Deep within Mount Togakushi in Nagano Prefecture lies a village seemingly frozen in time. Its unchanging atmosphere and self-sufficiency are almost legendary, as if an invisible barrier separates it from the outside world. This place, known as Kuroyama Village, thrives without the need for outside contact—a true miracle of isolation and balance.
However, centuries ago, Kuroyama was a very different place. The village was a bustling hub of trade and culture, connected by trails to neighboring villages and towns. Its people not only farmed the land but also traded their harvests and handcrafted goods, drawing visitors with their hospitality and the area's natural beauty.
At the heart of this vibrant community stood the Seika-ji Shinto temple, also known as the "Temple of the Silent Flame." This majestic sanctuary, shrouded in an aura of serenity, was renowned for rituals dedicated to deities who safeguarded the village from calamities, illnesses, and malevolent spirits.
Seika-ji wasn't merely a place of worship; it symbolized Kuroyama's prosperity. Tourists traveled from far and wide, lured by tales of miracles and blessings granted to those who offered prayers at the temple. The village became both a spiritual and tourist destination, enriching its community but also arousing envy among its neighbors.
In a smaller, less prosperous nearby village stood another temple—one that did not worship the benevolent kami of Shinto but rather the yokai, supernatural entities that straddle the boundary between the human and spirit worlds.
This dark and mysterious shrine sought to appease the yokai and gain their favor. While some of these spirits were mischievous or even benevolent, many were dangerous and destructive, and devotion to them stemmed more from fear than reverence.
The contrast between the two temples was striking: Seika-ji glowed warmly with paper lanterns and the joy of festivals, while the other shrine—known as the Sanctuary of Wandering Shadows—was cold, cloaked in an eerie gloom. Visitors to the latter spoke of whispers emanating from its walls and shadows shifting in its corners. Avoidance of this place became the norm, furthering the frustration of its villagers, who resented Kuroyama's flourishing success.
With each passing year, the envy of the neighboring villagers only grew.
In a desperate attempt to change their fortunes, they summoned minor yokai, hoping their mischief and small terrors would bring chaos to Kuroyama. Yet, these efforts failed miserably.
The priests of Seika-ji, adept in exorcisms and shielded by their patron deities, swiftly purified the village, restoring peace. Far from diminishing it, Kuroyama's reputation soared even higher, becoming a beacon of unshakable faith and divine protection. This only fueled the neighbors' bitterness.
What began as simple jealousy eventually twisted into hatred. The priests of the Sanctuary of Wandering Shadows, blinded by this resentment, decided to take drastic action. They resolved to summon a deadly yokai to destroy Kuroyama, believing they could later seal it and be hailed as heroes who saved the region. With this, they hoped to finally claim the fame and recognition they felt Kuroyama had unfairly stolen.
The ritual took place under the full moon, deep within the temple. Forbidden chants were recited, blood was spilled as an offering, and the veil between worlds was torn asunder. The air grew thick, and the flames of lanterns flickered until they extinguished. A dense, black smoke began to rise from the ground, creeping like a living fog that swallowed all light.
The priests had summoned Enenra—a yokai born of smoke and shadows, whose sole purpose was to consume life in a relentless path of death and destruction.
At first, the priests attempted to control Enenra, but they couldn't have been more wrong about such an idea.
Enenra, showing nothing but chaos and destruction, unleashed its black smoke across the village, ending the lives of its inhabitants. Those who inhaled the polluted air began to cough violently, their skin taking on an ashen-gray tone. Enenra's toxin ravaged their bodies from within, burning their lungs and corrupting their souls. Some tried to flee, but the fog was like a sentient predator, chasing them down until it caught them.
The crops withered within minutes, animals dropped lifeless in the fields, and the nearby rivers turned a deep, murky red. Life in the village was extinguished, leaving only silence broken by the fading echoes of screams lost in the dense mist. What was once a vibrant place filled with life became a ruined wasteland steeped in perpetual silence.
But for Enenra, the destruction of that village wasn't enough. Like a warm summer breeze, it began to drift toward the village of Kuroyama.
The priests of Seika-ji Temple, alerted by the strange approaching fog, prepared themselves for what was coming. However, the power of Enenra was beyond anything they could have imagined.
When the smoke reached Kuroyama, chaos erupted. Those who breathed in the haze suffered agonizing deaths: their bodies convulsed in pain, their eyes sunk deep into their sockets, and their souls seemed to be slowly torn away, leaving behind only emptiness. Even the temple's blessings and protections were powerless, as though Enenra were immune to divine will.
No one was spared—children, the elderly, women awaiting the birth of their next child—all perished because of Enenra.
Although the village had many blessings, in a single day, its population of over a thousand was reduced to less than a hundred—a handful of survivors desperately taking refuge within the temple.
Amid the despair, a ray of hope appeared. One of the deities of Seika-ji Temple, moved by the villagers' years of faith and devotion, chose to descend in divine possession, using the body of a priestess as a vessel.
