He turned toward the sound and saw a nurse who had recognized the boy.

  As soon as Haruki heard the voice, he turned immediately, he knew who it was.

  His crying intensified, and he stretched out his arms toward her, his voice trembling with longing.

  "Saya!"

  The nurse rushed over to Officer Jo, quickly but gently taking Haruki from his arms and holding him close to her chest, stroking his hair with care.

  Then she looked up at the officer, concern and sorrow clearly written on her face, and whispered in a broken voice.

  "...Where was he?"

  Jo adjusted his uniform slightly and focused his gaze on the nurse before answering her question.

  "He told me he's lost, and that his parents are here... Do you know anything about his family?"

  Saya gasped softly, raising a hand to cover her mouth as her body trembled slightly.

  She struggled to keep the sorrow out of her voice, then leaned toward Jo and whispered, careful not to let Haruki hear.

  "His mother... She passed away just moments ago. Her body was taken to the preparation room, and Mr. Nagisa went with her. I don't think he's in any condition to care for his son right now."

  With those words, the situation grew heavier.

  In Jo's eyes, everything seemed to spiral into a chain of burdens weighing on his chest.

  How had an ordinary Saturday morning turned into this exhausting journey with a lost child?

  The boy had nearly died, lost the money his father entrusted him with... and now, had lost his mother.

  Jo let out a long sigh, a mix of pain and helplessness in his breath, before speaking again.

  "What now? Does he have any other family members we can contact?"

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  Nurse Saya paused for a moment, then a spark lit in her eyes, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in her mind.

  She turned to the officer with a small smile, the sorrow on her face gradually giving way to a glimmer of hope, shining in her eyes like stars in a dark sky.

  Jo's expression shifted to one of curiosity as he noticed the sudden change in her demeanor, holding onto that smile as if it were a sign of something good.

  She shared the thought that had come to her, her voice carrying a hint of relief.

  "We actually contacted his grandmother just a little while ago… she should be here in a few minutes."

  Jo let out a long breath, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Finally, someone would take care of little Haruki, there was no need to worry about him anymore.

  "Smart thinking,"

  he said, offering praise for Saya's quick response, a faint smile appearing on his face.

  ***

  A dim light hung over the room where the dead were prepared for burial.

  The walls, painted in sterile white, only added to the emptiness and despair.

  No sunlight entered. No sounds of life could be heard.

  Only the lingering scent of disinfectants, the stillness of corpses, and the haunting presence of those who had passed on.

  It was the kind of place that seemed almost perfect as the opening scene of a horror film.

  There, in the center of that stillness, stood Nagisa.

  His expression was unreadable, void of emotion, his face as pale and lifeless as an old, faded sheet of paper.

  His shoulders were hunched, unable to bear even the weight of his own body.

  The only sound in the room was the quiet rhythm of his breathing.

  His eyes fell upon the body of his wife, lying peacefully on a metal gurney.

  She was wrapped in a white kimono, her eyes closed, her hands gently folded over her chest.

  There was nothing left but stillness… her spirit had already departed.

  All that remained was the beautiful shell she once inhabited.

  And in Nagisa's mind, a storm of thoughts raged.

  He was still trying to process the truth, that she was gone.

  And there was no hope she would ever return.

  ***

  The glass doors of the large hospital slid open for a woman who appeared to be in her mid-sixties.

  She stepped inside cautiously, her face etched with unmistakable worry.

  Her eyes scanned the area in panic, desperate to grasp onto any thread that might lead her to what she was seeking.

  She was Nagisa's mother.

  Saya spotted her from a distance and quickly approached, calling out gently.

  "Ma'am?"

  Nagisa's mother turned toward the young nurse, a flicker of relief softening her anxious expression.

  She stepped closer, trying hard to suppress the storm of emotions raging inside her, like wildfires tearing through a forest.

  "Oh, thank god I found you! Where is my son? Is everyone all right? I came the moment someone from the hospital called me… Please, tell me they're okay."

  Her voice trembled with concern, and her eyes searched Saya's face, desperate for reassurance.