At first, it had only been a child's game.
"Are you hiding?"
"Not yet!"
As she ran through the ruins, the silver-haired girl cheerfully answered her parents' calls. Then her eyes lit up, and she climbed into an abandoned wardrobe in front of her before carefully closing the door.
"Alisa, where are you?"
"Come out, quickly."
Watching her parents search everywhere for her, the little girl hiding in the wardrobe covered her mouth and let out a faint giggle. Then, all of a sudden, a series of panicked screams rang out.
"Aragami!"
"The Aragami are here! Run!!"
"Alisa!!"
Her parents' voices were no longer relaxed. They were filled with anxiety and terror.
"Where are you? Come out! Hurry up—aaaaah!!"
A massive monster descended from above and crushed its prey beneath its feet. Then it opened its mouth, bit down on their limbs, and began pulling, tearing, and greedily devouring them.
"Aaaaaah!!"
The piercing screams rang out, but the girl curled up inside the wardrobe could not even move. Her little face still bore the trace of her earlier smile, but it had now turned deathly pale. Everything had happened too fast. One moment ago, she had been playing hide-and-seek with her parents. The next, her parents had been torn apart alive and eaten by an Aragami right before her eyes.
Dad... Mom...!!
The girl's eyes widened as her entire body collapsed to the floor. She had no strength left at all. All she could do was watch in despair as the Aragami ate her parents. Then... it seemed to notice something. It turned its head and slowly walked toward the wardrobe where she was hiding.
Then the girl saw the monster's expressionless face staring at her through the crack in the door. The next moment, she knew nothing more.
"I