Part 1 (Prelude), Learning The Void.
The void... an entirely blank space that people get sent to by executive voters in court trials.
There was no human contact, nothing.
A boy named Mutsumi gets sent there via such vote, due to being a demi-human.
A human was killed in an accident, and someone had to take the blame.
They were always looked badly upon by the higher-ups.
He didn’t object to it, mainly due to his shy attitude, and fear of worse consequences.
Mutsumi was quiet Reserved. And most of all, scared. Though at times, a peculiar curiosity always seemed to lurk within him.
Being a fox, that much was certain. Always being able to sneak around or stay quiet was just part of his nature, after all.
But there was no time for reflection, as he was transported to the void, his screams, desperate pleas- filling the courtroom before silencing out, leaving him scared and alone with his eyes closed.
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As he opened his eyes, everything was white.
He didn't know where he was.
His eyes struggled to adjust to the blinding light.
Blankness surrounded him.
Such a vast, empty space. A blank canvas, of sorts. A white void in its entirety.
Mutsumi didn’t know what to make of his surroundings.
He sat quietly on the ground, at least he could, considering where he was.. as he began pondering the possibilities of escape.
(How could I get out of here..? Where even.. Where am I?)
In this vast empty void, he didn’t need anything, but he felt the need for exploration, for adventure. Maybe his time would come to him soon, as he sat and waited.
Time passed, mere hours felt like days. No concept of time slowly made him wonder.
The emptiness of the void didn’t have a great concept of time either, but having a watch, Mutsumi could tell it was nighttime.
Soon, he fell asleep, his mind wandering the vast adventures of dreamland.
(End of Part 1.)
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Time passed.
Silence was getting to him.
Then he slept again. And again.
Until...
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Part 2, A Glimpse.
In the dream world, this acts as a gateway to dreams, or other visions.
He felt a warmth around him, struggling to open his eyes.
A blinding, yet warm light washed over him.
For a mere moment, his eyes squinted open. He saw a familiar woman standing on the edge of a cliff in front of him. He tried to reach out, but couldn’t move. He tried to speak, but his mouth was dry, and no sound came from him.
It was at that moment, she started to fall, tipping over the edge, white streaks of hair on her neck swooshing into the air. As she began to fall, into seemingly nothing..
Right before she landed…
Mutsumi felt a stinging pain in his chest, waking up.
(End of Part 2.)
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Part 3. A New World.
His eyes opened slightly.
He didn’t quite know where he was this time, either. But at least he was somewhere other than the void..
Sitting up in a bed, he took a look at his surroundings.
He felt like he was dreaming to even be out of the void, yet it all felt so real. The room was cozy, and there were all sorts of antiques around the area.
He felt… warm.
Then he heard a voice.
A female, at that.
“Hello? Finally awake, I see.”
He looked towards the voice at the door.
The person at the door seemed to be a woman. She had a small frame, and was wearing a small kimono. He noticed a tail from underneath, hidden behind her legs. The air from outside felt cold, and the bright windows showed proof that there was light snow outside, covering the ground.
She looked at him, before noticing she didn’t introduce herself.
“Ah, right! I’m Vera. Vera Nolene. I'm a wolf demihuman! I’ll be taking care of you for the time being. Hope it’s not too much of a hassle.”
The breeze made him shiver.
“Feeling okay?” She asked.
He couldn’t respond, nor had the strength to at the moment.
She closed the door as a frown came to her face, and she set down a bowl of soup in front of him, patting his head.
He felt happy at the pats, for some reason.
“I’ll check back on you later, okay? I need to gather some things...” She said, closing the door and walking down the path.
He drank some of the soup. It tasted out of his world, and he felt a bit of strength return to him.
Slowly but surely, fatigue took over, and he fell asleep.
(End of Part 3.)
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Part 3.5. Another Dream.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a forest clearing.
The cliff was up ahead.
His heart paced in his chest as he approached the overhanging cliff.
He saw the woman.
He reached out his hand, and she turned back for a moment.
They stared at each other in silence for a short minute, before a tear fell from her cheeks, and she looked back over the edge.
The silence was deafening.
He heard a whisper before she jumped. 'Your time isn't here. Not yet. Continue your journey, my child.'
He woke again with cold sweat.
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Part 4. Under Care.
He was back in the unknown bed. He felt… strange.
The room was cold, and the fire was mere embers, yet he felt a warmth beside him.
He looked to the side and saw Vera again.
He appreciated the care she gave him, being a complete stranger and all..
What worth did he have to be taken care of?
He looked around the dark room, finding a note from her, sitting on a table.
Opening the note, it read: “Good evening, I hope you’re feeling okay. I don’t know how, or why, for that matter, but you fell from the sky. I’ll be taking care of you until then, but get better soon.”
He didn’t quite know what to make of it, so he looked down at her, sleeping beside him.
He poked her, and eventually, she shuddered awake.
“Hm..? What is it…? It’s.. midnight..”
