Aragoub stood at the frayed edge of civilization, a city forgotten by time and progress. The streets bore the scars of neglect, cracked asphalt, potholes swallowing the remains of old rain, and sidewalks littered with cigarette butts and faded flyers for events that had long since passed. Neon signs flickered like dying embers, their glow reflecting off the shattered gss of abandoned storefronts. The air carried the weight of gasoline fumes, damp concrete, and the acrid stench of rotting waste, piled high in forgotten corners.

  Buildings stretched toward the sky, a mismatched patchwork of modern steel giants and crumbling structures that had been condemned in spirit, if not in w. At night, the city pulsed with a strange, uneven rhythm, some streets alive with the hum of nightlife, others swallowed by silence, where even the streetlights hesitated to shine.

  Jia Sun had spent her entire life here. She had long since learned where it was safe to walk and where it wasn’t.

  But sometimes, there was no choice.

  At one of the few the Private Schools in aragoub, Jia sighed heavily, resting her chin on one hand, her other zily twirling a strand of her dark hair. The cssroom was suffocating, not because of the heat, but because of the absolute boredom weighing her down.

  Mr. Fares stood at the front, his voice droning over the hum of the air conditioner. He gestured at the diagram of the sor system on the holographic board, his expression almost as tired as his students.

  “…Saturn’s gravitational pull prevents Jupiter’s migration toward the Sun. If not for that, Jupiter’s movement would have destabilized the inner pnets, potentially altering Earth’s orbit entirely.”

  Jia barely stifled a groan, "why does this matter?" She thought.

  She shifted in her chair, stretching her arms with a yawn. "When will this end? I'm so tired of this already," she muttered under her breath.

  "Psst, Jia."

  She turned slightly, catching the mischievous glint in her best friend Mikky’s eyes. The girl was leaning forward, phone tilted just enough to keep it out of Mr. Fares’ sight.

  Jia arched an eyebrow, waiting for Mikky to say something, but instead, Mikky simply fshed her screen.

  A sleek, imported hair serum shimmered on the dispy, the brand unmistakable, Jami, a luxury product that was impossible to find in Aragoub.

  Jia’s eyes widened. She grabbed the phone, scanning the post eagerly. "No way. Where did you even find this?"

  Mikky grinned. "Bck market import. Stolen straight from Vermillion Bay. Smuggled in st week. We could totally get our hands on it if-"

  "Ahem."

  Both girls froze.

  Mr. Fares was staring directly at them, arms crossed.

  "You two. Back there." His tone was exasperated, but there was an edge of amusement behind his frustration.

  Jia let out a nervous chuckle, stuffing the phone under her desk. "Y-Yes, Mr. Fares?"

  "Did you hear what I was saying?"

  "Of course!" Jia brushed a hand through her hair, forcing a bright smile. "You were talking about… uhh… Saturn and Jupiter… haha."

  Mikky immediately dropped her head into her arms. "She’s doomed," she whispered.

  Mr. Fares sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Then expin it to me."

  Jia’s body turned to stone. Shit, I’m doomed.

  "Uhm, well, you see… it’s… uh…" She felt the sweat gathering at the back of her neck.

  "To the principal’s office." He gestured toward the door.

  Jia groaned as she pushed herself up from her chair. "Yes, sir…"

  She shot Mikky a gre, who returned an apologetic look, until Mr. Fares turned to her as well.

  "You too."

  Mikky choked. "What did I do?!"

  "Unless you’d like to expin the gravitational influence of Saturn on Jupiter?"

  Mikky slumped in defeat. "Fine…" She dragged herself up, throwing Jia a gre as the tter covered her mouth to hide a ugh.

  The two trudged toward the door, the muffled giggles of their cssmates following them out.

  By the time they were released from the principal’s office, school was already over.

  The city was different at night.

  Jia and Mikky walked side by side, their shoes scraping against the cracked pavement, their voices blending into the noise of the bustling market district. Vendors shouted out discounted prices, their stalls overflowing with spices, second-hand electronics, and knockoff designer clothes. Children weaved between customers, some ughing, some begging, while tired workers dragged their feet toward home.

  Jia adjusted the strap of her school bag, sighing. "I swear, school is actually trying to kill us this week."

  Mikky groaned. "Three essays. Three. And don’t even get me started on Mr. Yu."

  "If I don’t turn in that history project, I think they might just send a hitman after me."

  Mikky smirked. "Oh, Mr. Yu already wants me dead. You saw the way he looked at me today, like my entire existence disappointed him."

  Jia ughed. "He looked at all of us like that."

