Summary:
I recently purchased this game and became hooked with it. Took me about 2-3 days to finish. And I just had this urge to write it out. So the story is mainly the same just some minor changes here and there. As the main protagonist will be a female then a male. Don't know why I wanted to do it like that...might be because I am a female and every time I play it I keep picturing the protagonist as a female...who knows...
A strange rumor is spreading through the shadows of Tokyo's H City: a mysterious disfigurement, like a grotesque birthmark, has been appearing on the bodies of certain individuals. Anyone who receives the Mark will rapidly die of unknown, horrifying causes. Deprived of your memories, you arrive at a mansion rumored to protect the bearers of the Mark. As the doors swing open, the countdown to death has already begun...
"Hey! Wanna hit up the Karaoke place? The new Love & Hero song is out."
"Hmm…I'm not feeling up to it today. This story creeped me out earlier. Do you want to hear it?"
"Oh? Sure."
"You remember Miss Yamaguchi? She wears those big glasses. I heard she's gone missing."
"What? No one knows where she is?"
"Nope. She just disappeared. Just up and poofed from the library. One of the student librarians said she was researching something there. But then she vanished."
"But she's super diligent, right?"
"One of the students thought it was weird that she'd up and leave like that. So he checked in on her. But when he did… The only thing left… was her arm. It had her really weird scar on it, so it was definitely her arm…"
"A scar?"
"Yeah. It looked like a dog bite. She showed it to me once. She had no idea where it came from."
"…For real? There was a scar like that on Miki's leg, too…"
"Huh? Miki? Wait, that's…The girl who went missing, yeah."
"That's crazy."
"Maybe that rumor is true…The one about the cursed scar."
"Cut it out. You're scaring me…"
DEATH MARK
I hear snatches of an idiotic ghost story. They're speaking seriously…
But it's obvious they don't believe a word. They're only killing time. Rumors are the best way to do that.
The sun's about to set.
It's gotten later than I planned. I shouldn't have stuck around to hear that story. I better hurry.
Sssccc
BA-THUMP
BA-THUMP
BA-THUMP
…
Thunder rumbles in the distance. A huge mansion is in front of me. Strange. I'm sure I was just…
My vision blurs. My ears are buzzing. Ugh, my head's swimming. It's almost like I'm drunk.
What time is it?
I glance at my wrist, but my watch is gone. Did I put it in my coat pocket…? But all I find is a business card. In elegant printed letters is a name.
Saya Kujou Spirit Healer
On the back is a photo of the mansion. I guess this must be Kujou Mansion then?
Kujou Mansion… Saya Kujou… Those names sound familiar somehow…
One way to find out.
Taking a deep breath, I reach out to knock. I stop when I see something on my wrist.
It's a strange scar…
When did that…?
I could just be imagining this, but…I feel an icy chill when I look at it.
KNOCK KNOCK
My fist pounds on the door. No reply.
A light appears in a second floor window. It's probably too far from the door from them to hear me knocking. I grasp the doorknob and find it unlocked.
No point in staying outside.
I'll just go in. I'll apologize to the owner later.
The inside is shrouded in darkness. A small beam of light from the window is the only way I can see anything in here. It's dead silent except for the constant ticking of a clock's second hand.
…I must be in the entrance hall.
The atrium extends to the second floor.
"Anyone home?" I call out… There's no reply to my shout. Maybe they've soundproofed this place so they can't hear me down here. I guess I need to go upstairs then. A staircase is just visible up ahead. I walk toward it, cutting across the hall.
Squeak
My ears catch a strange noise. I turn to look where it's coming from…Someone's there, enveloped by the dark. I think they're staring at me.
"Hello…?"
I call out, but the person remains silent. Gulping, I hesitantly make my way over, trepidation slowing my steps.
It's a young girl.
She doesn't move an inch as I approach. At least it seems that way to me. It doesn't look like she's even breathing.
A corpse…
Great, I creeped myself out. I start to sweat.
What should I do?
With a shaky hand, I slowly reach out and touch her skin. I'm not sure what I expected, but it feels…unnatural somehow. Stiff…and cold. I press down on her arm and she makes the strange sound I heard earlier.
Ah, not it makes sense.
She's a doll.
A doll's joints creak when they're moved. That's what made the noise. What a relief. If disappointing. I carefully begin climbing the stairs, making sure not to trip.
Ding ding ding
As I reach the landing, the sharp sound of a bell breaks the silence. It seems to be coming from above me. Looking up, I can spy the outline of a clock. I bet that's what's making the sound. The noise guides me over. It's an antique grandfather clock. The noise is definitely coming from here. I reach toward the glass to check inside.
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock
…All of a sudden, it stops chiming. Silence descends, broken only by ticking. I guess it's fixed now, but… that timing was little too spot on. Was it really a coincidence? All these strange occurrences make me uneasy, but I continue on to the room with a light.
