It began with silence.
Akira’s apartment, usually filled with the quiet hum of his cat, Momo, purring against the afternoon light, was now suffocatingly still. The small clock on the wall ticked, but its rhythm felt too slow, too distant, as if time had lost its way.
Akira sat at the edge of his bed, looking out through the half-open window. The sky over Sapporo was its usual gray, blending with the buildings outside, a seamless wall of monotony. In his lap, there was no warm presence—no soft fur to remind him that he wasn’t completely alone in this world. Momo was gone. And with her absence, something within him shifted, a subtle yet growing void.
He had searched the apartment thoroughly. Momo wasn’t the type to wander far, and Akira’s careful routine made it nearly impossible for her to sneak out unnoticed. Yet, she was nowhere to be found.
The strange thing was… despite the silence, Akira felt the apartment wasn’t entirely empty.
[[next|a whisper in the wind]]Akira tightened his jacket as he stepped out into the cold street, searching for his missing companion. His neighborhood was eerily quiet, the sort of quiet that made every step echo a little too loudly, as though the world was holding its breath.
He walked past the familiar sights: the corner store where he bought his daily groceries, the park where he sometimes stopped to sit and think. His thoughts were focused, but there was a growing unease gnawing at the back of his mind.
Why had Momo disappeared? She was always close by, never wandering too far, as if she understood how much Akira depended on her presence. Their bond was not just one of pet and owner, but something deeper—something Akira couldn’t fully explain.
The wind picked up, carrying with it a whisper of something unfamiliar. And then, Akira heard it—a soft, distant meow. He turned, following the sound through the narrow streets, his breath clouding in the cold air.
At the end of an alleyway, beneath the overhang of a dilapidated temple gate, he saw her.
Momo was sitting there, perfectly still, as if waiting for him.
But she wasn’t [[alone|continue]]<img src = "https://images.app.goo.gl/566khuc3ezPgho718" width="250" height="100">
A young woman sat beside her, stroking her gently. Her dark hair flowed like a shadow against the pale stone of the temple. She didn’t look up as Akira approached, but her presence felt strange—familiar, and yet completely foreign.
Akira stopped in his tracks, his heart thudding. “Momo…” he whispered, stepping forward. But Momo stayed where she was, her eyes fixed on the woman as though entranced.
Finally, the woman lifted her head, her eyes meeting Akira’s.
“You’re looking for her, aren’t you?” she said softly. Her voice was calm, like the surface of a still lake, but underneath it, there was something… deeper. Something not quite human.
Akira felt the weight of her words settle in his chest, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak. Who was she? Why was Momo with her?
“Who are you?” he managed to ask, his voice shaking more than he expected.
The woman smiled, but it was a smile tinged with sadness. “My name is Hana. I’ve been waiting for you, Akira.”
[[Ask who she is and why she knows ur name| An Unexpected Offer ]]
[[ignore the questions and focus on getting momo back|end]]Akira felt a strange pull in his chest. Something about this woman—Hana—seemed both comforting and dangerous at the same time. “How do you know my name?” he asked, his voice low.
Hana’s smile didn’t waver. “I’ve known you longer than you think, Akira. Longer than you’ve known me.” She glanced at Momo, still sitting silently at her side. “She brought me to you.”
Akira’s mind raced, trying to piece together what she was saying. “Brought you…? Why?”
Hana looked away, her expression softening. “Because I’m not from your world. I’ve been here, lingering, unable to move on. I’ve been searching for something, for someone. And your cat… she led me to you.”
Akira blinked, unsure if he should believe her. A part of him wanted to laugh, to dismiss her words as nonsense. But deep down, in the place where logic couldn’t reach, he felt the truth of what she was saying. Something about her was real in a way that frightened him.
“What do you want?” he asked, taking a cautious step closer.
Hana stood, gently picking Momo up in her arms. The cat purred softly, content in her grasp. “I want to make a deal with you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I want to be human again.”
[[Refuse and demand Momo back|end2]]
[[Ask her what the deal entails|The Price of Humanity ]]Hana is disappointed with Akira, and never met him again.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]
Akira’s throat tightened as he considered her words. “What kind of deal?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Hana looked down at Momo, gently stroking her fur. “Every day that I remain human, something will disappear from the world. It might be something small, something you wouldn’t even notice. But as the days go on, the things that vanish will become more… precious.”