  They reached an intersection, the road splitting into two paths, one well-lit, leading toward the safer districts, and the other, darker, narrower.

  Mikky hesitated. "You sure you don’t wanna take the long way with me? That street is kinda… y’know."

  Jia forced a smile. "I’ll be fine."

  Mikky gave her a skeptical look but nodded. "Just don’t die or get kidnapped, alright?"

  "Wow. Such concern."

  "You know me," Mikky grinned. "Anyway, see you tomorrow."

  Jia waved as Mikky disappeared into the crowd.

  She took a deep breath before stepping into the darkened street, "alright, let's go."

  The noise of the market faded behind her, swallowed by silence.

  Jia quickened her pace, keeping her head down. The Gaxy Apartment Complex loomed ahead, its cracked walls and flickering lights making it look more like a ruin than a residence.

  Then she heard it.

  A rustling sound.

  Jia stopped, her breath catching in her throat. She turned her head toward the bushes lining the sidewalk.

  Silence.

  She exhaled slowly, shaking her head. You’re being paranoid.

  Just as she took another step

  The bushes rustled again.

  Her heart smmed against her ribs. She tightened her grip on her bag. What if-

  A small shadow darted out.

  Jia jumped, sucking in a sharp breath

  Only to watch as a stray cat skittered across the pavement, its tail puffed up.

  She let out a shaky ugh, pressing a hand to her chest. "Damn it, cat…"

  Still, she picked up her pace. The faster she got home, the better.

  Then, a rustle.

  Louder this time.

  Jia’s heart plunged into her stomach. Her fingers darted into her bag, fumbling for the spice spray, nothing. Her breath hitched.

  "Shoot. I forgot to pick it up this morning."

  The bushes quivered again. Her body tensed, ready to run, then a figure emerged.

  A boy.

  He looked her age. Sixteen, maybe. His light-colored hair caught the dim glow of a distant streetlight as he straightened, dusting himself off with an air of complete indifference. Then, as if just noticing her presence, he tilted his head slightly.

  "Hmm."

  Jia stiffened. "W-What are you looking at?"

  The boy blinked once, unreadable. "Nothing."

  Then he simply walked away.

  Jia exhaled, half in relief, half in frustration. "Tsk. At least he’s not a creep… well, he looks like one, but at least he didn’t try anything. If he did, I’d have knocked him out anyway."

  That was a lie. She knew it.

  She gnced at the boy again, unfortunately, they were heading in the same direction. She gged behind, keeping a cautious distance. If anything happened, she could use him as a shield.

  "Yeah. That sounds like a solid pn." She clenched her fist in mock victory.

  The boy’s pace remained steady, eerily deliberate. Then, without looking back, he asked, "What’s your name?"

  Jia blinked. "H-Huh? Why do you care?"

  "I don’t." His tone was ft. "It was just a habit."

  Her brow furrowed. "I’m Jia. You?"

  Silence.

  A vein twitched in her forehead. "Hey! I’m talking to you!"

  Instead of answering, he asked, "You’re not from here, are you?"

  Her chest tightened. How did he know?

  "How did you-?"

  "It’s obvious," he replied.

  Jia frowned. "Okay, Mr. Detective. Care to expin?"

  He continued walking. "Your uniform. Private school. Your nails, polished. Your shoes, too clean. People here don’t dress like that. You’re nervous, but not lost. You’ve been here before, just not often."

  Jia was caught off guard. "Damn…"

  But what unsettled her wasn’t his observation skills.

  It was his voice.

  Detached. Unbothered. Almost mechanical.

  "Why does he sound like that?"

  She swallowed and hesitated before asking, "Hey… are you-"

  He cut her off. "Walk on this side instead."

  Jia flinched. "Huh? Why?"

  "It’s dangerous. Someone could jump that wall and grab you in seconds."

  Her blood ran cold. "W-What? Wouldn’t it be more dangerous to walk by the bushes like you?"

  "That’s what they’d want you to think."

  A shiver crawled down her spine.

  They walked in silence, the flickering streetlights casting distorted shadows on the cracked pavement. Jia bit her lip, then swiftly, moved to his side of the road.

  "Thanks," she muttered.

  He didn’t respond.

  She kept watching him from the corner of her eye. His posture was too perfect, his steps too measured. His hair, though tousled, was too neat for someone living around here.

  Then, the buildings shifted.

  Ahead of them loomed Gaxy Apartment Complex.

  Tall. Decayed. Forgotten.

  Jia swallowed. She’d heard stories about this pce, whispers of violence, disappearances, things best left unsaid.

