Uraba

Renji Sakara is an ordinary high school student with a simple dream—confess his feelings to the girl he likes, Aika, the quiet and mysterious beauty of his class. So when she unexpectedly invites him over to her house, he feels like the luckiest guy in the world.

But his dream quickly turns into a nightmare. Aika drugs his drink, and when Renji wakes up, he finds himself strapped to a ritual circle in a dark basement, surrounded by eerie symbols and blood-stained relics. Aika, once kind and gentle, now stands before him with a wicked grin.

"Finally… after so many sacrifices, it worked!"

Before he can react, his body twists and contorts—his flesh reshaping, his bones cracking, his mind drowning in a storm of unfamiliar instincts. Renji is no longer human. He is something else.

Monster carrier

Renji stood in front of his house, staring at the door. It felt surreal to be back after everything that had happened. His hand hesitated before gripping the doorknob. Just as he was about to open it—

The door swung open from the inside.

His younger sister stood there, blinking up at him.

"Oh… I thought you were in your room?" Renji said, confused.

She tilted her head. "What are you talking about? I just came from outside."

Renji frowned, but before he could ask more, she shrugged. "Anyway, I'm going now. Bye, Nii-chan!"

Before he could respond, she walked past him and disappeared down the street.

Renji scratched his head. "Weird… I just got home. How the hell is she saying I was in my room?"

A strange feeling settled in his gut.

Slowly, he walked towards his room.

Reaching for the door handle, Renji pushed it open—

But at the exact same time, someone else opened it from inside.

Standing before him… was himself.

Same face. Same clothes. Same everything.

His doppelgänger's eyes widened in shock—just like Renji's.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then, Renji's gaze flickered down. The other him was gripping a bottle—one raised mid-air, ready to strike.

Renji dodged. Glass shattered against the wall behind him.

Without thinking, he lunged forward, grabbing the impostor's wrist.

"Who the fuck—?!" he started, but—

His vision blurred, and a sickening hunger crawled through his body.

Before he even realized what he was doing—

The taste of flesh filled his mouth.

A muffled scream. The sensation of something… melting.

When Renji came back to his senses, the impostor was gone.

Blood dripped from his lips. His hands trembled. His body felt… normal again.

"What… the hell…?" he whispered, his voice shaking.

A slow clap echoed from behind him.

Elaine stood in the doorway, eyes wide. For the first time, she actually looked shocked.

She exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Yeah… I think we can skip the whole 'seeing your family' thing."

Before Renji could even process her words, she stepped forward—

And with a swift, precise movement—

A Strange Encounter