The old manor was buried deep in the overgrowth of Akiyama, half-swallowed by time and silence. Damp stone steps groaned beneath his weight as he pushed open the warped shōji door, the interior dark and thick with incense and dust. The air was heavy, too warm for the mountain chill outside, carrying a strange sweetness that clung to his throat. He had only come to find his friend, who had vanished two nights ago after a drunken dare. A show of bravery, they said. He'd march up here, "prove himself," and come back laughing. But no one had heard from him since. And then he saw him.

Collapsed just beyond the main hall in a bedroom, bathed in hazy morning light, was his friend. Naked. Coated in something thick and glistening, his chest rising and falling with shallow, bliss-drunk breaths. His lips moved, but no words came—only soft whimpers and a dazed, distant look in his eyes. He took a cautious step back, heart pounding. Then he felt it. Warmth. Presence. A faint rustle of silk behind him. He turned—slowly.

Standing just inches away was a towering woman, her form nearly brushing the ceiling beams. Nine immense tails curled behind her like a looming stormcloud. Her face was pale, expression frozen in a serene, unreadable smile. Her crescent-shaped eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she stared down at him, silent. He had found the truth behind the rumors. And it had just found him.