When Akitsu Shouga walked away from the bloodstained street, he did not once look back.
His footsteps were steady—too steady. Each step landed with quiet certainty, as if his body had already chosen a path before his thoughts could argue against it. Around him, the village slowly returned to life. Vendors raised their voices. Wooden wheels creaked. Somewhere, someone laughed.
It all felt wrong.
Like scenery painted onto a stage.
I didn’t hesitate…
The realization surfaced without emotion, and that frightened him more than the blood ever could.
That’s what scares me.
After several minutes, he slowed.
Someone stood directly in his path.
Akitsu lifted his head.
The same little girl with white hair and pale blue eyes stood in the middle of the road. She was completely still, arms resting at her sides, her small frame casting a thin, fragile shadow across the stone. Her face held no expression—no fear, no curiosity, no malice.
She simply existed.
Akitsu stopped.
It’s this kid again…
Why is she just standing there?
She did not meet his gaze. Her eyes were lowered, as though she were staring at the ground—or perhaps something far deeper than it.
Akitsu took a cautious step forward.
“Hello… little girl,” he said carefully.
“You shoul—”
The world stopped.
His muscles locked instantly, as if every nerve in his body had been severed at once. The next sensation was not pain.
It was absence.
His body pitched forward at an impossible angle.
Then—
CRACK.
Akitsu shattered.
His form broke apart like fragile glass, fragments scattering soundlessly into nothing. Reality itself seemed to fracture along with him.
Darkness swallowed everything.
——
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 few remaining leaves clung stubbornly to the limbs, glowing blood-red against the void.
Surrounding the island stretched endless black water, smooth and reflective like liquid ink.
Floating upon it—
Exactly eleven sakura petals.
They drifted slowly, circling the island in a silent, eternal orbit.
Beyond them hovered countless red doors, upright and motionless, as if gravity had forgotten to claim them.
Akitsu exhaled.
“So I’m back here…” he muttered.
That girl is dangerous.
“I shouldn’t mess with her from now on.”
His voice echoed faintly, quickly swallowed by the void.
He stepped into the black water.
It did not ripple.
It did not feel cold.
It felt like walking through nothing at all.
Choosing at random, Akitsu approached one of the red doors. With every step closer, the silence grew heavier—no wind, no breath, no heartbeat.
He reached out.
Opened it.
——
Cold.
That was the first thing he felt.
When Akitsu opened his eyes again, violent wind tore across his body. Snow crashed against him in blinding white waves, biting into his skin like needles. He sat beneath a massive frozen tree, its bark coated in thick ice.
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Straw overcoats had been draped over him—thin, worn, but lifesaving.
His breath trembled as it escaped his lips in cloudy bursts.
Near his feet—
Blood-stained snow.
“What the hell…?!” Akitsu gasped.
“Where am I?!”
His teeth chattered violently.
“Aren’t I supposed to be at the village…?”
“…Is this like last time?”
Forcing himself to stand, he nearly collapsed as his legs shook beneath him. The storm roared, drowning out his thoughts.
“I’m freezing… I need shelter—now.”
He pushed forward through the snow, every step a battle against the wind.
Then he saw it.
A ladder.
It was fastened to the massive tree beside him, disappearing upward into the branches.
“What is this…?” he muttered.
“Does someone live here?”
With no better option, he climbed.
The wind screamed as he ascended, fingers numb, arms burning. At the top sat a small tree house, its door barely visible beneath layers of snow.
He pulled himself inside and slammed it shut.
Warmth.
Akitsu collapsed onto the wooden floor, breathing heavily. The interior was simple but sturdy—wooden walls, a small window nearly buried in snow, and faint residual heat lingering in the air.
“Am I trapped here…?”
His thoughts drifted sluggishly.
“If this storm doesn’t end… I’ll need food.”
The cold finally loosened its grip.
Sleep claimed 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 long and pointed, her skin pale, her violet eyes sharp despite clear exhaustion.
She set the basket down and removed her quilted jacket.
Then she noticed him.
Her body stiffened.
“…?”
Cautiously, she approached the sleeping boy and gently poked his cheek.
No response.
She poked again.
Nothing.
“Looks like he’s sleeping…” she whispered.
“Where did you come from? Should I throw you out…?”
She paused.
“…This is my first time seeing a regular human.”
Sitting back, she grabbed the basket and began eating calmly, eyes never leaving him.
Minutes passed.
Akitsu stirred.
His eyes opened.
He froze.
Someone was sitting across the room.
“Oh—you’re awake!” she said casually.
“Who are you?!” Akitsu shouted, scrambling backward.
“My name is Vale,” she replied calmly. “Here—berries. You must be hungry.”
She slid the basket toward him.
“…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?”
“I’m an elf. You’re a human.”
“What?!”
Vale chuckled softly. “Yes. A real elf.”
Akitsu stared. “I never thought elves were real…”
“I’m more surprised,” she said, leaning forward. “How did you end up in Soren Village?”
“This is a village?”
“We stay indoors during storms.”
“…So humans aren’t allowed here?”
“If they find you, they’ll kill you on sight.”
Akitsu swallowed. “I want to live.”
“That’s why I’m keeping you here,” Vale said quietly.
The storm howled outside.
Fate shifted once more.
