When Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes once again, the ethereal void greeted him.

  There was no pain.

  No warmth.

  No sound of breath.

  Only stillness.

  He stood upon a small island dyed entirely in red, as if the land itself had been soaked in blood long ago. At the island’s center grew a single cherry blossom tree, its trunk twisted yet elegant, its branches stretching outward like silent arms reaching for something that no longer existed. Crimson petals drifted slowly through the air, eventually settling onto the surface of the black water surrounding the island.

  Akitsu Shouga counted them.

  Exactly eighteen cherry blossom petals floated in a loose circle around the island, carried by currents that did not ripple the water.

  Beyond them, resting atop the black surface like forgotten memories, were countless doors.

  All of them red.

  Except for one.

  Far in the distance, barely visible through the darkness, stood a single blue door.

  Akitsu Shouga exhaled—though he did not feel his lungs move.

  “I died again…”

  His voice echoed faintly, swallowed almost immediately by the void.

  “I don’t feel anything… My senses are dull inside of here.”

  He stared down at the black water beneath his feet.

  There was no reflection.

  No proof that he existed at all.

  Slowly, he stepped forward and walked into the water. It parted beneath his feet without resistance, as if he were walking atop shadow itself. He passed by red door after red door, each one identical, each one sealed shut like a promise waiting to be broken.

  His eyes kept drifting toward the distant blue door.

  “It’s my second time seeing that…”

  His brow furrowed slightly.

  “What happens if I pick another one?”

  After a moment of hesitation, he turned his back on the blue door.

  He continued walking.

  Red doors stretched endlessly in every direction, an infinite corridor of choices with no sign of an end. No matter how far he walked, the scenery never changed.

  Akitsu Shouga clenched his fist.

  “There’s no end to this…”

  “All I see is endless choices and possibilities.”

  Then—

  A voice.

  Deep.

  Echoing.

  Amused.

  “That’s right…”

  “Go on. Entertain me till the end.”

  The laughter that followed rippled across the void like a disturbance in reality itself.

  But Akitsu Shouga did not hear it.

  Or perhaps—he chose not to.

  Without looking around, he reached out and placed his hand on the nearest red door.

  He opened it.

  The world fell into silence.

  When Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes once more, rough bark pressed against his back.

  He was sitting on a tree branch.

  Cool night air brushed against his face, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and distant incense. Before him stood the mansion of Haruya Takeda—its tall walls looming beneath the moonlight, silent and watchful like a predator pretending to sleep.

  Akitsu Shouga looked down at his hands.

  Alive again.

  “So it’s random…” he muttered.

  “Which way should I go?”

  Seraphine Orion hovered beside him, her white hair swaying faintly as if caught in an invisible current.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Akitsu Shouga did not answer her immediately.

  “Orion,” he said instead, his tone firm, “make me two sharp sticks. Make them durable.”

  She blinked.

  “Alright, I’ll make them. But what are you going to do?”

  “I’m switching to another tactic.”

  Green light shimmered in Seraphine Orion’s hands. In moments, two sharp, hardened wooden spikes formed—smooth yet deadly. She handed them to him without further question.

  Akitsu Shouga tightened his grip.

  “Let’s go.”

  He leaped from the branch.

  His body moved with practiced precision. He sprinted toward a first-floor window, planted his foot on the edge, and used the momentum to vault upward. His fingers caught the sill of an open second-floor window, and with a swift motion, he pulled himself inside.

  The room was soft.

  Pink walls.

  Delicate curtains.

  Shelves lined with ornaments and ribbons.

  Seraphine Orion floated in after him, glancing around.

  “This room seems a bit girly to me.”

  “It looks girly to me.”

  Akitsu Shouga did not linger. He moved to the door and cracked it open just enough to peer into the hallway. Empty.

  No footsteps.

  No voices.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  He slipped out, crossed the hall, and entered the adjacent room.

  The moment they stepped inside, the temperature dropped.

