"Maki, we need to leave!" my brother urged firmly as I opened the door for him.

He usually lets me know in advance if he plans to visit, but not this time. His sudden appearance is completely unexpected. I know school got canceled, but heading out in the middle of a rainstorm isn't something he'd normally do. He's always been the cautious type in situations like this.

I watched him closely as he stepped inside. His clothes hung wrinkled and untidy, and his uncombed hair gave him a disheveled look, a stark contrast to his usual neat and orderly self.

I was so taken aback by my brother's unkempt appearance and the distress written all over his face that I couldn't react immediately to what he'd said.

Though a bit late, I managed to respond. "What do you mean, we need to leave? Are we going somewhere tonight? In the middle of this freaking thunderstorm?" Thunder rumbled outside, as if to help me make my point.

He took a step closer and locked eyes with me. His round brown eyes, the same ones we both inherited from our mother, were different this time. I'd never seen him wear such an intense expression. It was almost as if I were looking at a stranger.

I've always known him for his warm, inviting demeanor. He has this quiet charm that makes people feel comfortable, and a smile that's never far off, no matter the situation. But now, all I could see was unease in his manner and an erratic fear of something I couldn't fully understand.

"I can't explain it right now, Maki," he said, his tone firm in a way I had never heard before. "But staying here isn't safe. I need to get you somewhere safe first, and then I'll tell you everything you need to know. For now, just pack your things—only the essentials, so we can leave quickly."

Though still confused, I trusted my brother and obeyed his request. I've trusted him my whole life, and if he said staying here wasn't safe, then I believed him completely.

I nodded and rushed to my room. I grabbed a few things and stuffed them into a duffel bag my brother had given me for my birthday last year. A few weeks from now, I'd be a year older, and I'd already made plans to celebrate with him. But with everything happening, those plans would have to wait.

I gazed out the window and noticed that the rain had stopped. It was almost as if it understood the gravity of the situation and had decided to throw us a bone. While that didn't ease my confusion and anxiety, at least I wouldn't get drenched in the rain as we left for somewhere I had no idea about.

I was just closing my bag when I heard a knock at the door. It was my brother checking in.

"I'm all set," I shouted as I put on my jacket. "I'll be out in a sec."

I heard his footsteps fade down the hall.

I glanced outside and saw it was already dark. We were on the rooftop of a residential apartment building near the southern rear area of the city. From this height, the lights from various buildings and homes below twinkled like tiny stars, filling the night sky with their soft glow.

Sometimes, I can't help but feel that the city is trying to pull me into a solitary tunnel of endless darkness. That thought always captivates me, mesmerizing me with its strange allure.

But the last thing I need right now is to lose myself in the concrete beauty before me. I need to hurry and meet my brother outside.