"[sad]...Morning already, huh." 　Second floor of Snack Amaterasu. In a cramped six-tatami room, Iwato Suzume silenced her phone's alarm. 　Still sleepy. She wanted to curl up under the covers. But it was already seven. 　From the next room came the soft breathing of her aunt Tamaki. Tamaki ran the shop until two in the morning every night, so she never got up early. Suzume slipped quietly out of her futon and headed for the kitchen. 　In the fridge: leftover simmered fish from last night and a pack of rice. 　While it heated, Suzume gazed out the window. 　A port town, Minami-Shio—a small town of twelve thousand, tucked away at the southern edge of Miyazaki Prefecture. Houses clung to the ria coastline, and the morning light set the sea glittering. A few fishing boats floated in the distance; the morning auction had probably already ended. "...Nice weather." 　Suzume murmured it quietly. 　Seventeen years since she was born here. A view she'd seen her whole life, yet somehow, today, it felt just a little different. 　Not that it made any sense. 　She finished breakfast and changed into her uniform. It didn't feel right. She didn't hate school, but she didn't like it either. Honestly, she only went because her best friend Chika was there. 　As she grabbed her bag, her phone buzzed. "[laughing]Suzume, cutting it close again? Math starts at 8:30 today!" 　Chika. Her best friend since childhood—cheerful and a bit of a busybody. She always messaged the moment Suzume started spacing out. "[gentle]I know, I know. Heading out now." 　She fired off a casual reply. 　Down the stairs and outside. On Ushio-dori, the shopping street, only about half the shops had opened. The owner of Hamakaze Fish Market called out, "Hey, Suzume-chan, off to school again?" "[surprised]Yeah. See you later." 　A quick nod as she passed. 　In front of Mugino-Hana bakery, their famous anpan was already on display, a wonderful smell drifting out. A hundred and thirty yen. (Maybe I'll grab one on the way home.) 　Thinking that, she walked toward the port. 　Her usual route from home to school took her along the harbor breakwater. The seaside path was windy, sending her messy black shoulder-length hair flapping wildly. Her small frame—just 158 centimeters—often stumbled against the gusts. 　At the tip of the breakwater, Suzume stopped. 　She loved the sea from here. Not really thinking about anything, just gazing blankly at the water—it calmed her somehow. There were times she wondered if she was any use to anyone. But looking at the sea like this, she'd start to feel like maybe that was okay. 　She still remembered the day she got the scar on her left temple, back when she was little. 　That day, Suzume got lost, alone, running around in tears. Believing someone would come for her. But she couldn't wait, so she ran, tripped, and hit her head on a rock. Even now, when anxiety crept in, she had a habit of unconsciously tracing it with her finger. "...I wish someone needed me." 　Saying it out loud made her feel utterly miserable. 　That was when it happened. 　An unfamiliar man walked briskly past Suzume. 　Around twenty years old, maybe. Tall, with a lean, toned build. A black long-sleeved shirt suited his tall frame well. A large, worn backpack hung from his shoulders—you could tell at a glance he was on a long journey. His black hair, tousled by the wind, fell over his forehead, and sharp eyes peered out from beneath. 　He walked with a paper map spread in his hands, searching for something. "[surprised]Um, are you lost?" 　Before she knew it, she'd called out. Because he looked like he was in trouble. And tourists who needed a map in this town were rare. He stopped dead in his tracks, turned, and stared at Suzume with a slightly startled expression. "[serious]I'm not lost. ...Are there any ruins around here? Old places people don't visit anymore. Abandoned mines, closed schools." 　A low, calm voice. "[surprised]Ruins...? Oh, there's the Tachibana mine. Up in the mountains, though." 　She answered reflexively. "[serious]Thanks." 　The young man gave a curt word of thanks, then immediately turned on his heel and started walking. 　Suzume watched his back. 　What was this? A stirring deep in her chest. (A guy looking for ruins? Kinda weird.) (But... is he okay on his own?) 　Before she knew it, she'd readjusted her bag on her shoulder and was following him. 　Ten minutes until class started. No way she'd make it now. "[whispers]Why am I following him...?" 　Muttering to herself, Suzume began climbing the hill. 　Souta's walking pace was absurdly fast. And he never once looked back. Even breaking into a jog, Suzume couldn't catch up and nearly lost sight of him completely. "[scared]S-So fast...!" 　She ran desperately. 　The Tachibana mine ruins lay three kilometers northwest of Minami-Shio, at an elevation of 280 meters. An old copper mine. It had closed over sixty years ago, and now the entrance was buried in thickets, a place even local kids stayed away from. 　At the entrance, sure enough, the iron fence had collapsed, leaving a gap. 　When Suzume arrived, Souta was already inside the mine, out of sight. "...He went in." 　Suzume tried to slip through the same gap. 　But. "[scared]Whoa, I'm stuck!" 　Her backpack caught on the fence and wouldn't budge. After a frantic struggle, she tore it free—ripping the fabric a little in the process—and pushed through. 　