The Open Gate

Chapter 2: The Man in the Shadows

It was a cozy evening. Rickey sat with his family in the living room, watching a movie while laughter filled the house. His little sister Ruhi kept throwing popcorn everywhere while Rosey complained and their parents laughed.

As Rickey looked around casually, he noticed a strange beam of light reflecting near the kitchen wall. Curious, he stepped outside and saw a child in the opposite building playing with a laser pointer. Thinking it was nothing, he went back inside.

But even after several minutes, the light remained fixed in the exact same spot.

Before he could think much about it, his friends—Rockey, Alex, and Vickey—arrived to invite him for a cycle ride. The boys rode to their school playground, which was almost completely empty at night.

While sitting there, Rickey told them about the strange light at his house.

Suddenly, Alex noticed someone standing near the trees at the edge of the playground.

A tall shadowy man.

The boys slowly walked closer and asked who he was, but the man stayed silent. Then he raised his hand toward Rickey. His fingers were long and twisted, covered in wrinkled skin with sharp dark nails.

Fear hit them instantly.

The boys turned and ran.

Rickey looked back—and the man had disappeared.

But in the very next second, he appeared directly in front of Rickey.

Terrified, the boys escaped from the school as fast as they could.

That night, none of them could sleep properly. The next day, they secretly decided not to tell anyone and investigate the mystery themselves. They questioned the school watchman and even the principal, but nobody believed them.

For an entire week, they searched the school but found nothing.

One afternoon, Rickey stayed late after school as punishment for sleeping in class. While finishing his notes, he looked toward the playground and froze.

The same man stood there again.

Rickey quickly grabbed his camera to take a photo, but before he could click it, the man vanished.

After that, the boys decided to forget everything.

Years passed.

Now in 10th grade, the four friends returned to school one Sunday to play together. While joking and talking about anime, they suddenly saw the same mysterious man standing in the exact same place.

This time, curiosity became stronger than fear.

The boys split into two teams, brought cameras, and searched the school for hours until nightfall—but once again, the man disappeared without leaving a trace.

When Rickey finally returned home late at night, his worried father scolded him. Rickey simply smiled and promised to stay careful.

But deep inside, he knew one thing clearly.

The mystery of the strange man had only just begun.