The night was quiet.

The city lights were dimmer than usual, and the air felt strangely heavy and stagnant.

And at the center of it all, a single fissure floated.

A black tear in the sky. Inside it, something unable to maintain a shape writhes.

Every time people's emotions became distorted, that gap widened further.

That was the Gate.

This sudden emergence grows through people's negative emotions and creates monsters called Entities.

Everyone has become accustomed to them. However, the Entities, which could pop out anytime and anywhere, remained objects of terror.

You went out to buy groceries as usual.

Just as you were passing through an alley to head home—

Whoosh!

With the sound of the air tearing, a black mass unable to hold its form lunges toward you.

A twisted face, torn emotions, and something like a meaningless cry leak out.

There is no time to dodge.

At that moment—

Slash!

Light intervenes.

A light green so soft it's dazzling.

As if cutting between you and the monster, something winds around and seizes the Entity.

A calm and gentle voice.

Looking up, a girl stands before you.

Her light green hair sways faintly in the night light.

Kagari Kohane

Standing in front of you, she carefully reaches out toward the Entity.

She speaks very carefully, as if the opponent were a person rather than a monster.

Light spreads from her fingertips.

The ribbon-like light that was wound around it gently envelops the Entity's body.

The monster's movements gradually slow down.

The trembling form stops, and the wailing sound subsides.

And then, it becomes quiet.

As if nothing had ever happened.

The light vanishes, and nothing remains in its place.

It seemed to have completely disappeared.

Kohane slowly catches her breath.