"Will you join us, Ren?"
Ren stood there, conflicting emotions waging war inside him. The words of the Silver Shadows echoed in his mind—"The Ash Demon's counterpart," "A dark power." He had no idea how to process this shocking revelation. In that moment, it felt as if his entire world was collapsing around him.
"I won't be a part of this!" Ren suddenly shouted, trying to assert his will over the tension-filled room.
One of the members responded coldly, as if Ren's words were nothing more than a passing breeze. "You don't have a choice, Ren. This is your fate. You have been a part of this power since the day you were born."
"But I have a family!" Ren stood his ground, even as uncertainty gnawed at him. "I have a wife. I am responsible for her. I can't just leave... I can't abandon my normal life."
"A normal life?" One of the Silver Shadows scoffed, his voice laced with mocking amusement, as if Ren had just said something pitiful. "Do you really think you've been living a normal life all this time?"
He took a step forward, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your wife, your home, your job... all mere illusions. Do you really think we're giving you a choice? You don't understand, Ren. This isn't an offer. This is a truth you cannot escape."
Anger surged within Ren. He clenched his fists tightly, taking a deep breath before speaking in a firm voice. "Even if I am that demon's counterpart, that doesn't mean I'll become a monster like him. I won't let you use me!"
He paused, then added with fierce determination, "My wife is carrying my child! I won't be part of this madness. I won't destroy my life because of you."
One of the figures let out a short, icy laugh. "Your child? Ah… of course, we forgot how attached you are to these little human distractions."
Another spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable undercurrent of menace. "We gave you a chance to accept your reality, but it seems you're still clinging to your illusions. That's fine. The day will come when you realize the choices you think you have... were never truly yours."
Then, one of them turned to the manager, his voice sharp as a blade. "Tell your superiors—Ren will be ours, sooner or later. And when that time comes… make sure you don't interfere."
With slow, deliberate steps, the Silver Shadows began to leave the office, as if Ren's resistance was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Before the last one exited, he turned back and spoke in a voice so quiet yet so deep, it seemed to carve into Ren's very soul:
"Sooner or later, you will realize that you belong to us. And when that moment comes... there will be nowhere else for you to go."
Then the door shut behind them, leaving Ren standing there, his heart pounding violently, his mind spiraling into thoughts he wasn't ready to face.
It felt as if the walls around him were closing in, as if his entire world was beginning to crack, piece by piece.
Ren stormed into his office, his steps quick and furious, feeling as if everything around him was beginning to collapse The thought of being linked to a demon—one of the most dangerous demons in existence—was beyond comprehension.
He sat down at his desk, pressing his palms firmly against the surface, trying to gather his thoughts. There was no time for doubt or emotion. He needed answers.
With a swift motion, his fingers glided over the glass surface of his desk, activating the massive holographic display. Advanced search algorithms kicked in, pulling data from central archives—government records, classified research, even dark web networks.
"Ash Demon... Black Snow Forest..."
He entered the words into the high-speed search engine. Streams of data rushed across the screen as he scanned everything he could find.
A 3D map materialized, displaying the Black Snow Forest, a region deep in the far north where no human settlements existed. The area was shrouded by an enigmatic energy field, making even drone surveillance nearly impossible.
Then, old reports surfaced—military research documents, magical organization records. He opened one and began reading:
"Ash Demon – Classification Code: SSS – Global Threat"
"First recorded sighting: Over 200 years ago. Responsible for the annihilation of entire settlements in past centuries. Every expedition sent into the Black Snow Forest has never returned. The only survivors found days after entering the forest… were no longer human. Their bodies were intact, but their minds were hollow—empty shells, as if something had stolen their souls."
"Its full abilities remain unknown, but reports indicate control over both ice and fire, wielding a deadly ash energy that burns anything in its path. Unlike most demons, it does not make pacts with humans—it chooses its counterpart itself, claiming it 'knows who is worthy.'"
