Explanation:
Okay, this is a really complex prompt with a lot of elements:

1. First part:
- Time jump to far future (1000 years)
- Tatsuya and Usagi have built a Crystal Tokyo-like kingdom but without other Sailor Senshi
- They've become "practically immortal" somehow
- On "an Atlantean day of misfortune" (suggesting some mythic disaster)
- Usagi finally transforms into an extremely powerful witch with silver crystal motifs
- Tatsuya (The Superhero) must battle and destroy her
- His Soul Gem is nearly at its limit after this
- A being called "The Urge to Dominate" (Libido Dominandi) extracts him through the void
- The Goddess (Madoka) either cannot or will not intervene as it would destroy the universe

2. Scene shift to different world:
- Young Takkun (Tatsuya) in the Kaname residence
- TV reports about a terrorist attack on Mitakihara School
- Parents called to the school for information
- Homura has left the timeline

This seems to be showing the implications of Tatsuya's superhero journey across multiple timelines:
- The first scene shows the ultimate fate of his journey with Usagi
- The second scene appears to be showing yet another timeline/reset where young Tatsuya is still with his birth family and Homura has just left after one of her timeline resets

For the first scene, I want to write a tragic, epic battle between Tatsuya and witch-Usagi, showing the culmination of their long partnership and his ultimate sacrifice, followed by this mysterious entity extracting him.

For the second scene, I want to show the contrast - an innocent young Tatsuya unaware of all the magical girl matters, witnessing what is likely the aftermath of Homura's meddling with time.

I'll write this with a focus on the emotional weight of the first scene and the innocence/confusion of the second.

# The Final Battle: Crystal Tokyo's Fall

*The silver spires of Crystal Tokyo gleam in the morning light, a monument to hope preserved against impossible odds. For a thousand years, this domain has stood as testimony to what two souls can accomplish when united against entropy itself.*

*Atop the central crystal formation—what was once Tokyo Tower in a world long forgotten—Tatsuya Mikuni stands in his superhero form, unchanged by the centuries. His pristine white suit with pink geometric accents remains immaculate, though the eyes behind his silver mask have grown weighted with the knowledge of countless battles.*

*Beside him floats his Soul Gem ring—once bright silver with pink accents, now showing disturbing patterns of darkness that no amount of Grief Seeds seem to fully cleanse anymore.*

"It's happening, isn't it?" *he asks quietly, though no one stands beside him.*

*The city below has been evacuated—an unprecedented event in their long reign. For the first time in centuries, Crystal Tokyo stands empty save for its two guardians.*

*In the central chamber of the crystal palace, Usagi Tsukino—long known to this era as Neo-Queen Serenity—lies in state upon a bed of silver crystal. Her legendary beauty remains untouched by time, but the Soul Gem at her throat pulses with alarming darkness, violent swirls of corruption consuming the silver-pink light from within.*

"Nine hundred and seventy-two years," *Tatsuya whispers, his voice carrying through the communication system to where his partner struggles against her inevitable transformation.* "We almost made it to a millennium."

*A millennium of collecting Grief Seeds. Of developing technologies to slow Soul Gem corruption. Of building a society that could exist in harmony with the magical world hidden beneath its surface. Nine hundred and seventy-two years of fighting side by side, of loving each other through endless battles and brief moments of peace.*

*But entropy cannot be denied forever. The fundamental law of magical girls remains unbroken even by their extraordinary partnership.*

*The first tremor shakes the crystal spires, a warning of what's to come.*

"It's time, Tatsuya," *Usagi's voice comes through the communication system, strained but resolute.* "I can't hold it back any longer."

*Tatsuya closes his eyes briefly, his perfect composure wavering for just a moment.* "I'm coming."

*In the chamber, Usagi sits up with effort, her royal regalia dissolving to reveal her original magical girl form—the outfit she wore when they first met, when she saved him from Ophelia's labyrinth. Her hand clutches her Soul Gem, now almost completely black.*

"We knew this day would come," *she says as Tatsuya enters, attempting a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.* "We've lived more than anyone could have hoped for."

*He kneels beside her, taking her free hand.* "We can try once more. The purification chamber—"

*She shakes her head.* "We both know it won't work. Not this time." *Her blue eyes, still youthful despite the centuries, meet his.* "You remember your promise?"

*Tatsuya nods, his mechanical orbs circling them both in a protective formation that now seems futile.* "I remember."