Inside the mine, the humidity was high, the air cold and heavy. Minerals in the walls glowed with a faint, pale blue light, reflecting off water droplets so it felt like walking through stars. The sound of dripping water echoed distantly, tap-tap-tap. 　After walking a bit, she found Souta standing there. "[cold]Why did you follow me." 　The face that turned back was expressionless, his voice clearly tinged with exasperation. 　Suzume fumbled for words. "[nervous]I mean... I'm the one who told you about this place, so I felt kind of responsible." 　Even she thought it was a ridiculous excuse. 　Souta let out a small, quiet sigh. "[cold]It's dangerous. Get out, now." "[stubborn]No." 　Suzume didn't back down. 　Souta stared at her for a moment, then finally looked away, resigned. "[serious]...Watch your step." 　That was all he said before he started walking in silence. 　Suzume followed in silence too. (What is this atmosphere...? So painfully awkward.) 　They pressed deeper into the mine without exchanging a single word. Suzume was reaching her limit with the situation. 　Then. 　Slip. "[scared]Wah!" 　Her foot slid on the wet floor, and she pitched forward. 　Thud. 　She slammed full-force into Souta's back. "[cold]...Heavy." 　Souta muttered under his breath. "[angry]How rude! I am not heavy!" 　Suzume's shout echoed through the mine. *How rude! I am not heavy!* *I am not heavy!* *Not heavy!* 　They both froze. "...Your voice carries." "[sarcastic]Enough. Just follow me quietly." 　Feeling her face burn, Suzume silently trailed after his back. 　Eventually, they emerged into the deepest chamber of the mine. 　In a space about ten tatami mats wide, an old wooden door stood before them, roughly two meters tall. Countless fine scratches covered its surface, bearing the weight of long years. This isn't just a door—somehow, she knew it. 　Embedded in the center of the door was a white stone. "...Beautiful." 　Suzume approached as if drawn in. 　The stone was small enough to fit in her palm, its smooth surface reflecting the mine's faint light in iridescent colors. It felt faintly warm, almost as if it were alive. 　She reached out. "[angry]Wait! Don't touch that!" 　Souta shouted, bursting into the chamber. 　But he was a moment too late. 　The instant Suzume's fingertip touched the stone, it grew hot. "Huh?" 　Her hand moved on its own. As if the stone had grabbed her instead. 　Smoothly, the stone came free. 　That was when it happened. 　Rumble, rumble, rumble...! 　The entire mine began to shake. Small fragments of rock fell from the walls, and the puddles at their feet rippled. That wooden door began to glow white from within. 　Something burst from the gap in the door. 　A white cat. 　A tiny cat with pure white fur landed at Suzume's feet and looked up at her with large, golden eyes. 　Souta braced a hand against the wall, his expression rigid. "[nervous]Uh, um, what is this...?" 　Suzume stared blankly at the white stone still in her hand. 　Souta drew a deep breath. "[whispers]...Why did you pull it out." 　His voice wasn't shaking. But it sounded painfully forced. "[scared]Uh, well, my hand just kind of, on its own... I'm sorry." 　As Suzume apologized in a pathetic voice, Souta looked up at the ceiling. 　An "I'm sorry," wedged right into the moment before the world's balance collapsed. Souta's face clearly said this was no time to be accepting apologies. "[cold]...Anyway, we're getting out." 　Souta ran for the mine exit first. Suzume hurried after him. The white cat followed too, bouncing along. 　The moment they burst outside, Suzume looked up at the sky and gasped. 　A patch of sky over Minami-Shio was warped, a dark, reddish black. The color was spreading, oozing, as if the very air were rotting. And within it, something like a colossal, translucent serpent writhed slowly. 　It must have been kilometers long. Its reddish-black, semi-transparent body coiled, moving as if parting the clouds. A sight utterly beyond normal comprehension. 　At her feet, the white cat mewed. "[gentle]Suzume, I like you." 　A human voice. "...Huh?" 　Suzume froze. The cat talked. The cat said my name. "[scared]...Can you see that?" 　Suzume pointed at the sky and asked Souta beside her. 　Souta was looking up at the sky. His expression had shifted to shock. "[serious]Ordinary humans can't see it. ...Why can you?" 　His low voice held unmistakable wariness. 　The white cat rubbed against Suzume's leg. "[whispers]If we don't seal it now, there'll be an earthquake. But the keystone is gone." 　Souta murmured. 　His gaze fell on the white stone in Suzume's hand. "[nervous]I just need to give this back, right?" 　Suzume started to say— 　The white cat leaped up, snatched the stone from Suzume's hand in its mouth, and began racing down the hill. "[angry]H-Hey, wait!" 　Suzume immediately gave chase. "[serious]Where are you—!" 　Souta followed too. 　A bizarre three-way chase. In the midst of it, the ground trembled faintly in the distance. 　Minami-Shio's everyday life quietly, but surely, came to an end that day. 　Suzume thought as she ran. (That cat—why does it know my name—) (And that monster thing in the sky, what is it?) (...Did I just do something absolutely insane?) 　The desperate look on Souta's profile was seared vividly into her mind. 　The morning light of the port town gazed down silently upon it all.