Chapter 25: The Village Without a Fate

Kazama stood at the village's edge, staring into the woods. The sun had fully risen, casting light over the treetops. Everything looked… normal. Birds chirped. The leaves rustled in the wind. The overwhelming sense of something watching was gone.

And yet, an unease settled in his chest.

Asha stepped beside him, rubbing her arms. "It feels… different."

Kazama nodded. "The Loom's gone."

The words felt unreal. The cycle that had plagued this village for generations had been severed. No more yearly deaths. No more invisible fate tying them to a monster.

But what happened now?

A village that had lived under a supernatural law for so long was suddenly… free.

Would the village even survive this change?

Behind them, the villagers were beginning to wake. Kazama could hear voices in the distance—confused, murmuring. They had no memory of what had happened inside the Loom. They didn't know the truth about their existence.

And maybe that was for the best.

Asha turned to him. "We should check on everyone."

Kazama exhaled, nodding. "Yeah. Let's go."

The village square was filled with uncertainty. People stood in small groups, whispering. The village elder, Kaito, had a deep frown on his face as he spoke with several others.

The tension in the air was thick. They could all feel it.

Something was different.

Something had changed.

Kazama approached. "Elder Kaito."

The old man turned, his eyes sharp. "Detective." He glanced at Asha before looking back at Kazama. "Something feels… wrong."

Kazama chose his words carefully. "What do you mean?"

Kaito's expression darkened. "I woke up feeling… unmoored. As if something that was always there is gone."

Asha and Kazama exchanged a look. The villagers didn't remember the Loom or the cycle, but they could feel its absence.

Another villager spoke up. "I had a strange dream. It felt like… like we were part of something bigger. But now, it's gone."

Whispers of agreement spread.

Kazama felt the weight of their words. This was the consequence of breaking the Loom's hold on the village. The people had been tied to something beyond their understanding for centuries. Now that connection was severed.

And now, they had no fate.

They were adrift.

Kaito stepped closer, his gaze sharp. "Detective. What happened last night?"

Kazama hesitated. Telling them the truth would only bring panic.

But before he could speak, a scream tore through the square.

Every head snapped toward the sound.

A young woman—Nao, one of the villagers—stood at the entrance of her home, pointing inside with wide, horrified eyes.

Kazama and Asha rushed over.

"What is it?" Kazama demanded.

Nao swallowed hard, her face pale. "M-my father… He's gone."

Kazama's blood went cold. "Gone?"

She trembled. "He was here last night! He was fine! But this morning, I woke up, and—"

She pointed inside.

Kazama stepped in. The room was quiet, untouched. But on the bed where Nao's father should have been—

There was only a shattered Thread.

A golden remnant, flickering before vanishing into nothing.

Asha gasped. "Kazama… this is—"

Kazama clenched his jaw. He knew what this meant.

The Loom was gone.

And anyone who had been tied too deeply to its existence…

Might not exist anymore.

More villagers went missing as the day unfolded.

One by one, people vanished without a trace. In their homes. In the fields. Some left only faint traces of golden Threads that quickly faded. Others were simply… gone.

The realization hit Kazama like a stone.

The village had been woven into the Loom's fabric for centuries. But now that the Loom was gone—

Some of them were unraveling.

By nightfall, the village was silent.

Those who remained gathered in the square. Kaito looked grim. The once-bustling village felt emptier.

The elder faced Kazama and Asha. "This… this is not the first time our village has changed, is it?"

Kazama met his gaze but didn't answer.

Kaito sighed. "I don't know what's happening. But I know we are being punished for something."

Asha's voice was quiet. "Not punished. Set free."

Kaito's expression remained unreadable. "Then why does it feel like we are vanishing?"

Kazama had no answer.

He only knew one thing—

The village had broken free of its fate.

But freedom came at a cost.

And now, they had to face whatever came next.