  A small figure stood in the center of the room.

  A spirit.

  She had the body of a little girl, with long white hair that fell straight down her back and eyes as blue as frozen glass. She did not move. She did not blink.

  She only stared at them.

  Seraphine Orion stiffened.

  “Why is there a spirit in here?”

  “I’d also like to know the answer to that question!”

  Akitsu Shouga reacted instantly.

  He jumped upward, driving one sharp stick into the wall above the doorframe. Using it as an anchor, he pulled himself up and slammed the second stick into the ceiling at an angle. His body pressed flat against the space above the doorway, completely hidden from sight.

  He hung there, silent.

  Seraphine Orion stared up at him in disbelief.

  “Woah! What are you doing?”

  “Stay quiet!”

  The door creaked open.

  A small human girl stepped inside.

  She had white hair.

  Blue eyes.

  Identical.

  “Brother?” she called softly.

  “Where are you?”

  She looked around for a few seconds, her gaze passing directly beneath Akitsu Shouga.

  Then she turned and left.

  The door closed.

  Only then did Akitsu Shouga release a slow breath.

  Seraphine Orion whispered, “The spirit and the girl look pretty similar?”

  “We’re not here to solve mysteries,” Akitsu Shouga replied as he dropped down.

  “We’re here to save Kaoru.”

  He walked straight through the spirit’s position as if she were mist.

  As he passed, the spirit’s lips parted.

  “Father?”

  Seraphine Orion recoiled.

  “Why did she call you father? This is creeping me out!”

  “Focus.”

  Akitsu Shouga opened the window. The outside was clear.

  He climbed onto the edge, drove his sticks into the outer wall, and used them to scale upward toward the roof.

  “I don’t see the point of this!” Seraphine Orion protested.

  “Why are you climbing to the roof?”

  “To check our surroundings,” Akitsu Shouga answered calmly.

  “I already know where Kaoru is hidden. There’s no need to worry. Trust me.”

  “…Alright.”

  When he reached the rooftop, the night revealed something unexpected.

  A man sat calmly at the center of the mansion roof, dressed entirely in black. His presence was sharp, controlled—like a blade resting in its sheath.

  Their eyes met.

  The world seemed to pause.

  “Who are you?” the man asked calmly.

  “I’m Akitsu Shouga. Who are you?” Akitsu replied, equally calm—though tension coiled in his chest.

  “I’m Kaori Ryusei. I work for this family. What is your objective here, Akitsu Shouga?”

  “Why exactly do you care about my objectives?”

  “I feel like you’re an assassin. And my job is to protect this family. That’s why.”

  “I’m glad you don’t judge a book by its cover,” Akitsu Shouga said.

  “Because I’m not an assassin. I’m here for one single thing. That’s all.”

  “And does that single thing involve the family being killed?”

  “I’m not here to kill anyone. However, if they do get in my way, I’ll have to get rid of them.”

  “That’s the wrong answer,” Kaori Ryusei said quietly.

  “But I do like your honesty. So I’ll go easy on you.”

  He stood.

  “I appreciate it,” Akitsu Shouga said flatly,

  “but just kill me already. I don’t want to fight you.”

  “I just got here. I wanted some action. I haven’t fought anyone since five minutes ago.”

  “No thanks.”

  “Alright. Have it your way.”

  The man vanished.

  In the next instant, pain never arrived.

  A blade pierced Akitsu Shouga’s head.

  Instant death.

  The world fell into darkness.

  When Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes again, he stood once more upon the red island.

  The cherry blossom tree swayed gently.

  Now, nineteen petals drifted across the black water.

  The red doors remained.

  But the blue door now floated only a few feet in front of him.

  “Why is it over here now?”

  “Does it want me to go inside that badly?”

  He turned away.

  Walking past the cherry blossom tree, he headed toward the red doors on the opposite side.

  “I haven’t gone this way before.”

  He placed his hand on the nearest red door.

  And opened it.

  The world fell into silence.