Chapter 1_The Town That Watches Back

The rain fell in cold, relentless sheets, tapping against windows and street signs like skeletal fingers. Tsubaki Town had always been grey in the rain, but tonight, the clouds pressed low and heavy, suffocating the distant hills and rooftops in mist. The streetlights flickered as if the storm itself wanted darkness to settle faster.

Down a narrow alley, half-buried behind overgrown hedges and vines, stood an abandoned building — the forgotten heart of the town's whispers. Its wooden facade sagged with rot, and broken glass glittered along the ground like tiny, sinister diamonds. Faded, peeling letters still clung desperately to the sign above the entrance:

THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS

Most avoided it. Some spoke of it in hushed tones. And a few, foolish or desperate, had entered, chasing thrills or answers. None returned unchanged.

They called it a legend. A story to scare children. But in Tsubaki Town, stories often breathed in the dark.

If you see your reflection smile before you do… run.

It was a cruel rhyme passed between students, scrawled on bathroom stalls, whispered at sleepovers. Most laughed it off. But not Aoi.

She stood beneath the creaking school gates the next morning, the rain reduced to a cold drizzle. Her black hair clung to her cheeks, and dark circles rimmed her tired eyes. The uniform hung slightly loose on her frame — a new student’s awkward armor against the stares of strangers.

Tsubaki High loomed ahead, old bricks stained with moss, windows streaked with condensation. Groups of students passed by, laughing, pushing, whispering. Aoi kept her gaze low, clutching the strap of her schoolbag.

The whispers followed her anyway.

"That’s the new girl… the one whose brother…"

"Shut up! Don’t talk about that—"

The words bled together in the fog of her mind. They didn’t matter. Only one thing mattered now.

Finding him.

Aoi’s brother, Haru, vanished three weeks ago. The last place anyone saw him? The House of Mirrors. He went in after a dare, chasing urban legends like he always did. But this time… the legend chased back.

Her fingers trembled at her side, nails pressing into her palm until the sting grounded her. She crossed the courtyard, eyes fixed ahead.

In class, she sat alone by the window. The sky outside hung low with clouds, rain dripping down the glass in crooked trails. The teacher's voice faded into background noise.

Her reflection stared back at her from the windowpane.

She frowned. Her lips didn’t move — yet the reflection lingered, eyes wide, lips curling into a slow, deliberate smile.

Her chest tightened.

A blink. The reflection returned to normal, copying her expression with perfect, obedient timing.

A voice broke her haze.

"You’ve heard the stories, right?" A boy leaned against her desk, casual, curious. His uniform was rumpled, hair sticking out messily. His name tag read Yuto.

He smirked. "The House of Mirrors. They say your reflection… smiles before you do."

Aoi’s eyes locked onto his, the cold edges of her fear sharpening into resolve.

"It already did," she replied softly, her voice steady as the storm outside.

Yuto’s grin faltered, curiosity flickering to unease.

The reflection in the window watched them both. And behind its glassy surface, the faintest, impossible smile remained.

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