Sakura Festival

The Sparrow and the Crow: A Crow's Blood Story

The Sparrow and the Crow: A Crow's Blood Story

Maki Togawa-Seto's body lay cold and still on the slab in the morgue, yet her mind was trapped in a twilight state between life and death. The formaldehyde that her father, Dr. Akihito Seto, had injected into her was meant to put an end to her suffering, to prevent the monstrous transformation that had taken hold of her. But the serum hadn't fully taken effect—her brain still buzzed with thoughts, memories, and a strange awareness.

Dr. Seto, a man driven by desperation, had acted to save his daughter from a fate worse than death. He believed he was sparing her, preventing the spread of the unnatural infection that had consumed so many others. Yet in his heart, he knew this act would haunt him forever.

While Maki's body lay in the morgue, her classmates Takeshi Sawada, an investigative journalist, and Kaoru Isozaki, were relentlessly pursuing the truth behind the bizarre events at their school. They had uncovered fragments of a horrifying conspiracy, one that involved their own classmates and a mysterious serum that could alter human DNA in terrifying ways. They were determined to expose the dark secret, but they had no idea that Maki, their friend and classmate, had already become a victim of the serum's deadly power.

No one was supposed to come for Maki—not after what had happened. But someone did.

Dr. Gary Grossman, an enigmatic figure with ties to Dr. Seto, arrived at the morgue. With a calm authority, he convinced the coroner that he was Maki's godfather. It was a lie, but the coroner didn't question it. Grossman was given custody of Maki's body, and he transported her to his private lab, far from prying eyes.

As Grossman worked, he spoke to Maki, fully aware that she could hear him. The formaldehyde hadn't taken full effect, leaving her in a state of half-consciousness, caught between life and death. "Maki," he said softly, "I know you're still with us. Your father's injection wasn't enough to stop the transformation. But I have something that can."

He prepared a new serum—an improved version of the original one that had brought so much horror into her life. He injected it into Maki's body, and she felt a sudden rush of energy, a surge of life that brought her back from the brink. She sat up, her mind clear, her body revitalized. The monstrous urges were gone, replaced by a sense of control she hadn't felt in a long time.

Dr. Grossman watched her closely. "There's something you need to see," he said, guiding her deeper into his lab. They descended into an underground sub-basement, a place that even Dr. Akihito Seto had never known about. The air grew colder, and the walls were lined with advanced equipment, far beyond anything Maki had seen in her father's lab.

"What is this place?" Maki asked, her voice steady but filled with apprehension.

Grossman smiled, but it was a smile without warmth. "This is where the real work happens," he replied. "The serum that changed you... it wasn't just a result of genetic stem cell research. It was something much more... extraordinary."

Maki frowned, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard of SETI?" Grossman asked.

"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence?" Maki replied, puzzled.

"Exactly," Grossman continued. "The serum wasn't just an experiment in human genetics. It was derived from something we found—a fusion of human DNA with something not of this world."

They stopped in front of a large glass window. Behind it was a girl who appeared to be around Maki's age, perhaps a year older. She was dressed in a straitjacket, but her sleeves were untied, allowing her to toss an apple from hand to hand with unsettling precision. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light, a sign of the alien DNA within her.

"This is Haruka," Grossman said. "She's the result of our experiments—a fusion of human and extraterrestrial DNA. She's not like us... and now, neither are you."

Maki stared at Haruka, a mixture of fear and fascination swirling within her. The girl's calm demeanor and knowing smile sent a chill down her spine. Maki realized that she was now part of something far greater and far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.

"Am I like her?" Maki asked quietly, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

"You are the next step," Grossman answered, his voice filled with ambition. "Together, you and Haruka will help us unlock the full potential of this fusion. You will become the bridge between two worlds."

As Maki stood there, staring at the girl behind the glass, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had crossed a line from which there was no return. She had been reborn into a new existence—one that was both thrilling and terrifying.

The sparrow had found itself among crows, and the night was just beginning.

To be continued...