When student teacher Hirose returns to his alma mater for a few weeks, he notices strange events that seem to revolve around a student, Kaname Takasato. As Hirose soon learns, Takasato was said to have been “spirited away” and then mysteriously reappeared one year later without any memories of where he had been or what had happened to him.
While some students are fascinated with Takasato, others have taken to avoiding him, particularly as rumors emerge that bad things tend to happen to anyone who tries to upset Takasato. As Hirose tries to learn more about Takasato, he soon witnesses firsthand the strange occurrences surrounding Takasato as the consequences grow ever more severe and horrifying.

Some events were later incorporated into the Twelve Kingdoms series. Takes place after the fourth book, Skies of Dawn, with some events covered in book six (The Shore at Twilight, the Sky at Daybreak).