Konnie collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud.

When her eyes opened, she found herself in an open field—beneath a bright white sky, the ground a stark contrast in deep, dark purple.

"...This place again," she muttered.

She walked forward, the tall fur-like grass brushing against her arms. Her fingers glided along the ground, feeling its strange softness. A gentle breeze swept through, and she closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax as she slowly inhaled.

Then—a faint, distant sound.

She turned.

No one.

Wait—

A silhouette?

Squinting, she raised her hand.

The figure copied her.

As she stepped forward, the silhouette moved as well—closer and closer. When they finally stood face-to-face, Konnie saw it clearly: a pitch-black copy of herself.

She lifted her hand.

It did the same.

Their fingertips touched.

A viscous black substance began to slide onto her skin, wrapping around her hand like warm liquid velvet. It didn't grip. It explored, as though feeling her in return.

Konnie tilted her head. Her hand twitched once, instinctively.

Still... she didn't pull away.

As the shadow crept higher up her arm, she felt something strange.

Peace.

Safety.

Like it was holding her, not harming her.

She wanted to merge.

But then—

Cracks.

The ground beneath her feet splintered. Thin lines spread fast like glass under pressure.

Then—

Collapse.

The earth split open, and she plummeted.

The shadow vanished.

Darkness swallowed her.

And in the void—

A voice. Muffled. Far away.

"...Konnie..."

Her eyes fluttered open.

She stood frozen—hand extended forward. But her fingers weren't empty.

They were wrapped tightly around someone's throat.

Mitsuki.

Suspended in the air, her tear-streaked eyes looked down at Konnie. Her hands clawed at Konnie's wrist, her mouth trembling.

"P-please... K-Konnie—"

Her eyes rolled back.

Her grip slackened.

Konnie's breath caught.

She let go.

Mitsuki dropped, collapsing onto the floor, coughing and gasping, fingers digging into the ground.

Konnie could only stare at her hand—still raised, still trembling—as if it no longer belonged to her.

"I... I'm so sorry—"

Konnie stumbled back, grabbing her own wrist, trembling.

Mitsuki coughed, trying to sit up. "N-No, it's alright..."

She winced, voice raspy. "It's just corruption... that's all."

She held out her hand.

With a small pulse of magic, a parasol mushroom bloomed in her palm. More sprouted from her ponytail—soft and pale, like living hairpins. Sitting down on the mushroom, Mitsuki rubbed the side of her throat and leaned back with a tired sigh.

"Hey... uh, mind lookin' at my neck? Y'know... just in case I got poisoned or somethin'."

Konnie stayed frozen. Still trembling, she inched forward—one small step at a time. Mitsuki turned her head to the side, exposing her neck.

"So... d'ya see anything?"

Konnie hesitated, then quietly shook her head.

Mitsuki exhaled. "Tch. That's good, I guess. But you should probably check yourself next time..."

She coughed again, more violently this time.

"Y'ain't gonna have a good time if that corruption sets in too deep."

"What... happens if I don't?"

Konnie's voice trembled. She held her arm closer to her chest, gripping it tight.

Mitsuki hesitated, her fingers still gently rubbing her throat.

Her lips pressed together. Eyes narrowed, focusing on the line of crystal dust.

She stared for a moment—silent. Her eyes fluttered, darting between Konnie and the glittering dust.

"H-Huh? Oh... you don't wanna know."

Her voice trailed off as her gaze drifted downward—to a faint line of glittering crystal dust on the ground.

"Please..." Konnie took a step closer. "I want to know. What happened while I was... passed out? Who... was I?"

Mitsuki turned back to her. Slowly, she placed both hands on Konnie's shoulders, holding her gently but firmly.

"Read about it."

Her voice was soft, but her stare was steady.

"If you really wanna know... that's your answer. Read about it."

She coughed again, shallow and weak.

As she let go, something fell—a soft clink. A necklace swung into view, dangling from Konnie's neck, catching the light.

Mitsuki's gaze lingered on it for a second. Then she stood, legs shaky. She stumbled, but caught herself with a breathy laugh.

"It's not your fault, haha... Don't worry."

She smiled weakly.

"I just need some rest. Stay safe on your way back."

Konnie pressed her lips together, her eyes locked on Mitsuki as she slowly walked back into her home.

A flash—

That moment returned uninvited, flickering across Konnie's mind.

Mitsuki... choking beneath her grip.

Eyes wide. Tears falling. Her strength fading.

Konnie squeezed her arm, jaw tight, her teeth grinding.

Her gaze drifted toward the overgrown parasol mushroom nearby. She sat down on it, buried her face in her hands, then dragged them up into her hair.

