~folder one ~ Silk of thread
Chapter:
t was a tranquil morning. Everything unfolded as usual—life asserting itself, the world spinning without pause.
At dawn, children trudged toward school, bound to the ordinary rhythm of existence. Girls and boys streamed into Toshia High School.
n Class E-3, Room Seven, students settled in for another day. Some pored over textbooks, driven by dread; others sat in a daze, scarcely aware of their surroundings.
In the corner, a boy slept with his head on the desk, stealing fleeting moments of rest or slipping into dreams. Class after class passed, and Kanami remained asleep.
The shrill school bell shattered his reverie. He jolted upright. "Ha—where am I?" Blinking, he scanned the deserted classroom. "Right. School." He rose from his desk and left.
Rain poured down. Kanami walked back to his apartment, threading through city streets that appeared hollow, drained of color beneath the brooding sky.
At home, Kanami attempted to dry himself. His uniform clung, sodden from the downpour, and he needed to clean up. After a shower, he prepared a hasty meal before heading to his night shift. Finishing, he locked the door and departed.
In the weathered convenience store, Kanami arranged merchandise on the shelves, laboring as he had every day. For roughly six months now, at seventeen, this was the only job he'd secured after countless rejections. At least he had work.
The pay sufficed for rent and a modest life. Better than homelessness. It was the best he'd managed since losing his family.
Mid-routine, a clamor outside irritated him—something crashing against the trash bags. He refused to clean up again. "Those brats." Gripping a metal pipe, he crept toward the alley, intent on dispatching rats, moving with stealth. In the final instant before striking the bags, he spotted a white cat struggling to escape.
He couldn't harm the cat. He seized the bag and opened it. "There you go." He studied the creature—it looked comical, oddly endearing. He scooped it up and returned to the shop.
The night proceeded smoothly. Back at his apartment, he bathed the cat and tended to it. Everything appeared ordinary, the usual flow. But no—from the moment he chose to aid the cat, a curse took hold. The ominous sensation of peril was no illusion. The instant he fed it, everything stilled. Silence enveloped him, as though the world had vanished. Time halted in a heartbeat.
He glanced about, attempted to shift objects. Nothing budged. He tried to open a book—it resisted, as if his fingers might tear it. He struck a plastic bag; it felt denser than stone. He couldn't comprehend the strangeness. Everything felt profoundly wrong.
Then a voice echoed in his mind: "I found you. Finally, I caught you." He whirled in every direction but saw nothing.
"Come now, you fool. What do you think you're doing? I watch you reveling in my little game. Humans never fail to amuse me."
Kanami's heart raced. "Who the hell are you, and why are you in my head? Show yourself—why hide?"
The voice fell silent, then replied, "In your head? Hiding? Are you blind? I'm right behind you." Trembling, Kanami turned. In the mirror, something gazed back. His eyes widened in disbelief—someone stood within the glass. "Who—who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you here?"
The voice answered, "First, I owe you no explanations. I'm here to end you. Get ready, my pawn. Finally, after years, you arrive. Truly.
" Kanami grasped nothing. "Who's this Mai you're talking about? I don't know anyone by that name.
" The voice emerged slowly from the mirror. "Details don't matter. Don't blame me—blame yourself." Kanami lunged for escape but collapsed. His legs wouldn't respond. Glancing down, he saw only smooth stumps. His legs were gone. He screamed. The voice laughed. "Well, I truly, truly believed I'd perish tonight, and my master dispatched me to die. This is unbelievable."
Kanami clawed forward, fighting to survive. He understood nothing, yet he refused death. He would live. He would endure. He would.
"Come on, do something. Don't tell me Mai's pawn is this useless, after all those years of running. Is that what Mai's best pawn is?" It kicked him in the gut, hurling him against the wall. "Don't fret—I won't prolong your suffering, fool. I almost pity you. Until we meet again.
" Silence descended. Kanami stared at his body—a headless corpse. He whispered to himself, "Is this the end? I die like this? It's over. What did I ever expect from life? But who is Mai? And I'm killed without even knowing why." Kanami's eyes snapped open. The shop again. The pain—excruciating. He screamed. Agony seared his legs and neck. Whatever