It was only after reading the note, he realized his pain. He winced a little and laid down.
She looked at him in worry.
“You don’t think you need your rest… did you want to know something..?”
It hurt him to try and move, but he pointed at the note.
“Oh, that..?”
“You fell from the sky one day. Landed on the pile of snow out there. I had to drag you in here, and take care of you for the past few days. You need to rest for a little, okay?”
He nods and falls asleep again.
. . .
Later…
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He wakes up again, the room warm by a dimly lit fire. He decides to get out of bed and take a small walk out, seeing as he’s never been outside since the voting.
The sun stung as he opened the door.
Now outside, he noticed Vera chopping trees down.
She saw him standing at the door and waved.
He tried to speak.
“Uhm… h-hey..” He mustered.
His voice was calm and gentle, with a bit of a lighter tone to it.
It was nice to be able to talk for once.
He smiled at her, then he shivered.
He decided it was best to stay inside for now.
Sitting down on the bed, he waited for Vera to come inside.
Few seconds later, he sat down, she returned, holding some wood.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” She politely asked.
He wasn’t quite used to being able to speak freely yet, so he nodded.
“That’s good.” She said, laying some of the wood in the fireplace, her tail wagging slowly as it lit.
“There were some berries out there I needed to collect… mind helping me out?”
He nodded and stood up, happy to be of some use.
They walked out into the snow covered forest, in search of berries and other items of use.
“So… who exactly are you?” She asked.
He didn’t feel like responding, but it was the right moment to ask.
“I… you can call me… Mutsumi."
“That's a nice name…”
She smiled.
"You know, I couldn't help but notice your tail.”
She said to him, her own wagging slowly.
He held a small basket, picking all the berries he could see. He was in his own mind right now, and he didn't quite hear that.
He didn't notice his tail was wagging when Vera was talking to him either.
She poked his shoulder.
“H-huh..?” He broke from his trance.
“W-what is it..?” He asked.
“Your tail. Are you a fox?” She points out in curiosity.
He froze.
He forgot.
He's a fox, and she's a wolf.
They're supposed to kill each other.
Of course, back in his world, they lived peacefully... but this... this wasn't his world.
Yet, here he was, living peacefully with her.
He took a deep breath.
His heart started to beat in his chest.
He was getting afraid.
His eyes glanced at her, then to the ground.
He couldn’t speak.
His mind was blank.
What would he do?
Should he run?
Or should he fight?
His breathing became faster, and more ragged.
He couldn't handle the fear.
He fell to the ground, his knees shaking.
“Hey… calm down…” She approached with caution.
. . .
(End of Part 4.)
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Part 5. Fear.
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Mutsumi was too afraid.
Vera tried to reach out to him, but he backed away.
She could see the fear in his eyes.
She knew this was a problem.
So, she did the one thing she could think of.
She sat down, and waited.
"Hey, It'll all be okay. I won't hurt you, Mutsumi." She whispered, the snow beneath her making her tails poke out, sliding across the soft, white blanket.
Soon, nightfall washed over them.
He had a moment to calm himself.
He was okay.
He felt better.
He took a few more deep breaths, then looked up.
Vera was still sitting there, patiently.
A smile on her face.
It was… calming, to be in her presence.
She slowly reached out her hand.
Mutsumi took a step forward, and took her hand.
He felt… happy.
He looked up at her, a faint smile coming across his face.
They continued gathering the berries as midnight approached, then headed home.
Mutsumi felt like saying something to Vera.
“T-thank you…” he whispered.
“I didn’t think it was a sensitive topic…” she responded remorsefully.
He felt bad for freaking out on her like that, but it couldn’t be helped.
It was just part of his nature.
…
(End of part 5.)
Part 5.5. Kindness.
As they arrived at the cabin, Mutsumi spoke, sitting down.
“W-what else do I not know about you..?” He asked gingerly.
"That will have to wait." She said, walking into her closet.
She took off her kimono, changing to something a little more casual.
She walked to the door, getting the basket full of different berries they collected, then walking away.
"Come on." She said, looking back at him.
"O-okay..."
They left the cottage and walked off down the parting path.
The sunlight slowly started to creep up the sky as they continued walking.
Mutsumi let out a yawn.
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Minutes later, they arrive at the entrance of a small cave.
Mutsumi heard small barks coming from inside.
"There are some small baby foxes in here. come check on them every once in a while." Vera explained. "I give them berries, and they just sort of stay in here, huddled up." She said,
as she walked in, a few of the foxes ran over, and licked her face, wagging their tails.
Vera giggled a little.
Mutsumi smiles.
She walked deeper into the cave, and came back a minute later, with a few foxes following behind.
She gives them some berries, smiling as they gather up and eat from her hands.
“Aww… they’re so cute…” Mutsumi said.
He lifted one up, smiling as it licked his cheek and curled up into a ball in his arms.
He spoke quietly.
“So… how many are the-”
*Crash*
A loud crash is heard, cutting him off….
(End of Part 5.5, and Chapter 1.)