The ensuing battle was fierce, lasting three days and nights—an extraordinarily powerful yokai against a deity. But, tragically for the few survivors, the deity was bound by the limitations of the priestess's human body.
By the third day, the priestess's body could no longer withstand such immense power and was ultimately slaughtered by Enenra. Yet, the noble sacrifice of the young girl was not in vain.
While Enenra was focused on defeating the deity, the remaining priests worked on a final resort: an immense sealing ritual. It required their life force to unleash such tremendous power, but it was the only way to stop the yokai. With their final breaths, they succeeded in imprisoning the Enenra within a sacred vessel.
The sacrifice of the temple's most experienced priests had not been in vain. They had achieved victory at the cost of their lives.
The vessel housing Enenra was taken to a hidden cave behind the temple, where it would be eternally guarded.
But not all the news was good. Despite their success, the village of Kuroyama was irreparably scarred. A dense black mist engulfed it—a deadly poison that made leaving impossible.
A curse without precedent, or perhaps a blessing?
The few survivors accepted their fate with resignation. They chose to live in eternal isolation rather than risk anyone releasing the Enenra. Their sacrifice was an act of love for humanity, a final demonstration of the kindness and devotion that had always defined them.
From then on, Kuroyama became a village shrouded in mystery, lost in the great forest and mountains, slowly vanishing from records as though it were nothing more than a legend.
Within the village, however, the survivors lived out their days in quiet peace, tending to the temple and guarding the seal. To them, their confinement was not a punishment but an honor—a small price to pay for the safety of the world.
...
"Takahashi-san! How's the family?"
Near a sprawling field bathed in the morning sun, two men worked together, tilling the soil as they chatted cheerfully.
"My little boy's about to turn four. Don't forget to come by for his birthday party next week."
"Of course, I'll be there! After all, I'm Daichi-kun's uncle, hahaha!"
The men laugh, their faces marked by daily toil yet radiating an unshakable sense of peace. Around them, life in the village of Kuroyama flows naturally. Adults work together, exchanging jokes and advice as they tend the fields. Children run and play freely, their laughter mingling with the rhythm of the day. Near the temple, a group of elders patiently passes down their knowledge to the young, teaching them vital skills for life in the village.
At first glance, the village seems frozen in time, much like it was centuries ago—a place where joy and unity prevail. However, the village of Kuroyama remains cursed, sealed off and isolated from the rest of the world. Its people, however, have learned to accept their fate. What could have been a tragedy has become a source of strength.
Since that fateful day when Enenra was sealed and the village became shrouded in a toxic mist, cutting it off from the outside, Kuroyama has slowly blossomed once more. It is now home to more than 300 residents, each watching over and supporting one another. Though disputes occasionally arise, they are quickly resolved.
Yet something profound shifted in the villagers after the tragedy. Their unwavering faith and resilience—demonstrated in sacrificing their freedom to protect others—did not go unnoticed by the local deities. In recognition of their sacrifice and indomitable spirit, the villagers were granted a blessing once reserved for priests: the ability to channel and harness spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy is an invisible force that flows through all living beings, a thread connecting the soul. In Kuroyama, every resident can now manipulate this energy.
The spiritual energy remains a deeply intricate concept, and despite ongoing studies by select groups, three primary methods of obtaining spiritual energy have been identified
Divine Blessing: Granted by the favor of a deity, this method offers immense initial power, as energy flows through the individual's connection to the divine. However, this also imposes limits—the wielder's strength is tied to the magnitude of the deity supporting them.
Training: Those without innate talent or divine favor can still master spiritual energy through years of rigorous practice and discipline. While slower, this method allows steady growth and limitless potential.
Innate Gift: In extremely rare cases, individuals are born with a natural affinity for manipulating spiritual energy from a young age. These prodigies are considered "peaks of humanity," capable of reaching unparalleled heights of power.
While those blessed by faith gain an early advantage through divine guidance, their dependency on a deity restricts their potential. In contrast, those who rely on training or innate talent can overcome any barrier through time and effort.
Thus, despite being trapped and constrained by the mist, life in Kuroyama has become an exemplar of resilience and adaptability. Grateful for the gods' blessing, the villagers use their spiritual energy not just for protection but to enhance their daily lives. They employ this power to cultivate land more efficiently, heal the sick, and defend against any possible threats.
Even amidst adversity, the villagers of Kuroyama have found purpose in their isolation: protecting the outside world from the threat sealed within the cave's depths. To them, living in harmony and joy is not just a form of resistance but a way to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to contain Enenra.
Yet peace has not been entirely uninterrupted since their confinement. On more than one occasion, yōkai have attempted to infiltrate the village, drawn by the immense aura of death emanating from a cave behind the temple. However, the villagers, now prepared and empowered alongside their priests, have managed to repel these threats with ease.
For generations, Kuroyama thrived in peace and prosperity, passing down the lessons of the past to younger generations and preserving their way of life.
But...
Peace is never eternal.