The forest held its breath. No birds. No wind. Only the damp weight of moss and the faint, metallic taste of coming rain. Haya's own heartbeat sounded too loud, an intruder in this place that had learned to wait without moving.
Tall trees stretched endlessly toward the dimming sky. Their trunks stood like ancient pillars holding up the fading light of day. Thick branches spread above like an enormous roof of leaves, blocking most of the sunlight from reaching the ground below.
The deeper he went, the vaster the forest seemed to grow, and the darker it became.
Only faint fragments of golden light slipped through the narrow gaps between the leaves, falling weakly onto the uneven earth beneath his feet..
The air was damp and heavy, filled with moisture that clung to his skin and refused to let his sweat evaporate.
Cold pierced through his bones, reminding him that the sun could no longer help him for long. Soon, only the moon would remain.
The scent of moss and wet soil hung thick in the air, unpleasant as it filled his lungs.
Somewhere far away, a bird cried once, calling for its family to return.
Then even that sound vanished.
And inside that suffocating silence—
A boy stumbled forward. His breathing was uneven.
Each breath painfully goes through his dry throat as if the air itself had become burning flame scraping against his lungs
His shoes were soaked with mud, making his footing unstable. Dark stains covered the fabric of his pants where he had slipped and fallen more than once along the mountain path.
Thin scratches ran across his arms and hands where branches had caught him while he pushed through the undergrowth. Some had already dried into faint red lines. Others still stung.
But none of it mattered.
He didn't stop and kept on moving.
Step after step after step..
He didn't know how long he had been wandering through the forest.
Hours.
Maybe a full day.
Maybe longer.
The sky above had already darkened once… then brightened again… and now it was slowly dimming for the second time, welcoming the coming night.
But to him—
Time had already lost its meaning, fear only became words. He couldn't care less
"Where…?"
The word slipped weakly from his cracked lips.
His voice sounded dry. Tired. Almost hollow.
Like someone who had been speaking for far too long without rest.
"Where are you…?"
The question drifted into the empty forest.
Speaking to himself .
He repeated it again.
And again.
And again.
Those were the only words he had left.
The only words his mind could still form clearly.
Because the one thing he truly needed—
The one thing he was desperately trying to remember—
Refused to come back to him.
He was searching for someone.
Someone important.
Someone whose existence now barely clung to the fading edges of his memory.
"Where are you Hi—"
The boy shouted louder this time, still walking forward.
The name.
Once… he had known it.
Once… he had spoken it naturally, without hesitation.
That name had once been as familiar to him as his own.
But now—
The sound inside his mind shattered apart like a broken radio signal.
Fragments of syllables.
Distorted echoes.
A voice that should have been clear.
But now it was just as if the name that came out of his mouth were censored to himself.
Nothing, he could know about it.
"…Ah—!"
A sharp pain exploded inside his skull.
The boy collapsed to his knees.
Both hands grabbed his head tightly, fingers digging into his hair as if trying to hold his thoughts together.
"Agh—!"
The world spun violently around him.
The forest twisted.
The trees blurred.
And suddenly—
Images began flashing through his mind.
A bright summer sky.
Blue.
Clear.
Endless.
The sound of distant laughter.
The light touch of a hand.
The warmth of her presence.
A voice calling out to him from somewhere behind.
White fabric dancing softly in the wind.
A girl turning toward him.
Long hair swaying gently.
But the moment he tried to focus on that image—
It shattered.
Like glass struck by a hammer.
Every fragment scattered into darkness.
Vanishing before he could grasp even a single piece.
Leaving only emptiness behind.
"…Why…?"
The word escaped his trembling lips.
His breathing grew uneven as he knelt there on the cold ground.
Why couldn't he remember?
Why did his own mind refuse to tell him the one thing he needed to know?
Maybe it's an instinct to survive , so his brain erases what he tries to recall.
For now all that he could remember and knew was.