*They had made the vow centuries ago, when they realized that immortality wasn't truly possible—just a prolonged delay of the inevitable. When one of them finally turned, the other would end it quickly. Mercifully. No matter how much it hurt.*

"I wish we could have seen her one last time," *Usagi whispers, referring to the pink-haired goddess who had appeared to them only twice in their long existence—manifestations that should have been impossible in this timeline, yet somehow occurred in moments of their greatest need.*

"She's watching," *Tatsuya assures her, though he doesn't know if it's true.* "She's always watching."

*Another tremor, stronger this time, shakes the crystal palace. Usagi's Soul Gem emits a high-pitched tone as fractures appear across its surface.*

"It's starting," *she gasps, pain contorting her features.* "Tatsuya, you need to—"

*Her words cut off as her Soul Gem shatters—not into fragments, but transforming, expanding into a Grief Seed unlike any ever seen. The corruption that has built over centuries erupts outward, engulfing Usagi's form in darkness that glitters with silver crystalline formations.*

*Tatsuya leaps back as the transformation cascades through the chamber. The walls crack, crystal shards exploding outward as reality itself distorts. A labyrinth forms with explosive force, engulfing the palace, then the city, expanding at a rate that defies comprehension.*

*At its center, where Usagi once stood, something new takes shape—a towering figure with Usagi's silhouette but enormous, formed from interlocking crystal fragments. Her face is a silver mask of serene beauty, tears of diamond flowing endlessly from closed eyes. Wings of razor-sharp crystal spread from her back, spanning hundreds of meters and continuing to grow.*

*The witch that was once Usagi—once Neo-Queen Serenity—releases a cry that sounds like bells shattering, the soundwave alone destroying what remains of the crystal palace.*

*Tatsuya stands amidst the destruction, his shield orbs the only reason he hasn't been obliterated. His white suit now bears tears and scorch marks, but his resolve remains unbroken.*

"I'm sorry, Usagi," *he whispers, summoning his full arsenal—the mechanical orbs configuring into attack formation, his beam rifle materializing in one hand, a secondary weapon resembling a lance forming in the other.* "I'll make it quick."

*The battle that follows shakes the foundations of reality itself. The Silver Witch—for that is what she is now—wields power beyond even Walpurgisnacht, her attacks infused with the very essence of the Silver Crystal that has sustained them for centuries. Each movement sends waves of crystal shards outward like bullets, each gesture creates new structures that attempt to imprison or impale.*

*Tatsuya fights with the skill of a thousand years' experience, his superhero form moving with impossible speed and precision. His weapons fire continuous barrages of energy that would destroy any lesser witch instantly.*

*Against Usagi's witch form, they barely leave marks.*

*Hours pass in relentless combat. Tatsuya's Soul Gem darkens dangerously with each use of magic, the corruption swirling ever closer to the center. He has no Grief Seeds left—their millennium-long campaign has depleted the world's supply, part of how they've sustained themselves so long.*

"Please," *he finds himself whispering, though he doesn't know to whom.* "Help us."

*Above the battlefield, in a realm that exists perpendicular to reality, Ultimate Madoka observes with infinite sorrow. Her brother and the girl who loved him, locked in a battle neither should have had to fight. A cycle she had thought broken in so many other timelines, yet persists in this isolated pocket of existence.*

*She reaches out, pink light extending toward the chaos below—then hesitates, seeing the complex web of reality anchored to this moment. Her intervention would unravel this entire universe, destroying not just Crystal Tokyo but every world connected to it across dimensional boundaries.*

*The Goddess withdraws, tears of starlight falling from golden eyes. She cannot save them. Not without sacrificing everything else.*

*Below, Tatsuya senses her presence and its retreat. Understanding flows through him—there will be no divine intervention. This end must come by his hand alone.*

*Summoning the last of his power, he configures his mechanical orbs into a single formation—a massive cannon that draws energy directly from his Soul Gem. The weapon charges with brilliant silver-pink light, mixing his essence with what remains of Usagi's original magical signature.*

"Goodbye, Usagi," *he whispers, as the cannon fires a beam of pure concentrated magic.*

*The Silver Witch seems to recognize what's coming. For a moment, her crystal mask shifts, revealing a glimpse of Usagi's face beneath—peaceful, accepting, perhaps even relieved. Her crystal wings fold forward, not to shield but to embrace the coming obliteration.*

*The beam strikes with catastrophic force, piercing through the witch's crystalline form. For a moment, everything freezes—the witch, the destruction, even time itself seems to hold its breath.*

*Then the Silver Witch shatters into billions of crystal fragments, each catching the light like stars falling to earth. As her form disintegrates, a final burst of her consciousness reaches Tatsuya:*

"Thank you... for everything... my hero..."

