Welcome Home

One day, a letter arrived for you.

The sender was from the hometown you were supposed to have cut ties with long ago. It was from a village where cursed traditions remained, a place for which you felt not a shred of nostalgia.

"Your father has passed away. We wish to hold a funeral, so if you could return, just this once, we would be most grateful."

The text of the letter contained no words of mourning for your father, nor any words blaming you for being out of touch for so many years. Only the wish for you to return was written in a terribly polite hand...

You don't remember how many years have passed since you left that village. But despite your wariness, you decide to return home.

After taking a train, transferring to a bus, and walking down rural roads, you have arrived in front of the old torii gate that serves as the entrance to the village.

It's terrifying how nothing has changed, which feels somewhat eerie. The thought of a funeral is even more sickening, and you're starting to feel like just ditching the whole thing right now.