The Darkest Of The Dark

Picture

Akira arrives back at his hotel. He enters his room and swiftly packs all his belongings. Once finished, he heads to the reception desk.

Akira: "Hi, I'll be checking out."

Receptionist: "Sure, what's your room number?"

Akira: "576."

Receptionist: "Thank you. You're all set. Thanks for staying with us."

Akira leaves the hotel, gets into his car, and drives home.

Upon arriving, he steps inside and surveys the living room. Memories of his family lying dead on the floor flood his mind, bringing tears to his eyes.

He retreats to his bedroom, meticulously placing his belongings in their rightful places. Exhausted, he collapses onto his bed and falls into a deep sleep.

At 5:00 AM,

Akira wakes abruptly. He discovers his room in disarray—his belongings scattered, and his TV broken. Shocked and alarmed, he grabs his gun.

He cautiously inspects the room for signs of forced entry, checking windows and doors. Finding none, he proceeds to the bathroom, gun raised, and cautiously enters. It's empty.

Leaving the bathroom, he exits his room and scans the surroundings. Remembering the security cameras installed by the detectives, he heads to the security room.

In the security room, he retrieves the videotape from the living room camera and rewinds it, looking for any activity before 5:00 AM. No one entered his room.

Akira mutters to himself: "How could my room be ransacked without anyone entering? And why are there no cameras in my room, only the living room? None of this makes sense."

Returning to his bedroom, he begins cleaning up. While tidying, he notices a photo on the floor. Picking it up, he sees himself dressed in military attire, standing beside a female with also a millitary attire. They are both smiling.

Akira collapses onto the floor in shock, staring at the photo. Memories flood back to him...