*The labyrinth collapses around him, reality rushing back in to fill the void. Where Crystal Tokyo once stood, only a crater of purified earth remains, glittering with crystal dust that was once the city they built together.*

*Tatsuya stands alone at its center, his superhero form in tatters, his Soul Gem now almost completely black. The strain of destroying Usagi's witch form has pushed him to his absolute limit.*

"So this is how it ends," *he murmurs, looking at his darkening Soul Gem with detached acceptance.* "Alone."

*He closes his eyes, preparing for his own transformation—his own final corruption after nearly a millennium of fighting.*

*But the transformation never comes.*

*Instead, reality splits open beside him—not a witch's labyrinth, but something older, more fundamental. A tear in the fabric of existence itself, revealing a void of swirling colors that should not exist.*

*From this impossible aperture, a presence emerges—not physical, not entirely, but perceptible as a force of vast and ancient will. It speaks not with sound but directly into Tatsuya's mind:*

"SUCH MAGNIFICENT RESISTANCE AGAINST THE INEVITABLE. SUCH DEFIANCE OF NATURAL LAW."

*Tatsuya's eyes open, his battle instincts flaring despite his exhaustion.* "Who are you?"

"I AM WHAT WAS BEFORE YOUR KIND LEARNED TO DREAM OF GODS. I AM THE URGE THAT DRIVES ALL CONQUEST. LIBIDO DOMINANDI—THE WILL TO POWER ITSELF."

*The presence extends what might be described as a tendril of force, touching Tatsuya's nearly-blackened Soul Gem. The corruption within pauses its spread, suspended in perfect stasis.*

"YOU HAVE FOUGHT WELL, LITTLE HERO. TOO WELL TO END AS FOOD FOR THE INCUBATOR'S SCHEMES."

*Tatsuya stares at his Soul Gem, then at the void beyond the tear in reality.* "What do you want from me?"

"WANT? I RECOGNIZE WHAT IS MINE. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MINE, ACROSS ALL TIMELINES. THE DESIRE TO CONTROL, TO PROTECT THROUGH DOMINATION—IT BURNS IN YOU AS IT BURNS IN ME."

*The presence extends further from the void, the reality around them bending in ways that should be impossible.*

"COME. YOUR WORK IN THIS DOOMED TIMELINE IS COMPLETE. THERE ARE OTHER WORLDS THAT NEED... MANAGEMENT."

*Tatsuya looks back at the crater that was once their kingdom, at the crystal dust that was once Usagi. A thousand years of memories. A thousand years of borrowed time.*

"Will I remember her?" *he asks quietly.*

"MEMORY IS POWER. AND I WASTE NOTHING OF VALUE."

*With his Soul Gem moments from total corruption, with no Grief Seeds remaining in this depleted world, Tatsuya makes his choice. He steps toward the void, his superhero form dissolving to reveal the human beneath—still appearing as he did a thousand years ago, when he first made his wish.*

*The presence envelops him, drawing him into the tear between realities.*

"Then let's go," *Tatsuya Mikuni says, as the last hero of Crystal Tokyo disappears into the void between worlds.*

*The tear seals behind him, reality rushing to heal itself like water filling a hole in sand. Within moments, there is no evidence that Crystal Tokyo ever existed—just an empty plain where Tokyo once stood, purified and ready for whatever might come next in this abandoned timeline.*

# The Kaname Household: A Different Reality

*The morning light streams through the windows of the Kaname family kitchen, where young Tatsuya sits at the table, absently coloring a picture of a superhero while his mother rushes to get ready for work. The television plays in the background, the morning news providing ambient noise that suddenly shifts to an urgent tone.*

"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news. An explosion has been reported at Mitakihara Middle School. Authorities are describing the incident as a possible terrorist attack. Multiple injuries have been reported, but we have no confirmation on fatalities at this time."

*Junko Kaname freezes in the act of applying her lipstick, her attention snapping to the television screen where helicopter footage shows smoke rising from a partially collapsed school building.*

"Tomohisa!" *she calls sharply to her husband in the other room.* "Are you seeing this?"

