The Boy Who Weaves Dreams and the Woman Who Spins the Starry Sky - On the Night the Stars Disappeared

The walk home felt far shorter than the journey there. After their training on Kanata's Hill was finished, Yuu and Riri walked the path back to Hoshino Village. The night air was cold and carried the scent of grass. In Yuu's palm, the sensation of starlight threads still lingered. In today's final practice, he'd managed to weave the shape of a dog properly—four legs, unmistakably canine from every angle. (I want to show Takumi.) The moment that thought crossed his mind, he noticed it. "...Something's wrong." He stopped. Hoshino Village was right before them now. The outlines of houses were visible in the darkness. But—something was off. Normally, even from the village's edge, the faint glow of the Story Tree should have been visible. The ancient tree, five hundred years old, that towered at the village's center. That tree would glow softly at night, serving as a landmark even from far away. Tonight, nothing was glowing. There were no stars in the night sky. The sky over Higashikou always had stars. Even when they were scarce, dozens still shone. But tonight, the expanse overhead was nothing but darkness, as if a black cloth had been draped over everything. Riri stopped beside him. Her silver eyes slowly turned toward the village. Her expression remained calm. But that very calmness frightened Yuu. The two of them ran. When they entered the village, Yuu's pace naturally slowed. There were people in the plaza. Several of them. Standing scattered across the stone pavement. In the middle of the night, without a sound, just standing. Yuu recognized one of the faces. It was Miyako, the proprietor of the herbal tea shop "Tsukikage." The Miyako who always cheerfully called out "Welcome!" was now staring up at the sky with hollow eyes. "Miyako!" No response. "Miyako, it's me, Yuu! I'm back!" He touched her shoulder. Miyako slowly turned toward him. But there was nothing in her eyes. It was as if she was looking at something in human form, not at a human being. The elation from returning from Kanata's Hill vanished in that instant. Footsteps thundered. Someone was running toward them. "You're late! The village has gone to hell while you were gone!" Chestnut-colored short hair, a face dirty with soil and exhaustion. Deep green eyes that wavered for just a moment when they met Yuu's. It was Takumi. Yuu's childhood friend, who should have been here the whole time since Yuu left the village—and his voice was trembling slightly. He was shouting, but trembling. Yuu understood. Takumi wasn't angry. This was the voice of someone who had endured alone to their limit. "Takumi... what happened?" Takumi began speaking rapidly. Three nights ago, a black miasma came. A mysterious existence that devoured dreams—Mugen. From the direction of the Hoshigare Wasteland, a black miasma with form flowed in and enveloped the entire village. The "existence that strips dreams from their roots," as written in the dream-weaver's textbooks. Something that swells when it absorbs starlight, something that cannot communicate. It covered the village and completely drained the starlight threads. The villagers had their most precious memories stolen. Along with their emotions, their dreams—they stopped moving as if erased. Takumi himself had nearly had his memories torn out by Mugen. But he clung to just one. The night before Yuu departed, the scene where he said "I'll reclaim the village's stars" and left. He clung to only that, and had been here for three days. "...Three days, alone?" "Who else was there?" His voice was dry. Not boastful, not lamenting—just stating a fact. Yuu couldn't ask anything more. Takumi pulled something from his pocket. A crumpled piece of paper. "Also, this. The map you forgot to pack, I had it." "...Huh?" Yuu took it. A map of all of Higashikou. Different from the one he'd received at Yozora Bookshop before departing—more detailed. The one Takumi had meant to give him but hadn't had time to. "Why now of all times!?" "I hadn't gotten around to giving it to you." "But the situation—!!" "It's important." Looking at Takumi's completely unchanged expression, Yuu almost laughed. But seeing Takumi's face, he immediately couldn't. Dark shadows hung under his eyes. He probably hadn't slept much in three days. "...Thank you." Takumi turned away. Riri had quietly watched their exchange. Without speaking, just watching. Her calm silver eyes carefully observed the state of the village. "Your mother too... all her dreams were stolen. She can't remember your face anymore, or your name." Takumi said only that, holding his breath. Yuu ran. He passed through the Story Tree plaza and ran at full speed down the stone path toward his house. He opened the door. His mother was sitting on a chair in the kitchen. Staring at the wall. Just staring at the wall. "Mother." She turned her face. But there was nothing in her eyes. "It's me, Yuu! I'm home!" His voice grew louder. As if that would make it reach her. He grabbed his mother's hands with both of his. They were warm. She was alive. But—there was no response. She was looking at Yuu, yet not looking at him. He remembered the night before he departed. He'd sworn to himself while watching his sleeping mother that he would absolutely reclaim the stars. The face of his mother then and her face now overlapped, yet were completely different, and Yuu couldn't say anything. Words wouldn't come. Footsteps sounded behind him. Takumi stood in the doorway. He didn't speak. Just stood there silently. Because he understood that no words would reach—and through that silence, Yuu understood Takumi's feelings. It was clumsy kindness, Yuu thought. And that made it all the more painful. He didn't know how long he stood like that. When Yuu left his mother's room, Takumi was looking