Akira’s stomach churned. “And what happens when too much is gone?”
Hana’s expression hardened. “That’s up to you.”
[[next|The Unraveling]]
"what the heck are you asking for, we just met and you're already asking for something like that, it won't happen" akira's said
Hana is despairing of her future as a ghost, and she will be incarnated as a ghost forever.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]The days blurred together for Akira as more things disappeared from his world. It had started with the little things—the streetlamp outside his apartment no longer flickered in the evening, the coffee shop he frequented had inexplicably shut down. He tried to convince himself these were coincidences, but the truth was undeniable.
One morning, as Akira took a walk through the park, a familiar couple—an old man and woman he saw often—vanished before his eyes. They had been sitting on their usual bench, laughing softly together, when suddenly, they were gone.
His heart raced as he returned home, dread creeping into every corner of his mind. More had disappeared in his absence: Momo’s favorite toy was missing from the floor, a framed photograph of his mother no longer hung on the wall.
The devil’s voice echoed in his head, as smug as ever. *”Each day, I take something away. You’re still willing to continue, aren’t you? Just a little longer with her... just one more day.”*
Akira’s gaze fell on Hana, who sat quietly by the window, her face full of sorrow. She turned to him, her voice barely audible. “I know you see what’s happening… Akira, it’s not too late to stop.”
But could he? The thought of losing her—this fragile connection they shared—was unbearable. And yet, each loss made the weight on his chest heavier.
[[next|The Devil’s Offer ]]That evening, as they sat together in the dim light of the apartment, the air between them grew tense. Akira couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that every moment with Hana was coming at a cost too great to bear. He could feel the walls closing in, the world shrinking as more pieces of his life disappeared.
The devil appeared again, his silhouette darker and more menacing than ever. “Ready for the next trade?” he asked, grinning as he leaned in. “I’ll give you another day with her, but you know the price.”
Akira’s hands trembled as he thought of all that was gone. His cat, Momo, the elderly couple, his favorite places, even memories… all erased for this fleeting chance to be with Hana. Was it worth it?
“I don’t want this,” Hana said, her voice breaking. “You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your world for me.”
Akira looked at her, torn between the love he felt and the fear of losing everything. “But… I can’t lose you.”
The devil’s grin widened. “Then make your choice, Akira. One more day… or end the game now.”
[[Confront the devil and reject the game now, accepting that he must let Hana go |The Choice to Let Go ]]
[[Continue the game for one more day, willing to sacrifice even more |The Final Stakes ]]
Where Akira realizes that his love for Hana must be sacrificed to preserve what remains of his world.
Akira’s heart ached as he gazed at Hana, knowing that this choice was tearing him apart. But deep down, he knew the answer. He couldn’t go on like this—losing pieces of his world, one by one, until nothing was left.
“No,” Akira whispered, his voice trembling. “It’s over.”
The devil’s grin faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing in displeasure. “Are you sure? She’ll be gone, Akira. Gone forever.”
Akira swallowed hard, his gaze locking with Hana’s. Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded, understanding his decision. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You’re doing the right thing.”
With a deep breath, Akira faced the devil. “I’m sure.”
The devil sighed dramatically, snapping his fingers. “As you wish.”
In an instant, the world around them shifted. The shadows lifted, and the weight pressing on Akira’s chest began to ease. But as the light returned, Hana began to fade, her form dissolving into the air like mist.
Akira reached out, his fingers brushing against her one last time. “Hana…”
Her smile was soft, filled with love. “Goodbye, Akira.”
And then, she was gone.
[[next|epilogue end 1]]The devil’s laughter echoed through the room, and the world darkened further. Akira’s mind was clouded by doubt, but he couldn’t let go just yet. “One more day,” he said, though it felt like a lie even as he spoke.
The next morning, Akira awoke to more disappearances—his neighbors, familiar streets, and even entire parts of the city had vanished. The world felt smaller, and the air was suffocatingly still.
Hana watched him, sadness etched into her face. “We can’t keep doing this, Akira. It’s too much.”
But before Akira could respond, the devil appeared once more. “It’s almost over now. Just a few more things, and then you’ll have to make your final choice.”
