"Dad… why does it feel scarier here than back in Japan?" Naomi's face was pale as a sheet.
"Don't let your imagination run wild," Hiro said, trying to reassure her. "At least we're safe for now. These fields are wide open—if anything shows up, we'll see it coming from a mile away."
"Oh…" Naomi nodded, but her expression didn't improve.
The terrifying images from the forest were still fresh in her mind, and her heart hadn't stopped racing since.
Thump thump thump… thump thump thump…
Suddenly, a knock echoed from the door. It was steady, rhythmic, and oddly low-pitched.
Everyone inside froze like startled rabbits, eyes wide, ears perked.
"Who is it?"
"Who's there?"
They were all sitting on the floor, backs against the wall, trying to rest.
Hiro quickly scanned the room, counting heads—twelve people, all accounted for. No one missing.
And more importantly, he didn't sense any human presence approaching from outside.
Gulp.
