[Japan, Yakushima Island]
"My prayer to the merciful goddess... today, I ask you, may I meet someone who is loving and kind."
Leaves drifted slowly, carried by the wind that swept through the temple grounds. The damp scent of earth filled the air—a sign that rain was coming soon. It was as if the sky itself was waiting for something.
With a slightly anxious face, she bowed twice, clapped her hands twice, and then bowed once more. Her expression gradually became serious.
"My name is Mirai, and I pray that my family stays healthy... that my mother, younger sibling, and grandmother's affairs go smoothly... that's all I ask for... just that."
"I'm sorry, goddess... my prayer is quite short today."
The woman stood up and turned toward the dark clouds that would soon bring rain.
After finishing her prayer, she performed two bows, four claps, and one final bow. As she turned around, the wind swept her hair away from her face, revealing a beauty as radiant as maple leaves in autumn.
From a distance, her grandmother called out to her. "Mirai, let's go home. It's going to rain soon."
Mirai jogged towards her grandmother. But it was too late... The rain began to fall in the middle of her run. She and her grandmother hurried down the temple steps, searching for a place to take shelter until the rain stopped. At a crossroads on the way down, they found a small shelter and decided to wait there.
"Hacchuu... it's cold..." Seeing her granddaughter start to sneeze, the grandmother smiled and hugged her, gently stroking her hair in an attempt to warm her up. The warmth of her grandmother's love made Mirai's face turn slightly red, but in the end, she smiled with gratitude.
She noticed someone walking leisurely down the same temple path, though it seemed like he was coming from the highest shrine on the hill.
With worry and concern, Mirai bit her lip hesitantly. Not because the man looked dangerous, nor because his face was frightening or his body intimidating. But... his eyes. Empty. Too empty, as if there was no soul within him. Something about him made her skin crawl, but she didn't know why.
"The man walked slowly, his black suit drenched from the rain. His curly brown hair clung to his forehead, but the strangest thing was his eyes—empty, devoid of emotion, like someone who had lost everything. Each step he took was nearly silent on the wet ground, as if he wasn't entirely present in this world."
But her grandmother, with a warm smile, called out to him, waving her old hands. Seeing her grandmother's actions, Mirai grew nervous and afraid. She quickly whispered, "Grandma... don't... what if he's dangerous? What kind of good person wears a suit in the middle of the rain? He looks weird."
Hearing her granddaughter's innocent reasoning, the grandmother continued waving her hand and called out, "Come take shelter here, young man, or you'll catch a cold." Then, she turned to her granddaughter and smiled. Seeing Mirai still staring anxiously, the grandmother pinched her cheek and said, "Look closely at what he's holding under his coat."
Mirai turned her gaze back to the man approaching them, and her eyes widened in shock.
Her round, innocent eyes grew larger in astonishment. Under the man's coat was a small, wounded fox, trembling from the cold rain and wind. Then, her grandmother spoke. "From a distance, he may seem frightening, but that's only what the eyes see, not what the heart knows."
Moments later, the stranger stood before them, standing in the pouring rain. Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward Mirai and her grandmother.
"Please..."
He extended the small white fox he was holding. At the same moment, his body wavered and collapsed to the ground.
Mirai and her grandmother gasped, rushing to his side.
They panicked and shouted, but the stranger could hear nothing. He only saw their faces—worried, calling out to him.
Slowly, my vision darkened. And I remembered something.
"For some reason, I really hate the rain..." the stranger murmured faintly.
"Grandma, is he unconscious?!"
"Mirai... step aside for a moment." Her grandmother pulled something from her pocket and pricked her own hand.
"Grandma! Don't! That's too much!"
"Mirai, something is strange... both the white fox and this young man..."
"But more importantly... something dark is approaching fast. I have no choice but to do this."
At that moment, far behind the temple, across the hill, a thick black light slowly shot into the sky.
"Grandma... this aura feels terrifying..."
"Mirai... go home first, take them with you. I have some business to take care of."
Mirai turned around and froze in fear. Behind her grandmother stood a creature—a tiger with a serpent's tail. She swallowed hard.
"CHIMERA."
Without hesitation, Mirai lifted the unconscious stranger and the white fox, carrying them away. Though she was a woman, she was strong.
"Her grandmother stood firmly in the midst of the pouring rain. Beside her, the chimera moved slowly, its snake-like tail hissing, its golden eyes glowing fiercely as they stared toward the sky.
In the distance, the dark aura swirled, spinning like a vortex, approaching at an unnatural speed.
'Moei...' the grandmother whispered, a slight smirk on her lips. 'It's been a long time.'
With sharp eyes, she continued, "My old friend... and enemy."
A Few Hours Later
Mirai and her younger brother sat in front of their house, anxiously waiting for their grandmother to return. Without realizing it, she muttered to herself.
Suddenly, her grandmother struck the back of her head gently and smiled. Mirai quickly turned and hugged her, crying.
Her grandmother had returned safely.
"Mirai, where are they?"
"I treated their wounds, but more importantly... what was that earlier, Grandma? Are you hurt?"
"I'm perfectly fine," she said, pinching Mirai's cheek.
"Grandma is strong! Hahaha!"
"That's right. Look at your brother—he knows his grandmother is strong! Come here, Hayato, my dear grandson."
At the same time, inside the house, the stranger remained unconscious. But something felt off.
[Inside His Subconscious]
I heard the voice of a child, but I saw nothing. All I felt was endless darkness. But it was heavy, as if I was sinking into the deepest part of the ocean.
Darkness engulfed me, vast and infinite. I couldn't see anything, but I knew... something was there. Through the black void, I felt an unseen gaze piercing through me. My heart pounded wildly, almost painfully, as if trying to escape my chest. My breath quickened—no, I couldn't breathe. The air was gone, replaced by an unbearable void.
Then, something touched my shoulder.
Slowly, I turned my head. A child was clinging to me. Their face... distorted, like a glitching image on an old TV screen. But the smile never changed—too wide, too unnatural. From between their lips, thick black liquid oozed, releasing a putrid stench.
I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I wanted to resist, but I was trapped.
'IT'S YOUR FAULT. You have no right to anything. The only thing you deserve is suffering and emptiness.'
The child cackled and vanished into the darkness. And then, behind them, something enormous was watching me.
Something so vast... I was nothing but an ant before it.