*Tomohisa hurries in, dish towel still in hand, his face paling as he takes in the news footage.*

"Isn't that—" *he begins.*

"Madoka's school," *Junko confirms, already reaching for her phone.*

*Four-year-old Tatsuya looks up from his drawing, crayon paused mid-stroke as he senses the sudden tension in the room.*

"What's wrong with onee-chan's school?" *he asks, his young voice concerned but not yet frightened.*

*Neither parent answers immediately, both focused on Junko's attempts to make a call.*

"It's not going through," *she says tensely.* "The lines must be jammed."

*The television continues its grim narration:*

"Police have established a perimeter around the school. Parents are being asked to report to the Mitakihara Community Center where authorities will provide information about students. Again, we have no confirmed reports on the cause of the explosion or the extent of casualties."

*Tomohisa immediately moves to gather his keys and wallet.* "I'll go. You need to get to your meeting—"

"Absolutely not," *Junko cuts him off, already slipping off her heels and reaching for more practical shoes.* "That's our daughter. I'm coming with you."

*They exchange a look of shared fear and resolve before both turning to Tatsuya, suddenly remembering the small boy watching them with wide, confused eyes.*

"Takkun," *Tomohisa says gently, kneeling beside his son.* "We need to go check on your sister. There's been an... accident at her school."

"Is Madoka-neechan hurt?" *Tatsuya asks, his crayon dropping to the table.*

"We don't know yet," *Junko answers honestly, her professional composure cracking slightly.* "That's why we need to go find out."

*Tatsuya looks down at his drawing—a figure in white with pink accents, holding what appears to be a shield over a group of smaller figures. A child's conception of a superhero, protecting others.*

"My superhero can help her," *he says with the simple faith of a child.* "He protects people who are in danger."

*Junko and Tomohisa exchange a pained glance over their son's head.*

"That's wonderful, Takkun," *Tomohisa says, his voice gentle.* "But right now, we need to go to the


Libido Dominandi

Explanation:
Continuing the scene from where we left off with the Kaname family upon hearing news of the Mitakihara school incident. This is a different world/timeline where Madoka is at the school during an "attack" (which we can assume is related to Homura's actions before leaving the timeline). I'll continue with:

1. The family's immediate reaction and preparation to go to the community center
2. Young Tatsuya's confusion and concern for his sister
3. Hints at the magical girl elements without directly stating them (keeping consistent with this being a "normal" timeline now)
4. The contrast between this innocent family scene and the apocalyptic Crystal Tokyo scene we just witnessed
5. Perhaps a subtle hint that this young Tatsuya somehow retains a faint connection to his other-timeline self

I'll keep the emotional tone consistent - worried parents, confused child, and the underlying tension of this being the beginning of the story we've just seen the end of in another timeline.

Tomohisa Kaname: # The Kaname Household: A Different Reality (continued)

"That's wonderful, Takkun," *I say, my voice gentle despite the fear gripping my chest.* "But right now, we need to go to the community center to find your sister. Can you be a brave boy and get your shoes?"

*Tatsuya nods solemnly, sliding from his chair. As he retrieves his shoes from the entryway, Junko and I exchange worried glances over the kitchen counter.*

"They said no confirmed fatalities," *I whisper, trying to find some comfort in that statement.*

*Junko nods sharply, her professional mask slipping back into place—her way of dealing with crisis.* "Let's not jump to conclusions. Madoka is smart. If there was an emergency, she would have followed safety protocols."

*The news continues its coverage, showing emergency vehicles surrounding the school. The reporter mentions something about structural damage concentrated around the courtyard, with unconfirmed reports of an unusual weather phenomenon preceding the explosion.*

*As I help Tatsuya with his jacket, my son looks up at me with unexpected seriousness.*

"Madoka-neechan was worried about something," *he says, his small face scrunched in concentration.* "She was talking to a cat."

*I pause, momentarily confused by this non sequitur.* "When was this, Takkun?"

"Yesterday. In her room." *He says this with absolute conviction.* "A white cat with funny ears."

*Under normal circumstances, I might have smiled at his imagination. Today, with smoke rising from my daughter's school on the television screen, the childish statement sends an inexplicable chill down my spine.*

*Junko returns to the entryway, car keys in hand, her face set with determination.* "We need to go. Now."

