◦•●◉✿Mai:The heart of a blue spirited girl ✿◉●•◦

.•♫•♬•Chapter fourteen: Uncanny events•♬•♫•.

Mai stepped out of her last class, the buzz of her schoolmates fading into the background. The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden rays over the quiet campus. It had been a normal day-geometry problems she couldn't solve, a group project she didn't want to be part of, and the usual hollow feeling she carried like a second shadow.

But today, there was something else. An itch she couldn't scratch, a tug at the edge of her mind.

Her foster mother, Maria, had been acting strangely all week. Shifty glances, hastily closed drawers, and an unnatural cheeriness that only raised Mai's suspicions. This morning, Maria had left her laptop unlocked, and Mai had seen the name of a folder that made her stomach drop: "Mai's Parents-Restricted".

She had been unable to focus on anything else since. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was seven-at least, that's what she'd always been told. No details, no explanations. Just that they were gone, and she was left to start a new life.

Until now, she hadn't dared to ask questions.

Mai adjusted her backpack, taking the longer route home to clear her head. By the time she reached the old Victorian house she shared with Maria, the golden light had shifted into a dusky orange. The air was heavy, almost electric, as though the world itself knew she was about to break an unspoken rule.

---

Maria was out, attending one of her book club meetings. Mai knew she wouldn't have more than an hour before she returned, which left no time for hesitation.

The laptop sat on the dining table, as if daring her to open it. Her fingers trembled as she typed in the password she'd seen Maria use weeks ago. The screen unlocked with a soft chime, and Mai quickly navigated to the folder. Her pulse raced as she clicked it open.

Inside were dozens of files: images, police reports, medical records. She opened the first document, her eyes scanning the page.

"Case Report: Incident 387 - Fatal Car Collision."

Her breath hitched. The accident had occurred on a rainy November evening. Her parents' car had veered off the road and struck a tree, killing them both on impact. But there was something strange-a note in red ink at the bottom of the page:

"Investigation suspended. Classified by Order 12-7A. Unusual circumstances."

Unusual circumstances? Her hands grew clammy as she opened the next file. This one contained photos. The car was mangled beyond recognition, the front crushed as though a giant hand had clenched it. But what caught her attention was the tree-it was charred, blackened as though struck by lightning. Yet the report made no mention of a storm.

A loud creak echoed through the house. Mai froze, her ears straining. Was Maria back already? She waited, her heart pounding, but the house remained silent.

She turned back to the screen and clicked on a video file labeled "Witness Statement".

The grainy footage showed a man with wild eyes and a disheveled appearance. "I know what I saw," he said, his voice trembling. "It wasn't an accident. The car-it didn't just crash. It... it was thrown."

Mai's stomach twisted. She leaned closer as the man continued.

"There was this... thing. In the woods. It was like a shadow, but it moved. It-it reached out for the car, and then... and then they were gone."

The video cut off abruptly, leaving Mai staring at the screen, her mind racing. A shadow? What was this man talking about?

She opened another file, this one marked "Autopsy Report: Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka". Her parents' injuries were listed in excruciating detail, but one line stood out: