Akitsu Shouga walked away from the bloodstained street without looking back.

  His footsteps were steady, almost mechanical, as though his body had already decided the direction long before his mind could catch up. The village sounds slowly returned around him—vendors shouting, footsteps on stone, distant laughter—yet everything felt hollow, like he was walking through a painted backdrop rather than reality itself.

  I didn’t hesitate…

  That’s what scares me.

  After a short while, he slowed.

  Someone was standing in front of him.

  Akitsu lifted his head.

  The same little girl with white hair and blue eyes stood in the middle of the road, completely still. Her small frame cast a thin shadow on the ground, her expression utterly blank. She wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t crying.

  She simply existed.

  Akitsu stopped walking.

  Akitsu Shouga’s thoughts echoed loudly in his skull.

  It’s this kid again…

  Why is she just standing there?

  She didn’t look at him. Her gaze was lowered, as if staring at the ground—or perhaps at something beneath it.

  Akitsu took a cautious step forward.

  “Hello, little girl…” he said carefully.

  “You shoul—”

  The world stopped.

  His muscles locked instantly, as though his nerves had been severed. The next sensation wasn’t pain—it was absence.

  His body tipped forward unnaturally.

  Then—

  CRACK.

  Akitsu shattered.

  His form broke apart like fragile glass, fragments scattering soundlessly into nothingness.

  The world collapsed into darkness.

  When Akitsu opened his eyes again, silence greeted him.

  He stood upon a small, red island—its surface cracked and dry like scorched clay. At its center rose a single sakura tree, its trunk dark crimson, its branches twisted and bare.

  The leaves that remained were blood-red.

  Around the island stretched an endless black void, smooth like inked water. Floating upon it—

  Exactly eleven sakura petals.

  They drifted slowly, circling the island endlessly.

  Beyond them hovered countless red doors, standing upright upon the black surface as if reality itself had forgotten gravity.

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  Akitsu exhaled slowly.

  “I’m back here?” he muttered.

  “That girl is dangerous… I shouldn’t mess with her from now on.”

  His voice echoed faintly, swallowed by the void.

  He stepped into the black water.

  It didn’t ripple.

  It didn’t feel cold.

  It felt like walking through nothing.

  Akitsu chose a random red door and approached it. The closer he got, the more oppressive the silence became—no wind, no heartbeat, no breath.

  He reached out and opened it.

  The world went quiet.

  Cold.

  That was the first thing he felt.

  When Akitsu opened his eyes again, sharp wind bit into his skin. Snow crashed against him relentlessly, swirling in violent white waves.

  He was sitting beneath a massive tree, its bark frozen solid.

  Straw overcoats were draped over his body, barely holding back the cold. His breath came out in trembling clouds.

  Near his feet—

  Blood-stained snow.

  “What the hell…?!” Akitsu gasped.

  “Where am I?! Aren’t I supposed to be at the village?!”

  “…Is this like last time?”

  He forced himself to stand, legs shaking violently as the storm roared around him. His vision blurred from the cold.

  “I’m freezing… I need to find shelter!”

  He pushed forward through the storm, every step a battle.

  Then—

  A ladder.

  It was attached to the massive tree beside him, leading upward into the branches.

  “What is this?” he muttered.

  “Does someone live here?”

  With no better option, he climbed.

  The wind screamed around him as he ascended, fingers numb, arms aching. At the top sat a small tree house, its wooden door barely visible through the snow.

  He pulled himself inside and slammed the door shut.

  Warmth.

  Akitsu collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. The inside was simple but sturdy—wooden walls, a small window nearly buried in snow, and faint warmth lingering in the air.

  “Am I trapped here…?” he thought.

  “When will this snowstorm end? If it doesn’t end soon… I’ll have to go out and find food.”

  He leaned against the wall.

  The cold finally loosened its grip.

  Before he realized it—

  Sleep took him.

  The door creaked open.

  A young woman hurried inside, brushing snow from her boots. She carried a basket filled with small black berries. Her ears were pointed, her skin pale, and her violet eyes sharp despite her exhaustion.

  She removed her quilted jacket and placed the basket down.

  Then she turned.

  Her body stiffened.

  “…!”

  She stared at Akitsu.

  Cautiously, she approached him as he slept and gently poked his cheek.

  No response.

  She poked again.

  Nothing.

  “Looks like he’s sleeping?” she whispered.

  “Where did he come from? Should I throw him out?”

  “…This is my first time seeing a regular human.”

  She stepped back, grabbed the basket, and sat on the floor. Calmly, she began eating the berries, watching him closely.

  Minutes passed.

  Akitsu stirred.

  His eyes opened.

  He froze.

  There was someone sitting across the room.

  “—!”

  “Oh, you’re awake!” she said casually.

  “Who are you?!” Akitsu shouted, scrambling backward.

  “My name is Vale,” she said calmly.

  “Here’s some berries… You must be hungry.”

  She slid the basket toward him.

  “Oh? Is this your tree house?”

  “Yeah—and I let you stay, just so you know!”

  “Thanks… for your kindness.”

  “No worries. I’ve never seen a human before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m an elf. You’re a human.”

  “What?!! You’re an elf?!”

  Vale chuckled softly.

  “Yes, I am… It may sound like fantasy, but I’m an actual elf!”

  “Oh… wow… I never thought elves would be real!”

  “I’m more surprised,” she said, leaning forward.

  “How did you end up in the Soren Village?”

  “Wait—this is a village? How come I never saw any other elves?”

  “We tend to stay indoors during snowstorms.”

  “But how did you end up here? It’s nearly impossible for a human to arrive in Soren Village!”

  “I don’t know… I just woke up under a tree and saw the ladder.”

  “You’re an interesting human, indeed!”

  She watched him closely as he ate.

  “I have a question…” Akitsu said carefully.

  “Where is the Sunwind Village?”

  “Sorry. I’ve never heard of any human villages.”

  “Oh… so humans are forbidden from this village?”

  “Yeah. If they ever see you, they’ll kill you on the spot.”

  “That’s harsh… Why can’t they just let humans leave?”

  “This village is secretive. Only the elven chief knows the exit.”

  “If a human is here, the balance collapses.”

  “…I guess that makes sense. But I want to live.”

  “That’s why I’m keeping you here,” Vale said softly.

  “Don’t worry—no elf checks another’s home without permission.”

  Akitsu felt a small sense of relief.

  “Alright… thanks for not killing me.”

  “No worries,” she smiled.

  “I’ll allow you to stay if you allow me to examine you.”

  “…What do you mean?”

  “I just want to examine your behaviour,” she said plainly

  “…Alright. I’ll do whatever it takes to live!”

  “Alright!”

  The snowstorm howled outside as fate quietly shifted once more.