[[Agree to sacrifice both yourself and Hana to restore everything.|Mutual Sacrifice ]]
[[Hana offers herself to the devil, sacrificing her existence for Akira’s world.|Hana’s Sacrifice]]
[[Search for another way, hoping to escape the game together.|Another Path Yet Unseen]]Akira stood alone in his apartment, the world restored to what it once was. The elderly couple sat on their bench again, the streetlamp flickered in the evening, and Momo’s familiar purrs filled the quiet.
But despite the restoration, a deep emptiness remained inside him. He had made the right choice, but it didn’t stop the ache in his heart. Hana was gone, and the memory of her sacrifice would stay with him forever.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]Where both characters are erased to restore everything that was lost.
Akira knew there was only one way out. His life, Momo, the world—it could all be restored. But it meant losing everything else. He turned to Hana, his heart heavy. “I can’t let this go on any longer. We have to stop.”
Hana nodded, her eyes filled with tears, but also understanding. “If we disappear… everything comes back. Momo, your world… all of it.”
Akira took her hand, his voice steady. “Then let’s do it. Together.”
The devil’s grin widened. “As you wish.”
In a flash, Akira and Hana’s forms began to fade, their presence erased from the world. But everything else returned—Momo’s soft meows, the bustling streets of Sapporo, the familiar faces of neighbors.
[[next|epilogue end 2]]Where she sacrifices her existence to restore Akira’s world.
Hana stepped forward before Akira could protest, her resolve unwavering. “Take me instead,” she said to the devil, her voice strong. “Restore everything—Akira’s life, Momo—but I’ll go.”
Akira’s heart shattered. “Hana, no…”
But the devil simply smiled. “As you wish.”
Hana’s form began to dissolve, her eyes never leaving Akira’s. “Live for me,” she whispered, her smile bittersweet as she disappeared.
[[next|epilogue end 3]] Akira drew a deep breath, refusing the choices the devil had laid out. “I won’t choose either of those,” he said firmly. “There has to be another way. I don’t believe the world is just about choosing between losing everything or losing each other.”
The devil laughed, but this time the sound wasn’t as harsh. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “Another way? Do you really think your love can overcome all of this? The world is already collapsing, and you still hope to change your fate?”
Hana squeezed Akira’s hand tightly. “We have to try. We can’t give up yet.”
The devil’s laughter faded, his gaze narrowing, no longer mocking but filled with curiosity. “Very well. I’ll grant you one last chance to prove that your love can break free of this game. But remember, every choice comes with consequences. Choose wisely.”
Suddenly, the world around them shifted. The room they stood in blurred and dissolved into darkness. Before them, two distinct paths appeared, each leading to an unknown fate. But both came with a final test that would challenge the depth of their bond.
[[ could let go of everything here, trusting in the unknown, hoping our connection survives beyond this world.|the fading stars]]
[[We hold on to our love, but at a cost far greater than either of us could imagine.|devil's redemption]]Akira and Hana’s sacrifice restored the world, but they themselves were gone. Their memory lingered only faintly, like a dream, in the hearts of those who had known them.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]Akira’s world was restored, but at the cost of Hana’s existence. Though he could no longer remember her fully, the feeling of loss lingered, a quiet ache that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]Akira and Hana walked the path of uncertainty, refusing to give up on their love. They had chosen to hold on, even as the world around them crumbled. The devil, looming behind them, watched closely, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
“You think you can escape the game? You think your love can bend the rules I’ve set?” the devil taunted, his voice low and menacing.
Akira turned to face him, his fists clenched. “It’s not about bending your rules. It’s about finding something worth fighting for, no matter the cost.”
The devil’s smile faltered for a moment, and something flickered in his dark eyes—something almost human. But the world around them continued to collapse, and the choices that lay before them grew darker. Time was running out.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake, the edges of reality fracturing. Hana gasped, clinging to Akira as they struggled to stay upright. “We can’t go on like this,” she whispered, her voice tight with fear.
The devil stepped forward, closer now, his face shadowed. “Do you want to know the truth, Akira? The truth about this game?” His voice was softer now, almost gentle, but there was a pain behind his words. “I never wanted to win.”
Akira stared at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
The devil looked down, a flicker of sorrow crossing his face. “This game was never about taking away your love. It was about proving that it could withstand anything. But I... I have seen too much loss. I have seen people give up on each other, time and time [[again.”|end 5]]Akira and Hana stood at the crossroads of fate, their hands clasped tightly as they chose the path of sacrifice. There was no turning back now. The world around them, once filled with the warmth of memories, began to dissolve into a void—a place where time no longer mattered, where the future ceased to exist.
