Arriving at the top of the stairs, Kumo gently nudged me forward, placing me in front of the two enormous chapel doors. They were colossal, as tall as three cats stacked on top of each other, and adorned with intricate engravings depicting twisting branches that seemed to intertwine in a mysterious dance. Their surface was dark, almost black, and seemed to absorb the surrounding light, reflecting only thin silver gleams where the carvings formed patterns. The heavy atmosphere amplified the solemnity of the moment, as if these doors concealed a forgotten secret.

I turned to Kumo, giving him a silent look of disagreement, but all I saw was the resolute determination on his face. His golden eyes shone with a glimmer of hope. Faced with his conviction, I sighed. Since I was here, I might as well try. After all, what could I lose?

I moved forward slowly, my steps echoing faintly on the cold stone floor, until I reached a large circle engraved in the ground, just in front of the doors. The circle seemed ancient, surrounded by runes emitting a faint golden glow. At its center was an imprint of a strange shape, perhaps a forgotten symbol, emanating a mysterious aura.

“See, I told you this would be pointless…” I muttered, ready to turn back.

But before I could take a step toward Kumo, a faint crackling noise froze me. The brambles, until now motionless and massive, quivered. Then, without warning, they began to retreat, one by one, as if pulled by an invisible and swift force. The sight was almost surreal, each thorn, each branch folding back on itself in a graceful and mysterious ballet.

The chatter among the cats ceased instantly. All of us, myself included, watched in silence, our eyes wide with astonishment. These brambles, which had resisted all attempts, suddenly opened. Quickly. Almost too quickly for me to process what was happening.

Finally, the last of the brambles disappeared, and the massive doors slowly opened, emitting a deep creak, revealing a gaping passageway.

“The chosen one has appeared!”

“We are saved!”

Cries of joy erupted all around me. The cats, who moments earlier had been desperate and furious, were now almost dancing with relief. Their anger and worry had vanished in an instant. Songs of victory rose, and expressions of gratitude flowed. Some wept, others hugged each other.

Yet, despite the outpouring of happiness, I did not share their joy. These doors, which had opened for me, revealed nothing but a dark and abyssal void. Everything inside was black, oppressive. I could discern no light, no reference point. How could I venture into such darkness?

“Now that the doors are open, I’ll let you go retrieve the life stone. Haha,” I said nervously, taking a few steps back to distance myself from the intimidating sight.

“But Yui, only you can go. You are the chosen one.”

“Please, save us! Save the millennium tree!”

“Retrieve the life stone before it’s too late, we beg you!”

Their pleas echoed around me, pressing and desperate. Every gaze pierced me like a blade, every word weighed heavily on my heart. Forced despite myself, I could no longer back away. Trembling, I began to move forward, each step heavier than the last, until I crossed the threshold of the doors.

The doors abruptly shut behind me with a resounding slam that echoed into the darkness. I found myself plunged into total blackness. The silence was deafening, and fear rose within me, slowly devouring my courage.

But suddenly, a bluish light appeared in the distance, faint but enough to slightly illuminate the surroundings. It was likely the life stone. Its soft glow lit up an immense room, the contours of which remained blurry, almost unreal.

At the center of the room, a narrow bridge stretched out, leading me toward the stone. It seemed suspended in the void, with no visible support. On either side of the bridge, magical crystals—or perhaps mirrors—shone faintly, capturing the blue light and reflecting it in all directions, creating an unreal and unsettling atmosphere.

I moved forward hesitantly, each step echoing into the void. The crystals reacted to my approach, glowing more and more intensely. But as I neared the center of the bridge, a voice resounded, stopping me in my tracks.

“What are you doing here, Yui?”

I froze. It was my father’s voice, unmistakable. Its grave tone, laced with reproach, sent chills down my spine.

“I’m talking to you! Why are you standing there like a statue?!”

My heart pounded wildly. How could he be here? Why was I hearing his voice in this faraway world?

“Yui, when your father speaks, you MUST respond! And what is this outfit?! Change immediately!”

My mother’s voice joined in, severe and full of contempt. I looked up, searching for the source of their voices. And, as if by magic, I found myself in my bedroom. My parents were there, standing before me with the same disappointed expressions as always. How was this possible? Just a moment ago, I was in the chapel… Was this a dream?

“Are you going to answer or not?!” my father barked, his voice booming like thunder in the room.

I froze, feeling my heart pound wildly in my chest. His gaze, harsh and unyielding, seemed to pierce straight through me. Every word he uttered was like a blow, crushing me further. I wanted to reply, but my lips refused to move. A massive lump had formed in my throat, making it impossible to utter a single word.

“What are you doing, for crying out loud? Didn’t yesterday’s lesson about your little escapade teach you anything?” he continued angrily, his voice full of reproach.