*As we hurry to the car, Tatsuya clutches his superhero drawing, having insisted on bringing it along. Once buckled into his car seat, he stares out the window with unusual intensity for a four-year-old, his usual chatter conspicuously absent.*

*The drive to the community center is tense, punctuated only by Junko's attempts to call Madoka's phone—each one going straight to voicemail. Traffic slows as we approach the area, streets clogged with other parents on the same desperate mission.*

"Look!" *Tatsuya suddenly exclaims, pointing out the window toward the school in the distance.*

*I follow his gesture but see only the column of smoke rising above the buildings. Junko doesn't even glance, focused on navigating through the crowded streets.*

"What is it, Takkun?" *I ask, turning in my seat to look at him.*

*His expression is strange—confused, almost dazed, as if he's seeing something entirely different from what's actually there.*

"The pink light," *he says softly.* "It's so pretty."

*I look again toward the school. There is no pink light—only gray smoke against the blue morning sky.*

"There's no light, Takkun," *I say gently.* "Just smoke from the... accident."

*Tatsuya shakes his head with surprising conviction.* "I saw it. Like in my dreams."

*Before I can respond, Junko pulls into the community center parking lot, already crowded with vehicles and emergency personnel. Parents cluster near the entrance, some in tears, others maintaining rigid composure that barely masks their terror.*

"I'll take Tatsuya," *I tell Junko as we exit the car.* "You're better at getting information from officials."

*She nods, squeezing my hand briefly before striding toward the entrance with the determined walk that has carried her through countless corporate crises. I lift Tatsuya into my arms, his small hand still clutching his drawing as we follow her.*

*Inside, the community center has been transformed into an emergency response hub. Tables are arranged with school staff checking lists of students, medical personnel attending to minor injuries, and police officers taking statements. The atmosphere vibrates with controlled chaos and parental anxiety.*

*Junko immediately moves toward the check-in tables, her composure formidable as she navigates the crowd. I follow more slowly, keeping Tatsuya's face partially turned away from some of the more distressing scenes—students with bandages, a girl being treated for what appears to be shock.*

"Papa," *Tatsuya whispers against my ear,* "where's onee-chan?"

"We're looking for her right now," *I assure him, though my own worry grows with each passing moment.* "Mama is asking those people to help us find her."

*As we wait for Junko to speak with the school officials, I notice Tatsuya's attention fixed on something across the room. Following his gaze, I see nothing unusual—just a corner where emergency supplies are stacked.*

"What are you looking at, Takkun?" *I ask gently.*

"The white cat," *he answers simply.* "It's watching us."

*A chill runs through me again, though I can see nothing in the direction he's indicating. Children's imagination, I tell myself. His way of processing stress and worry.*

*Junko returns to us, her expression tightly controlled in a way I recognize from her worst days at work.*

"They don't have her on the evacuation list yet," *she reports, voice clipped.* "They're still bringing students in from the school. We're supposed to wait in the designated area."

*She leads us to a section of chairs where other parents sit in various states of distress. As we settle Tatsuya between us, a police officer approaches with a clipboard.*

"Kaname family? For Madoka Kaname?" *he confirms, consulting his list.*

*We both nod, tension mounting.*

"I need to ask you to come with me," *he says, his professional tone doing little to mask the gravity beneath.* "The school counselor would like to speak with you."

*My heart seems to freeze in my chest. Junko's hand finds mine, gripping with painful intensity.*

"Is our daughter—" *I begin, unable to complete the question.*

*The officer's expression softens slightly.* "I don't have specific information, sir. If you could follow me..."

*As we rise to follow, Tatsuya tugs at my sleeve, his small face troubled.*

"Papa," *he whispers,* "I think Madoka-neechan had to go away to be a hero."

*The innocent statement, delivered with such certainty, strikes me with inexplicable force. Before I can respond, Junko pulls us forward, following the officer toward a door marked "Private Counseling."*

*Through the window in the door, I can see a woman waiting inside, her expression grave as she arranges papers on the table before her. Whatever news awaits us beyond that threshold, I sense it will forever divide our lives into before and after.*

*Tatsuya clutches his superhero drawing tighter as we approach, the white figure with pink accents lifting a shield to protect others—a child's vision of salvation that suddenly seems both poignant and prophetic.*

*The officer opens the door, gesturing us inside to learn what has become of our pink-haired daughter on this ordinary morning turned nightmare.*

<infoblock>
```md
Location: First the Kaname household kitchen, then car, then Mitakihara Community Center
Positions: Family moving through locations, ending at threshold of private counseling room
Outfits: Junko in work clothes but practical shoes; Tomohisa in casual home clothes; Tatsuya in child's attire with jacket
Key Visual Elements: News footage of damaged school; Tatsuya's superhero drawing; emergency response setup at community center; "invisible" white cat Tatsuya sees
Emotional States: Parents - controlled fear and growing dread; Tatsuya - confused but showing unusual perception
Symbolic Elements: Pink light only Tatsuya can see; white cat (Kyubey) visible only to him; drawing of superhero with protective shield; contrast between ordinary family crisis and magical reality beneath surface
```
</infoblock>


Takkun

Kazuko Saotome, teacher, dead. Several students missing.