A groan escaped her—low at first, then louder. She kicked at the ground, frustration boiling over.

"Why is this happening to me... I can't—!"

She stopped.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath—slow, steady, in and out—through both her nose and mouth, trying to pull herself back together.

As she sat, a beam of light caught her chest, glinting off the pendant around her neck.

A gold cap held the crystal in place, its polished edge snug around the top.

Beneath it hung a clear, faintly glowing crystal—its form tapering downward, where smaller shards sprouted from the base like splinters of light, as if it were slowly branching apart or growing mid-fall.

"Oh yeah... this."

Konnie stared at the crystal pendant as it faintly pulsed.

"Why would you give me this..."

She leaned closer, eyes narrowing.

The same soft glow shimmered in the line of crystal dust around the clearing.

Squinting, lips pressed tight, she hesitated.

"Mitsuki..? Quick ques—"

She turned—

And the world changed.

Gone was the clearing.

Now she stood in the middle of the Lost Woods, swallowed by darkness, the only light coming from faintly glowing flowers and bioluminescent vines.

"...tion... oh... oh no..."

Konnie moved slowly, pressing her back against a tree. A distant thud echoed—heavy, rhythmic. She clutched the necklace to her chest.

Mushrooms bloomed in a trail ahead of her, one by one.

The thuds grew louder. She felt them in her bones.

Breathing hard through her mouth, she pressed tighter against the bark.

"Okay... one more. One last push..."

She tried to move—but her legs wouldn't respond. Her whole body trembled.

Then—

A deep exhale.

Not one voice, but several—layered human voices twisted together.

Konnie's eyes snapped shut. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"Please! Move!"

Her heart thundered in her chest, and with a scream, she forced her body forward and bolted.

She ran, following the trail of mushrooms.

Behind her—

A roar.

And then screams. Human screams. Dozens of them—overlapping, warped. The air turned electric with fear. Her heart pounded, her breathing sharp and glowing with strain.

The trail ended.

"No no no—!"

She grabbed the necklace again.

Another trail burst forth, a sharp left. She turned and slammed into a tree, stumbling. Her head jerked back instinctively—

And she saw it.

A panther.

But its face was a grotesque blend of frozen human expressions—fear, sorrow, rage.

Six legs carried it forward in perfect silence. Its eyes glowed an unnatural, vibrant blue.

Konnie froze.

Blood drained from her face.

She couldn't move.

A sudden sting—the crystal's sharp edge pricked her skin.

The pain snapped her out of it.

She bolted again.

A hard left.

Then another.

"WHERE IS IT—GET ME OUT!"

Branches clawed at her arms. Her feet slipped on moss. Her vision wavered.

Then—

A light.

At the end of the trail

She reached out.

But her foot caught. She tripped.

She turned—

The creature lunged.

"Move, please, im so close!"

Her breath caught as her heart pounded louder than the beast's steps. With her free hand, she focused—not to make a perfect illusion, not even a proper one—just something, anything, to buy herself a second.

The crystal in her hand pulsed. Her magic surged, unstable and raw.

The moment the creature lunged—

Konnie didn't scream.

She didn't even breathe.

She shattered.

A burst of glass-like fragments scattered into the air.

The creature landed where she had been, confused.

A few meters away, a leaf hovered mid-fall.

Konnie, now invisible, crouched behind a tree—shaking, breath unsteady, magic flickering across her skin.

"It shattered...?"

She stared, wide-eyed.

"I... I didn't even think it would work."

She slowly opened her hand.

The necklace lay in pieces—cracked crystal and gold fragments nestled in her trembling palm.

Konnie whispered under her breath, almost too soft to hear.

"Thank you..."

Her limbs trembled. Her body was nearly spent.

The creature sniffed the air. The mushrooms stopped at the illusion's remains.

so close.

Konnie grabbed a rock, hurled it in the opposite direction.

The beast turned, snarling, and sprinted after the sound.

She didn't wait.

Konnie ran—legs numb, vision flickering.

Her body burned. Her magic felt like fire under her skin.

"N-Not now..."

One last push.

She leapt into the light—

—and everything went dark.

When she opened her eyes again, sunlight blinded her.

She squinted, sitting up slowly.

The giant tree stood tall in the distance, the town nestled beside it.

She was back.

Konnie dropped onto her back, lying in the grass, letting the breeze brush against her skin. The sky above was cloudy but calm.

For a moment... it was peaceful.

But then—

She noticed something.

A trail of smoke curling into the sky.

She sat up quickly.

A tree was growing—unnaturally fast—from the center of town.

Smoke rose around it, thick and dark.

"Oh no..."