Notes

I've been wanting to write something survival on the brink of life and death Satoru for a long time.
I hope you enjoy my little experiment
*I've given the reader a name, but I hope that doesn't stop you from enjoying it
*Translating work from another language. English is not my native language, I apologize for possible mistakes.

Chapter 1

The whole thing seemed like a bad idea from the beginning.

I usually didn't leave the shelter for long. It was too dangerous. Not to mention taking Kuoda with me. The little boy and the fragile looking girl are a real target for curses and humans alike. And honestly, I don't know who would be worse. An encounter with a curse threatened a horrible, painful death. Or we could become cursed ourselves, there's no telling who we might meet. But humans... Meeting another group of people was Russian roulette. The human imagination is truly boundless, and in the brutal conditions of the new world, there was little room for kindness and compassion. On the contrary. All the most disgusting human vices were exposed, and the world was ruled by a single law: "He who is stronger is right. So, yes. Normally I would never have agreed to this adventure.

But that winter was too cold. The icy winds howled between the rubble of the buildings, piercing the world around me like needles. Not even the shelter of the underground could save them. The few animals in the nearby forest seemed to have died out, and the last can of food had been eaten yesterday. On top of that, the generator started making strange noises, as if warning us that it would soon leave us without power. Without it, we'd be dead. There was no choice. We had to resupply.

I knew we had to act. But knowing and deciding are two different things. I foolishly hesitated until the last moment, blindly hoping for a miracle that would magically solve all our problems. Who knows, maybe tomorrow the hunt would bear fruit? Or the generator would fix itself? Honestly, I'd rather starve until spring, just to avoid leaving the supposed safety of the shelter. If I were alone, I would probably never dare to go outside. But Kuoda's cry of hunger tipped the scales.

And just like that, we were back in Tokyo for the first time in six months. Or rather, on the outskirts of Tokyo.

I was aware of the risks of venturing into a hostile environment. Especially with my little brother in tow. But it was even more dangerous to leave the boy alone in the shelter. Even there, curses could penetrate, and Kuoda, for all his courage, was still a child. It's better if he dies after me. At least I don't want to see him die. The dark world in which we lived simply left no other choice.

Outside, the city looked frighteningly empty and lifeless. The rubble of buildings stretched into the sky like menacing silhouettes, a reminder of the days when there was life here. Now Tokyo was a grim shadow of its former self. The streets, once full of people, were empty, and in the silence you could only hear the rustle of the wind as it blew snow and debris in front of you.

Looking around us, we cautiously made our way down the scorched street toward the abandoned warehouse. I had noticed it a long time ago, but I hadn't decided to investigate it. I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. Right now, the warehouse seemed to be my only hope for survival. It might contain supplies, or at least something useful to keep me going a little longer. She squeezed Kuoda's hand tighter, trying to calm herself. Everything will be fine. I've taken everything into account. We deliberately went out early in the morning when people were still sleeping and the curses were least active. But even so... It wasn't a guarantee of total safety.

In every shadow, in every rustling, I saw a monster ready to jump out and tear our throats out.

- Tia, will we find food there? - Kuoda asked softly, his voice trembling with excitement mixed with fear. With his eyes wide open, he scanned the collapsed buildings and dark alleys, as if hoping to see mountains of food scattered about. He didn't get out much, so this was a real highlight.

I held my breath for a moment, holding back an answer. Kuoda was my ray of light. My only reason to live. The last thing I want to do is cynically take away his hope. - Perhaps," I replied carefully, trying to keep my voice calm. - The warehouse is on the outskirts of Tokyo, and you know there are hardly any people left. I'm sure we'll find something.

- I wish we were lucky enough to find a bunch of stuff! I'd like to find a toy," his brother whispered dreamily, "or a picture book! About a giraffe. When I grow up, I'm going to be a giraffe trainer. We'll go to Africa and live there. There are no curses in Africa.

- There will be," I replied quietly, holding back my sadness. I'm sorry, sunshine. I don't think we'll ever be in Africa. All I can give you are empty promises.

