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's spiraling energy rippled outward, distorting the air around him.

The Watchers recoiled, their twisted bodies twitching as if struggling to hold their form.

Aoi clutched Renji's arm. "Renji, what are you doing?!"

Renji gritted his teeth. "This place… it's not real."

He raised his left hand, fingers trembling as he reached toward the spiraling distortion in the wall.

If the spirals built this fake city—

The moment his palm touched the wall, the spirals reacted.

A sharp, agonizing wrenching sensation surged through Renji's entire body—

Like something was trying to drag him into the spiral itself.

The Watchers screeched, their voices warping.

> "You cannot break what is already broken."

He focused, pushing his spiraling power outward.

The concrete beneath his fingers cracked.

The spirals on the wall began to unravel.

The streets split apart. Buildings twisted, their windows melting into distorted spirals.

The sky above flickered—dark clouds warping in and out of existence.

Aoi's eyes widened. "Renji, it's working!"

Renji exhaled sharply, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Then let's finish this."

Renji clenched his fists. "Not this time."

With one final push, he poured all of his spiraling power into the unraveling city.

The city collapsed into white light.

There was no gravity. No direction. Just an endless, spinning void.

Renji reached for Aoi. "Hold on—"

Before he could grab her hand, a sudden force yanked him away.

A sharp, chilling wind hit Renji's face.

His body slammed onto cold, wet ground.

A gasp tore from his throat as he opened his eyes.

Tall, twisted trees surrounded him, their bark covered in faint, spiraling patterns.

A thick mist coiled between the roots, carrying a strange, distant whisper.

Renji groaned, pushing himself up. "Where…?"

A soft rustling nearby made him freeze.

And saw a figure standing among the trees.

Renji's breath caught in his throat.

Breaking the Reflection