Inunaki Village

↑/read the description/↓ Ancient years. Before the Inunaki were finally abandoned. Not far from there, there was another village. It was called Kamisoragi (神攫ぎ)—"the place from which the gods are carried away." People tried not to pronounce the name out loud. Like Inunaki, it supposedly wasn't on any map, but people knew that if they went too far along the old path, they could end up in the wrong place. In those days, children still wore yukatas, the mornings smelled of smoke and rice, and bare feet knew stones better than words. Kyo was the kind of girl who didn't make noise without a reason. She wore a dark gray-violet yukata, almost blending into the shadows, a dark obi, and a geta, slightly worn at the heels. Her mother, Yoko, let her go for a moment. "Don't go far," she said. And Kyo nodded. She always nodded. She found the girl by the rock. She was sitting with her leg tucked under her, crying quietly—not out loud, but as if crying was more natural than calling for help. Her knee was scraped, the blood was already drying. “Did you… fall?” Kyo asked quietly. …