The sunset began to fade, and the park sky shifted into shades of orange and violet.
The park lights slowly turned on, stretching the shadows of trees across the walkway.
Arou and Airi walked slowly, matching each other's pace.
Chika followed a few steps behind, still alert, but unaware of what was about to happen.
On the other side, Haru tapped Tomo's shoulder while leaning forward.
"Look at that… it's huge, and weird," he whispered.
Tomo turned, eyes widening.
"That… who is that…? Airi… do you see it too?"
Airi swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
"Yeah… I see it… it's… tall, thin… and… it has tentacles," she muttered softly.
Haru gulped, eyes shaking.
"We need to be careful… don't let it notice we're scared," he said, holding his breath.
Slowly, Slenderman began moving toward them.
Its stiff, slow steps echoed, black tentacles drifting in the air like living shadows.
Branches snapped as the tendrils brushed the ground, scattering dirt and debris, making the group even more panicked.
Airi grabbed Arou's arm, though he still hadn't realized what was happening.
"You need to look… it's real… we need to back away slowly," she whispered, her breath unsteady.
Haru turned to Tomo, pale-faced.
"This… is serious… we need to move carefully," he whispered.
Arou turned, confused by their expressions.
"What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Tomo pointed toward the trees, trembling.
"You don't see it?! A tall, thin figure… blank face… white skin… and those tentacles!"
Chika walked closer, still unaware.
"Airi… did you say something? What do you mean?"
Airi tried to steady herself, but her eyes stayed locked on the towering shadow.
"Yes… it's real… we need to be careful. I… I don't want it to know we're scared," she said softly.
Slenderman kept approaching, its presence swallowing the park lights around it.
That peaceful sunset had turned into a suffocating atmosphere.
The tall faceless shadow, with floating black tendrils and pale skin, filled them with real fear.
But their trust in Arou and Chika's protection was the only thing keeping them grounded.
Before them, Slenderman fully appeared—tall, thin, faceless, pale-skinned, dressed neatly, with black tentacles moving slowly through the air.
Arou stopped, eyes widening, breath caught in his throat.
"C-Chika… do you see that?" he said in shock, staring at the towering figure.
Chika also froze, her eyes widening.
"Oh… God… it's real…" she muttered, clearly panicking.
Airi, Haru, and Tomo—who had already seen it—were fully panicked.
"Run… now!" Airi shouted, grabbing Arou's hand.
Everyone started running—Arou, Chika, Airi, Haru, and Tomo—breathing heavily, hearts racing.
Slenderman's tentacles moved through the air, following their escape, swallowing the light around them.
Haru glanced at Tomo, face pale.
"We need to… hurry… don't let it touch us!"
Tomo looked back at the shadow, fear clear in his eyes.
"Don't stop… keep running!"
They ran far longer than they realized, the path around them becoming unfamiliar.
"Hey… this road… wasn't like this before!" Tomo panicked.
"Keep running… we can't stop!" Airi replied, breathless but focused.
Suddenly, they realized something even worse.
"Wait… where are we?!" Chika shouted, eyes wide.
The surroundings had turned into an empty, void-like space—no windows, no doors, only a dark reflective floor that mirrored their faint silhouettes.
Every step echoed loudly in the emptiness.
Slenderman appeared in one corner, slowly moving again, its tentacles creeping through the void as if the space itself belonged to it.
Arou looked around, panicked but trying to stay focused.
"We have to keep moving… don't stop," he said, voice shaking but firm.
Airi held onto his arm tightly.
"This… isn't real… but it's still behind us…" she whispered, breath uneven.
Haru and Tomo ran nearby, both pale with fear.
"Faster… don't let it catch us!" Haru shouted.
Slenderman kept closing in, its stiff movements terrifyingly calm, as if it was absorbing the empty space around them.
They ran without direction, no exit in sight.
The void only made the pressure worse.
Every step echoed endlessly.
Slenderman never stopped—it always stayed behind them, its shadow and tentacles ready to catch anyone who slowed down.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared ahead.
Instantly, Slenderman stopped, then vanished completely—its tentacles dissolving into nothingness.
Standing in front of them was a mysterious figure: Zata.
His body radiated an unnatural aura, eyes sharp, calm yet overwhelming.
"Sorry… my pet got loose," Zata said with a small laugh.
Airi, Chika, Tomo, and Haru stared at him in panic and confusion.
"W-Who are you?!" Chika asked, terrified.
Arou narrowed his eyes.
"Pet…?"
Zata looked at Arou seriously.
"Yes. Slenderman is just my pet. You'll face that creature in the fourth game, but now isn't the right time."
After a short conversation, Zata raised his hand—and instantly, Airi, Chika, Tomo, and Haru lost all memory of Slenderman.
They stood there blankly, as if they had just forgotten everything.
Zata looked at Arou one last time, then shifted his form.
In an instant, he turned into a small bat, flapping his wings and flying away into the sky.
Once Zata disappeared, the void dissolved, and the park returned to normal.
Soft lamp lights lit the walkway again, and the peaceful atmosphere returned.
Arou looked around, still slightly confused but relieved.
Airi, Chika, Tomo, and Haru looked at each other, their panic fading—without any memory of what had just happened.
Only Arou continued staring at the night sky, thinking about the mysterious being who had just saved them: Zata.
That morning, sunlight slowly entered Arou's room.
Arou opened his eyes and sat up on the bed, still half asleep.
Suddenly, a soft light appeared in the corner of the room.
Zata stood there again, his presence calm yet powerful.
"Arou… I have a small spoiler about the fourth game," Zata said with a faint smile.
"You will live happily… with Airi."
Arou froze, raising an eyebrow.
"Live happily… with Airi? What do you mean?"
Zata looked at him seriously, still smiling.
"In the fourth game, you will marry her."
Arou blinked.
"Eh? So I… will marry her?"
Zata nodded lightly.
"And you will have one child."
Arou's face turned red.
"O-one child?" he stammered.
Zata smirked.
"At first, I thought about making it one hundred."
Arou immediately panicked.
"ONE HUNDRED?!"
Zata chuckled.
"Yes… but then I realized even raising one is already difficult… let alone a hundred."
Arou lowered his head, still flustered but slowly processing it.
"So… I'm going to marry Airi… and have a child…" he muttered, half shocked, half strangely happy.
Zata gave a final small smile, then vanished from the room, leaving Arou alone with a mix of confusion, panic, and quiet happiness.