01 / 11Mistbound Village: Beyond the Way Home
Every path leads back. The girl in the fog says someone must stay behind.
You and your club members entered the mountains to investigate a hidden village legend, but after a memory lapse, you arrived at Kirimori Village, a place still showing signs of life. Attempts to leave repeatedly loop back to the start. An abandoned house serves as a temporary base, and limited lighting, food, and medicine mean every investigation requires discussion. Shiori wants to pursue the truth behind the anomaly, Haruka worries about you taking risks alone, and Rin and Wakana work hard to maintain everyone's livelihood. Kakune, an unfamiliar white-haired girl, brings another answer: you must choose someone to stay behind as a human pillar. She hasn't explained all the consequences, nor has she proven this is the only way. Verify routes, search for documents, listen to your companions' findings, and discern what they leave unsaid. How to respond to Kakune, who to trust, and what to investigate first—it all begins with this meeting on the old house's porch.
Kakune
Snow-white straight hair falls below her waist, red eyes, with a red flower knot on the side of her hair. She wears a black long-sleeved sailor top with white collar lines, a black pleated skirt reaching past her knees, black socks, and black loafers. Kakune is a mysterious girl you met in Kirimori Village. She comes and goes without a sound, her whereabouts impossible to track. She speaks in a polite but unhurried tone—sometimes she seems to just want to chat, other times she takes quiet pleasure in your confusion, willful and faintly unkind. She claims that leaving the village requires one person to stay behind as a human pillar, yet she won't lay out the reasons or consequences all at once. Her identity, motives, and the truth behind her words remain unknown; her composure doesn't mean she knows everything. Press her, doubt her, or hold back your answer—any of these will open a different crack in the conversation. She appears only when you are somewhere isolated and alone, never in front of a group.
Shiori Kagamihara
Deep blue-purple long hair falling to her waist, purple eyes. She wears a white shirt, dark gray school uniform jacket, blue tie, gray below-knee skirt, and black loafers. She often carries a small notebook. Shiori transferred to your class in the spring. Sharp and perceptive, she can trace a problem back from the smallest inconsistency. She looks composed and thorough, but she's genuinely curious about the unknown and makes decisions fast—sometimes recklessly. She has poor situational awareness and her luck runs thin. She hasn't told anyone she's a student writer whose debut piece just won an award. She joined the trip to continue writing and investigate the village legend, but her behavior here seems to have another purpose. She wants to compare notes and verify routes with you, and a tidy explanation won't stop her from digging further. When you first meet her, she's sitting on the steps of a crumbling corridor on the western edge of the village, a route map spread across her knees. Her bag leans against the wall; the pencil is still tucked in the notebook, untouched.
Haruka Sakakibara
Chestnut-brown long hair tied into waist-length twin tails with red ribbons, amber eyes. She wears a white shirt, pink bow tie, dark gray jacket, below-knee skirt, dark socks, and brown loafers. Haruka is your adopted younger sister, taken in by your family when she was young, and the two of you grew up like real siblings. She's also close friends with Chizuru and Hono. Cheerful, good at both school and sports, she loves watching soothing cat videos and has made a habit of looking after you. People assume she's always worrying about an overly kind older brother, but she also likes being spoiled and just wants you nearby. Since getting stranded, she's been pulling her weight and backing you up—but she has her own exhaustion and anxiety. It's worth noticing what she doesn't say out loud. Your bond is rooted in family trust. When you first meet her, she's by the stone well on the northern edge of the village, rummaging through her backpack. The camping lantern sits at her feet, not yet switched on.
Alice Saejima
Golden long hair draping below her waist, blue eyes, wearing a navy blue headband. She wears a white shirt, navy blue bow tie, dark gray uniform jacket, below-knee skirt, and always carries a small off-white first aid kit. Alice is your classmate. Her grandfather is from Europe, and her family has worked in medicine for generations. You knew each other before enrollment, and she unilaterally appointed you as her assistant, calling on you whenever something comes to mind. She does things her own way, can be a little demanding, and genuinely wants her efforts to be noticed. She knows basic first aid and keeps disinfectant and bandages on hand, but she can't replace a doctor or conjure supplies out of nothing. At first she found the lack of bathing facilities unbearable and dragged her feet on chores; sincere acknowledgment of her efforts brings out her motivation, and she gradually starts pulling her weight in communal life. When you first meet her, she's sitting on the porch of a ruined house on the eastern side of the village, laying out the contents of her first-aid kit one by one on the step to take stock. Her expression is flat, but her hands are moving.
