"A quiet night turns into something unforgettable. Hori's glowing mark is no longer small — and by morning, it might already be too late. The curse is real, and it's coming fast."
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February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Afternoon. 2:00 PM.
Hori's house felt huge and empty after her parents left for a business trip in London. They'd told her they'd be back in a week. Hori had tried to get them to stay, but they said the trip was very important for work. They even asked her to come along, to get her mind off things.
But the idea of Tamiko's plane crashing filled Hori's mind. "No!" she said, quickly. "I'm fine here in Tokyo. I have my studies." It was a lie, but she couldn't face flying after what happened to Tamiko.
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Kento's Home, Suginami District. Afternoon. 2:30 PM.
At the same time, Kento's home was also quiet. His parents had gone to see his mother's sister, who'd had an accident and was alone. Kento's parents decided he should stay home so he wouldn't miss school. His dad would come back in a few days, but his mom would stay until his aunt was better. "Shido's here too," Kento's mom had said, looking at Shido. "He'll watch Kento and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." Shido gave a weak smile, knowing the real trouble they were in.
After the parents left, the quiet made them feel even more alone.
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Evening. 8:00 PM.
Later that evening, Hori called Kento. Her voice was small. "Kento? My parents left. It's so quiet here. I don't like it. Can you come over? I just don't want to be alone."
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Kento's Home, Suginami District. Evening. 8:15 PM.
Kento felt a pull in his chest. He remembered the white mark on her wrist and the priest's scary words. "I'll be right there," he promised. He found Shido. "I'm going to Hori's," Kento told him. "She's feeling lonely. You stay here, okay? Watch things."
Shido just nodded. "Yeah. Be careful."
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Evening. 8:45 PM.
Kento left quickly. When Hori opened the door, her eyes looked scared and lost. She didn't say anything, just hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her close, feeling her shaking.
They spent the evening just being together. They put on a movie, but didn't really watch it. They talked quietly, about little things, trying not to think about the horror they both knew. They made tea, the warm cups a small comfort. As hours passed, the fear that brought them together slowly mixed with a feeling of shared burden and quiet companionship.
Later, the movie was forgotten. They were on the sofa, just sitting close, finding a small comfort in each other's presence. Kento gently touched Hori's hair, a simple gesture of reassurance. Hori leaned into him, her hand resting on his arm. The world outside, with its police questions and cursed marks, seemed far away, momentarily quieted by their closeness.
Hori sighed, a shaky sound. "I'm so scared, Kento," she whispered against his shoulder. "Of the mark. Of... being next."
Kento held her tighter, his embrace purely protective. "You won't be alone, Hori. Not ever." He rested his chin on her head, offering silent strength. She looked up, her eyes filled with fear and a deep trust. He met her gaze, a silent promise in his eyes that they would face this together.
They eventually moved to Hori's bedroom, seeking a quieter space, an escape from the vastness of the house. Moonlight filtered weakly through the curtains, casting soft shadows. They simply sat together on the edge of the bed, the silence between them filled with unspoken fears. Kento placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, offering a sense of safety she desperately needed.
As Kento's hand rested on her upper back, a strange, cold sensation made him pause. His fingers brushed against something that felt… raised, intricate. In the dim light, he leaned closer. Directly across Hori's upper back, from one shoulder blade to the other, was a vast, sprawling image. It was the pure white crystal castle, identical to the smaller one on her wrist, but magnified, covering a significant portion of her skin. It was not faint now. It seemed to glow softly in the darkness, pulsating with a faint, ethereal light, like a terrible, beautiful burning mark.
Kento recoiled slightly, a sharp gasp escaping him. "Hori... your back!"
Hori, startled by his sudden shift, twisted her head as much as she could. "My back? What... what is it?"
Kento's hand shook as he traced the outline of the enormous, luminous mark. "It's... it's the mark, Hori. The crystal castle. It's... big. And it's glowing."
Hori's body went stiff. She couldn't see it, but she felt the chilling truth in Kento's voice, the horror in his touch. The warm, safe feeling of companionship instantly broke, replaced by a cold, invading dread. The curse wasn't just a threat; it was on her, living and breathing, a scary light in the dark.
'It's real. So real. And it's glowing.'
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Evening. 10:30 PM.
