1 of 7 parts released Halloween

Kurogama, the Shadowed Guardian

For centuries, Kurogama has stood beneath the ancient Torii gate, watching over those who dare to enter the forbidden forest. Villagers whisper that anyone who crosses the gate after sunset will never return. But when a lonely traveler discovers the truth behind the guardian's seven tails, they learn that the darkest creature in the forest may be the only thing keeping an even greater darkness away.

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The villagers never spoke about the Torii gate after dark. During the day, they would pass it without looking twice. But when the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the road leading into the forest became completely silent. No birds sang. No insects buzzed. Even the wind seemed afraid to enter. At the entrance stood an ancient red Torii gate, its paint faded and its wooden pillars covered in moss. And beneath it stood Kurogama. Seven tails moved slowly behind the creature as the wind carried red maple leaves through the darkness. His fur was marked with black and blood-red patterns, and his eyes watched everything that approached the gate. The villagers called him a monster. They said he had been there for hundreds of years. They said he had dragged travelers into the forest. They said nobody who crossed the gate at midnight ever came back. But there was one thing the villagers didn't know. Kurogama wasn't guarding the forest from the people. He was guarding the people from something inside it.

Part 1 · October 14, 2026

The Village That Forgot

Every Halloween, the villagers locked their doors before sunset. They placed candles in their windows and hung protective charms above their doors. Nobody knew exactly why the tradition had begun. It had simply been passed down from generation to generation. One evening, a young girl named Hana asked her grandmother about it. "Why are we afraid of the forest?" Her grandmother stopped what she was doing. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she whispered: "Because once, people stopped being afraid." Hana waited. Her grandmother continued. "Long ago, someone opened the gate." "What happened?" The old woman looked toward the window. "They came back." Hana frowned. "You said nobody comes back." "Not everyone who returns is the same." That night, Hana couldn't sleep. Just before midnight, she heard something outside. A single bell. Then another. She looked through the window. Far beyond the village houses, beneath the moonlight, stood the ancient Torii gate. And beside it... two glowing eyes were watching her.

Part 2 · Coming soon