Stopping in front of the door, I knock. But again, there's no reply. I try again, several times, even calling out, but there's still no answer. I push on the door…It's dark inside.
Strange… I definitely saw lights on in here when I was outside.
Wafting through the room is an odd smell. It's sugary, like a ripe fruit. The whole room is permeated with it. Some kind of aromatherapy maybe? It's not a particularly pleasant smell though…The aroma draws me further into the room. The floor under my feet feels…off.
It's wet.
It dawns on me that I'm smelling something else mixed in with the sweet smell…
I know this scent… This metallic tang…
BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM
Lightning flashes, and I catch a glimpse of something. The startlingly grotesque object stretches out across the floor beneath my feet. Something…strange is there…
BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM
It's so bizarre that I can't stop staring.
BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM
Blooming flowers are everywhere… They're bursting out of the woman's stomach, her blood-soaked body overwhelmed with them.
I wrench my gaze away, horrified. But the hellish image is burned into my mind. I can feel my entire body shaking. Bile rises. I'm going to throw up.
BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM
BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM
Hehehe…
In the next instant, the lights are on.
Wait, that's not all.
The body is gone, leaving only a stain.
This…doesn't make sense. It's a bad dream. At least, I'd really much prefer it if it was… But the faint smell that remains and the blood stain crush any hope I head of that.
I beat a retreat from the room in an effort to escape this whole bizarre situation. When I stumble back into the hall, the lights are on in here as well. I decide to have another look around. All the furnishing in here are old enough to be antiques. They match this old fashioned mansion.
A large doll sits on a couch. This must be the figure I saw in the dark. One would easily mistake this for a human if they couldn't see the ball joints. Probably belongs to the owner of the mansion. So what do I do now? Contact the police?
"Her stomach was full of flowers, sir, and the corpse up and vanished like fog." Like anyone would believe that…
"Welcome to Kujou Mansion."
The doll…moved. It spoke… A different kind of shudder runs through me than the one when I found the corpse… Up until this point, I was nothing more than an observer to all these freaky events. I could distance myself from it. But now… A doll is talking to me.
"Have I startled you?" Yes. "If so, I sincerely apologize. My master ordered me to behave as a normal doll until told otherwise." The words are elegant and refined. But her face never moves an inch. She may look human, but she clearly isn't. She slowly folds her hands together.
So she can move, too…
"I am sorry for not introducing myself. I am called Mary. You have likely seen a number of oddities here already. I see. My master, Saya Kujou, was unable to escape from the Mark then."
Saya Kujou… Does she mean that corpse…? But wait, what's this about a 'mark'?
"Lady Saya was searching for a way to escape the Mark. Were you not also called here by her because of the Mark on your arm?"
She must be talking about this weird scar. Did Saya Kujou invite me to this mansion…? When I try to remember, my head hurts.
"I have something to tell you in place of my late master. But I would like to ask on thing first. Do you know your own name?" Mary asks.
Well, that was a much simpler question than I had been expecting. "It's…"
Ba-thump
…
Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump
I break out into a sweat. My throat is drying up. Why… Why can't I answer…? I'm shocked to find I'm coming up blank.
"I see. Then it is as I thought." Somehow Mary knows what's going on with me. "Before I offer an explanation… Please decide on a temporary name. Things will go much easier if I have a name by which to call you. It is also likely you will find it hard to remain calm if you are nameless."
She's probably right. Better to have some placeholder name than continue life as a hollow, nameless being.
"I'm Karin Yashiki."
"Understood, Lady Yashiki." Mary says "Now I shall explain to you about the Mark. It is the seal of death. Those who have it will soon die. … You do not believe me? I am certain this sounds absurd to one who has led an uneventful life. However, my master's death proves it to be irrefutably true."
The corpse's sweet stench comes back to me. That didn't seem like the work of humans.
"I am afraid that the horror of the Mark does not stop there. Victims slowly lose their memories until the day they die. They face death all the while suffering from the terror of losing oneself."
Memory loss? That can't be. That'd mean that I'm…
"Yes. The fact that you have forgotten your name proves that death is coming. Lady Yashiki. You… …will die this very dawn."
DEATH MARK
My memories skip forward a bit after that. I just remember… being completely stunned at what Mary revealed to me. I can probably attribute it to memory loss caused by the Mark. The next thing I know… I'm lying in a guest room in the mansion. I vaguely recall dragging myself up the stairs and coming here. I must've fallen asleep at some point, and thanks to that I feel a lot better.
"I'll die at dawn, huh…"
I try saying it out loud. It's definitely shocking, but I can't say it feels real yet. It doesn't make sense. Way out of the blue. But if it's true… is waiting for my untimely death the only thing I can do? It might be a good idea to ask Mary more about it.
I find Mary sitting in the exact same spot as before. She hasn't moved an inch. I doubt a doll gets bored waiting like humans do.
"Good morning, Lady Yashiki. Are you feeling better now?"
"Sort of."
