Nanno: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 7: The Phantom's Lullaby

(POV: Nanno)

The weight of the photograph still lingered in Nanno's pocket as she left the abandoned house. Saya's worried face haunted her as much as the secrets buried in that old, crumbling home. Something about the figure in the photo—the shadow behind her parents—filled her with an eerie, unshakable feeling. Who was he? Why had her mother written that he would "take everything"?

Nanno knew she was close to the truth, but there was more—a layer she couldn't see yet, hidden in the murky shadows of her past. She needed answers, and she would go to any lengths to find them. But as the night drew on, a strange heaviness settled over her. She couldn't explain it; it was as if something was calling her, a dark lullaby luring her deeper into a mystery that was more than just personal.

That night, she wandered the streets, trying to clear her mind. The lights from the city blurred, and soon she found herself standing at the edge of an old, secluded playground she hadn't seen in years. Memories came flooding back—a young girl playing alone, humming a soft tune under her breath as she swung back and forth. The girl was her, and the song... she could almost remember the words, but they slipped away like a dream fading at dawn.

Suddenly, she felt a presence. She turned, her heart racing, and there, sitting on the swing, was the shadowy figure from the photograph.

(POV: Saya)

Saya couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over her. She had tried to talk Nanno out of her obsession, but it was as if her friend was possessed by some invisible force, driven by a need that even she couldn't explain. Still, Saya couldn't abandon her. There was something about Nanno's darkness that both scared and fascinated her, and she felt pulled into her friend's world, no matter how dangerous it might be.

Worried, Saya decided to search for Nanno, tracing her steps back to the abandoned house. When she didn't find her there, she headed to the places they used to visit together—the hidden spots in the city where they'd laughed and talked, places where Nanno had once shared her dreams and fears.

As Saya wandered the city, she felt an odd pull, guiding her to the old playground where they'd spent countless days as children. She could barely make out the figure on the swing, but she knew it was Nanno. Relief washed over her, and she called out, "Nanno! What are you doing here?"

But as she approached, a chill ran down her spine. The figure wasn't alone. A tall, dark figure stood beside her, one hand resting on the swing's chain as if protecting Nanno, or perhaps binding her to the place.

(POV: Nanno)

Nanno stared at the figure, her mind racing as memories she'd thought forgotten came flooding back. She remembered the man from her childhood—the same presence that had haunted her dreams, a ghostly figure who had been with her at the edge of her memories, always watching, always waiting.

"คุณคือใคร? (Who are you?)" Nanno whispered, her voice barely audible.

The figure leaned down, his face still shrouded in shadows, but his voice was calm and soft, like a lullaby meant to soothe a restless child. "แนนโน่, คุณรู้อยู่แล้ว (Nanno, you already know)," he murmured, his tone almost tender.

A chill washed over her as he spoke her name, his voice weaving through her memories like a familiar melody. She felt a strange, unexplainable connection to him, as if he were part of her. The words her mother had written on the photograph echoed in her mind: "He will take everything from us."

But why? Why was he here, haunting her life, her memories, her family?

"I don't know you," she whispered, more to herself than to him.