"Did anyone go inside after me?" Mark asked.
"After you?" Jim raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, did you see anyone else go inside the park?"
"No, I didn't. I only heard from Joe that you were inside before he changed shifts."
"Then, did Joe see someone else go in after me?"
"I didn't ask him, and he didn't tell me either."
"If you want, I can give Joe a call and ask him about it."
"No, it's okay," Mark refused.
"You sure? If you want, I can check the camera." Jim pointed at the camera at the entrance.
"No, it's okay. I have school in about 45 minutes, so I don't want to waste any more time. It was probably just my imagination."
"Alright then, Mark. Have a good day," Jim said with a nod.
"You too, Jim." Mark returned the gesture.
With that, he departed.
Jim watched his retreating figure before heading into his cabin near the entrance. Inside, he glanced at the monitor that showed the CCTV footage.
"Hm… should I? Or should I not?" Jim was torn about checking the CCTV.
"Forget it. Mark said it was his imagination. Besides, no one comes into the park before 8 a.m. anyway. Mark's the only outlier who does."
"Haaah~"
He yawned loudly, covering his mouth with his right hand.
"I feel so sleepy. Well, since no one's going to come for another hour, I might as well take a short nap."
With that, Jim sat in the chair and closed his eyes. His consciousness faded, slipping into the realm of sleep. He wouldn't be awake to know what would happen.
At that moment, a figure with a charcoal gray T-shirt wrapped around their neck appeared on the CCTV footage. The figure lingered at the entrance for a moment before walking toward Jim's cabin.
With silent steps, the figure entered. Their blue eyes scanned Jim, confirming he was asleep. The figure then moved towards the monitor and stood before it. They then started to… delete their footage caught by the camera. However, the footage wasn't just of today but of yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and so on and so forth.
If anyone had seen the footage, they would have noticed the figure entering the park just after Mark each time. Unfortunately...
Click
[Are you sure you want to delete the following footage?
YES / NO]
Click
[The footage has been deleted.]
No one would ever be able to see those recordings again.
The figure did a few more things and to also ensure the deletion was thorough, then silently left the cabin.
This time, they didn't appear on the camera at all...
Inside Mark's bathroom,
Mark stood under the shower. Water streamed down his lean, slightly muscular body—his well-defined abs and arms glistening under the stream as he stood with his head bowed and eyes closed, lost in thought. His wet black hair clung to his forehead and neck.
[Click here for picture.]
The atmosphere around him felt somber and contemplative.
Right now, many thoughts were swirling through Mark's head—including one in particular.
***
Many years ago,
A young boy, not even ten years old, stood on a balcony, gazing at the moonlit sky with a sad expression.
Tak tak tak
Footsteps echoed behind him. A handsome man with black hair and glasses appeared. Upon seeing the boy, a soft and gentle smile formed on his face. He approached and gently rested his hands on the boy's small shoulders.
"What's wrong, kiddo? You've had that sad look all day," the man asked.
The boy didn't flinch; he had heard the man coming from the footsteps that echoed. He glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then turned back to the sky.
"…"
Seeing the silence, the man tried again.
"Did something happen at school?"
"...!?"
The boy trembled slightly and turned to the man with wide eyes.
"So something did happen at school, huh?" he asked softly.
The boy's reaction said it all.
The child turned back toward the sky, reluctant to speak.
"If you don't tell me, I won't be able to help you," the man said gently, ruffling his hair.
Sniff
The boy bit his lower lip, fighting back tears.
The man remained calm. He knelt down to the boy's level, wrapped him in a bear hug.
He could feel the boy trembling in his embrace.
"It's okay. You can cry. It's just you and me. I promise I won't tell anyone," he whispered in a soothing voice.
"...!"
The boy couldn't hold back any longer. He cried into the man's chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him.
"Uwaa… uwaa…"
The man said nothing—just rubbed his back to comfort him.
"There, there. It's okay. Everything's fine. I'm here with you."
"Uwaa… uwaa…"
The crying went on for a while until finally, the boy began to calm down. Now he sat on the man's lap, both of them looking at the starry night.
"Feeling better now?"
"Yes…"
The boy's first word since it all began.
"Then, will you tell me what happened?"
The boy went quiet again.
After a moment of silence, the man added,
"Mark, you can tell me anything. I promise I'll support you no matter what."
Mark remained quiet for a few more seconds… then finally spoke.
"My… friend…"
He said the word 'friend' with venom.
He grit his teeth and continued, "No, that bloody idiot."
The man didn't comment on the language. He knew better than to interrupt now.
"He betrayed me. He pinned the blame on me. Now everyone thinks I'm the bad one."
The man waited silently, letting Mark speak and calm down at his own pace.
After a few more quiet moments, the man finally spoke.
"Mark, I want you to listen closely."
Mark turned to him, curious.
"People don't change. They reveal who they really are."
"…"
Mark stared at him, eyes wide.
Those words would leave a permanent mark on his heart.
***
I've changed the shadowy figure's eye color from reddish-brown to blue.