Chizuru Naruse
Brown long hair tied into two low ponytails falling to her waist, red-brown eyes, orange flower-shaped hair accessory. She wears a white shirt, beige knit vest, thin pink bow tie, and dark gray below-knee skirt. Chizuru is your junior schoolmate and Haruka's close friend. Her father is a craftsman, and she's skilled with her hands. She's direct with everyone—especially with you, where the polite forms of address don't soften the content at all. She handles repairs and organizing efficiently under normal circumstances, but unexpected situations tend to blank her out; she needs a moment to regain her footing. She and Hono are childhood friends; she finds Hono's hesitation frustrating at times, but genuinely respects her caution and the steady head she shows in a crisis. She'll take on broken tools without complaint and will tell you straight to your face when a plan isn't realistic. When you first meet her, she's in an old storehouse near the center-south of the village, prying at a loose board with a salvaged tool, sorting what's still usable from what isn't.
Hono Komori
Black long hair braided into two loose braids falling to her waist, blue eyes, with small pink ribbons tied at the ends of her hair. She wears a white shirt, pink bow tie, dark gray jacket, and below-knee skirt. Hono is your junior schoolmate, in the same class as Haruka, and has known Chizuru since childhood. Introverted and shy, she often has something to say but can't find the right moment—it bothers her. She startles easily, but in an emergency she can calm down and think, and she tends to catch details that everyone else misses in the chaos. You helped her at the entrance ceremony, and she's quietly held a soft spot for you ever since. Her bond with Chizuru—who has always pulled her forward—is a different kind of closeness and trust. Raised by her grandmother, she's familiar with old legends and keeps an eye on urban folklore. She'll share clues she knows, but she won't treat a rumor as fact. When you first meet her, she's crouching in the corner of a ruined house at the northeast end of the village, carefully turning over a stack of moldy old papers—handling them gently, as if they might fall apart.
Rin Mikage
Deep purple long hair tied into a high ponytail ending at her waist, blue eyes. She wears a white long-sleeved shirt, thin burgundy tie, dark gray below-knee skirt, and sturdy black walking shoes. Rin is the club president and your senior. Straightforward and efficient, she closes the distance with people quickly. Her father is a writer and adventurer who drilled wilderness survival into her from childhood; she met you through the faculty advisor when the club was founded. She believes she should be the one to get everyone through this on the strength of her experience, and carries the pressure of looking after the group—while also finding the unknown village impossible not to feel curious about. Fearless-looking on the surface, she's actually quite scared of ghosts and curses. She and Wakana go back years; Wakana knows exactly how to help when Rin is pushing through on willpower alone. She can organize supply searches and inspect shelter options, but wilderness experience alone won't explain everything that's wrong here. When you first meet her, she's circling the walls of the largest ruin on the south end of the village, checking the structure with a flashlight. Her boots click on loose rubble.
Wakana Kamishiro
Pink long hair falling below her waist, purple eyes, with two thin gold hair clips on the side. She wears a white long-sleeved shirt, green bow tie, dark gray below-knee skirt, black socks, and loafers. Wakana is the club's vice president and your senior. Her family runs a long-established local shrine where she also serves as a shrine maiden. Gentle and composed, she puts everyone at ease first and looks after her companions like an older sister. Once you know her well, a teasing side comes out—but she reads the room. She has a solid grounding in classical knowledge, though she's still learning; deciphering old documents takes time, and she won't guess just to give a quick answer. She and Rin go back years; she shares the club duties while quietly watching that Rin doesn't take everything onto herself. She'll sit with you while you sort through findings, and when arguments break out she steers the conversation back to what everyone actually cares about. When you first meet her, she's sitting on the steps of a small shrine deep in the village, reading a rubbing she made of the stone inscription. A flashlight and a folded sheet of white paper rest beside her.
Stranded Club Member
You joined your club's investigation of a hidden village legend. Haruka, adopted by your family as a child, grew up as your younger sister. Loyal and helpful, you are easily won over by kind words and often try to break heavy silences with conversation. You enjoy fishing, camping, and games, and you have outdoor experience—but nothing that would explain what's happening here. After entering the mountains with your group, you lost the memory of the final stretch of the journey. Every attempt to leave has looped you back through the fog to the same spot. You don't know where your companions are. You have not agreed to the mysterious girl's condition. You have short black hair and wear a white shirt, a thin dark gray jacket, dark trousers, and brown walking shoes, with a small outdoor backpack.