Prologue - 3:00 AM

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I can't believe they let me get off early for once.

It was around 8PM, and Kamiro was jogging in the local park. He had long since quit the training he did as a kid growing up in his grandfather's dojo, but jogging occasionally was something that stuck. The cool breeze of the night was comforting, and running helped him clear his mind. One perk of the big city was that he wouldn't attract curious glances while jogging at night, unlike he probably would've if he was still back in his old rural town. With brown skin and short, curly hair, he stood out a bit in that part of the country.

Guess I'll have enough time tonight for a little gaming session.

It was turning out to be a great night.

When it came to his job, Kamiro was actually a decent worker. He'd long learned the facade a proper employee shows in front of customers. Usually, he wouldn't be off work 'till 9PM, but, for whatever reason, the manager was in a good mood that evening, even taking Kamiro's side when a customer started complaining about the increased price of the man's favorite bento.

"Sorry, sir, but we are not able to provide a discount," Kamiro said with a forced smile.

The man clicked his tongue. "I wish to speak to your manager."

But Mr. Manager was not having any of it that night. It wasn't until later that Kamiro learned the middle-aged manager had a date that evening. That was sure to make any man happy.

Once back at his humble apartment, Kamiro took a quick shower and plumped himself in front of his small TV, turning on his gaming system. Monster Hunter was the game of choice.

"Tonight is your final night, you monster."

Kamiro had been struggling in one of the hunts against a black demon-like beast. Ms. Yua Sensei had recommended that he use a different weapon type, but he was stubborn. "I'll stick to my Dual Blades until death do us part," he'd tell her.

After a while, he decided to call it a night. There was school the next day, and it was best to avoid Ms. Yua's wrath.


***

3:00 AM. Kamiro made out the numbers on his clock, his blurry vision still adjusting.

It seemed that another sleepless night was to come. It wasn't the first time that it'd happen, and it probably wouldn't be the last; Aliens, ghosts, or the feeling of someone staring at you? He wasn't sure, but for whatever reason, Kamiro would randomly wake up sometimes, right as the clock stroke 3AM.

He sighed. "At this point, it's just getting annoying."

At first, it was a little creepy, and living by himself never helped, but after a while, he started getting used to it. He'd begun to play with himself; no, not in a dirty way... at least, not most times. Instead, he'd make a game out of it. Whenever he'd awaken in the middle of the night, he'd make sure to keeps his eyes shut and would ask himself, "How much do you wanna bet it's 3AM?" Most of the time, he was the winner.

Kamiro sat up, looking around the dark room. "..."

This time it felt different. It felt like the third reason one might awaken in the middle of the night. The feeling that someone is staring at you in your sleep. Could it have been some sixth sense kind of thing Kamiro possibly had?Though he was open to many ideas, the dark silhouette of a human figure in the corner of the room made him think otherwise.

His heart pounded while reaching towards the lamp. It went "click," but no light emerged.

Shoot, that's right, I keep forgetting to change the bulb.

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