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 warmth of the Summer Star Festival lingered even after the lights were taken down and the streets fell quiet again. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Renji woke up without dread clawing at his chest.


But peace didn't mean everything was fixed. It just meant he had the space to start rebuilding.


His home, however, was still a fragile space.


His father spent most mornings locked in his study, pretending to work, while his mother had started sleeping on the living room couch again. They rarely spoke, except to ask Renji if he'd eaten.


It wasn't anger anymore. It was silence.


At dinner one night, his father mumbled, "You're different, Renji."


Renji looked up from his rice. "So are you."


They stared at each other for a beat—tense, tired, and quietly aching.


Then his father stood, muttering, "We all are."


It wasn't closure. But it was acknowledgement.


Later that week, Aoi invited Renji over. It wasn't like her to ask for company—especially at her house—but something in her voice told him it mattered.


Her home was clean, almost obsessively so. Her father was gone—again. Her mother, soft-spoken and distant, greeted them briefly before retreating to her room.


"Sorry it's awkward," Aoi muttered, leading Renji to her room. "She doesn't talk much anymore."


Renji didn't say anything, just sat with her.


Eventually, Aoi admitted, "I used to wish they'd disappear. That I could just start over."


Renji gave a bitter smile. "Yeah. I used to wish time would just stop."


He shook his head. "No. Now I just wish I could move forward with someone."


Aoi smiled, eyes a little glassy. "Then maybe we can. Together."


Kuro, on the other hand, rarely spoke about his parents. Most people assumed he lived alone now.


One evening, Renji followed him after school.


They ended up in a small apartment above a convenience store, sparsely decorated, books and music equipment scattered around.


Kuro shrugged. "Yeah. Been mine since second year."


Renji didn't press. He could feel the tension in the room, the invisible absence of people who should've been there.


Kuro raised an eyebrow. "I've got a bed, a roof, and a microwave. What else do I need?"


Then, more softly: "...But maybe it wouldn't hurt to have company once in a while."


That weekend, the three of them met up again—on the school rooftop, where most of their world had changed.


They brought snacks. Played a card game. Argued about who cheated. Laughed until the sun went down.


For the first time, they weren't just survivors of the Spiral.


But by truth, pain, and the choice to keep going.


Chapter 63 - The Family We Choose