Tentacles Beneath the Moon

Chapter 1 - The Boy Beneath the Waves

Tokyo was a city that never truly seemed to sleep.

Even long after midnight, the streets remained alive with the distant sound of passing trains, cars traveling through intersections, and conversations drifting out of restaurants that had yet to close. Bright advertisements illuminated the buildings, while colorful reflections shimmered across the wet pavement.

For most people, the constant movement of the city was comforting.

For Kat, it could sometimes feel overwhelming.

That was why he had taken the train away from the busiest parts of Tokyo and traveled toward the coast.

The beach was quiet tonight.

There were no crowds, no loud music, and no university classmates asking him questions he did not want to answer. There was only the gentle sound of waves washing against the shore and the occasional cry of a distant seabird.

Kat sat near the edge of the beach with his knees pulled close to his chest.

He was wearing his favorite oversized pink hoodie, a pair of comfortable dark pants, and a small ribbon in his hair. His shoes were beside him because he preferred feeling the cool sand beneath his feet.

He looked toward the horizon.

The moon was enormous.

Its silver light spread across the surface of the ocean, creating a shimmering path that seemed to lead directly toward the horizon.

Kat sighed quietly.

"Much better."

He had spent the entire day pretending that everything was fine.

At university, he had smiled when people made comments about his clothes. He had laughed when someone jokingly asked why he always wore so much pink. He had pretended not to care when another student told him that he should try dressing "more normally."

Kat had heard variations of those comments for years.

He knew who he was.

He knew what he liked.

Still, knowing that did not mean other people's words never hurt.

Sometimes he simply needed somewhere where nobody expected anything from him.

The ocean was perfect for that.

Kat stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned backward on his hands.

"I wonder what it would be like to just disappear for a while."

The waves answered with a soft rush.

Kat smiled.

"Yeah. I know. Very dramatic."

He chuckled to himself.

Then something moved in the ocean.

Kat immediately stopped laughing.

He sat upright.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the dark water.

Something had disturbed the surface.

At first, he assumed it was a fish.

Then he saw another ripple.

And another.

Kat slowly stood.

"Hello?"

There was no answer.

He waited.

The ocean became still again.

Kat frowned.