Someone is missing , who is important enough for him to bring his body here.
Someone so important that every time the thought of stopping crossed his mind—
His chest tightened painfully.
Even though he couldn't remember who it was anymore.
Even though his memories were slowly abandoning him.
His heart still refused to forget.
Slowly—
Painfully—
The boy forced himself to stand again.
His legs trembled violently beneath his weight.
His muscles screamed in protest.
Every part of his body begged him to stop.
To sit down.
To rest.
To give up.
But he ignored it.
"All the places… I've searched…"
His voice was barely more than a breath.
"I went everywhere…"
He swallowed dryly.
"But I still can't find—"
Find who?
The thought stopped.
His mind froze.
For a brief moment, everything inside his head went completely blank.
Then he shook his head weakly.
It didn't matter.
Whoever it was—
He had to find them.
As fast as possible.
Even if his body refused to cooperate.
Even if his memory betrayed him.
Even if his mind was slowly breaking apart.
His soul wouldn't let him stop.
So he walked.
Step by step.
Deeper.
And deeper.
Into the forest.
Far away from the dark interior of the mountain—
The front of the house is fully decorated with gardens of flowers.
Several people had gathered beneath the fading evening sky.
Two police officers stood beside a worried family.
The flashing red lights of their patrol car painted the surrounding trees in faint streaks of color.
But even that small light seemed powerless against the growing darkness of the approaching night.
At the center of the group stood a woman in her mid-thirties.
Her hair was slightly disheveled.
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Her hands trembled as she clutched the sleeves of her coat tightly.
Beside her stood a young man.
Perhaps in his late teens.
Old enough to be considered an adult.
But the tension in his eyes revealed the strain he was desperately trying to hide.
On the woman's other side—
A small girl held onto her arm.
Her tiny fingers gripped the fabric of her mother's sleeve as if afraid she might disappear if she let go.
Fear alone wasn't enough to describe the atmosphere surrounding them.
It was something heavier. Anxious in despair .
The suffocating uncertainty of not knowing where someone precious had gone.
One of the officers spoke gently.
"So you're saying he's been missing for about two days now?"
"…Yes."
The woman's voice trembled.
"I… I don't know where he went…"
Her words broke apart.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Haya…"
Her knees suddenly weakened.
The young man quickly stepped forward and caught her before she could fall.
"It's okay, Mom," he said softly.
But even his voice shook slightly.
"If today counts… then yes."
He looked at the officers.
"It's been two days."
The officers exchanged quiet glances.
"Have you checked the places he usually goes?" one of them asked.
"We tried."
The young man clenched his fists.
"Yesterday we searched everywhere we could think of. We contacted his friends… visited the places he usually spends time at…"
His voice lowered.
"But no matter where we went…"
"We couldn't find him."
"I see…"
The officer sighed.
"In that case, we may need to request assistance from a specialized search unit."
He looked at the young man.
"For now, please try to remain calm. We'll do everything we can."
"…Thank you, officer."
Then suddenly—
"The hill."
A soft voice spoke.
Everyone turned.
The small girl looked up quietly.
"What is it, little one?" the officer asked gently.
"That hill…"
Her voice was hesitant.
"…Brother."
The young man's eyes widened.
"Inari… what do you mean?"
"I don't know…"
She looked toward the dark mountain.
"But… that hill…"
The young boy understood what his sister wanted to say.
"It's the only place we haven't looked yet."
Quickly he said to the officers
The officers exchanged quick glances.
"…Understood."
"We'll notify the search team immediately."
"Thank you for the information."
"…Thank you, officer."
The young man looked down at the little girl.
"Inari… thank you."
Their mother suddenly pulled both children into her arms.
Her grip was tight.
Almost desperate.
As if the moment she let go—
Someone else might disappear too.
Meanwhile—
Deep inside that very hill's forest—
Haya continued walking.
From afar, the mountain looked beautiful.
Almost peaceful.
