and walked back toward their vehicle before disappearing down the road. Juson remained standing at the gate long after they had left, his thoughts refusing to settle. Every lie he had spoken echoed back inside his own mind, heavier than the one before it. Slowly he turned toward the house, intending to go back inside.
After only a few steps, however, something caught his attention. The car. More specifically... its roof. The fine layer of grey dust still rested silently across the metal surface exactly where he had left it. It had not moved. It had not disappeared. It waited there beneath the peaceful morning sunlight, as though quietly reminding him that yesterday had truly happened, and that whatever had entered their lives had not yet finished with them.