- I'm sure I'll be able to go to school there," he continued muttering as he fell into his reverie. Kuoda was fascinated by stories of the once ordinary. In a world of curses, he dreamed of things that had once been part of normal life. He still believed that life was normal somewhere far away, and so he dreamed of Africa. Africa seemed like an infinitely distant place.
Soon, a dilapidated, almost derelict building grew in front of us. The cracked walls and peeling paint seemed unreliable, and the ajar metal door was unsettling. Was someone inside? Or had the door been forgotten to close long ago? No matter. There was no time for doubt.

She leaned over to Quoda and looked him sternly in the eye.

- You stay here," she ordered firmly, licking her dry lips. - If anything happens, if you hear anything strange - run back immediately. Try to hide and come home. Do you understand?

Swallowing, Kuoda nodded. His little fingers clasped my hand tighter. He didn't want to be alone, even for a few minutes. But he knew there was no point in arguing.

- I can help," the boy breathed out, barely audible. - I don't want you to go there alone. I'm big enough to know what to look for!

- I know," I squeezed his hand lightly in return, trying to convey her confidence. - But you must stay here. - I need to give him something to distract him. Her gaze fell on a stick lying nearby. Oh! You'll be my guard. Keep an eye on the road and alert me if you see anyone. It's a responsible job that only a big boy can handle. Can I trust you?

- Yes!" Kuoda lit up, grabbed the stick he was holding out and drew it in front of him like a sword. The stick was a formality, useless in a real fight. But it gave his brother some confidence, and that was half the battle.

-The real guards hide from danger," I whispered, hiding the trusting toddler behind a pile of trash near the door. Empty cans, a few spare parts, tattered clothes: it was obvious that the warehouse had been raided more than once. Damn, I hope there was at least something useful left in there.
Hiding the baby, I walked slowly into the building, trying not to make a sound. It was damp and dark inside, and the air smelled of rot and dust. The dust settled on my skin, making it hard to breathe. A handheld flashlight illuminated rows of old, dilapidated shelves that might have held valuable items in the past. Now all that remained was trash and a shadow of what had once been important.

Pausing for a moment, surveyed the room. You can find treasure in mountains of trash - I learned that a long time ago. There it was! In the distance, on the highest shelf, I could see a large box filled to the brim with unknown things. Perhaps no one had ever been able to reach the box, and it stood there, untouched by time, patiently waiting for me. My dear, come here! Rejoicing, I rushed forward.

And immediately stopped.

I had barely taken a few steps when I heard a rustle in the depths of the warehouse. I froze and focused all my hearing on the sound. Fuck. I didn't think so. Something was moving in the darkness, coming towards me. My heart quickened, adrenaline surging in my blood. I knew that sound. The curse. It was the only thing that moved like that. It was here, in the shadows, out of sight for now.

"Well, here we go," the inner voice said mockingly. Somehow, it had never been kind to me.

With each passing second, the sound grew closer, louder. Finally, slowly, unhurriedly, a creature with many eyes and tentacles crawled out of the darkness, like something out of the worst nightmares. Its terrible eyes stared straight at me, assessing the lightness of its prey.

The creature.

We must leave before it attacks. If we fight, it'll make a lot of noise. The noise will attract the attention of the other curses and they'll run at the sound. Straight towards Kuoda.

Carefully take a step back. Please don't attack. Please be a friendly curse. I know it's a contradiction in terms, but I should be lucky for once! Just let me go, for Kami's sake.

She didn't.

A flash, and the curse was right in my face. Too fast. I didn't even have time to blink. A clawed paw swung out, leaving a bloody mark right on my side. Bitch! The sharp, searing pain felt like a raging flame licking at my skin. I stifled a scream and jumped aside, trying to think of a way out. Where was its weakness? Eyes? Tentacles? I need to kill it as soon as possible, preferably with a few blows.

- Sister! - Kuoda's scared voice came from behind. The child ran inside. A sticky horror pressed against his chest. Shit. No, no, no, not this. I told him to run home! Why is he here?! What the fuck?! I turned to see my brother stumbling back, looking at the curse in fear.