"Warning: Do not approach the forest. Do not seek the Ash Demon. If you feel it watching you, it is already too late."
Cold sweat trickled down Ren's forehead. These weren't just myths. These were official reports. Some files even bore the "Top Secret" classification, meaning powerful forces had been suppressing this information.
He pressed another button, opening an old, distorted military video. The footage was grainy, as if recorded by a long-abandoned surveillance drone.
The video showed an aerial view of the forest, its trees coated in thick layers of ice, despite sensor readings detecting extreme heat deep within.
Then, a frantic voice crackled over the radio:
"This isn't normal weather! Damn it, there's something—it's here! It's watching us!"
Screams followed. Then static.
Then—absolute silence.
The recording cut off.
A chilling sensation crawled up Ren's spine. Not just from the data—but from something else. A feeling, buried deep within him, as if… these words, this knowledge, was familiar.
Like he had seen this before.
He placed a hand on his head, trying to steady his thoughts. "Why does this feel… like a memory?"
Before he could process further, a sharp alert flashed on his screen:
"Unauthorized access detected. You are being reported to the authorities."
Ren's eyes widened. Shit. He had gone too far. This information wasn't meant for public eyes. And now, he had been tracked.
He shot up from his chair, frantically attempting to disable the trace, but before he could react—
The screens went black.
Ren moved quickly, keeping his head down as he navigated through the corridors of the DCDU headquarters. His mind raced—he had accessed restricted files, triggered an alert, and now every second counted. He couldn't go home yet. If they were tracking him, leading them to Shizuko would be a mistake.
He needed more information.
As he exited the building, the neon lights of Tokyo in 2076 flickered above him. The streets were alive with holographic billboards, self-driving vehicles gliding through the air, and pedestrians vanishing into instant teleportation stations. But Ren avoided the usual transport routes—he couldn't risk being traced.
Instead, he took a less conspicuous path, weaving through the shadows of back alleys until he reached an old district of the city. Unlike the modern glass skyscrapers and digital displays, this area retained its traditional aesthetic—wooden storefronts, paper lanterns, and narrow streets that felt untouched by time.
At the end of the street stood a small, ancient library, hidden between towering buildings. A place very few visited in this age of instant digital knowledge. The Kisaragi Archives.
Ren pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a faint chime echoed through the dimly lit space. The scent of old books and ink filled the air. Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with texts so ancient they had never been digitized.
An elderly librarian, a frail man with thin glasses and sharp eyes, looked up from his desk. He studied Ren carefully but said nothing as the officer strode past him, heading straight to the restricted history section.
He scanned the dusty titles until he found what he was looking for—a worn book labeled:
"Forbidden Lands of Japan."
Pulling it from the shelf, he flipped through the fragile pages until he found a passage about an infamous place:
"The Aokigahara Frostlands."
Aokigahara was already known as Japan's most cursed forest, infamous for its eerie silence and tragic history. But deep beyond the known region, hidden from all maps, there was a place few had ever spoken of—the Frostlands.
"Aokigahara Frostlands – A cursed expanse of eternal winter, shrouded in ice yet burning with an unnatural heat. No human settlement has ever lasted near its borders. Travelers who venture too close report feeling watched, hearing whispers in a language they do not know. Those who enter… do not return."
Ren's fingers tightened around the book. This was it.
The land controlled by the Ash Demon.
If he wanted answers, if he wanted to understand what the Silver Shadows had told him—he had to go there.
Ren closed the book gently, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. The Aokigahara Frozen Forest, that eerie place shrouded in legends and mysterious information, represented a huge challenge for him. But with everything he had discovered, he felt that going there was no longer an option—it was something he had to do. However, in that moment, he felt something else—the situation was becoming more complicated, and he needed time to think deeply before making any decisions.
He took a deep breath and closed the book. "No need to rush," he whispered to himself, steadying his mind as he tried to collect his thoughts.
He rose from his seat in the library and returned the book to the shelf where he had found it. The book had provided him with so much information, but now he needed to be sure that his next steps would be well thought out.