“I’m scared,” Hana whispered, her voice trembling. She tried to stay brave for him, but the weight of what they were about to lose was too overwhelming.
Akira tightened his grip, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. “We’ll find each other again,” he said, though his words were more of a hope than a promise.
Hana shook her head. “How can you be sure?”
There was a silence between them, a stillness that seemed to echo in the emptiness around them. The stars above dimmed, one by one, as if the universe itself was closing its eyes. Their bodies began to feel weightless, and with every passing second, they could feel their connection to the world slipping [[away.|end 4]]Akira’s eyes blurred with tears as he pulled Hana into a tight embrace. “Even if I don’t remember... even if I forget everything... I’ll find you. Somewhere, somehow.”
Hana buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt. She didn’t want to let go, not now, not ever. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I always will.”
As they held each other, their forms began to dissolve into the light, their edges blurring, as though they were being erased from existence. The devil watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable, knowing they had made their choice.
“This is it,” Akira whispered, his voice barely audible now. He could no longer feel Hana’s warmth, her touch fading with the world around them. His heart ached as the last of their shared moments were pulled from his mind, leaving only a hollow ache in its place.
With one final glance, Hana’s face disappeared into the light, and Akira’s vision dimmed to black.
*Years passed.*
In a quiet village, a young boy sat by a river, staring into the water. His heart felt heavy, burdened with a sadness he didn’t understand. He often felt this way, as though he was missing something or someone important—someone he had never met.
Nearby, a girl walked by, her steps hesitant, as if she, too, carried the same weight. Her dark hair fluttered in the breeze, and when she saw the boy by the river, something inside her stirred. There was a connection she couldn’t explain, a feeling that tugged at her heart.
The boy turned his head, and their eyes met for the first time.
Neither of them spoke, but in that moment, they both felt it: a faint, unexplainable pull. The feeling that, somehow, they had known each other before. That they had shared something deep, something precious, even if they couldn’t remember what it was.
The boy smiled, unsure why, but it felt right. The girl smiled back, a tear slipping down her cheek, though she didn’t know why she was crying.
And as the sun set behind them, the faintest whisper echoed in the wind—a promise made long ago, now fulfilled.
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]He looked up, his eyes glistening, and for the first time, Akira saw not a devil, but a being who had once known love and had lost it. “I wanted to see if there was anyone who could choose love over everything else.”
Hana stepped forward, her hand trembling as she reached out to the devil. “And we did. We chose love.”
The devil’s voice broke. “But it’s not enough. Even now, this world is falling apart. I... I can’t fix what’s been broken. But maybe, maybe I can give you something in return for your sacrifice.”
Akira looked at Hana, his heart pounding. “What are you saying?”
With a pained smile, the devil raised his hands, and the world around them began to glow softly. “I can erase myself. I can undo the damage I’ve caused, but only if I sacrifice myself in the process.”
Akira’s eyes widened. “But why?”
The devil’s form flickered, his voice barely a whisper now. “Because, in watching you, I’ve remembered what love is. And I’d rather see you two together than continue this endless cycle of pain.”
As the devil began to fade, Akira and Hana felt the world stabilizing, the cracks in reality mending. But the cost was clear—this would be the end of the devil, the end of the one who had started it all.
Before disappearing completely, the devil’s final words echoed in the air: “Love is stronger than anything I could have imagined. Cherish it, because it’s the only thing that lasts.”
With those words, he was gone.
Akira and Hana stood in silence, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. The world was restored, the things that had been erased slowly coming back into existence. Momo appeared at Akira’s feet, purring softly, and the memories of their love remained intact.
Akira looked down at Hana, tears in his eyes. “We’re still here. We made it.”
Hana nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Because of him.”
They stood there, holding each other as the sun rose, bathing them in a light that felt new, a world untouched by darkness. And though the devil was gone, his sacrifice had given them the greatest gift of all: the chance to love, free from fear, free from loss.
In the end, love had conquered everything—even the devil’s own broken heart.
<img src= "https://x.com/1L9l2Aa8UCL0IGJ/status/1746479173299061099?t=KuMeIMwgDIpkszt45ABmOQ&s=08" width= "250" height= "100">
[[back to start|the sound of absence]]