"Wonderful. Since it appears that you have calmed down, I would like to ask you question. What will you do now? I can guide you down only two paths. The first is to wait for death. The second is to fight the mark."
"…Can you help me?" I hesitantly asked.
"If that is what you wish, yes." Mary said. "My master was researching the Mark. A few days prior to her death…she found a way to escape it. Regretfully, she passed away before she was able to inform me."
So she doesn't know anything after all…
"There is some time yet before dawn. You have a slim chance. Salvation is a thin thread dangling from heaven. Would that you would grab hold of it, and I shall do my utmost to help. What will you do?"
I guess it boils down to whether I trust her. If she's right about all this, my time on Earth is up at dawn. If I don't want to die, then there's no other choice but to resist the Mark until then. If she's lying, I'll be fine when morning comes. But am I really all right with that? People are being killed in nonsensical, grotesque ways… Am I going to turn a blind eye to it? This is a life or death decision… I need to think about it carefully.
Live or Die
"Then I shall ask you…Will you quietly wait for death? Or struggle against the Mark?"
"I'll fight the Mark."
Survived
"…I've decided to trust you." I told her.
"As you say, Lady Yashiki. Then I shall carry out the dying wish of my master and aid you. I cannot do much, but feel free to request anything you wish of me." Mary said.
…I made up my mind, but that doesn't mean I know what I should do. I know next to squat about the supernatural, and losing my memory makes research impossible. But I don't have a moment to lose.
Knock knock knock
A knock comes from the front door. Who'd come here this late at night?
"Oh my, what a sign of fate…It seems that other Mark Bearers have arrived." Is it instinct that she knows these things? Maybe she has some kind of mysterious power, being a talking doll and all. "I beg your pardon, Lady Yashiki. I do apologize, but could you go greet our guests in my stead? They may experience a shock if a doll such as myself welcomes them. Moreover, while I am able to move my arms, I am unable to walk."
She has a point… I move to the front door to greet our guests. People fated to die, like me…I wonder what they're like?
Who I find at the door are not who I'd expect to see out this late at night. A high schooler…And a small boy. These kids have the Mark? No way…
"Umm… We came to see Professor Kujou." The female high schooler said. "Who are you?"
Uh…I can't say I'm a total stranger since I am here in the mansion. "I'm…her disciple."
"Huh. Okay. She's got so much spiritual power, it's no surprise she'd have disciples."
She seems to know Saya Kujou. Now that I think about it, that business card did say 'Spirit Healer'. Going off this girl's accessories, I get the feeling she's a huge occult fan.
"I'm Moe Watanabe. I'm here to talk to her about this article she wrote in OOPArts Monthly." She pulls an occult magazine out of her bag. Inside is a picture of the Mark. The accompanying article says the scar is… "…a soul-inhibiting disease that erases memories. Inquire at Kujou Mansion. Um… This…is the same scar, right?" Moe lifts her skirt up a bit to show me her leg. Right there on her right thigh is the Mark. "I think I know what the article means by 'erasing memories'. I've been super forgetful lately. I'm even blanking on my friends' names. That's never happened to me before. Do you think this scar's doing it?"
"That article is obviously bogus." The young boy scoffs. "Even kids know better than to believe in ghosts or curses these days. And a high schooler fell for it. You must feel embarrassed about that."
"But Tsukasa… Weren't you hanging around out in front of the mansion's gate? Fess up. Your scar scares you."
"…"
Tsukasa seems to have no retort to that. He silently sulks. Looks like a bullseye. It's clear they're both Mark Bearers. I better bring them over to meet Mary.
Moe shrieks excitedly when she gets close. "Oh my god, it's so cute! It's a doll, yeah? I've never seen one this big before! The craftsmanship is so detailed…It's almost like it's alive."
They're both admiring her when…
"Welcome to Kujou Mansion."
"What!?"
"I-It spoke?!"
With that, the two new visitors join our number. They enter this monsterous world…That hovers on the precipice of death. Mary tells Moe and Tsukasa about the Mark once they regain their composure. All about the steady memory loss… And their imminent death. It sounds like a ridiculous story, but it gains validity coming from someone like her. Both of their faces pale.
"Now…If you came specifically here because you believed Lady Saya's article… You must have already experienced the pain of losing your memories."
"…"
Moe admitted as much earlier, but I can see Tsukasa's face darken. So it must be happening to him, too.
"Hey, Moe. I'd like to confirm something." I began "Where were you when you got the Mark?" My amnesia seems to be worse than theirs. So they might remember.
"I'm not positive, but…I think my Mark might be a curse from Hanahiko."
"…Hanahiko?"
"This name is familiar to me." Mary said. "He is the ghost the resident children of this town whisper about, correct? My master was interested in him."
So Saya Kujou was curious, too…Could be connected to the Mark somehow. "I'd like to hear more about this ghost."
"As you wish, Lady Yashiki."
Then I shall tell you…
The rumors of Hanahiko…