Chapter 22: Revelations

As soon as she stepped into the living room, Akari knew something was wrong. Her parents were sitting on the couch, looking worried, and there was a man in a suit standing in front of them. He turned to look at her as she entered the room.

"Miss Akari, I'm Detective Tanaka from the police department," he said, nodding at her. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Akari's heart sank. She had a feeling she knew what this was about. She sat down in an armchair opposite her parents and the detective.

"Is this about Saki?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The detective looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Yes, it is. I'm afraid we have some news."

Akari closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "What is it?"

The detective hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we found Saki's body this morning. She was murdered."

Akari felt as if the world had stopped turning. She stared at the detective, unable to process what he was saying. "Murdered? How? Who would do something like that?"

"We don't know yet," the detective said. "We're investigating the case, but we could use your help. Do you know if Saki had any enemies? Anyone who might have wanted to hurt her?"

Akari shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She was always so friendly and outgoing. She didn't have any enemies that I know of."

The detective nodded. "We'll keep you informed of our progress. In the meantime, I would advise you to be careful. Whoever did this is still out there."

Akari nodded, feeling numb. The detective left soon after, and her parents hugged her tightly.

"We're so sorry, Akari," her mother said, tears in her eyes. "We can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling."

Akari didn't know how to respond. She felt as if a part of her had died with Saki. She had lost her best friend, and she had no idea how to go on without her.

The next few days passed in a blur. Akari went to Saki's funeral, and she cried until there were no more tears left. She talked to the police, but they didn't seem to have any leads. She tried to go back to school, but she found it impossible to concentrate. Every time she looked at Saki's empty desk, she felt as if her heart was breaking all over again.

One evening, a few days after the funeral, Akari was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep, and she felt as if she would never be able to sleep again. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her window. She sat up, heart pounding, and saw a figure outside.

It was a man, dressed in black, with a hood pulled over his head. He gestured for her to open the window.

Akari hesitated for a moment, then got out of bed and went to the window. She opened it a crack and peered out.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The man didn't say anything. He just held out a piece of paper. Akari took it, her hands shaking.

It was a photograph of Saki, taken the day before she died. She was walking down the street, and there was someone following her, just out of the frame.

Akari looked up at the man, but he had already disappeared into the night. She was left holding the photograph, her mind