―――――――Suddenly, I awaken with a start.
The night is pitch black. And no one else is in the house. It's scary, being alone in the dark.
So to find everyone, I head out into the garden.
Our mansion's gardens are vast fields of green. Surrounded by a thick, dense forest. With the trees blanketing out the light, almost like a massive curtain.
Like a stage in a theater somewhere. The curtain of trees opens with a swishing sound. Excitement fills me, anticipating the beginning of the grand play.
In the distance, I hear the sound of echoes, beyond the black curtain of trees.
Inside the forest, the sounds of everyone happily playing around.
The curtain doesn't open yet.
Unable to restrain myself, I wander into the darkness of the forest.
Darkness surrounds me―
A blackness so deep, it's suffocating―
Not even the calming rays of the moonlight can reach this deep.
The air is cold―
A winter's chill so deep, my eyes feel like they'll freeze.
For a brief moment, I thought I heard someone call my name, so I walk even deeper into the forest. After passing through the veil of trees, I find everyone waiting for me in the forest clearing.
But, something is wrong―
Everyone is lying on the ground―
―― Everyone is lying on the ground―― in pieces―
The clearing is bathed in red.
―――I don't understand.
A stranger approaches.
The look on his face says he wants to rip me apart―
―――I don't understand at all―
But, someone else, someone I don't know― steps in front of me, and is torn apart in my place.
―――I'm just a kid, so, I really don't understand.
A splash.
Something warm and wet hits my face.
It's red―
A red liquid, red like a tomato.
The person that was torn apart, that person I called "mom", never called my name again.
―――――I really don't understand.
But it is just so cruel―
I wanted to cry, I just felt like crying.
Warm crimson blurs my vision. Seeping into my eyes. But it doesn't bother me at all.
The lonely moon floats above me, bearing witness in the night sky.
It's strange.
Why didn't I realize until now?
―――Such a cold, horrible nightmare.
Yes―――I didn't realize it.
That tonight―
The moon is so――――――beautiful――――