Kaito stood up from his bed, his hands clenching into tight fists.
"This time... I'm going to find out what's happening," he muttered, determination burning in his eyes.
He began searching every room carefully.
He opened doors one by one—empty, normal, nothing suspicious.
When he opened the bathroom door, he accidentally caught a glimpse of Yumi bathing.
"Kyaa! Kaito! Get out!!" Yumi shrieked, throwing a shampoo bottle at the door.
"S-sorry!" Kaito yelped, slamming the door shut and rubbing his forehead where the bottle hit.
"Idiot!" he heard Yumi scream from inside.
After that little accident, he kept moving, more careful this time.
He checked the living room, his parents' room, and even peeked inside the kitchen and closets.
Nothing.
No strange symbols, no hidden doors—just the normal boring house.
Finally, he pulled down the attic ladder and climbed up, coughing as dust filled his nose.
He searched the cramped attic space, shining his flashlight around.
Nothing but boxes and old photo albums.
Hours passed.
Kaito sat down on the floor, exhausted.
"There's... nothing," he whispered, feeling the frustration boiling inside him.
But then—
His vision blurred.
Again.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in bed.
Confused, Kaito immediately scrambled to check the date.
November 1.
His heart sank.
"It... happened again?!" he said aloud, his voice trembling.
But this time—something was different.
When he looked at the wall across his bed, he froze.
Words, scratched deep into the paint, were written in a messy, almost insane style.
> "CAN'T ESCAPE?
HAHAHAHA"
Kaito's chest tightened. He staggered backward, knocking over a chair.
"WHO'S DOING THIS?!" he roared, his voice echoing through the empty house.
He spun around, searching every corner, eyes wild.
"SHOW YOURSELF! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"
No answer.
Just silence.
Panting, Kaito grabbed the door handle and ripped it open.
But the hallway... was empty.
The house felt abandoned—too quiet.
Kaito ran through every room again, shouting for his family.
"Mom! Dad! Yumi!"
Nothing.
Only the hollow sound of his own voice bouncing back at him.
Finally, broken and exhausted, Kaito collapsed onto his knees in the middle of the living room.
"This... this has to be a nightmare," he muttered.
His vision began to fade to black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in bed.
The first thing he did is checked his phone
And his heart nearly stopped.
November 0.
"...What?"
He blinked hard, thinking he was seeing things.
"No way... November 0? That's not even possible!" Kaito gasped, stumbling back against the wall.
The whole room felt colder now.
The walls cracked.
The floor creaked under his feet.
And everywhere—written over and over again—were the same words:
> "CAN'T ESCAPE.
CAN'T ESCAPE.
CAN'T ESCAPE."
Kaito's breathing grew rapid. His hands shook.
"Am I... am I trapped... forever?" he whispered to himself.
From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something move—a white figure standing just outside his vision.
He turned instantly.
Nothing there.
He screamed into the emptiness:
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"
But no voice answered.
Only a chilling silence.
Kaito sat on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through his messy hair.
His glasses slipped down a little on his nose.
He pushed them back up and muttered under his breath:
"I'm missing something... something important."
His mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening.
Everything felt wrong—
The way time reversed.
The way his family vanished.
And now—November 0? It made no sense.
He stood up slowly, feeling the chill in the air.
His eyes drifted toward the window.
Outside—it was pure white.
No streets.
No trees.
No sky.
Just a blinding field of light stretching forever.
"What the hell...?" Kaito whispered, stepping closer.
He pressed his forehead against the cold glass.
No matter how much he squinted, he couldn't see anything.
Only the endless white glow, pulsing faintly like it was alive.
Suspicion gnawed at him.
"This... this isn't right," he muttered.
With growing dread, Kaito grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open.
The light from outside flooded the room—
But beyond it—
The world looked normal.
A quiet street.
Houses lined up neatly.
Children playing with a soccer ball.
Neighbors watering their gardens.
It looked just like his neighborhood.
Exactly like it.
Too perfect.
Kaito narrowed his eyes, his brain buzzing.
"This world isn't real," he said aloud, voice shaking slightly.
He stepped outside cautiously, feeling the ground beneath his feet.
The cool air brushed against his skin.
The smell of fresh grass and food cooking drifted in the wind.
It all felt real.
But deep inside, Kaito knew it was a lie.
None of it made sense.
Why was the window showing endless light, but the outside looked normal?
Was this another trick? Another layer of the trap?
He turned back to the house, staring at the door he had just walked out of.
It looked... flat, almost like a painting hung on a wall.
A chill ran down his spine.
He heard a faint whisper again, softer this time, almost gentle:
> "You figured it out...?"
Kaito whipped his head around.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" he demanded, clenching his fists.
But again—
No one answered.
The whisper was gone.
Leaving Kaito standing alone in the too-perfect street of a too-perfect world.
And for the first time
He realized
He wasn't just trapped in time.
He was trapped in a fake reality.
And someone or something was watching him.
Kaito stared at the fake world around him.
Everything felt heavier, like the very air was pressing down on him.
His vision started to blur.
The world twisted and rippled—
The colors bleeding into each other—
Until finally—
Everything went black.
When he opened his eyes, a familiar voice was calling him.
"Wake up, Kaito! Wake up!" Yumi shook him gently.
Kaito blinked rapidly, confused.
The bright light of the room stabbed into his tired eyes.
He sat up, gasping for breath like someone who had been drowning.
Panting, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table with shaky hands.
His heart nearly stopped.
> Date: November 6
He was back.
The day he started from.
But... how?
Was it a dream?
Was it all fake?
Was this another trap?
He didn't know.
He couldn't tell anymore.
Still trembling, Kaito looked at Yumi.
Without thinking, he reached out and patted her head softly.
Yumi's eyes widened in surprise.
"Eh? What's wrong, Kaito?" she asked, tilting her head.
Before he could answer, Mrs. Hoshino's voice echoed from downstairs:
"Yumi! Kaito! Breakfast is ready! Come down!"
Yumi turned back to him.
"Kaito, Mom's calling us," she said, smiling brightly.
Kaito took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Alright... Let's go," he said.
They walked down together.
The scent of warm food filled the air, comforting and real.
His second family sat together, chatting and laughing.
It felt... almost normal.
Almost.
Kaito sat down at the table, picking up his chopsticks slowly.
Everyone around him was smiling.
Happy.
He wanted to believe it.
He wanted it to be real.
As he ate, Kaito kept stealing glances at Yumi, Mrs. Hoshino, even the little details of the house.
Memorizing everything.
In case it all disappeared again.
When breakfast ended, Kaito stood up and straightened his school uniform.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the door.
He paused.
Turning back to look at his family one more time.
They waved at him.
"Take care!" Yumi called out.
"Have a good day, Kaito!" Mrs. Hoshino added.
Kaito smiled.
A real, shaky smile.
His eyes stung with tears he refused to let fall.
"Goodbye..." he said softly, almost whispering.
He opened the door.
—And was blinded by pure white light.
There was no street.
No sky.
No sound.
Only the endless, crushing whiteness.
Before Kaito could react, the door behind him vanished into thin air
Leaving him standing alone in the empty void once more.