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.”

  Laughter rippled across the void, warping the stillness like a crack in glass.

  But Akitsu Shouga did not react.

  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 again, his body was pressed against cold stone.

  He was crouched on a narrow ledge, halfway up the outer wall of the Takeda mansion. Moonlight spilled across the white stone, outlining the massive structure like a cathedral built for something unholy.

  Seraphine Orion hovered beside him, ears twitching uneasily.

  “…You’re acting weird,” she muttered.

  Akitsu did not respond immediately. He tested his grip against the wall, fingers finding shallow imperfections with unsettling ease. His movements were slower than before—more deliberate—but there was something unnerving about the calm in his posture.

  “I don’t like this,” Seraphine continued. “You’re quieter. And you didn’t complain once about the height.”

  “I’m thinking,” Akitsu replied.

  That alone made her uneasy.

  Without another word, he slid sideways along the ledge until he reached a narrow ventilation window—too small for a normal entry, reinforced with metal bars.

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  He stared at it for a moment.

  Then he placed both hands on the bars and pulled.

  Metal shrieked softly as the bolts bent inward. The sound was faint, swallowed by the wind, but Seraphine’s eyes widened.

  “…Since when could you do that?”

  Akitsu slipped through the opening without answering.

  The interior corridor beyond was dark, unlit, and unnaturally silent. No lanterns. No footsteps. The mansion felt less like a home and more like a waiting room.

  They moved slowly.

  Akitsu avoided doors instinctively, choosing corners where shadows were thickest. He paused at intersections without explanation, changed directions without warning.

  Seraphine noticed.

  “You’ve never been in this place,” she whispered. “So why do you look like you know where not to step?”

  Akitsu stopped.

  “For some reason,” he said quietly, “this place feels… repetitive.”

  They reached a section of the mansion where the air grew colder. The walls here were older, darker, the stone faintly stained.

  A presence lingered.

  A small figure stood at the far end of the hall.

  White hair.

  Blue eyes.

  She didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

  Seraphine’s fur bristled.

  “That’s a spirit,” she whispered. “But… she’s not aggressive.”

  Akitsu stepped forward.

  As he passed her, the girl tilted her head.

  “…Father?”

  Seraphine recoiled.

  “Nope. No. I don’t like that,” she hissed. “Why do spirits keep calling you that?”

  “Ignore it,” Akitsu said, though his voice was tighter now. “We’re not here for answers.”

  They continued upward.

  The stairs led to the roof.

  The moment Akitsu stepped onto the open air, he felt it—pressure. Not magical. Not hostile.

  Controlled.

  A man stood near the center of the rooftop, dressed entirely in black, hands resting calmly at his sides. His posture was relaxed, but the space around him felt occupied, claimed.

  Their eyes met.

  “So,” the man said, “you’re persistent.”

  Akitsu exhaled slowly.

  “I don’t want to fight you.”

  “That’s unfortunate,” the man replied. “I was hoping you’d say the opposite.”

  Seraphine hovered closer to Akitsu, tense. “That guy’s dangerous,” she whispered. “Not like the others.”

  “I know,” Akitsu said.

  The man took a step forward.

  “I protect this place,” he said simply. “And you don’t belong here.”

  Akitsu met his gaze.

  “Then kill me,” he said.

  The man’s eyes narrowed—just slightly.

  “…You’re strange,” he said.

  Then he moved.

  There was no warning. No buildup. No pain.

  A blade passed through Akitsu Shouga’s head with absolute precision.

  Instant death.

  The rooftop vanished.

  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.