Hori's breath came in quick, shallow gasps. Her hands flew to her back, fumbling over her shirt, trying to find the place Kento pointed to. Her fingers touched the raised, intricate pattern, surprisingly smooth but undeniably there. The chilling glow seemed to hum against her skin, even through the fabric. Her eyes, already wide with fear, filled with tears that overflowed, tracing hot paths down her cheeks. "It's... it's so big," she whispered, her voice barely audible, a raw tremor running through it. "The priest said... 'next is your turn.' Is this it, Kento? Is this really it? Am I going to be like... like Tamiko? Like Shiyi?"
Kento wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her close, but his own eyes were wide with a desperate, shared fear. He stared at the faintly glowing castle on her back, its pale light casting a ghostly luminescence on her skin in the dim room. "No," he said, his voice thick with a resolve he didn't quite feel, trying to project strength. "No, Hori. We won't let it be. We'll find a way." His mind raced, grappling with the sheer impossibility of it. 'It grew. It wasn't like this before. What does that mean? Is it closer? Faster? Her time must be running out.'
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Kento's Home, Suginami District. Evening. 11:00 PM.
Back at Kento's house, Shido sat on the sofa, a textbook open on his lap, but his gaze was fixed on nothing. The quiet of the empty house pressed in on him, amplifying his own anxious thoughts. He kept replaying the last few days in his mind: Tamiko's death, Ryuichi's strange silence, Shiyi's chilling suicide, the police questions. He flinched when his phone buzzed, the sound loud in the still room. It was Kento.
"Shido! You have to come to Hori's. Now," Kento's voice was low, urgent, strained with an emotion Shido recognized as pure, barely controlled panic. "It's... it's Hori. Something's happened. Just come. Please. Don't ask questions. Just come."
Shido didn't. Kento's tone was enough. He was on his feet in an instant, grabbing his jacket from the back of a chair, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. A cold dread settled in his stomach. 'What now? What could possibly be worse than what we've already faced?' He pulled the front door open, not bothering to lock it, and hurried out into the night.
February 28th, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Night. 11:30 PM.
Hori and Kento were still in the bedroom, Hori's quiet sobs still echoing in the space, when they heard Shido's frantic knock on the front door. Kento rushed to let him in, his own relief at Shido's arrival mixing with fresh anxiety. Shido burst through the entrance, his eyes immediately searching for Hori, his breath coming in short gasps from his run.
"What happened? Is she okay?" Shido's voice was tight with worry, his gaze sweeping the room.
Kento simply took Shido's arm and led him back to the bedroom, to Hori, who sat hunched on the edge of the bed, her shoulders still trembling. "Look," Kento said, his voice quiet, almost reverent in its dread. He gently, carefully, pulled aside Hori's shirt to reveal her upper back.
Shido's eyes widened, his jaw slackening. A choked sound, half gasp, half sob, escaped his throat. His face, already pale from the anxiety of Kento's call, drained of all remaining color. He stared at the huge, luminous crystal castle etched onto Hori's skin, its ghostly glow filling the small space around her, casting faint, shifting shadows on the wall. It was undeniable, terrifyingly beautiful, and utterly horrifying. The sheer scale and visible energy of the mark made it feel more real, more immediate, than anything they had witnessed before.
"Oh my God," Shido whispered, his gaze fixed on the mark, a trembling hand half-raised, then falling uselessly to his side. "It's... it's so big. And it's glowing." He could almost feel the cold hum of its energy from where he stood.
March 1st, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Late Night. 12:00 AM.
The three of them huddled together in Hori's living room, the glowing mark on Hori's back a silent, horrifying fourth presence. Hori had wrapped herself in a blanket, but the light of the mark pulsed faintly through the thin fabric, a steady, chilling rhythm, like a terrible, slow heartbeat. They spoke in hushed tones, their voices raw with fear and exhaustion, the clock on the wall ticking loudly in the overwhelming quiet.
"It wasn't like this before," Hori repeated, her voice thin, fragile. "The priest only saw it on my wrist. It was small then. Just a faint outline." She pulled the blanket tighter around her, as if to ward off the cold dread seeping from her own skin.
They tried desperately to remember what Tamiko might have said in the days before she died, any hint Shiyi might have given before his impossible suicide. They searched their phones again, typing in combinations of 'pure world,' 'crystal castle mark,' 'curse,' 'chosen ones,' but the internet offered no answers, only irrelevant folklore and dead-end conspiracy theories. The world outside their secret seemed to be caught up in the news of the 'tragic plane accident' and 'disturbing suicide.'
