"What happened?" Evelin asked, lowering her voice.
Urano swallowed.
"I saw it… in the mirror. It was CUCU. I'm sure."
Evelin frowned and turned toward Mitch.
"Mitch… when you left the box in storage, did you close it properly?"
Mitch avoided her gaze, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"Y-yeah… I mean… I closed it. But… I thought he couldn't breathe, so I left it a little open. Just a tiny bit. Don't worry."
Urano clenched his teeth. He wanted to scold him—but the boy wasn't at fault.
Mitch didn't understand what he had been carrying.
They did.
"What do we do?" Evelin whispered.
"Leave," Urano replied sharply. "Now."
She nodded and guided them toward an exit. In theory, CUCU wouldn't attack in front of its owner. If they stayed close to Mitch, they should be safe.
That certainty shattered seconds later.
They turned a corner—and froze.
A man lay on the floor.
Motionless.
A dark pool spread beneath his neck. The metallic smell filled the air.
Evelin reacted instantly, stepping in front of Mitch and blocking his view.
"Let's go back," she said calmly. "Wrong way. Nothing to see here."
Urano grabbed Mitch and pulled him back.
As they walked, one thought consumed him.
This breaks the rule.
CUCU would never expose its owner to something like this—unless something had changed.
🔔 Ding, ding, ding…
The sound pierced their minds.
NARRATIVE RESTRUCTURING ALERTSevere deviation detected.Character CUCU displays anomalous behavior.Cause: hatred and jealousy toward a "new bond."Status update: Active Hostility.
Urano's stomach dropped.
"It's started…"
The story had entered its final phase.
Urano forced himself to think.
CUCU still followed core rules:
It could not harm its owner.
It could not openly appear unless the owner looked away.
The mirror maze was a trap.
But also a board.
"Don't break the mirrors," Urano whispered. "If Mitch sees it kill or move openly, reality locks in. Then we're done."
Evelin nodded.
Urano handed her the sword.
"You carry it. If something happens, you react first."
Then she whispered:
"What if we fight it here?"
Urano hesitated—but nodded.
"Alright. I'll be bait. You stay with Mitch. No matter what… don't let him close his eyes."
Urano stepped forward alone.
The mirrors multiplied him—twisted reflections, warped smiles.
Then he felt it.
A pull.
Something tightened around his neck.
A white carnival ribbon.
Cold. Precise. Brutal.
Air vanished.
Urano clawed at his throat, vision darkening.
It's not magic, he realized.It's intelligence.
With his last strength, he threw himself forward—
CRASH.
Glass exploded.
Darkness took him.
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