Across the city, lights flickered on in windows.
"What was that?"
That's what people asked each other, passing on the streets.
"Was it an earthquake?"
In a particular house, Shiori Minamino woke from her sleep. Sitting up in bed, she waited, but whatever it was, earthquake or not, it was gone. She lay back down to go to sleep, but couldn't. Instead, she got out of bed, put on her robe and walked down the hall.
She had a strange feeling...
The house felt empty.
She stood in the doorway of Kurama's room.
She didn't need to turn on the light.
Her son was gone.
"Shuiichi..." she whispered.
Lately, she knew something was bothering him.
Lately, he simply hadn't been himself, even Kurama couldn't hide that from his human mother.
Shiori stared into the unoccupied room and didn't know what to do.
She felt, suddenly, that helpless, like this empty room was the start of something.
Her eyes felt suddenly hot and she wiped away a tear.
"Shuiichi..." she whispered.
The wind blew through the open window and the indifferent moon shone on an empty bed.
...to be continued...