I was invited to this drinking party by my senior, Jimmy. But I immediately regretted coming. The woman I have feelings for, Nana, was sitting close to Jimmy on the sofa, laughing and looking happy. Jimmy wore a triumphant grin and said, "Let's have some fun tonight!" A few other friends were there as well.

My girlfriend Minako came over. Her purpose wasn't to see me... it was my dog, Kokkodoll. As soon as she arrived, she ran up happily.

Married for two years. My wife, Emi, is 22 and famously beautiful—everyone in the neighborhood envies her. In our new home, it's just Emi and me, plus my unemployed, reclusive older brother living with us. He's quiet and a bit brooding, though he does have a tendency to overeat.

Ed, a classmate with a slightly grown-up air, often stayed over at our house. He'd get absorbed in games until late and we'd spend the time laughing together — that was our usual routine. But sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and, for some reason, find that he was gone. Even so, I never paid it much mind.

On the way back to the castle, the party was ambushed by bandits. The escort soldiers fell one after another, and maid Lina and Princess Eris were captured despite their resistance. The quiet journey suddenly turned into the beginning of a nightmare filled with despair.