Ekans_Kumar

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 Spiral Gate

Renji sat on his bed, gripping his phone tightly.

Less than two hours before the clock would strike 11:59.

He exhaled sharply, trying to push down the anxiety clawing at his chest.

Last time, he went to sleep. That's when the twisted figure appeared. That's when he died.

But this time, he would stay awake. This time, he would break the pattern.

He grabbed the small desk lamp and switched it on. Light. Maybe it would keep whatever that thing was away.

The night outside was eerily quiet.

It was like the entire town was holding its breath.

If this was a time loop, then there had to be a way to change things. There had to be a way to survive.

Renji flinched, glancing at the screen.

His fingers hesitated over the keyboard before he typed back:

Three dots appeared. Someone was typing.

> Keep the lights on. Don't sleep. If you hear it, don't move.

A cold sweat ran down Renji's back.

Whoever this was, they knew exactly what was happening.

His thumbs flew across the screen.

The three dots appeared again—then vanished.

Renji swallowed hard. His grip tightened around the phone.

He wasn't alone in this. Someone else knew the truth.

But that also meant… this had happened before.

The clock on his phone read 11:50 PM.

Renji stayed sitting on his bed, every muscle in his body tense. His eyes stayed locked on the lamp.

The wet, slithering sound followed—the same inhuman twisting of limbs.

His breathing slowed. Don't move. Don't react.

The floorboards groaned under something heavy.

His heart pounded violently as the shadows shifted.

A long, twisted figure stood in the doorway.

Its limbs spiraled unnaturally, joints bending in ways they shouldn't. Its head snapped sideways, eyes obscured by tangled hair.

His body screamed at him to run—but he didn't move.

Renji's pulse pounded in his ears.

Renji forced himself to keep breathing. Steady. Quiet.

The sunset glowed over the ocean. The metal rails rattled beneath him.

Renji clenched his fists. But something was different.

This time… he had survived until 11:59.

And that meant… he was getting closer.

Whoever this was—they were watching.

And that meant… he wasn't alone in this loop.

The Night of the Spiral