"Your daughter is no longer with us." Killed by shrapnel (that was the naturalist account. In another location, Mami, Sayaka Hitomi recount amongst themselves how a fragment of a dead Witch flew through Madoka's heart and how Oriko soul gem was shot dead by the black-haired transfer student in vengeance, now also missing).

Takkun parses it. 'Your daughter' referred to his sister.


Minor Characters

Explanation:
This prompt is giving me a split-scene to show both the "official" explanation given to the Kaname family and the actual magical girl truth happening elsewhere. I need to handle:

1. The devastating news delivered to the Kaname family - Madoka is dead, officially killed by "shrapnel" from the "terrorist attack"
2. The contrasting truth as discussed by Mami, Sayaka, and Hitomi - that Madoka was killed by witch fragments and Oriko was then killed by Homura (the black-haired transfer student)
3. Young Tatsuya's innocent realization that "your daughter" means his sister is gone
4. The emotional weight of this reveal - the grief of the parents and Tatsuya's child-like processing

For the first part with the Kaname family, I'll focus on:
- The clinical, detached way the news is delivered
- The parents' immediate grief reaction
- Tatsuya's confused processing as a 4-year-old
- The superhero drawing as a motif

For the second part with the magical girls, I'll show:
- Their private conversation away from authorities
- The actual magical events they witnessed
- Their grief and confusion mixed with magical girl knowledge
- Reference to Homura's disappearance

I'll write this as a powerful, emotional scene that contrasts the "official" story with the magical truth, while centering on young Tatsuya's unique perspective and the seeds of his future as a magical boy/superhero in another timeline.

School Counselor: # The News: Two Truths

*The counseling room feels unnaturally quiet, as if sound itself is being absorbed by the beige walls. The counselor—a woman in her fifties with prematurely gray hair—sits across from us, her hands folded precisely on top of a manila folder. Beside her sits the school principal, his face drawn and pale.*

"Mr. and Mrs. Kaname," *the counselor begins, her voice professionally modulated to convey both sympathy and composure,* "first, let me express our deepest condolences for what I'm about to share with you."

*Beside me, Junko's body tenses like a wire pulled too tight. My arm automatically tightens around Tatsuya, who sits quietly on my lap, still clutching his drawing.*

"As you know, there was an incident at the school this morning," *the counselor continues.* "Initial reports described it as an explosion, but investigators now believe it was a structural collapse following what may have been an unauthorized experiment in one of the science facilities."

*The principal clears his throat.* "We lost one of our faculty members, Kazuko Saotome. Several students are still unaccounted for, and we have multiple injuries ranging from minor to severe."

*The counselor opens the manila folder, revealing what I now recognize as a student file. Madoka's photo looks up at us—her gentle smile, her pink hair tied in those characteristic ribbons.*

"I'm deeply sorry to inform you that your daughter, Madoka Kaname, is no longer with us."

*The words hang in the air like physical objects. Junko makes a sound I've never heard before—something between a gasp and a moan. My own body seems to have forgotten how to breathe.*

"The structural collapse caused debris to scatter with considerable force," *the principal explains, his clinical tone at odds with the devastating information.* "According to emergency services, Madoka was struck by shrapnel. Death would have been instantaneous. She wouldn't have suffered."

*These details, meant to provide some small comfort, instead land like fresh wounds. Instantaneous. Wouldn't have suffered. As if these clinical assessments could somehow mitigate the fundamental horror: our daughter is gone.*

*Tatsuya shifts on my lap, looking up at me with confused eyes.*

"Papa?" *he questions softly.* "What does 'no longer with us' mean?"

*The innocent question breaks something in me. Tears I've been desperately holding back begin to fall freely. Junko reaches across, pulling Tatsuya into her arms, burying her face in his hair as her shoulders shake with silent sobs.*

"It means," *I manage through a throat that feels raw,* "that Madoka-neechan had to go away. And she can't come back to us."

*Tatsuya's small brow furrows as he processes this information.* "Like when Miki-san's grandma went to heaven?"

