In a small village surrounded by dense forests, where the trees swayed with the wind as if whispering ancient secrets, "Kaito" woke up to the sound of a rooster announcing the break of dawn. He was an ordinary seventeen-year-old boy with messy black hair and brown eyes that reflected an insatiable curiosity. He had no idea that this day would change his life forever.
Kaito rose from his modest bed in his tiny cottage, yawning as he gazed at the sky through the window. The air was strangely still, as if the world was holding its breath. He decided to head to the village market to buy some supplies, as he had run out of bread and cheese the night before. Wearing his old brown coat and carrying a small basket, he stepped outside.
On his way, he passed by a small river flowing through the village. He paused for a moment to watch the slow-moving water but noticed something strange—his reflection in the water did not move the same way he did. When he raised his hand, the reflection remained still. When he turned around, the reflection vanished entirely. "Maybe I'm just tired," he told himself, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling creeping into his heart.
Kaito arrived at the market, where the place buzzed with noise—vegetable vendors calling out, children running between stalls. He bought what he needed and then stopped at a stall selling strange charms. Behind the stall stood a girl wearing a deep blue cloak with a hood that concealed half of her face. Kaito approached and jokingly asked, "Will these charms make me the richest man in the village?"
The girl gave a faint smile, but her piercing green eyes seemed to look right through him. "Perhaps they'll protect you from something worse than poverty," she said in a quiet yet warning tone. Before he could ask more, a piercing scream rang out in the distance.
Everyone turned toward the sound. In an instant, the market descended into chaos. Strange creatures resembling wolves, but with distorted bodies and glowing red eyes, emerged from the trees and began attacking people mercilessly. Kaito ran, trying to escape, but he stumbled and fell to the ground. One of the creatures approached him, its fangs gleaming under the sunlight. He shut his eyes, bracing for the end.
But the end never came.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed once again. The rooster's crow echoed in his ears, and sunlight streamed through the window. "A dream?" he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. But when he looked at his hand, he saw a fresh scratch that hadn't been there before. He jumped out of bed and ran to the river to check his reflection. Once again, it did not move as it should.
Returning to the market, everything seemed as normal as it had in the morning. But he spotted the girl in the blue cloak standing in the same place. This time, he approached her cautiously and asked, "Who are you? And what is happening here?"
The girl gazed at him for a long moment before saying, "I am Luna, and you are trapped in a loop that won't end until you find the cause. Death is not your end—it is your beginning." Then she pointed to the charm he was holding without realizing he had taken it. "Keep it. You'll need it."
Before he could respond, the same scream echoed once more. The creatures returned, but this time, Kaito was ready to run. However, he felt something pulling him back. He turned to see Luna gripping his arm. "Don't run this time," she said. "Face them!"
To be continued...