In the isolated coastal town of Kurohane, eerie spiral patterns begin appearing everywhere—on walls, in trees, even in people’s reflections. When Renji Kisaragi, a skeptical high school journalist, returns home after hearing about his brother Shun’s sudden and mysterious death, he finds himself trapped in a nightmarish time loop.

Every time he dies, time rewinds—resetting two days earlier. But with each reset, reality twists further: people disappear, time fractures, and his own body begins to change. As he searches for the cause, he discovers his estranged father, Kaoru Kisaragi, may have been the one who triggered the loop.

Aided by his childhood friend Aoi Tsukimura, who holds secrets of her own, Renji must uncover the mystery of The Spiral Gate before it consumes everything. But some truths are worse than death. And the entity behind the spirals does not want to be stopped.

Renji must make an impossible choice: sacrifice himself to break the loop—or risk losing his humanity to escape.

The train pulled into the station, its brakes screeching against the tracks.


Renji, Aoi, and Kaito stepped onto the platform, the city's lights flickering above them. For the first time in days, they weren't running. But that didn't mean they were safe.


Renji could still feel the weight of the spiral-shaped scar on his palm. It was growing warmer.


> If I lose control… what happens then?


Aoi nudged him. "Come on. The university library is this way."


Renji nodded, pushing down the unease curling in his chest.


The university archives were silent. Dust floated in the dim overhead lights as they stepped inside, the scent of aged paper thick in the air.


Aoi led them through the rows of towering bookshelves, scanning the sections. "Ancient folklore… supernatural cases… there."


They stopped in front of a shelf filled with leather-bound tomes. Some were missing pages. Others were sealed shut.


Kaito whistled. "Looks like nobody's touched this in years."


Aoi pulled out a book and flipped through the brittle pages. "There has to be something here about Fujikawa's curse."


Renji's fingers traced the spines of the books, drawn to a particular one.


A small, black book wedged between two larger volumes.


He pulled it free. No title. No markings.


The moment he opened it, a sharp pain shot through his palm.


Renji flinched. The spiral scar burned.


The first page was blank. But the second…


The page detailed something terrifying.


> "Once chosen, the Vessel will begin to change. Their body will twist, their mind will erode, and soon, they will no longer belong to themselves. The spiral consumes all."


Kaito's voice was quiet. "Renji… what does it say?"


Renji swallowed hard. "If we don't stop this… I won't be me anymore."


Aoi's hands clenched into fists. "Then we'll stop it."


But the whisper in his head was getting louder.


Chapter 38 - The Archive’s Secret