Chapter 23: — “When the Lights Go Out” — (Bonus Chapter)

The world was quiet again.

Too quiet.

Mika lay curled up beneath her blanket, her bedroom dark except for the soft blue glow of the digital clock on her desk: 1:46 AM. The events of the past day spun endlessly in her head, the ropes, the warehouse, the masked face, the fear. Her breath still caught in her throat whenever she remembered how cold the metal chair was against her skin.

She hadn’t spoken about it. Not really. After Riku kicked down that door and they all got out… everything went back to “normal.” At least, it looked that way. Smiles were forced. Jokes were half-hearted. Everyone acted like they were okay.

But she wasn’t okay.

And she knew none of them were either.

Mika sat up, pulling her knees close to her chest. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes puffy from the tears she thought she’d wiped away. She looked down at her hands, the same hands that had trembled in that chair, tied up, useless.

The thought hit her like a wave:

What if they hadn’t come for me?

What if no one found me in time?

What if… Riku didn’t care?

Her chest tightened.

She reached for her phone. Her thumb hovered over his name. Riku Aozora.

She wanted to text something dumb. Something simple.

“Are you awake?”

But she didn’t.

She just stared.

Eventually, she typed:

“Thank you… for saving me.”

And then erased it.

No… it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like enough.

Mika sighed and leaned back against the wall, the chill of it grounding her. Her gaze shifted to the small cracked photo frame on her nightstand, a picture of her and Riku at the park. They were both smiling. Mika sitting on a swing, and Riku, pushing her as while she swung.

She hugged her pillow tighter.

“I’m not scared of the demon,” she whispered into the dark. “I’m scared of losing you Riku...”

Across town, Riku sat on his roof.

The stars were faint tonight, blurred by city light and clouds. But he didn’t care. The quiet was all he needed. The wind tugged at his shirt, and he rested his chin on his knees, staring into nothing.

He hadn’t slept either.

Not because of nightmares. But because of guilt.

Mika almost died.

Because of him.

Because the demon wanted him.

Because someone out there... something, was trying to break them.

His phone buzzed once. He checked it. Nothing. Just a weather alert. He instinctively opened his messages and glanced at Mika’s name.

Still nothing from her.

He closed the app and stared ahead again. Kenji had told him to stop blaming himself. Akari had promised they’d stop the prophecy. But none of it mattered if the people he cared about were being used as pawns.

His fists clenched.

He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Back in her room, Mika eventually slid down onto the floor, blanket dragging behind her.

She sat there, hugging her knees in silence. No more tears left.

Just silence.

The kind that filled every corner and pressed on her chest.

She didn’t want a tomorrow if it meant pretending today didn’t hurt.

And yet, even through the weight, something small and warm remained.

They’d come for her.

He’d come for her.

Maybe that was enough.