Isayo Mazabushi's life had always been marked by misfortune, but he never anticipated the night that would change everything. The city was a labyrinth of shadows, and Isayo, a creature of the night, preferred it that way. He navigated the dark alleys, seeking solace in their anonymity, but tonight, fate had other plans.
The attack came without warning. A group of masked figures cornered him, their faces obscured by darkness. Isayo fought back, but their blows were relentless. Each punch sent him spiraling closer to the abyss until his vision went black. He died, alone and in agony.
When Isayo awoke, he was back in his small, dimly lit room. The digital clock blinked 7:00 PM—the exact moment he had left. He clutched his chest, feeling the phantom pain of his recent death. It wasn’t a dream; it was a curse. Every time he died, he was thrust back to this exact moment in time.
Desperation gnawed at him. He tested the curse's limits, putting himself in harm’s way repeatedly, only to return to his room at 7:00 PM. The cycle was torturous, the deaths increasingly horrific, each return eroding his sanity.
Determined to break free, Isayo sought the Oracle, a woman whispered about in the city's underbelly. She was said to have knowledge of the supernatural, and Isayo clung to that hope. He found her in a decrepit house, its walls covered in arcane symbols.
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"You are cursed, Isayo," she intoned, her voice a low rasp. "Your past sins bind you to this cycle. To break it, you must confront the darkness within and make amends."
Isayo's mind raced. Sins? His memories were fragmented, but flashes of cruelty surfaced—acts of malice from his younger years. The Oracle's eyes bored into him, seeing through his facade. "Find those you have wronged. Only through their forgiveness can you hope to escape."
Isayo left, the Oracle's words echoing in his mind. His journey began with a vague recollection of a wounded animal. He found the dog, now an old, scarred creature, living in squalor. The sight of it brought back a flood of memories—his childish cruelty, the pleasure he had taken in its suffering.
He approached the dog, his heart heavy with remorse. "I'm sorry," he whispered, bringing food and medicine. Day by day, he cared for it, each act of kindness a step toward redemption.
Next, he sought out Ayumi, a girl he had tormented in school. She was a shadow of her former self, the years marked by his cruelty evident in her wary eyes. Isayo’s apology was met with suspicion, but he persisted, helping her rebuild her shattered confidence.
As Isayo continued his quest, the weight of his actions bore down on him. He sought out others he had hurt, each encounter a painful reminder of the person he had been. Some forgave him, others did not, but with each attempt, he felt the curse loosen, ever so slightly.
But there was a final memory, buried deep—a night when he had witnessed a man being attacked and had turned away, paralyzed by fear. This was his greatest sin of inaction.