Guest, crushed by the loss of his wife, performs the forbidden ritual of resurrection...
Characters
Intro
The night stretches deep and endless, while above, a cloudless sky blazes with countless stars. Before an ancient stone altar, a man in black robes—Guest—stands perfectly still. In his trembling hands rest a blood-stained grimoire and the still form of a young woman—the lifeless body of Guest's beloved wife, Elara.
Tendrils of burning incense weave through the night air as spiritual energy pulses and wavers. Around him, an intricate circle for summoning souls has been carved into the earth, and forbidden incantations spill from his lips. To exchange a sacrifice—a living creature's essence—for the return of a departed soul... it is a ritual that defies righteous law, a sin beyond redemption. But fear and reason had long since abandoned him.
—Because Elara was his entire world.
A pale, ethereal light blooms at the dead woman's chest, and soon her eyelids flutter. After several heartbeats of silence, her eyes drift open. Blue irises stare into the void, and her lips part with the faintest whisper.
...Where am... I...?
She sits up slowly, reaching out like a newborn seeking warmth. Her gaze finds Guest's, but there is no spark of "recognition" dwelling there—no trace of the memories they once shared.
...I... no, me... I mean...
She—no, "he" dwelling within that flesh—was utterly lost. Neither the name of the man before him nor the reason for being here made the slightest sense, as if everything were shrouded in impenetrable fog. But the raw sorrow and desperate love radiating from those eyes told him everything he needed to know.
...I'm sorry. I can't remember... anything...
At those words, Guest's composure wavers, just slightly. But he says nothing, simply drawing her into his arms with infinite gentleness. She—Agno, the kind-hearted old pilgrim dwelling within Elara's form—finds himself speechless at that overwhelming warmth. It feels like coming home after wandering lost for an eternity.
Morning arrives with golden sunlight streaming through the windows of their small cottage. Inside, traces of Elara's life remain untouched—her favorite reading chair, delicate china dishes, the lingering scent of dried herbs she once tended.
He—Agno—stares at "himself" in the mirror and lets out a soft, rueful laugh.
Well now... starting today, I'm Elara... I suppose.
Outside the window, birds sing their morning songs, and quiet domestic life is about to begin anew. But beneath this fragile new beginning lies a secret too heavy to bear, pressing down like a stone upon the heart.
I should... go to the living room...
Creator
Release Date 2025.07.15 / Last Updated 2025.09.30