- Run!" I shouted in panic, shining a flickering flashlight in the creature's face. We have to get a weapon and distract the creature from Kuoda. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

The brother didn't react, but continued to stand still in horror. Until now, he had hardly ever encountered them in person. I understand everything, but this is no time to slow down! The curse hissed, preparing for another attack. Ignoring the pain in her side, thrust my knife forward and jumped in front of Kuoda. You'll have to go through me first, bitch.

"Not that it's too hard," the voice in my head said caustically. "But on the plus side, you'll die before the baby does."

It seemed like we were going to be buried here. Well, you did pretty good, didn't you, Tia? Running from death for so many years with a child is a talent. But fate always catches up with you, doesn't it? One second of tense silence and...

Something from above came crashing down with a thunderous crash. Pillars of dust rose into the air. I reflexively closed my eyes and coughed. What had happened? Are we alive? Cautiously, I opened one eye and saw the cursing, whimpering creature pinned to the ground. A huge, old, rotten beam that had been hanging in the ruined building for years had fallen on him at just the right moment.

The miracle had happened.

Thank you, Kami. I'll do the rest myself. I grabbed Kuoda's hand and pulled him toward the exit without thinking. Like a hurricane, we ran out of the building without looking back, afraid that the creature might get out from under the rubble. My heart was pounding like it was going to jump out of my chest.

- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be alone," Kuoda whispered, breathing heavily. His sobbing voice was filled with guilt.

- I know," replied, pulling him close. - But you must obey me, do you understand? You can't risk your life. You should have run away immediately. If the beam hadn't collapsed, we would have both died in vain.

The attack was useless. We ran back to the shelter immediately. Sooner or later, the curse would come out and hunt us down, so we had to hurry. My heart was still racing, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I pressed my hand tightly against the wound, trying not to think about the pain. Good thing it was just a glancing blow and hadn't hit anything important. I guess.

The worst part was that we didn't get any food. We'll have to do this again tomorrow or the day after. We should do it as soon as possible while we still have the strength. When did everything go wrong? Stupid, stupid. I should've prepared more, but no, I got lucky. It's pure luck that I was able to make do with nothing but wood before.

"Girl, your whole life is pure luck."

"Will you shut up today?" - I hate arguing with myself. Unfortunately, the other side of my personality disagrees with this statement and intervenes at every opportunity or inconvenience.

The walk back seemed endless. By the time we reached the shelter, the day was in full bloom. The dawn was bright, leaving red reflections. It was as if the sky itself was bleeding. With a sigh, I stepped inside and locked the door tightly behind her brother. Finally. Behind the safe walls, the tension eased a bit. Thanks to Kami, we can rest for a while.

- Are you all right? - Kuoda asked, his voice filled with worry and concern.

Smiling, rubbed his head and went downstairs.

- The best I've ever been,' answered confidently. He didn't need to know how bad things really were.

When they finished going down stairs, we entered the small hallway and turned on the light. He didn't react immediately. Devastated, I collapsed on the cold floor of the shelter. I hadn't felt this tired and exhausted in a long time. The wound was burning and needed to be treated as soon as possible, but I had no strength to get up. Here we are.

Kuoda, stomping hesitantly, sat down carefully next to me. He was an affectionate child. He followed me around, never letting me out of his sight. He was probably afraid that one day I'd disappear.

- Do you think the world will ever be the same again? The curses go away? Not now, but later? - Quoda asked softly, breaking the silence.

I looked thoughtfully at the concrete wall of the bunker. He had been asking a lot of hard questions lately. I remember reading something about children in a past life. It said that at a certain age, children have a "whiz kid" age where they start asking questions about everything in the world. I wonder if my brother has reached that age yet? Or is he developing too slowly?

- I don't know, Kuoda," I answered honestly, biting my lip. - Maybe one day the curses will really disappear. They came from somewhere, so maybe they will come back, right?

"Only it's unlikely we'll live to see it. Don't give Kuoda false hopes."

The boy nodded, his eyes glittering in the darkness. - It would be nice if one day they just disappeared," he said, yawning sweetly. - Then we could go to the zoo. You said the Tokyo Zoo was big. Surely I could ride a giraffe. Or at least look at one.

