Sunset Fear The school day had ended hours ago, and the path home was bathed in the orange glow of a setting sun. Akari clutched her bag, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that had been following her since she left the school gates. It started as a whisper, a shift in the air just behind her. She'd glanced back once, seeing nothing but the empty, tree-lined street. But the feeling intensified. Then she heard it—a distinct, measured footstep on the gravel, perfectly timed to match her own, only heavier. She stopped. The sound stopped. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She started walking again, faster. The other footsteps resumed, closer this time. She didn't dare look back again. She just ran. Fear lent her a speed she didn't know she possessed. She sprinted, her mind screaming, her eyes wide with terror. She could feel it, a cold presence just over her shoulder, a shadow stretching in the twilight, gaining on her. The quiet suburban street had become a nightmare, and she was running for her life, fleeing an unseen pursuer she knew, with sickening certainty, was right behind her.