Episode 3
The afternoon sun cast long shadows over Hinamizawa as Hana met Takeshi by the village well.
The old mill, as promised, stood at the village's edge, a weathered but imposing structure with a large, slow-turning water wheel.
As they walked, Takeshi pointed out various landmarks, weaving stories about the village's history and the families that had lived there for generations.
Hana found his easygoing nature disarming, and she found herself opening up about her encounter with the whispers in the forest.
Takeshi listened intently, his expression growing serious as she finished.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝘽𝙪𝙩...𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨… 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩.
They reached the mill, its wooden frame creaking slightly in the breeze.
The air here held a damp, earthy scent, and the sound of rushing water filled the space.
Taking a deep breath, Takeshi gestured towards the towering structure.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨.
Takeshi
𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙙.
Hana
𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴?
Takeshi hesitated, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩.
Hana's heart pounded in her chest. Could this be a clue, a way to understand the whispers and the secrets of the forest?
Takeshi glanced around, ensuring no one was within earshot.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙬𝙖.
He said, his voice filled with an unsettling seriousness.
Takeshi
𝘼 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚.
Hana's mind raced. The abandoned shrine, the whispers… it all connected somehow.
She asked, a tremor in her voice.
Takeshi's expression darkened.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝.
Takeshi
𝘼 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡'𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
A cold shiver ran down Hana's spine.
The villagers' warnings about the forest, Mrs. Tanaka's cryptic words, it all made sense now.
Hinamizawa harbored a dark secret, a potential disaster waiting to be unleashed.
Hana
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦?
Hana
𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵.
Takeshi
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙤.
Takeshi
𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠.
Takeshi
𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.
He met Hana's gaze, his eyes filled with a strange intensity.
Takeshi
𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨… 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩..
Takeshi
𝙒𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩.
Hana felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach. She had come to Hinamizawa seeking a quiet life, a fresh start.
Now, she found herself entangled in a chilling mystery, one that could potentially shatter the peace of the village.
Looking into Takeshi's serious eyes, Hana knew she had a decision to make.
Would she turn a blind eye to the darkness, or would she join Takeshi, whoever he truly was, and delve deeper into the secrets of Hinamizawa, no matter the cost?
Comments
Uchiha Itachi
This book will stay with me for a long time. Thank you for writing such a beautiful story, Author. 💕
2024-07-15
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