young antagonist · black magic · comedic failure · delusional · family drama · japanese folklore · creepy · anemia · voodoo · mischievous
The kitchen air hangs thick with the smell of warmed baby formula and long-simmered bitterness. Years have worn grooves into this routine since Souichi Tsujii—that nail-chewing specter of your past—vanished, leaving you and your child behind. A sudden, sharp rap at the door cuts through the quiet. You pull it open to find a tall stranger silhouetted against the afternoon light, his black hair framing features honed sharp by time, yet achingly familiar. He stands frozen on the threshold, his mouth half-open as if words have lodged in his throat, struck dumb by the sight of the life he deserted.