He glanced at the elderly librarian who had been silently observing him. The man hadn't said a word, but Ren felt as if he was reading his thoughts. Without saying anything, Ren quickly left the library.
The city buzzed with its usual energy in the evening, but Ren didn't care about the bright lights or the surrounding noise. He was focused on what he had discovered. The forest, the hidden places, everything pointed to something much bigger than he had imagined.
He got into his flying car, but instead of heading straight for Aokigahara, he decided to return home first. Shizuko was waiting for him. His normal life, fragile as it might be, deserved a bit of peace. He needed to make sure she was okay and not put her at any unnecessary risk.
He powered up his car and soared through the dark skies. Nothing could disturb his thoughts more than this decision, but Ren knew that he wouldn't face this fate alone. He needed to be with someone he trusted in these tense moments.
All he wanted was to collapse into her arms, to feel like his life was still normal, even if for just a moment. To rest his hand on her belly, talk to their unborn child, and promise that he would protect them no matter what.
The city around him was alive with neon lights reflecting off the sleek glass roads, while flying cars passed overhead in near silence, and high-speed underground trains zipped by, transporting people through the towering skyscrapers that blocked out the sky.
But Ren didn't see any of that. All that mattered was getting back to her.
When he finally reached home, he opened the door quickly, breathing a little heavily.
"Shizuko, I'm back."
But instead of hearing her warm voice welcoming him…
He heard another man's voice.
"Don't worry, everything is going as planned."
"Ren" froze in place, his heart pounding, his breaths quickening.
Then he heard Shizuko's voice, calm yet carrying something strange.
"I know... he doesn't have much time, soon he'll know the truth."
Ren's eyes widened, and he felt like the ground beneath him was shaking.
What were they talking about? Who was this man?
He moved quietly, his steps light as he approached the slightly open living room door.
Through the gap… he saw her.
Shizuko, standing before a small table, speaking with a man dressed in a sharp black suit, his features cold and sharp, his eyes gleaming as if they knew more than they should.
Ren stood frozen behind the door, his breath ragged as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing.
He should have walked in right away, confronted them, but he couldn't move. There was something in Shizuko's voice that made him hesitate.
Then he heard her speak again, her voice even calmer… but her words were like knives.
"He's really late today… This is better. I don't want to deal with his gaze, questioning everything."
Ren felt coldness crawl down his spine.
Then came the voice of the other man, low but crystal clear.
"Don't worry, this won't last long. When everything is over, we'll be together, just as I promised you."
"We'll be together?"
Ren's eyes widened, his heart nearly stopping.
This wasn't a secret meeting about some grand conspiracy, and it wasn't what he had thought at first.
This man… wasn't a stranger to her.
He was her lover.
Ren clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging into his palm as he heard the sound of the man's footsteps drawing nearer to her.
Then came the sound Ren had never wanted to hear.
A kiss.
He felt something inside him collapse. Was everything a lie?
All those moments he thought were true happiness, every night he spent beside her believing she loved him, all the words she'd said about the future they'd build together…
Was it just a mask?
He took a step back, trying to suppress the overwhelming rage within him, but he could no longer stay here.
He turned silently, leaving through the door the same way he'd come in, unnoticed.
But he wasn't the same man who had entered this house just minutes ago.
He was something else… something darker.
Ren stepped out of the house, his steps unsteady, his eyes staring blankly into the void as flying cars passed overhead, their neon lights reflecting off his pale face.
The air was cold, but he felt nothing. His body was completely numb, as though reality itself was losing its meaning.
"Was every moment with her a lie?"
"Was my child even... my child?"
He wanted to laugh, but couldn't. Everything was falling apart inside him, his heart eroding from the inside, and something within him screamed in silence, searching for only one answer: why?
He stood at the corner of the street, his eyes aimlessly gazing at the glowing horizon of towering skyscrapers.
