The Hunter

Part 1

Loud music filled the room, making it hard to hear anything else. The rhythmic beats of the EDM assaulted Licht's ears as he made his way across the crowded dance floor. The multi-coloured beams of strobe lights lit up the dark room in multitudes of different neon colours, an epileptic's nightmare.

As Licht shouldered his way through the crowd, many curses and complaints followed. But he didn't stop to apologise since he was in a hurry. Somebody grabbed his arm as he passed. Looking back, Licht saw a grubbily dressed man, trying to sell him something or to complain about his brusque manner. Licht didn't know which nor did he stop long enough to find out. Roughly pushing the man off, Licht quickened his pace through the raving mob, but it was too late. In the writhing sea of people, he had lost the only lead to his missing friend.

Licht cursed as he cast around, trying to find the cloaked individual he'd been trailing. He had to find that person who was the only link Licht had to the disappearance of his friend, Yumeko.

Licht had first met Yumeko several months ago. She had been standing outside of an apartment building, several large boxes surrounding her, a piece of paper in her hand. She seemed unsure and tense. Seeing her standing there in the fading light, long black hair falling nearly to her waist, paper in hand, Licht thought that there was something picturesque about her. On an impulse, he asked if she needed help.

Yumeko was moving into a small apartment on the third floor of a building which didn't have an elevator, so she'd been more than happy to accept his help. While Yumeko spoke Japanese, she was able to communicate using broken English. Licht soon learnt that Yumeko had moved from Japan because her uncle had been diagnosed with a serious illness and needed family close by. Her parents were busy with work so Yumeko had volunteered to transfer schools and come live near him.

As they'd talked, Licht had quickly found out that he quite liked the kind transfer student. They formed an immediate friendship, often hanging out and talking as well as walking to school together. The rest of the year swirled by in a breeze.

But just a couple of weeks ago things had started going astray. Yumeko began acting strangely, becoming unusually distracted and cancelling meetups without explanation. A few days ago, things had reached a climax.

Licht and Yumeko had been out shopping and it was quite late, around ten-ish. Yumeko had been the most distracted Licht had ever seen her. He tried to talk to her about his concerns, but Yumeko dismissed him with a weak smile. He'd walked Yumeko to her apartment and said goodnight before strolling across the street to wait for the late-night bus. Just before the bus arrived, Licht had seen a strangely dressed person exiting Yumeko's apartment building. They'd been dressed in a long flowing black cloak and appeared to be carrying something on their back; a strange lump that protruded over one shoulder. Licht hadn't thought much about it at the time, thinking the person to just be some kind of whack job or role-player. The bus had arrived before Licht could see the person's face.

The next day, Yumeko didn't meet Licht outside her apartment building. Nor did she show up for the rest of the day. Licht rung her phone several times, but all he got was voicemail. Thinking that maybe Yumeko had just gone to visit her uncle, Licht tried to dismiss the worm of worry that was beginning to gnaw away at him.

However, when Yumeko didn't appear the next day, he knew something wasn't right. Yumeko always notified the school if she was going to be absent but no one had seen or heard from her.

For what felt like the hundredth time, Licht rang Yumeko's phone number only to receive voicemail. Worried, Licht was making his way hurriedly towards her apartment when he began to think about the mysterious man he'd seen exiting her building the night he'd last seen her. As if conjured by Licht's thoughts, the exact same person appeared ahead of him, walking down the street across from Yumeko's apartment. He was dressed in the same strange black clothing, a long cloak with a deep hood, that stuck out in the city full of people dressed in business attire. There was no sign of anything on his back though.