"We can't tell anyone," Hori whispered, pulling the blanket tighter, tears starting to well up again. "They'd think we're crazy. My parents... they'd just send me to a hospital. Or worse." The thought of being locked away consumed her and was almost as terrifying as the curse itself.
Kento nodded, his face grim. "Kenji already told the police we were responsible for Shiyi. If we started talking about glowing marks and curses... no one would believe us. They'd just think we're making it up."
The silence that followed was heavy. They were alone against this invisible, terrifying enemy, and now it had left an undeniable, growing mark on one of them. Hori's body began to tremble again, her quiet sobs returning, softer at first, then growing more desperate. She buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. The emotional toll of the day, of the past week, finally broke her.
"Hori," Kento murmured, his voice thick with concern. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe right now. You're exhausted." He spoke softly. He carefully guided her, almost carrying her, to the bed in the living room, a temporary setup. He helped her lie down, gently pulling a light blanket over her. He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for her hand.
The pale, glow of the castle on her back, was now faintly visible through the thin fabric of the blanket. Slowly, her sobs lessened, her body less rigid, until finally, went to sleep.
March 1st, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Late Night. 2:30 AM.
Kento stood from the bed, his movements quiet, ensuring Hori remained undisturbed. He looked at Shido, who was still sitting on the sofa, staring blankly ahead. They exchanged a silent, heavy look shared fear and helplessness. There was nothing more to be done tonight. Hori needed the sleep, and they had no answers to offer.
Shido finally rised slowly. He gave a small nod, acknowledging the unspoken truth. "I should... I should go," he whispered. The image of the glowing mark on Hori's back, stayed into his memory.
Kento gave a small, tired nod in return, unable to offer any false comfort. "Be careful going home."
Shido turned and walked silently out of the room, then out of the house leaving Kento alone with Hori and the terrifying glow.
March 1st, 2017. Tokyo. Kento's Home, Suginami District. Early Morning. 3:00 AM.
Shido walked alone through the quiet, deserted streets of Tokyo. He kept remembering Hori's back, the massive, crystal castle glowing with that soft light, a horrifying image burned behind his eyelids. 'It's getting stronger. It's real. Shiyi... Tamiko... Hori is next. The priest's words... he knew. He knew everything.' He was alone in the city, carrying a secret that was slowly, silently, destroying their lives, one by one. The key to the gate of the 'pure world' was now a burning mark on Hori, and they had no idea how to close it. The cold reality of the curse and Hori's danger left him with the chilling awareness of a clock ticking down, faster than ever before.
March 1st, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Morning. 8:00 AM.
Kento woke up to the soft light of morning through the curtains. The first thing he did was look at Hori. She was still asleep, but her breathing was shallow. He could still see the faint, chilling glow of the mark on her back, even through the blanket. He knew he couldn't leave her. He had to stay close. He also knew Hori needed to eat. He decided to make her favorite breakfast. He tiptoed out of the bedroom, making sure she stayed asleep. He grabbed some money and his keys. He would go to the small store a few blocks away to buy fresh bread, eggs, and milk. It would be quick. He looked back at Hori one last time before leaving the house, pulling the door shut quietly behind him without locking it. His mind was too clouded with worry to remember.
March 1st, 2017. Tokyo. Hori's Home, Shibuya District. Morning. 8:30 AM.
Kento walked back towards Hori's house. The fresh groceries swung gently in the bag. The morning air was cool, but his heart felt heavy. He thought about Hori, about the mark, about what they would do. As he reached the front of her house, a cold dread shot through him. The front door was slightly open. It wasn't fully closed. He remembered pulling it shut, but he hadn't locked it. A wave of fear hit him, making his breath catch. His mind screamed, 'Did someone get in? Or... did something happen to Hori?'
He dropped the grocery bag right there on the path. "Hori!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He pushed the door open completely and rushed inside. "Hori! Are you here? Hori!" His voice echoed in the silent house. He ran from the living room to the kitchen, then through the dining room. Each empty room made his fear grow. 'No, no, no, please no!'
Only one door remained closed. The bathroom door. It was slightly ajar, just like the front door. A faint, almost sickly sweet smell seemed to come from behind it. Kento's heart hammered against his ribs. He pushed the door open.