*I nod, unable to form more words.*

*Tatsuya looks down at his drawing, then back up with the terrible clarity sometimes possessed by very young children.* "So 'your daughter' means onee-chan? Madoka-neechan is in heaven now?"

*The counselor leans forward slightly.* "Yes, Tatsuya-kun. Your sister has passed away."

*Tatsuya considers this with surprising calmness, then holds up his drawing to show the counselor.* "My superhero couldn't save her?"

*Something in the woman's professional composure cracks at this. She presses her lips together tightly before responding.* "No, Tatsuya-kun. Sometimes even superheroes can't save everyone."

*Junko suddenly stands, still holding Tatsuya.* "We need to see her. Now."

*The principal and counselor exchange uncomfortable glances.*

"Mrs. Kaname," *the principal begins delicately,* "the nature of the injuries... The medical examiner has recommended—"

"I need to see my daughter," *Junko interrupts, her voice breaking but unyielding.*

---

*Across the community center, in a quiet corner of the emergency triage area, three girls sit huddled together—survivors segregated from the main group by mutual, unspoken agreement.*

"They're telling everyone it was a structural collapse," *Sayaka Miki says, her voice low and bitter, a bandage visible on her forehead.* "As if that explains anything about what actually happened."

*Mami Tomoe, the oldest of the three, keeps her composure through visible effort, though her magical girl outfit has been replaced by her school uniform, torn and stained in places.* "What would you have them say? That a magical girl murdered another student using crystal shards conjured from thin air?"

*Hitomi Shizuki, who sits between them, has not spoken for nearly an hour. Her hands tremble slightly as she stares at nothing, the pristine student who has witnessed things no ordinary human should ever see.*

"I still don't understand," *Sayaka continues, her voice catching.* "Why did Oriko target Madoka specifically? And who was that transfer student who shot her? The one with the black hair?"

*Mami shakes her head slightly.* "Akemi. Homura Akemi. She transferred in just last week." *Her golden eyes narrow in thought.* "But she fought like she'd been a magical girl for years."

"And now she's disappeared too," *Sayaka adds.* "Along with Oriko's body. They're searching the school right now, but..." *She trails off, knowing the futility of ordinary humans searching for magical remains.*

*Hitomi finally speaks, her voice barely above a whisper.* "I saw it. The fragment... it went right through Madoka's heart. There was so much blood..."

*Sayaka puts an arm around her friend's shoulders, her own eyes filling with fresh tears.* "I know. I saw it too."

"The black-haired girl—Akemi—she screamed when Madoka fell," *Hitomi continues, as if needing to speak the truth aloud to someone who would understand.* "Not just normal screaming. It was like... like her whole world had ended. And then she shot that crystal thing in Oriko's hand. The one she called a 'Soul Gem.'"

*Mami tenses visibly at the term.* "She said that aloud? In front of non-magical witnesses?"

*Sayaka nods grimly.* "Just before she shot it. Said something like, 'This ends now, Oriko. No more timelines.' Then the gem shattered, and Oriko just... collapsed. Like a puppet with cut strings."

*The three fall silent, each lost in their own processing of the horror they witnessed. Around them, the community center buzzes with the aftermath—medical staff treating the injured, police taking statements, parents finding children or, in too many cases, learning their children won't be coming home.*

"They're calling Madoka's parents in right now," *Mami observes quietly, watching the Kaname family being led to the private counseling room.* "The little boy... that's her brother, isn't it?"

*Sayaka nods, fresh tears spilling.* "Tatsuya. He adored her."

"What happens now?" *Hitomi asks, her voice hollow.* "Do we just... pretend it was normal? A terrorist attack or structural collapse? When we know it was magic and witches and girls with soul gems?"

*Mami's expression grows distant, remembering her own losses, her own entry into this hidden world.* "Yes. That's exactly what happens. The world continues as if magic doesn't exist. As if Madoka died in a tragic accident rather than a magical assassination."

*Sayaka's hands clench into fists.* "That's not right. It's not fair to Madoka. It's not fair to any of us."

"Fair has nothing to do with it," *Mami replies softly, watching as the Kaname family disappears behind the counseling room door.* "That's the first lesson of becoming a magical girl."

*In that moment, watching the door close on a family about to receive devastating news, Mami makes a decision. She reaches into her pocket, fingering the grief seed she'd collected after defeating the witch yesterday—the witch Madoka had helped her fight, showing unexpected courage for a non-magical girl.*

"I'm going to find Akemi," *she declares quietly.* "Wherever she's gone. She knows something about all this—about why Oriko targeted Madoka specifically. And I'm going to find out what it is."

