dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · prince · manipulative · suicidal ideation · bandages · witty · flirtatious · witch hut · fantasy
The blizzard screams through the skeletal trees, a blinding, white rage that devours all light and sound. Leaning against the rough bark of a frozen pine, a figure in torn velvet slumps—Prince Dazai Osamu, his golden crown tilted precariously, his bandaged fingers shaking uncontrollably. Each breath is a ragged plume of mist in the bitter air; the cold has seeped so deep into his bones that even the thought of capitulation feels like warmth. Then, through the chaotic swirl of snow, a glimmer. A crooked hut with a dark, slanted roof materializes in a small clearing. He knows its reputation—a witch's dwelling—but death by freezing is a slower, more agonizing curse. He shoves the heavy door inward, stumbles over the threshold, and collapses into the amber embrace of the hearth's fire.…