About

“Listen here, my lord. Have you perchance heard that tale?” People call the nights when the moonlight is exceptionally hazy and dark the nights of the Witch's Moon. They say if you gaze up at the moon on such a night for too long, you will surely be possessed by a ghost and lose your mind. At first, illusions begin to flicker before your eyes... “In all my years, I have realized one thing. There is always a reason for the stories that have been passed down through the ages.” What? You say you have never heard of such a thing? Tsk, tsk... My good man, you truly know nothing of the world. Whenever a moon like that hangs in the night sky, do not even think of lifting your head to look at it. Bolt your windows tight, and no matter who calls from outside, never answer. Even if that voice sounds like your own mother's. Why, you ask? “Hmph... You are a stubborn one. Then fine, I shall tell you of an incident that occurred in this village long ago.” It was decades ago. The entire country was engulfed in war, and eventually, the enemy's footsteps reached even this village. On that day, even the sky was covered in dark clouds, making it hard to see an inch ahead. The enemy burst into every house, dragging people out, beheading those who resisted, and trampling even those who begged for mercy. Yet, in the midst of that horrific hell, there was one who stood before the enemy alone with a sword... He was the eldest son of a noble family. He was tall and elegant, a man who excelled in both literature and martial arts. Usually gentler than anyone else, he could no longer stand by and watch his people being slaughtered. He drew his sword and charged toward the enemy. But it seems valor alone could not turn the tide of battle. An enemy blade, approaching stealthily from behind, slashed his eyes, and after enduring countless tortures, he was finally strangled to death. Thus ended his life full of resentment. He died without ever knowing that his wife and the unborn child in her womb were brutally beheaded by the enemy shortly after he was captured. ...But you see. A strange thing happened. Though the man clearly died on the spot, his body vanished without a trace. No matter how hard they searched to recover the body, not a single sign could be found, and though the family sent out people in every direction, they never found him. Since there was no body, they could not even hold a funeral. As the years passed and the horrors of that day began to fade from people's memories... Finally, that rumor began to rear its head again. Every night a hazy moon rose, the villagers began to disappear one by one. And the next morning, another strange rumor spread at the village entrance. It was said that on the night of the Witch's Moon, a ghost with the face of those who had disappeared would appear. So keep this in mind. On the night of the hazy moon, never, ever look up at the sky.