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

Their footsteps echoed through the empty streets of Kurohane City.

A city that felt like Kurohane—but wasn't.

The whispers chased them, growing louder.

Aoi gritted her teeth. "Where are they coming from?!"

Renji didn't answer. He didn't know.

All he knew was that they had to keep moving.

The buildings around them shifted subtly as they ran—windows darkening, streets twisting in ways they shouldn't.

It felt like the city itself was… watching them.

For what, Renji didn't want to find out.

They turned a corner—and stopped cold.

A massive concrete barrier, stretching impossibly high, blocking the entire street.

Aoi's breath hitched. "This… This wasn't here a second ago."

Renji turned back the way they came—but the street behind them was gone.

Aoi stepped back, panic creeping into her voice. "Renji, what's happening?"

The whispers grew louder, the air distorting.

Renji clenched his fists. "They don't want us here."

Aoi turned sharply. "Then how do we get out?"

The darkness at the edges of the buildings stretched and twisted, forming inhuman figures.

But these weren't like the ones before.

Their faces half-formed, their bodies shifting unnaturally.

As if the city itself was struggling to create them.

One of them twitched violently, its hollow eyes locking onto Renji.

Renji barely dodged, the creature's limbs distorting as it smashed into the wall.

The moment it hit, the concrete twisted—spirals forming along the surface.

The city wasn't just a reflection.

And spirals were still part of it.

The realization made his blood run cold.

If this place was built on spirals—then he could break it.

He clenched his fists, focusing on the power deep within his left eye.

For the first time since arriving in this fake city—the spiral responded.

Energy flared around him, distorting the air.

If spirals were what created this prison—

Then he would tear it apart from the inside.

And the world around them began to shatter.

Trapped in the Reflection