Kaito's breath hitched as the spiral on his arm twisted. The black lines pulsed, shifting like something beneath his skin was trying to crawl out.
The whispering wind grew louder. Closer.
Renji grabbed Kaito's shoulders. "Stay with me. Breathe."
Kaito's fingers dug into the dirt. His body trembled violently.
Aoi's voice was sharp with panic. "Renji, something's happening!"
And then—
The shadows moved.
Renji's eyes snapped up.
The trees surrounding them shook violently. The wind howled, but the leaves did not sway—as if the force moving them wasn't natural.
Something shifted in the darkness beyond the trees.
Something big.
And then, from the depths of the forest—
It stepped forward.
---
The Spiral Manifested
The creature was impossible.
Its body was humanoid, yet grotesquely stretched. Its limbs were too long, its joints bent in unnatural angles.
And its face—
It had no face.
Only a single, gaping spiral in the center of its head, twisting endlessly.
Renji felt his stomach churn. His instincts screamed at him to run.
But he couldn't move.
Neither could Aoi.
Neither could Kaito.
The creature's head tilted unnaturally.
And then—
It spoke.
> "You cannot escape."
Aoi's breath caught. "Did… did that thing just talk?"
The whispering wind coiled around them. The shadows stretched toward Kaito like hungry fingers.
> "You are one of us."
Kaito's body jerked violently. His hands flew to his head, his breathing uneven.
> "Return."
Kaito screamed.
The spiral on his arm burned.
Renji acted on pure instinct.
He grabbed Kaito and pulled him away.
The moment their skin touched—
A shockwave exploded outward.
Renji's vision blurred. The world twisted.
And suddenly—
They were somewhere else.
---
A New Reality
Renji gasped, blinking rapidly. The heavy pressure in the air was gone. The whispering wind had disappeared.
Aoi let out a shaky breath beside him. "What… just happened?"
Renji turned.
Kaito was on the ground, unconscious.
But his arm—
The spiral had stopped moving.
Renji's fists clenched. They weren't safe yet.
Because wherever they were now—
It wasn't the forest anymore.
And the shadows were still watching.
---
End of Chapter 23
---
To Be Continue