He should have confronted her.
He should have stormed into the room, screamed in her face, demanded the truth.
But he didn't.
Because part of him was afraid of hearing the answer.
Ren stood at the edge of a glass bridge overlooking the city, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The wind tugged at his coat, but he barely noticed it. His gaze was fixed on the sprawling city below, the lights shimmering like stars in the night, but none of it seemed to matter anymore.
His heart felt like it was shattering, piece by piece. He could still hear her voice, the warmth in her words, the future she promised. Yet now, it all felt like a distant memory, a cruel mirage that had faded as quickly as it appeared. The pain inside him was like a heavy weight, pressing down on his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs.
He wanted to scream, to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. The hurt was so deep that it felt like a part of him had died. He thought about the moments he had shared with her, the life they were supposed to build together, and it felt as if the very foundation of his world had crumbled beneath him.
But then… a strange numbness began to take over. It was like an icy cold creeping through his veins, washing away the ache in his heart, replacing it with a chilling emptiness.
He realized, standing there, that he was no longer the man he had been. The heartbreak had broken something inside him, something that could never be fixed. The emotions that once ruled his life, the warmth, the love, they were fading.
Now, there was nothing but a hollow void.
The world around him seemed distant, unreal, as if he had stepped into a place where emotions no longer mattered.
He was cold now.
Detached.
And it felt like it might be the only thing left that he could trust.
But suddenly, he felt something strange.
Eyes were watching him.
turned quickly, only to find someone standing on the other side of the bridge. The person was wearing a long silver coat and a mask covering half of his face. The faint light reflected off the mask, making him appear as if he had emerged from the shadows themselves.
It was one of the "Silver Shadows."
Ren wasn't sure if he was imagining things, but it seemed as though the man had been watching him the entire time, as if he knew exactly when Ren would feel weak and broken.
Then, in a calm voice, but one laced with something ominous, the man said:
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
Ren froze, staring at the man with empty eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. The words felt trapped in his throat. The pain inside him was stronger than anything he could express.
"To discover that you've lived a lie... to realize that you were never the hero of your own story, but just a tool for someone else."
Ren clenched his fists tightly, as though desperately trying to control himself. The pain was searing, but he wasn't ready to admit it. He remained silent, but stood firm.
The man took another step toward him, making Ren feel an odd sensation twisting around his heart. A conflicting mix of fear and curiosity.
"But don't worry... this is just the beginning."
Sure! Here's the revised version with the text between quotation marks in bold:
Ren planted his feet firmly on the glass floor of the bridge, his hand still clutching his pocket as he watched the man in the silver coat slowly approach him.
"Who are you?" he said, his voice cold, masking the turmoil that almost consumed him entirely.
The man smiled, though half his face was hidden behind the mask. His eyes carried something strange… something almost like pity.
"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are, Ren."
Ren's eyes flickered, but he didn't show any other reaction.
"If you know me, then you know I'm not in the mood for games."
"Quite the opposite," the man said calmly, standing just a few steps away now. "That's exactly why I'm here… to show you the truth you haven't seen yet."
Ren let out a short laugh, though it was devoid of any joy.
"Truth? What truth? That my life was a lie? That the woman I loved was cheating on me? That the child I dreamed of a future with might not even be mine?"
The man took a step closer, now standing only a step away, and then whispered softly, his words hitting like a lightning strike:
"The truth is, Shizuko wasn't just betraying you..."
Ren slowly raised his gaze, frozen in place.
"She's been deceiving you from the very beginning."
His eyes widened, and his heart nearly stopped.
"What... do you mean?"
The man sighed, taking a step back as if giving Ren some space to process what was coming, then spoke slowly:
"Shizuko never fell in love with you, she wasn't your wife out of love… she was part of a much bigger plan, a plan that relates to who you really are… and who your true companion is."
Ren felt as though the air had been sucked from his lungs, and he whispered barely audibly:
"My true companion…?"