toward Riri. Narrowed eyes. Suspicious eyes. "Mugen came the day after Yuu left the village." Takumi continued, still watching Riri. "Riri, or whatever your name is—I heard you appeared from the west. Mugen also came from the west. The directions match." "...I am unrelated. I have no connection to Mugen." "What's your proof?" "There is none. But—" "Without proof, I can't trust you." His voice was stubborn. But not wrong either. Takumi looked at Yuu. "Yuu, was it okay to bring this person here?" Yuu couldn't answer. He wanted to trust Riri. They'd trained together. They'd managed the basics of Twin Weave. She'd worked through the night for children suffering from nightmares. There were countless reasons to trust her. But—he couldn't completely deny the coincidence Takumi mentioned. She'd come from the west. She'd appeared the day after Yuu left the village. It could be coincidence. But it might not be. Riri watched their exchange quietly. Not angry, not denying—just standing silently. That silence deepened Yuu's uncertainty further. A heavy silence fell between the three of them. Grrrr. It was Takumi's stomach. Takumi's face turned red in an instant. His deep green eyes wavered slightly. Completely silently, Takumi turned away. Yuu looked at Riri. Riri looked quietly at Yuu. "...You haven't eaten properly in three days?" "I ate." "What?" "...Stuff from the field." "Raw?" "..." Takumi didn't answer further. That was the answer. Yuu sighed. Even in this situation, this guy had put the villagers' care before his own. When Yuu was about to say something—the air changed. Cold. Suddenly, the air became cold. The wind stopped. Sound vanished. All three turned east at once. In the darkness beyond, a black miasma began spreading. Slowly. But certainly. With form, it flowed toward the Story Tree. Larger than the miasma Yuu had seen before at the edge of Kanata's Hill's night sky. Much larger. Much clearer. "It's Mugen." The miasma touched the Story Tree's trunk. In that instant, Yuu understood. The faint light at the tips of the Story Tree's branches—the last starlight remaining in Hoshino Village—began turning black. The Story Tree was the last place where starlight threads remained in Hoshino Village. If this was completely drained, the village was finished. Yuu reached toward the sky. He tried to grasp the starlight threads—but there was nothing. No stars in the night sky, not a single thread descending. Nothing to grasp. A complete dead end. Takumi grabbed a farm tool from the shed and ran out. "Takumi, wait!" "I can do it physically." "You absolutely can't!" As expected, the moment the tool's tip touched the miasma, it turned black and shattered. Takumi pulled his hand back. A small wound appeared on the back of his hand. "...Physical doesn't work, huh." "I told you!!" Riri stepped forward. The starlight threads she'd collected on the way back from training—the ones she'd obtained on Kanata's Hill—she began spreading with both hands. Pale silver light expanded. A dream tapestry took form. Yuu understood. That Riri was going all out. Her breathing speed, the way she held the threads—it all said so. From their Twin Weave practice, Yuu had learned with his body what Riri was doing in each state. The tapestry collided with Mugen. It was pushing back—slightly. But the output wasn't enough. Mugen's volume was too great. Black encroached from the edges of the tapestry. Light was consumed. Riri tried to add more threads. With all her strength. She fell to her knees. Then collapsed. "Riri!" He rushed over. Riri's face was pale, her eyes closed. Using starlight threads too much causes mental exhaustion—knowing this, she'd still gone all out. "That's why I said so! Running in alone and collapsing—did you deliberately lose!?" "No! Riri was trying to protect us!" Takumi didn't answer. He was looking at the collapsed Riri with cold eyes. Mugen withdrew after absorbing more than half of the Story Tree's light. It did so smoothly. It wasn't in a hurry. That's how it moved. Not taking everything at once, but slowly—as if saying it would come again. Silence returned. Yuu tried to carry Riri toward Takumi's house. Takumi stepped forward without a word and took Riri from him. Not roughly. But silently. He still didn't have an answer for Yuu. Takumi disappeared into the house. Yuu remained alone before the Story Tree. One-third of the trunk had turned black. At the tips of the branches, a faint light still remained. Flickering. About to go out, yet not going out. Yuu sat down. He hugged his knees. Even when he reached out, not a single thread came. The sky was pitch black. His mother didn't react even when seeing her son's face. Riri had collapsed. A rift had formed between him and Takumi. He'd done nothing. Not a single thing. The days of training on Kanata's Hill felt like a distant story. This morning's joy at being able to weave a dog's shape felt like something from long ago. Takumi came back. He silently sat down beside Yuu. The two of them watched the Story Tree. No conversation. The wind had stopped too. In the distance, a villager walked slowly—but not with a destination in mind. Just moving. Just walking without purpose. After a while, Takumi spoke quietly. "...I don't know what to do either." Yuu couldn't answer. The Story Tree's light seemed to weaken again. Less than half remained. When Mugen came next time, it would take everything. There were no starlight threads. Riri was unconscious. Takumi didn't trust Riri. And Yuu could do nothing. (What should I do?) Without finding an answer, the two sat in the darkness. The Story Tree's light continued to flicker softly, slowly, in the night.

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Episode 4

Name: The Boy Who Weaves Dreams and the Woman Who Spins the Starry Sky
Author: Novelia

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