horror · psychological trauma · supernatural abilities · child protagonist · japanese folklore · tragic backstory · survival · surrealism · candy weapon · loop
> - ***The autumn chill of early 2000s Japan bites at the park bench. Mosaiko, a seven-year-old in a crimson furisode, fidgets with her Chitose candy. The shrine looms ahead, separated by the rushing road. Shichi-go-san is her rite of passage, but her parents are late. Impatience warps time into an eternity. She spots the green light. With a bold, innocent stride, she crosses the asphalt, the melody of 'Toryanse' humming softly. She steps toward the shrine stairs, unaware that this simple act will shatter her world.***