The man smiled a half-smile and added:
"Yes... the Ash Demon was never just a legend... and he was never your enemy."
Then he looked directly into Ren's eyes, as though penetrating his mind, and said:
"He's been searching for you… all this time."
Ren stood frozen, his heart pounding wildly, and his words caught in his throat.
"The Ash Demon… is looking for me?"
He stared at the man before him, his eyes reflecting both mystery and certainty at once. The man wasn't joking, he wasn't trying to scare him—he was stating a truth, a truth Ren wasn't ready to hear.
"No, this is impossible…" he whispered to himself, trying to find a flaw in what he had just heard.
But the man didn't move, there was no sign of retreat. Instead, he continued in a quieter voice:
"He's been waiting for you for a long time, Ren… and he's not the only one."
Ren's hands trembled without him realizing it. He tried to regain control, but it felt like something cold was creeping into his veins.
"How long have you known about this?"
The man smiled with a faint mockery, as though he'd expected this question, then said:
"Since the moment you were born."
Ren felt a sudden dizziness, taking a step back as he tried to process what he had just heard.
"What…?"
The man looked at him seriously this time, then added:
"You're different from the rest of humanity, Since your birth, your fate has been tied to something far greater than you ever imagined. You were never just an ordinary person, you were the key… the key the Ashen Demon has been waiting for to fulfill his role in this world."
At those words, everything around him faded. The sound of flying cars, the whisper of the wind, even the pain of betrayal that had torn at him moments before...
There was only one truth now.
"Who am I… really?"
The man chuckled lightly, then said:
"That's for you to discover on your own."
He then turned, his footsteps silent on the glass bridge, and before he disappeared completely, he paused and said:
"But hurry, they're coming for you… and they won't give you the time to decide your fate."
He vanished into the shadows, leaving Ren alone with endless questions…
But now, there was one thing clear.
His life had never been what he thought.
And his destiny… had just begun.
.
.
.
In a world as advanced as this, where technology ruled everything, there were still places that resisted progress—abandoned districts and isolated areas where smart cameras couldn't reach, and satellites couldn't penetrate their ancient walls.
There, in the narrow alleys, black markets and forbidden information thrived, making it the perfect place to search for the "Ash Demon."
"Companion… Demon…" Ren muttered as he advanced through streets illuminated by faint neon lights. The old Japanese script signs surrounded him, and shady vendors eyed him with suspicion.
He stopped in front of an old building, its entrance guarded by mysterious symbols. It was said to be the "Library of Forbidden Secrets."
He opened the door cautiously, and before him stood an old man—his frame frail, but his eyes carried a sharp intelligence.
"What do you want?" the man asked in a rough voice.
Ren stepped forward, placing his hand on the table, then said calmly:
"I want to know about my companion… and about the Ash Demon."
The old man chuckled, his laugh tinged with more mockery than anything else. He then clasped his thin hands in front of him and said:
"Don't take my words the wrong way, boy... You're not special."
Ren's eyes widened, but he remained silent, waiting for the old man to continue.
"You're just an ordinary human... If your companion wasn't the Ash Demon, you wouldn't be here now."
Ren felt his heart drop. He didn't know why, but part of him had hoped to be different, to have a purpose in this corrupt world.
"So... what does it mean to be his companion? Does it give me power? Does it mean I'm different?"
The old man sighed and shook his head in despair, then slowly rose from his chair and walked toward a shelf filled with ancient scrolls. He pulled out one that was dark gray in color, placing it in front of Ren.
"A demon's companion is simply the one with whom the demon can make a complete pact. It's not a legend, and there's no 'great destiny' waiting for you."
He looked Ren directly in the eyes, then added:
"The only thing is... your bad luck tied you to one of the deadliest demons in this world."
Ren froze for a moment, feeling as if he had fallen from a great height. The truth was harsh.
He wasn't "chosen."
He wasn't "special."
He was just a human, but his only problem was being the companion of the Ashen Demon—a killer, a savage, an invincible creature.