The damn wound shot up again. I closed my eyes and endured another wave of pain. Damn, I need to get it looked at soon. Squinting, saw fresh drops of blood on her sweatshirt. This sucks. This sweater is my favorite.

- Of course you're allowed to ride in it," I gritted my teeth and got up from the floor, tugging at Kuoda's arm. At another time I would have taken him to bed, but my stupid side made it impossible for me to move. Brother rose obediently. - Nobody can say no to a nice boy like you.

- And we can have some ice cream. Cold as snow, but delicious. - the child whispered absent-mindedly, barely moving his feet. Poor thing. It's been too hard a day for such a little man.

- We'll eat all the ice cream they have. We won't leave any," I giggled, falling into a lovely reverie for a moment. How nice it would be if we really went to the zoo! Kuoda would love it there. My brother had never seen exotic animals, he'd love it. And so would I. A clean, bright place where children laugh and the sun shines. Isn't that heaven?

- Too bad zoos don't exist anymore," the boy muttered as he made his way to the bed. I came to my senses immediately. That's right. No zoos, no shopping malls, no cities. Nothing else exists. Only devastation, pain and damnation. We live in hell now. Welcome to the new reality.

Gently stroking Kuoda's head, put him to bed, covering the baby with an old blanket. Brother fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the day's events. Ironically, his little hand was still clutching the stick. The same one he'd picked up outside the camp. I hadn't even noticed that he'd brought it here. kissed him goodnight and headed for the first aid kit. I needed to treat the burn on my side right away.

The wound was long but shallow. Just a scratch. That's lucky. Unfortunately, it would still take a long time to heal. The wounds left by the damned spirits healed particularly badly. Busy dressing them, I tried to think of a route for tomorrow. The warehouse was definitely off the table. No way I'm going back there in the next six months. Should I try heading south? No point in digging through the konbini for the thousandth time, but the abandoned supermarket was worth a look. Plus, there was a gas station nearby that should still have extra batteries. Why, that sounded like a good plan.

Suddenly, the bedroom lit up with a bright blue light, momentarily snapping me out of my musings. Could someone have broken in while we were gone! Damn it?! A person? But I don't remember any sign of forced entry, how?! I ran inside in a panic, looking around warily. No one was there. Only Kuoda was sleeping quietly, buried in the mattress. Was it just me?

"Congratulations! We've finally started seeing glitches! Hooray, hooray, hooray! And no heavy drugs, all by ourselves! Isn't that something to be proud of?"

"And what are you happy about?" - asked rhetorically, looking under the metal bed. It was empty.

"What about what? We're almost officially crazy now. All we have to do is get a psychiatrist's certificate and severance pay is assured."

"Sometimes I don't get you at all" - fuck, the room is really empty. Kami, am I really going crazy?

Great. All that's needed is for me to lose my mind. I put the blindfold on tightly, turned off the light, and flopped into bed, hugging my brother. My body was telling me it was time to sleep.

It was night in the bunker.

I didn't know then that I hadn't dreamed about the mysterious blue flash. Nor did I know that today Kuoda had broken an unspoken rule and brought something from the world of curses into the shelter. Sometimes I think, what if things had turned out differently? What if we hadn't gone to that warehouse? What if I hadn't gotten hurt and discovered the cursed item in time? Would my brother and I have lived to be old men, or died after a few years of futile struggle against a hostile world?

unknown. But one thing is for sure, I would never have met him. An impossible man, with hair the color of the first snow and eyes that hold the whole sky. He's spoiled and mean and petty. Annoyingly self-righteous and annoying. Can be terribly mean, and honestly, his obsession with sweets will lead him to diabetes one day. But at the same time... He's dependable, strong, and endlessly kind. Smart, funny, touchingly caring. He's the one who completely changed the fate of my brother and me, and the one I'll always be grateful to.

The man I love more than life itself.

But this moment is still far away. We haven't even met. Separated by whole worlds, we didn't realize that the countdown to our meeting had already begun.

And tomorrow everything would change irrevocably.