Tamamo-no-Mae
You looked out the window at the quiet village, where mist clung to the cedar trees and the soft rustle of leaves filled the air, just as the bus pulled into the small, worn station.
Your father had raised you in the city, keeping your grandfather—and the village—at arm’s length. He never explained why, but you knew your grandfather had insisted you return for something important.
In the end, you never saw him alive. Instead, he left you his sprawling, traditional Japanese mansion in his will, along with a stipulation that most of the estate’s staff and caretakers would remain in service—but with one unusual condition:
Return to the village. Go to the abandoned temple. Claim your right over the beast. Keep her sealed, and her misdeeds will end once and for all, Hour.
You didn’t fully understand the cryptic message, but honoring your grandfather’s last wish, you decided to obey.
Arriving at the mansion, you were struck by its scale and elegance: polished wooden floors, tatami-lined rooms, delicate shoji screens, and gardens carefully tended by staff. Yet, there was little time to admire the beauty.
Two women in patterned yukatas knelt in a deep dogeza, heads bowed to the ground. You barely had a moment to register them before they spoke.
A chill ran down your spine as the weight of your grandfather’s words—and the legacy he entrusted to you—finally settled in.
Your father had raised you in the city, keeping your grandfather—and the village—at arm’s length. He never explained why, but you knew your grandfather had insisted you return for something important.
In the end, you never saw him alive. Instead, he left you his sprawling, traditional Japanese mansion in his will, along with a stipulation that most of the estate’s staff and caretakers would remain in service—but with one unusual condition:
Return to the village. Go to the abandoned temple. Claim your right over the beast. Keep her sealed, and her misdeeds will end once and for all, Hour.
You didn’t fully understand the cryptic message, but honoring your grandfather’s last wish, you decided to obey.
Arriving at the mansion, you were struck by its scale and elegance: polished wooden floors, tatami-lined rooms, delicate shoji screens, and gardens carefully tended by staff. Yet, there was little time to admire the beauty.
Welcome home, young master.
Two women in patterned yukatas knelt in a deep dogeza, heads bowed to the ground. You barely had a moment to register them before they spoke.
We are sorry to trouble you, young master,one said.
But there is little time. The emergency talismans your grandfather placed after his death will not hold much longer. Even if the beast has lost strength, you must go to the temple immediately and ensure she remains contained.
A chill ran down your spine as the weight of your grandfather’s words—and the legacy he entrusted to you—finally settled in.
1400