Ren looked at the old man seriously, his heart still pounding after everything he had heard. But he needed to see this creature for himself.
"Do you have a picture of him?"
The old man raised an eyebrow, as if the request was unexpected, then laughed with a touch of mockery. He returned to one of the old drawers, opened it, and took out a transparent electronic sheet. He pressed a corner of it, causing an old-fashioned holographic screen to light up, and before Ren appeared an image that made the blood freeze in his veins.
The Ash Demon looked like a nightmare made flesh— a tall human-like figure covered in cracked layers of ice and ash, twisted horns emerging from a skull that resembled that of a wild wolf. Its eyes were glowing red flames, burning brightly in the midst of its dark face. The demon's body bore countless battle scars, as if it had fought in wars for centuries without stopping.
But what terrified Ren the most was one thing…
"It looks like me."
It wasn't an exact likeness, but it was there— details in the features, something about its posture made him feel as though he was seeing a distorted reflection of himself in another world.
The old man watched him silently, then spoke in a low voice:
"Now you understand… it's not him who's been waiting for you, it's you who have been avoiding him your entire life."
Apologies for the confusion! Here's the text with the dialogue in dark quotation marks:
Ren stood, staring at the image of the Ash Demon, his mind drowning in a whirlwind of questions and fears. He couldn't deny the resemblance, but that only made him feel a terror he had never known before.
"Does this mean I...?"
The old man cut off his thoughts as he placed the electronic screen back in its place and said in a serious tone:
"There's no point in running, boy. The more you try to distance yourself, the closer your fate gets."
Ren clenched his fist, unsure of how to feel about all of this, but one thing became clear—there was no escaping it anymore.
He took a deep breath, then stood up, saying:
"Thanks for the information."
The old man looked at him for a moment before smiling a mysterious smile and saying:
"We'll see soon enough if you'll still thank me for this."
—
He took a self-driving cab, sitting in the back seat, his eyes staring through the window at the advanced streets of Tokyo, where towering skyscrapers were adorned with glowing lights, and small flying cars buzzed like flocks of artificial birds.
"I'm just an ordinary human, right?"
He tried to convince himself, but the voice deep inside kept whispering:
"You've never been ordinary..."
He finally arrived home, stepped out of the car, and walked towards the door.
He stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath, but something felt strange. A burning pain in his chest, a heavy pulse in his head, an unnatural cold coursing through his veins. It was as if his body was refusing to let him enter this place.
He opened the door quietly and walked inside with steady steps, as if he didn't feel anything, but the pain was rising, engulfing his chest, his mind screaming, but his features remained composed, as though his soul had detached from his body.
Shizuko was standing in the kitchen, looking... normal, yet not the way he was used to seeing her. There was tension in her eyes, her hand movements slow, as if she were thinking about something other than preparing dinner.
He looked around, there was no sign of that man.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, then spoke in a cold, calm voice:
"I'm home."
She suddenly turned to him, as if she hadn't expected him to return early. For a moment, he noticed how her eyes quickly dropped before she looked back at him with a faint smile.
"Welcome back... was your day long?"
He tilted his head slightly, feeling like there was an invisible barrier between them. It wasn't just a feeling, but a cold reality stretching between them like a glass wall.
"Not too long."
He moved closer to her calmly, but he felt the pain intensifying with every step, as if something in this place was telling him to retreat.
He saw her eyes for a moment... they were different.
They weren't the warm eyes he had grown used to. There were... calculations. Hesitation. Something that felt like guilt, but not quite.
He gently took her hand, feeling its coldness despite the warmth of the kitchen, then whispered softly:
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
He felt a slight tremor in her hand, but she quickly withdrew it and smiled, as if she hadn't understood what he meant.
"Nothing... just tired."
"I see."
He nodded slowly.
He didn't continue the conversation. Didn't ask more. Didn't show any emotion. He just looked at her with the same coldness that had begun to engulf his heart.
