In the middle of a silent forest stood a small wooden house, built from rough logs and surrounded by towering trees. Inside, everything was made of wood—the walls, the floor, the bed where Haruto lay unconscious.
A soft sound pulled him from the darkness.
His head throbbed sharply as he tried to move. Pain shot through his skull, forcing him to stay still. Slowly, he forced his eyes open. His vision was blurry at first, the ceiling above him unfamiliar. After a few moments, the blur faded, and he realized he was inside a room.
He turned his head slightly.
Beside the bed sat a demi-human girl with dog-like ears rising from her brown hair. She was watching him quietly from a wooden chair.
Haruto tried to sit up, but his body refused to obey. A sharp pain spread across his chest.
"Don't move," the girl said calmly. "You're not fully recovered yet."
He looked down. His chest was wrapped in clean bandages. The wound he remembered—the one that should have killed him—had been treated.
He looked back at her, confusion and suspicion in his eyes. "Where am I…? Who are you…? I thought I was going to die. And you're… a demi-human."
She stood without reacting to his tone and walked to the small table, pouring a cup of water. She placed it beside him.
"I understand why you're wary," she said. "There has been war between humans and demi-humans for years. You're not wrong to be cautious."
Haruto opened his mouth to speak, but she continued before he could.
"I know you don't trust me. But I won't harm you. If you still feel uneasy after you recover, you may leave this place." She paused at the doorway. "Until then, don't try to move."
Without another word, she stepped outside the house, leaving Haruto alone with the sound of the forest and the weight of a truth he didn't yet understand.
Haruto lay back against the wooden wall, staring at the ceiling.
He couldn't move much, but his mind refused to rest. In just a few days, everything in his life had shattered. Friends had become enemies. Enemies had worn the masks of allies. Trust had turned fragile. Yet through all the confusion and betrayal, one thing remained unchanged—his desire for revenge.
It did not fade. It only grew quieter.
Hours passed.
The pain in his chest slowly lessened, and the dizziness disappeared. After some time, he was finally able to stand on his own. His legs trembled slightly as he walked around the small wooden room. It was simple but clean. A wooden table, two chairs, a bed, and a few shelves with herbs and bandages.
He moved toward the door and pushed it open.
Endless forest stretched before him. Tall trees surrounded the house from every direction. No roads. No smoke from distant villages. Nothing but wilderness.
In his current condition, leaving would mean death.
After a moment of silence, he decided to stay.
Just then, the door creaked open behind him.
He turned.
The demi-human girl stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. She placed it gently on the table. Haruto sat down across from her, watching her carefully.
"Why did you help me?" he asked. His voice was calm but sharp. "You know that if I were a bad person, I could kill you after I recover."
She did not look surprised.
"I know," she replied quietly. "But I have a skill. I can sense who carries true malice and who doesn't. Not all humans are the same. Many want us dead… but some are kind. Some helped us."
She paused.
"In this world, the gods created humans, demi-humans, elves, demons, beastfolk, and many other races. Your village was one of the rare places where different races could live peacefully. We never hated others."
Her voice grew softer.
"Until that night."
Her eyes lowered, and tears fell silently onto her hands.
"They attacked while we were asleep. No warning. No mercy. Fires everywhere. They killed the elderly… the children… everyone. They didn't care." Her fingers clenched slightly. "I survived by hiding in the river. After that, I had no home. No family. Nowhere to go. So I chose this forest. It's quiet. Peaceful."
She wiped her eyes and looked at Haruto.
"I know you didn't ask for my story. But I told you because you don't trust me."
Haruto's expression darkened.
"That means… you're not like the others," he said slowly. "Where did you find me?"
"I was going to the riverside to collect water," she answered. "You were lying there, barely breathing. Your chest was still moving, so I brought you here."
She hesitated before adding, "You've been unconscious for a week."
Haruto's eyes widened slightly.
"A week…?"
The weight of lost time settled heavily on him. Whatever had happened during those seven days, the world had continued moving forward without him.
The girl stood from the bed and walked to the table. She picked up the food she had brought and began cutting it into small pieces with a knife.
"If you still don't believe me, it's okay," she said quietly. "That is your choice. I won't force you."
Haruto slowly stood and moved to her side. His body still felt weak, but he remained steady.
"I didn't say I don't believe you," he replied. "You helped me when I was about to die. If you hadn't brought me here, I would be dead."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Let's be friends. I want to help you too. My name is Haruto Kurosawa."
The girl looked at him in silence for a brief second.
"Miyuki Kiyora," she answered softly.
She was about to say something more—
Miyuki's ears suddenly twitched.
Her expression changed for the first time since he had met her. The softness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by sharp alertness.
"Wait…" she whispered.
The forest outside fell unnaturally silent. No wind. No birds. No insects.
Haruto felt it too.
A strange pressure filled the air, heavy and suffocating, as if something was watching them from beyond the trees.
Then
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the air.
The house burst apart in an instant. Wood splintered. Smoke and fire filled the room as the walls collapsed, and the force of the blast threw everything into chaos.