Prologue

Aoi stood at the edge of the shore, her shoes sinking into the damp sand. The freshers' ceremony had ended hours ago, yet the applause still echoed faintly in her mind. The evening breeze tugged at the blue scarf around her neck.

For a moment, she thought she heard someone call her name. A child's voice. Aoi looked up. There was nobody on the shore yet for an instant, yet she could have sworn a figure stood at the edge of the water.

The waves crashed again but louder this time. And suddenly, she remembered a bus stop.

"The ocean is a beautiful place."

The sound of the sea swallowed everything else as Aoi took a step forward.