Arashi found himself traveling somewhere with his grandfather and family. They were driving down a quiet road, the world outside calm and bright — until a sudden noise shattered the peace.
Up ahead, smoke rose into the sky. A car had crashed by the roadside, its frame twisted and burning faintly. Without hesitation, they stopped.
Before anyone could say a word, Arashi ran toward the wreck. His heart raced as he heard faint cries from inside. "Hold on!" he shouted, reaching the car window.
He leaned closer, trying to pull the door open — and that's when he saw it.
Something was wrong. From the bodies inside, strange, dark worms began crawling out — slithering across their burned skin, writhing in ways that made his chest tighten and his stomach twist.
His hands trembled. His vision blurred. A sick feeling raised inside him.
"Arashi! Step back!" his mother screamed behind him.
He stumbled away, his breath quick and shallow — and just as he took a few steps back, the car erupted into flames.
The fire spread in an instant, swallowing the wreck. From within came the screams — sharp, desperate, echoing into the still air.
Arashi froze in place, his body shaking as he watched the fire consume everything. He could feel his soul tremble — not from fear, but from something deeper.
After some time, the fire brigade arrived. The flames died down, leaving behind only smoke and silence. Arashi and his family quietly returned to their car. No one spoke — the air inside felt heavy, thick with the smell of ash and something unspoken.
They drove for a while. The road stretched endlessly, the world outside turning dim and unfamiliar. Then, finally, they reached a strange house — old, wooden, and surrounded by tall trees that blocked the sunlight.
As they stepped inside, everything was still. The air was cold, and the sound of their footsteps echoed faintly across the empty hall. They sat down in the living room, waiting.
Moments later, a boy appeared from one of the rooms. "Please wait here," he said politely. "Mom's coming."
Before anyone could reply, a voice called from the hallway. "Arashi."
He turned around. A girl stood there — her face calm but her eyes sharp, almost knowing.
"Come with me," she said. "I need to test you."
Arashi frowned slightly. "Test? What kind of test?"
"You'll see," she replied. "Just wait."
She led him into a quiet room with only a desk, a chair, and a paper lying neatly on top. "Sit," she said softly.
He sat down, looking at the paper. The top read: 'Test of Truth.'
The first few questions seemed ordinary — almost harmless.
What's your favorite color?
Who do you trust the most?
What makes you happy?
Arashi answered them without thinking. But as he continued, the questions began to change — their tone darker, sharper.
Have you ever lied to someone you love?
Do you believe good people deserve bad things?
If you could erase one memory, which would it be?
Arashi's fingers trembled slightly. Then he reached the last question — written in bold letters.
"Imagine you're a teenager who caused your grandfather's death — someone completely useless, who couldn't even protect his own pet. Do you think you'll ever be happy again?"
Arashi froze. His breath caught in his throat as the words echoed inside his mind. He realized it — this wasn't real. This was a dream. His dream. And this question… it was about him.
Before he could move, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned — and his blood ran cold.
His mother stood there. His grandfather. And in her mother's arms, Momi. But their faces weren't warm or gentle anymore. They looked at him with cold, accusing eyes.
His mother spoke first — her voice trembling with anger. "You left me alone when I needed you most, you're the reason I became like this."
His grandfather's voice followed, deep and heavy. "I called you that day, Arashi. You didn't come."
And then Momi — her voice soft, but filled with pain — "You couldn't even protect me."
The words struck like knives. Arashi stumbled back, shaking his head. "No… it's not true… I tried—"
But their voices grew louder, overlapping, echoing through the room. "You're the reason we suffered." "You bring pain wherever you go." "You don't deserve to be happy."
Arashi covered his ears, his heart pounding as the voices grew sharper, twisting into whispers that filled his head. "Stop… please stop…" he gasped.
The room began to distort — walls bending, shadows crawling closer. The light flickered violently. And just before everything went black, Arashi screamed.
Arashi turned and ran.
The voices behind him grew fainter, fading into echoes as he sprinted through the endless hallway. His breath came in short, uneven bursts — panic blurring everything around him.
"Stop running, Arashi!" a voice shouted, but he didn't listen. He just ran — until suddenly, he crashed into something hard.
A sharp sound followed — the shattering of glass.
The impact sent him sprawling backward. He blinked, dazed, his heart hammering in his chest. Then, as he slowly opened his eyes — the world around him began to crack, splintering like a mirror hit by a stone.
The walls, the floor, the air itself — everything broke apart, piece by piece, until all that was left was light.
A brilliant, blinding light.
He shielded his eyes as the brightness swallowed everything… and then — silence.
As the blinding light faded, Arashi slowly opened his eyes.
The world around him had changed.
He stood on the edge of a high cliff, overlooking a vast valley bathed in golden sunlight. The wind brushed gently against his face, carrying the scent of wild grass, rain, and something faintly sweet — the fragrance of Sakura flowers.
He turned his head, and there they were — a line of Sakura trees standing proudly behind him. Their soft pink petals fluttered through the air, carried by the wind like whispers from another world. Each petal shimmered faintly as it passed by, glowing for a moment before fading into the breeze.
Below, rivers twisted through emerald fields like silver threads, and far beyond them, snow-capped mountains stood tall beneath the horizon. The sky above was painted in orange and violet, clouds drifting lazily as if the whole world had slowed to breathe.
The petals of the Sakura trees swirled around him, brushing against his skin, soft as silk. For a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped — as if the world wanted him to remember this silence, this peace.
He took a deep breath, the scent of Sakura filling his chest. The pain in his heart softened — replaced by something warm and almost healing.
He looked down at his hands and whispered softly, "Where… am I?"
Only the wind answered — gentle, endless, and kind.
A voice called out behind him.
"Yo!"
Arashi turned sharply.
There she was — the Dream Girl. The same girl who had appeared in his visions before, standing casually beneath the Sakura trees as petals danced around her. Her hair swayed softly in the wind, and her calm smile felt almost unreal in this glowing, dreamlike place.