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

The forest was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves. The mist curled around the gnarled roots of the trees, shifting unnaturally.

And the figure standing before him—

A person who shouldn't exist anymore.

"…You're dead," Renji whispered.

The figure stepped forward, their face finally visible under the dim, eerie light filtering through the trees.

The one who had died in the original loop.

And yet—he was standing there, alive, unharmed, and staring directly at Renji.

Kaito tilted his head, frowning. "…Dead? The hell are you talking about?"

Renji's breath hitched. His fingers twitched.

Kaito had died years ago. His body was never found, but Renji had seen the spirals consume him—had lived through that memory a thousand times.

Like none of it had ever happened.

Renji swallowed hard. "You… You don't remember?"

Kaito's frown deepened. "Remember what?"

The mist around them thickened, and Renji's stomach twisted.

This wasn't just a strange coincidence.

And it wanted Renji to believe this was real.

"Aoi," Renji muttered, eyes darting around the forest.

She had been with him when the city collapsed—he had heard her voice as they fell.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Who's Aoi?"

Renji snapped his head toward him. That confirmed it.

If this were the real world—Kaito would remember Aoi.

If this were real, Aoi would be here.

Renji's fingers curled into a fist.

This place—this forest—was just another trap.

Was he real? Or just another trick?

Before Renji could say anything, Kaito's expression darkened. His gaze shifted behind Renji, eyes narrowing.

"…We're being watched," he muttered.

The whispers in the mist grew louder—closer.

Kaito clenched his fists. "You don't belong here, do you?"

Renji exhaled. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Kaito gave him a strange look. "I don't know what you're talking about. But I do know one thing—"

"We have to get out of this forest. Now."

Renji hesitated. Kaito had just appeared out of nowhere—how could he trust him?

A pair of glowing, spiral-filled eyes flickered between the trees.

The Watchers had followed him here.

Something much worse was moving in the darkness.

Renji turned to Kaito, swallowing his doubts.

Without another word, they took off—deeper into the unknown woods.

And behind them, the forest began to move.

The Stranger in the Woods