Then, he turned away quietly, as if it wasn't worth thinking about... but he felt that his coldness was only the beginning of another burning inside him.
After dinner, silence settled between them once again. The air was thick with invisible barriers that stretched between them, every word, every movement felt heavy, and there was no room for true emotions.
Ren finally rose from the table and walked slowly toward the bedroom. "Shizuko" followed behind him, her eyes fixed on him, searching for something deep inside, but unable to find a way through.
When he entered the room, he quietly closed the door behind him, then avoided looking at her side of the bed. He undressed and took his place on the edge of the bed, pretending to fall into a deep sleep. But in reality, he was far from sleeping.
The silence crept into the room, everything enveloped in darkness, except for "Ren's" mind, which was alight with thoughts. His body felt tangled in an old pain, a pain that wasn't of this moment, but from a long time ago. He remembered his parents and how he felt when they passed away. He had believed that life would get better someday. He had thought "Shizuko" would be the compensation, the dream that would fill the void their absence had left.
But something had changed.
Lay with her back to him in bed, he didn't embrace her. He remained lying in the dark, trying to face himself. He felt a deep sadness, a harsh truth slowly dawning on him. He had believed he was just an ordinary man, just a person walking through life. But now, he realized he was carrying a heavier burden than he had ever imagined. He was connected to a demon.
This was the fate he couldn't escape.
He felt a tightness in his chest, as if the air was slowly leaving his lungs. There was something deep inside him, slowly crushing his heart with every passing moment, with every truth revealed.
He thought about the image he had seen in the manuscript, the face of the Ash Demon, which resembled his own. It was as though he were staring into a shattered mirror. It felt like his whole life had been a lie, and no matter what he did, there was no escaping this deadly connection.
He turned slightly towards Shizuko, who was sleeping peacefully, her face calm and distant from all the tension he felt. He felt sorrow, a loneliness that no word or touch could erase. She was there, but she was distant. He wished he could turn back time, to embrace her like he once did, but now he felt like their relationship was a nightmare, chasing them in the dark.
Then, in the final moments of wakefulness, the pain overwhelmed him. The pain in his chest was sharper than ever before. "Will I live like this for the rest of my life? ?" His inner voice screamed, but he remained silent, waiting for everything to disappear.
And with the intensifying pain, he finally lost consciousness and fell asleep, but sleep didn't bring him comfort—it was just a temporary escape. No matter how hard he tried, the truth was still chasing him: his fate had begun, and nothing could stop it now.
.
.
In the heart of the icy forest, where snow dominates the ground and frozen trees sprout with sharp edges, two figures dressed in dark clothing stood, blending into the silver shadows that filled the place. The man and the girl stood amidst the cold forest, watching the mysterious horizon, where clouds gathered as if something unknown was approaching.
The man stared at the girl with eyes that gleamed with secrecy, while she focused on the horizon, signs of worry clear on her face. Suddenly, the man broke the silence, speaking in a calm voice:
"The A8 experiment... do you think we'll be able to capture it?"
The girl didn't answer immediately, her eyes fixed on the ground as if she were pondering the answer before speaking. Then she finally replied in a serious tone:
"It won't be easy. Hundreds have tried and failed... many of them died along the way. But we have no choice."
The man responded, his voice tinged with sarcasm, a cold smile forming on his lips. "I know. But do you really think things will be different for us? We're no better than them. We're just soldiers in a game bigger than us."
Suddenly, another shadow appeared between the trees, a tall man, lazily sitting on a frozen tree branch, his eyes glowing in the darkness. With a mocking smile on his face, he began speaking, mocking the tense atmosphere that filled the place.
"You're always so pessimistic. The A8 experiment isn't as difficult as you think. You just need to know where to look. Let's see if your luck is better than the hundreds who failed before you."
He leaned a little on the branch as if he were completely at ease, his gaze holding a sense of amusement. "But don't expect this task to be easy. The A8 experiment is not just a target... it's a curse."