Hori was there. She was sitting in the bathtub, wearing a white bathrobe. The soft fabric looked almost too bright against the sudden darkness Kento felt. Her head was tilted back, leaning against the cold porcelain. Her breath came in quick, heavy gasps. Her eyes were open, wide, but not really seeing him. They looked distant. And then Kento saw it. Her left leg was gone, as if it had simply vanished. Her right hand, resting on the edge of the tub, was also missing. The edges of her remaining skin looked like faint, shimmering light, as if her body was slowly dissolving into thin air, piece by piece. She was crying, quiet, broken sobs.
"Hori!" Kento cried, rushing to the tub. He dropped to his knees beside her. His hands hovered, unsure where to touch. "What happened? Are you okay? Hori, what's happening?"
Hori's eyes slowly focused on him. Tears streamed down her face. Her breathing was so heavy, it sounded like a struggle. "Kento..." she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "You... you took so long. I was waiting... for so long."
Kento's own eyes filled with tears. He reached out, gently touching her remaining arm, careful not to touch the disappearing edges. "I'm so sorry, Hori! I'm so sorry I made you wait! I'm here now. I'm here. Everything's going to be alright. I promise!" His voice broke.
Hori gave a weak, sad smile. Her gaze was fixed on something far away. "Kento... listen. Tell Mom and Dad... I love them. Tell Shido... tell him I'm sorry. For everything." Her words were slow, weak. Her remaining parts seemed to flicker, like a faint light.
"Stop it!" Kento cried, shaking his head wildly, tears streaming down his face. "Stop talking like that! You're talking as if you're dying!"
Hori's eyes met his, full of deep, quiet sadness. "I am dying, Kento." Her voice was soft, accepting. "It's my turn. The curse... it's taking me." Her words sliced through him like ice.
Kento pulled her close, as close as he could, trying to hold onto what little was left of her. "No! No, Hori! Please! Don't leave me! We'll fix this! We'll find a way!" His voice was a desperate, broken plea.
"It's okay, Kento," Hori whispered, her voice growing fainter. Her head felt heavier against his shoulder. "It's... it's just how it is. But... I'm glad you're here. For the last... last time." Her skin shimmered brighter now, like dust in sunlight. Her other arm began to fade, becoming see-through.
"Hori..." Kento sobbed, looking into her eyes. He knew this was it. His heart felt like it was being ripped apart. He leaned down, pressing his lips gently to hers. It was a kiss of deep sorrow, of last goodbyes, of a love that was ending too soon. Her lips were soft, but even as they kissed, he felt her form grow lighter, less solid.
The kiss ended. Hori looked at him one last time, a gentle, sad smile on her lips. Then, in a final shimmer of pure white light, she was gone. Vanished. Disappeared. The white bathrobe she had been wearing fell silently into the bathtub, a small, empty pile of fabric. Only a faint, sweet scent lingered in the air, then faded.
Kento fell back, his hand still reaching for where she had been. He stared at the empty bathrobe, then at his own trembling hands. A scream tore from his throat. He covered his face, shaking, crying harder than he ever had in his life. He sank to the bathroom floor, sobbing, clutching at his chest. "Hori! Hori! No! No, please! I love you! I'll always love you! No one... no one can stop loving you!" He kept repeating her name, his voice broken, full of unbearable pain. The silence of the house pressed in on him, cold and empty.
He didn't know how long he lay there, crying, his body shaking with grief. The sun had risen higher, making the empty bathroom feel even colder.
Then, his phone rang. The sharp, sudden sound cut through his sorrow like a knife. He grabbed it, his fingers fumbling. It was Shido.
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🔮 Next Chapter Tease:
"A new world. A new name. And a fate she never asked for"
…
✍️ Author's Note
Thank you for reading Chapter 6.
This was a very emotional and personal chapter for me to write — Hori's journey in this moment was both terrifying and beautiful in its own way. I know it may be heavy, but I wanted to show how real love, fear, and helplessness can feel when you're facing something supernatural… and something deeply human.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments — did the crystal curse moment affect you? Do you have theories about who's behind it?
Chapter 7 will take a sharp turn and introduce a new layer of the mystery… it's going to surprise you. Stay tuned.
– With gratitude,
Sakura Shinomiya