**Chapter 5: Shadows in the Night**

I stumbled out of bed, my legs trembling beneath me. The room seemed to spin around me, like a vortex pulling me down into the depths of madness. I grasped the bedpost to steady myself, taking a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. The darkness seemed to press in around me, making it hard to think clearly. I had to find Hange, to make sure he was safe. As I let go of the bedpost, my eyes scanned the room frantically, searching for any sign of the shadowy figure. But there was nothing. The room was empty, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioner. I took a tentative step forward, my senses on high alert. The silence was oppressive, like a physical presence that weighed me down. I knew I had to get out of there, to find some answers. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and dialed Hange's number, my fingers shaking as I waited for him to pick up. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer. I tried calling his other phone, the one he used for emergencies, but it went straight to voicemail. A sense of panic began to set in, like a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. I tried to think clearly, to come up with a plan. I knew Hange would never just disappear without telling me. He would have left a note, or sent a message. But there was nothing. No message, no note, no sign of him anywhere. I felt a sense of desperation creeping in, like I was losing him all over again. I quickly got dressed, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. I grabbed my bag and ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me. The hallway was empty and quiet, the only sound the soft creaking of the old building. I took the stairs two at a time, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to find Hange, to make sure he was safe. As I reached the lobby, I saw a figure standing by the front desk. It was the hotel manager, Mr. Tanaka. He looked up as I approached, his expression concerned. "Miss, is everything okay? I heard a noise coming from your room." I hesitated, unsure of how much to tell him. But something about his kind face put me at ease. "I think something's happened to my friend," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "He was here with me, and now he's gone. I need to find him." Mr. Tanaka's expression turned serious. "Let's go to the security room and check the cameras," he said, leading me to a small room at the back of the lobby. The room was filled with screens and monitors, showing footage from various cameras around the hotel. Mr. Tanaka sat down at a console and began to scroll through the footage. "Can you tell me more about your friend?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the screens. I described Hange, showing him the picture on my phone. Mr. Tanaka's eyes narrowed as he studied the image. After a few minutes, he stopped the footage and pointed to the screen. "Is that him?" he asked. I leaned in, my heart racing. On the screen, I saw Hange walking out of the hotel, his eyes scanning the street as if he was looking for something. Or someone. My mind was racing with questions. Where was he going? And why hadn't he told me? But before I could ask Mr. Tanaka to keep playing the footage, the screen flickered and went black. The console beeped, signaling a system failure. Mr. Tanaka cursed under his breath. "It seems our system has crashed. But I think we have enough to go on." He printed out a still image of Hange from the footage, and handed it to me. "I'll have my staff review the rest of the footage and see if we can find out where he went," he said. "In the meantime, I'll give you a list of his possible destinations. You can start searching from there." I took the paper, my eyes scanning the image of Hange. I had to find him, to make sure he was safe. I nodded, determination rising up within me. I would find Hange, no matter what it took. As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of myself in a nearby mirror. My eyes looked sunken, my skin pale. I looked like I had been through a nightmare. And in a way, I had. But I knew I couldn't give up now. I had to keep going, to find Hange and bring him back to me.