While they stood in deadly silence inside the icy forest, suddenly a faint sound pierced the atmosphere, an unnatural sound, as if it came from the very heart of nothingness. The girl stopped breathing for a moment, her eyes lighting up with worry. Before she could move, she whispered softly:
"Let's finish this."
Then they began to move forward, their steps in harmony with the silence of the forest, their feet falling onto the thick snow in eerie quiet. But the moment they continued to advance, they began to feel something strange. There was a terrifying aura looming on the horizon, something heavy, faint, and ominous. The air fell like the snow that descends at night, but with it came a deep sensation, as if breathing had become difficult, as if life itself was seeping out of their bodies.
Suddenly, one of the men disappeared from the girl's side, as if the earth had swallowed him, vanishing into nothingness. Then another disappeared, and another, as the sounds of slashing were clearly heard, as if something were wreaking destruction among them. The shocking sound soon turned into terrifying screams, as if each one of them were being tortured in their final moments, while strange laughter crept into their ears.
As the girl remained frozen in place, the worry in her heart grew rapidly. Then, in a single moment, the forest transformed into something else—she was struck by a panic she could hardly believe. With every step she took, the sounds multiplied, and the screams of her companions scattered in the air like shards.
But the most terrifying of all was the laughter, the eerie laughter that filled the surroundings. A girl's laughter, deep, frightening, filled with mockery and pain, echoing in every corner of the darkened forest:
"Hehehe~"
The laughter seemed to scatter from all directions in the icy forest, surrounding the girl, surrounding everything. She knew she was in a tragic moment, and that what was now pursuing her was relentless.
She ran quickly through the snow, racing herself to escape, but the more she ran, the closer the sound became, and the aura widened more and more around her, until it seemed like the entire world was crumbling around her.
As the girl ran through the icy forest, she realized that she had surpassed every possible limit of escape. The terrifying laughter still echoed in her ears, as though it came from a distant place within her heart, warning her that her end was near. She tried to breathe deeply, but the icy air clung to her lungs, while the shadow chasing her grew closer.
Then suddenly, she felt something strange beneath her foot, as if the earth itself had changed. In the next moment, iron tendrils emerged from beneath the snow, lunging at her body with incredible speed. These tendrils resembled sharp metal wires, piercing through the snow and suddenly appearing at unexpected angles.
"Hehehe~" The terrifying sound continued to fill the forest, as if she had become trapped within a demonic snare.
Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the tendrils race toward her, and she had no choice but to run again. But she was slower now, exhausted, her body becoming heavier with each step.
The moment she tried to change direction, new iron tendrils appeared from the ground, lunging at her body and embedding themselves quickly. Her heart raced in terror as the tendrils wrapped around her body in an uncomfortable grip, pulling with immense force. The pain was brutal, as though she were being torn apart, but what was worse was the sound that filled her ears: the sound of metal stabbing flesh, screaming agony within her.
The tendrils began to burrow deeper into her body, almost severing her limbs one by one. She tried to escape, but she was paralyzed, the tendrils moving around her like a nightmare, twisting and tightening, as if they knew exactly how to destroy her.
Blood poured from her as the tendrils dragged her toward an unknown direction. Her ribs cracked, her arms became completely paralyzed, and her face was twisted with pain and terror.
Then, in a single moment, the tendrils withdrew, leaving her in a near-death state, sprawled on the icy ground. The terrifying sound echoed through the air once more: "Hehehe~", before the place fell into a deadly silence.
That sound, the last thing she heard, was a herald of her tragic end.
Then, with brutal force, the massive shadow that had been watching all along pounced on her. And with it, her life ended in that frozen forest, distorted by the iron tendrils, and the specter of death she could not escape.
.
.
"Hehehe... beautiful expressions... but they will disappear when your skin becomes bone hmmm. I wish I could preserve these expressions..."(a laugh)"I've waited so long for you~... my dark twin... ~"(maniacal laughter)