And Then, The World Ended

Chapter 10 Hayes

I can't shake the feeling from last night. As I walk beside Noah, our shoulders brush, but an invisible wall rises between us. The warmth of Kyoto feels different today—more suffocating than inviting.

Emiko sits at her desk, her usual calm demeanor replaced with an air of concern as we approach.

"Good morning, Liam. Noah," she greets, but her eyes dart to the floor, as if avoiding our gaze reveals something.

"Did you check the security footage?" I ask, forcing myself to sound casual despite the knot twisting tighter in my stomach.

She hesitates, her fingers fidgeting with a pen. "I didn't find anything unusual."

Noah shifts beside me, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "Nothing? We heard something last night—"

"Emiko," I interrupt, feeling a surge of frustration. "We need to know what happened. You said you'd check."

She looks up at us then, eyes wide and almost pleading. "I understand how alarming it was for you both... But really, there's nothing—"

"No." Noah steps forward slightly, his voice low and firm. "You have to tell us if you saw anything."

After a tense pause that stretches like an elastic band ready to snap, Emiko exhales deeply. "I did see someone... but it's not what you think."

"What do you mean?" I urge her on.

"They wore a mask." She pauses again as if weighing our reaction before continuing. "The footage was deleted shortly after the incident."

My heart races as panic seeps into my veins. "What? How could that happen?"

"Someone tampered with it," she replies quietly.

"So you're telling me that someone was in here and they knew we were watching?" Noah's voice trembles slightly.

Emiko nods slowly, her expression grave. "It's possible they were aware of the cameras."

I glance at Noah; fear glimmers in his eyes just like mine feels inside me—a growing storm cloud threatening to burst.

"Noah..." I say softly, taking a step closer to him. "We need to be careful."

Noah swallows hard and nods but doesn't say anything more.

Upon arriving back at our suite, I spot Jordan and Jake relaxing on one of the nearby couches—soft morning light streaming through the hotel windows casts shadows across their faces.

They look cozy together—Jordan leaning into Jake's shoulder while they scroll through their phones and laugh at something only they can see. An unfamiliar warmth unfurls in my chest as I watch them—their ease contrasting sharply with our tension.

But just then—a loud crash echoes from their bedroom.

Noah jumps beside me while Jordan shoots up from his seat with wide eyes.

"Uh-oh," he mutters under his breath before racing toward the door leading to their room.

Jake follows closely behind him, curiosity etched across his face.

"Wait!" I call after them as panic swells again in my chest like bile rising too fast for comfort.

Noah glances back at me briefly before following Jordan into their room without hesitation. My feet move before I consciously decide to follow them in—I don't want to leave Noah alone in this mess.

The door swings open wide enough for me to catch sight of shattered glass scattered across the floor; an overturned lamp lies broken next to it. My heart pounds louder than ever as Jordan kneels beside it, examining what's left of whatever just met its end.