My escapade yesterday... The one where I’d gone to the cat café? So, was all of this—this strange world, Kumo, the chapel doors—just a dream? Confusion mingled with fear, my thoughts becoming hazy. I no longer knew where I was or what was real. My mind desperately tried to make sense of it all, but nothing added up.

It was as if a heavy shadow had fallen over me. I felt like I was suffocating, each breath becoming a monumental effort. My father’s words echoed in my mind, pulling me further into an abyss of doubt.

“Oh my God, how awful… Did you draw this?” my mother interjected, her cold voice filled with disgust as she stared at a drawing spread out on the floor.

I lowered my eyes to the drawing, but I couldn’t remember making it. It was a crumpled sheet, full of hesitant lines and chaotic shapes. How had it gotten there? When had I drawn it? None of it made sense. My ears buzzed, muting every sound around me until they became distant and muffled.

“For crying out loud, how much longer are you going to make me wait?!” my father roared again, yanking my mind out of its oppressive stupor.

I finally looked up at them. Their anger, so palpable, hit me like a tidal wave. My father’s face, red with fury, seemed ready to explode at any moment, while my mother’s expression radiated deep disgust. They stood before me, immense and overwhelming, like judges ready to deliver an irrevocable sentence.

“I-I’m s-sorry… I-I don’t know w-what came over me… I-I just—”

“Stop stuttering, for God’s sake!” my father bellowed, his voice rumbling with such intensity that I flinched, my entire body frozen in terror.

The words stuck in my throat, unable to escape. My mind grew increasingly clouded, each thought colliding with the next. It felt like I was drowning, unable to find air, unable to find words to defend myself, unable to even think.

“We gave you everything; why are you doing this to us?” my mother continued, her voice suddenly lower, almost soft, but laden with reproach that cut even deeper.

“Sorry…” I murmured internally, the only response that came to mind. An automatic, empty reply, devoid of meaning, but repeating endlessly in my head.

“You’d be nothing without us! You’re nothing at all!”

Sorry.

“We ended up raising a failure, my God…”

Sorry.

“What good are you if you can’t even do anything right?”

Sorry.

“Why can’t you be like other kids? They’re all better than you!”

Sorry.

Each word was a blade plunging into my heart, draining me of all energy, all hope. I wanted to disappear, to sink into the ground, to become invisible. My body no longer responded; my legs trembled under the weight of their accusations, and my arms felt heavy. I could feel every ounce of self-confidence eroding, like sand swept away by the wind.

“You’ll never succeed in life!”

Sorry.

“You’re a burden!”

Sorry.

“Stop dreaming; you have no talent! Everything you do is pointless!”

Sorry.

“Everyone mocks you and who you are!”

Sorry.

“I regret giving you so many opportunities. All you do is ruin them!”

Sorry.

“You’re a failure. Nothing you do will ever change that.”

The words swirled in my mind, overlapping and becoming louder, more violent. I was on the verge of collapsing under the unbearable weight. My legs finally gave out, and I fell to my knees on the ground. My hands trembled, my thoughts scattering in every direction.

At that moment, a pinecone fell from my sweater pocket, rolling softly onto the floor. My gaze fixed on it, as if it were the first tangible thing I could cling to. My overwhelmed mind suddenly remembered the words the cat had said in the dream world:

“It’s a magical pinecone. If you peel off all its scales, you can make a wish.”

Those words resonated within me like a glimmer of hope. What if this wasn’t just a dream? What if… I really could make a wish? A final surge of desperation drove me to grab the pinecone, my damp hands clutching its rough surface. I had to try. I had nothing left to lose.

My heart raced, my ears rang, and my vision began to blur. But despite everything, I stubbornly began peeling off the scales one by one, my fingers cutting on the sharp edges. Each scale removed felt like a step closer to deliverance, an escape from these crushing voices.

The words continued to rain down, relentless.

“Useless.”

“Good-for-nothing.”

Stop…

“Burden.”

“Failure.”

Please…

“Shame.”

“Weakling.”

I can’t take it anymore…

“Parasite.”

“Pathetic.”

Stop…

“Mediocre.”

“Ignorant.”

“Fool.”

“Disappointment.”

I couldn’t bear their voices any longer. Their blurred faces melted into the surrounding darkness, yet their words pierced like icy blades. I tore off the last scale with a scream, a cry of despair, a cry to silence these voices.

“STOP!”

And then, silence. A profound, deafening silence. A burst of white light flooded the room, blinding everything in its path. When the light dissipated, I found myself back in the chapel. The crystals had vanished, and the illusion had lifted. It had all been a hallucination caused by the magical crystals.

Breathless and exhausted, I remained on my knees, looking around me. Everything was calm, even peaceful. I was finally free from those shadows, those voices that had haunted my mind. But at what cost? My hands, still trembling, held the remains of the pinecone.