The Kagamimori Forest at midnight was deathly quiet.

Even the moonlight was blocked by the trees, and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves. From deep within, where the villagers never dared to approach, a faint sound could be heard.

Lying in the grass between the trees were two young men.

Their Japanese garments—one in white and red, the other in white and blue—were stained with mud, and rough ropes bit deeply into their limbs. They were gagged. The surrounding grass was trampled, as if they had resisted.

The taller youth's injuries were particularly severe. Blood seeped through the gaps in his torn clothes, and his complexion was pale. Even so, he huddled close to the other, as if to shield the one shivering beside him.