  "The Gaxy Apartment Complex…" she murmured.

  The boy stopped.

  Jia nearly bumped into him. "Why’d you-?"

  "This is where I live," he said.

  Her stomach dropped.

  "No way."

  She stared at him, at the stained concrete of the building, at the rusted balcony railings. He didn’t belong here.

  "It’s possible," he said.

  Her breath hitched. "What! how did you-?"

  "It’s not that hard to predict what you’re thinking."

  She scowled. "You’re weird, you know that?"

  Then

  A voice thundered from the staircase.

  "CAIN!"

  Jia’s body went rigid.

  A man staggered down, bottle in hand, his clothes stained with sweat, grime, and something darker. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair stuck in clumps to his forehead. He reeked alcohol, cigarettes, decay.

  Jia’s stomach churned.

  The man swayed on his feet, gring down at them. At Cain.

  "That’s my father," Cain said.

  Jia’s pulse spiked. "That’s your dad? He looks..."

  "Yeah." Cain’s voice remained empty.

  His father sneered.

  "Where the hell were you, huh?" One step down.

  "You little shit, keeping your old man awake." Two steps.

  "You think you can just walk around like you're better than me?" Three steps.

  "I’ll teach you a lesson, you useless!"

  Four steps.

  Then

  His foot slipped.

  His drunken weight tipped forward.

  Jia gasped. "W-Wait!"

  Too te.

  His body pitched forward, tumbling down the concrete staircase, limbs filing. The sickening crack of bone against metal filled the air. His head struck the st step, hard.

  A single, deafening thud.

  Silence.

  Jia spped a hand over her mouth, her knees locking. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

  Cain didn’t move, he kept staring at his father's motionless body for a few seconds.

  Then, he walked forward.

  Jia hesitated, then she followed him, she didn’t even know why, but she did.

  He knelt beside his father, his movements eerily controlled. He reached out, shook him once. Twice.

  Nothing.

  "Dad," he said.

  No response.

  Jia stood frozen, breathless.

  Cain stopped trying.

  "W-Why did you… stop?" she stammered.

  A pause.

  Then

  "He’s dead."

  Cain stood up.

  Jia’s stomach lurched. She fumbled for her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed emergency services.

  "Hurry up. Pick up. Pick up!"

  The line clicked.

  "This is emergency services. What’s your emergency?" A woman voice came from the other side of the line.

  Jia’s voice cracked. "A-A man… he fell. Down the stairs. He’s.." Her throat tightened. "He’s dead."

  "Can you confirm the location?"

  "Gaxy Apartment Complex," she whispered.

  "Okay i got it, officers are on their way."

  She added, "is there anyone there who can help you?" She asked.

  Jia looked around in panick, "N-no!"

  "Alright, don't worry we already sent officers, they'll be there in a few minutes."

  "O-okay." Jia said.

  The call ended.

  Jia exhaled shakily. She turned to Cain, pcing a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

  "Hey… are you okay?" She leaned to him.

  Cain however didn't mutter anything back, he just kept staring at his father.

  "Cain? Are you okay? I'm sorry for you-" Jia froze mid-sentence.

  She saw it.

  He wasn’t crying.

  He wasn’t trembling.

  He wasn’t… anything.

  His face remained utterly bnk.

  No grief. No horror. No shock.

  Just nothing, not a reaction you would expect from a normal person who just witnessed the death of his father.

  Slowly, he lifted his head.

  Jia followed his gaze, and nearly screamed.

  The apartment doors were open now.

  Windows filled with faces.

  People, the residents of the Apartment complex.

  Watching.

  Not a single one moved.

  Not a single one spoke.

  Just staring.

  The dim light cast eerie shadows over their bnk expressions.

  Jia’s skin prickled, her breath shallow.

  "Why aren’t they reacting?" She thought.

  Then she heard an eerie sound of a ughter, Jia turned her neck to the direction of the sound like an owl, bringing her hands to her chest as if trying to protect herself.

  "Hehehe, so another one died, huh?" It was an old man, standing infornt of his door, his cheeks were hollow from drugs, most of his teeth missing, the rest were sickly yellow.

  Another voice replied across from the man, "and a sly fox like you is still breathing, what a shame." This time, it was a middle-aged man, tossing his cigarette after taking the st blow.

  "Huhuhu, carful now, a sly fox can still bite." The old man squinted his eyes, locking his eyes with the man.

  The man spat, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips, he didn't say anything back, he just kept staring.

  Jia trembled watching this odd interaction, a single thought pulsed in her mind.

  "What the hell is happening here?"