But once inside—
It felt like a nightmare.
The vibrant green leaves blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the ground below covered in endless gray shadows.
The deeper he walked—
The darker it became.
His body had already reached its limit.
His muscles trembled uncontrollably.
His mind struggled to remain conscious.
Still—
He continued searching.
For someone whose name he could no longer remember.
For someone whose face had already faded from his mind.
And yet—
The only things remained. Were justThe warmth.The voices.The laughter.
Fragments of emotion that are about to say goodbye .
Step.
Step.
Step.
Haya swayed slightly as he walked.
His breathing slowed.
His vision blurred.
Just a few more steps.
His body leaned forward weakly.
One arm stretched ahead.
Reaching.
For something that might not even exist anymore.
His eyes slowly began to close.
Then—
Something moved.
Far up the hill.
A flash of white.
Fabric fluttering softly between the trees.
Not walking.
Not running.
But unmistakably—
Someone.
The moment Haya saw it—
Something inside his fading mind reacted instantly.
A memory surfaced.
A voice.
Soft.
Gentle.
Familiar.
"こんにちは."
Hello.
In that memory—
A girl wearing a white summer dress turned toward him.
Her long hair moved gently in the wind.
And she smiled.
Now—
That same figure stood ahead of him.
"H—Hey…!"
Hope exploded inside his chest.
Adrenaline surged through his exhausted body.
Strength returned to his legs.
Just for a few seconds.
Ignoring the pain tearing through his muscles—
Haya ran.
Toward the girl.
Toward the last memory he still had.
The white dress moved further up the hill.
The wind lifted its fabric gently.
"Wait—!"
Haya pushed himself forward with everything he had left.
Then—
He jumped.
Reaching toward her.
But the moment his fingers passed through the air—
He realized.
The figure wasn't real.
Only an illusion.
And far too late—
He noticed the ground disappearing beneath his feet.
The mountain dropped sharply into darkness.
His body lost balance.
The world spun violently.
Then—
Haya fell.
Down the steep slope , too steep for a human to come out living.
Branches snapped around him.
Rocks tore through the soil.
The forest rushed past him in a blur.
And just before everything faded—
His eyes finally closed.
When he opened them again—
He was somewhere else.
Warm sunlight poured gently from above.
A bright blue sky stretched endlessly overhead.
Grass swayed softly in the summer breeze.
And standing a few steps away—
Was a girl.
She wore a white summer dress.
A straw hat rested gently on her head.
The ribbon fluttered quietly behind her.
For some reason—
He couldn't see her face clearly.
As if the sunlight itself refused to reveal it.
Yet he knew.
Deep inside—
He knew her.
The girl tilted her head slightly.
Then she smiled.
"Haya…"
Her voice was gentle.
Warm.
Hearing it made something tighten painfully inside his chest.
Haya opened his mouth.
But no words came out.
He couldn't remember her name.
The girl seemed to understand.
Her expression softened.
But sadness filled her eyes.
"消えてしまってごめんね."
I'm sorry for disappearing.
"しかし,これがいいです."
But this is for the best.
Haya clenched his fists.
Again she spoke.
"もう私を探す必要はありません."
You don't need to look for me anymore.
He tried to speak again.
Tried to force her name out.
But the harder he tried—
The louder the static in his head became.
Like a broken radio.
The girl's voice grew softer.
"でも…"
But…
She looked toward the sky.
Then back at him.
"きっとまた会えるよ."
I'm sure we'll meet again.
The wind grew stronger.
Her dress fluttered violently.
Her figure slowly began to fade.
"左様なら— Haya."
Goodbye, Haya.
Haya reached out toward her.
But his hand touched nothing.
The world shattered.
The summer sky disappeared.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And when he finally opened his eyes again—
He didn't know it yet.
But nothing was the same.
The day yet to come is never going to be the same as it was.
Because on that day—
After the search finally ended—
Haya had died