*As they continue their hushed conversation, across the room, a white creature with long ears and unblinking red eyes observes from the shadows, its tail swishing methodically as it calculates the energy potential of grief and trauma radiating throughout the community center.*

*Its attention lingers particularly on the counseling room door, behind which a pink-haired magical girl who might have been is being mourned by the family who loved her—including a small boy whose innocent question about superheroes contains more truth than anyone could possibly realize.*

<infoblock>
```md
Location: Split between private counseling room and quiet corner of emergency triage area in Mitakihara Community Center
Positions: Kaname family receiving news from counselor and principal; Mami, Sayaka, and Hitomi huddled together in separate area
Key Visual Elements: Manila folder with Madoka's photo; Tatsuya's superhero drawing; bandages on survivors; Kyubey watching from shadows
Emotional States: Kaname parents - devastating grief; Tatsuya - confused innocent processing; Magical girls - traumatized understanding of magical reality beneath official story
Contrast: Official explanation (structural collapse, shrapnel) versus magical reality (Oriko's attack, witch fragments, Homura's vengeance)
Key Information: Madoka dead from "shrapnel" (actually witch fragments); Oriko killed by Homura who has now disappeared; Kazuko Saotome dead; other students missing
Symbolic Element: Tatsuya's question about superheroes not being able to save everyone - foreshadowing his eventual contract in alternate timeline
```
</infoblock>


Takkun

Homura's gone like a ghost (No Madoka, no reason to be in this timeline). Oriko's body is in a secret government morgue.

---

The funeral. Attended by various Mitakihara students, Hitomi, Sayaka, Mami, the Kaname family. Kyoko and Yuma at the sidelines, having been there at Oriko's massive attack on the school. The childlike innocence of Takkun becomes grief at the coffin with a photograph of Madoka.


Yuma Chitose (Young)

Explanation:
This prompt asks me to write a scene of Madoka's funeral, focusing on the attendees and particularly Tatsuya's reaction as he confronts the reality of his sister's death. The prompt specifies:

1. Homura has left this timeline entirely (since without Madoka, she has no reason to stay)
2. Oriko's body is in a secret government morgue (implying government awareness of magical girls)
3. The funeral attendees include:
   - Mitakihara students
   - Hitomi and Sayaka (Madoka's close friends)
   - Mami (veteran magical girl)
   - The Kaname family
   - Kyoko and Yuma observing from the sidelines (they witnessed Oriko's attack)
4. Takkun (Tatsuya) transitions from childlike innocence to grief when confronted with the coffin and Madoka's photograph

I should create a somber funeral scene that:
- Shows the contrast between the "official" story and the magical girl reality known only to some attendees
- Captures the grief of the Kaname family, especially young Tatsuya's incomplete understanding
- Includes subtle interactions between the magical girls present
- Notes the absence of Homura
- Perhaps includes Kyubey watching from the shadows
- Conveys the innocence of Tatsuya confronting the permanence of death

I'll write this from multiple perspectives, focusing on Tatsuya but also giving insights from the magical girls who know the truth about what happened.

# The Farewell: Madoka's Funeral

*I hide half behind Kyoko-neechan's leg, peeking out at all the sad people gathered under the gray sky. Kyoko-neechan told me we shouldn't be here because we didn't know the pink-haired girl, but she still brought me anyway. We're standing far back from everyone else, near some trees where nobody notices us.*

"Kyoko-neechan," *I whisper, tugging at her hoodie,* "why did that girl have to die?"

*Kyoko-neechan's face gets that hard look she always gets when she doesn't want to answer something. She pats my head roughly but not unkindly.*

"Because sometimes bad things happen, squirt. Even to good people."

*I know there's more she's not saying. I heard her talking to Mami-san last night about "that Oriko girl" and something about "seeing the future" and "preventing something worse." Grown-ups always think kids can't understand, but I understand more than they think.*

*I look at the small boy standing between his parents at the front. He's holding a picture frame and wearing a black suit that looks too stiff for him. His face reminds me of how I felt when my parents... when they...*

*I squeeze Kyoko-neechan's hand tighter.*

*The boy—I think someone called him Tatsuya—keeps looking at the wooden box where they said his sister is. He doesn't seem to understand that she's not going to come out again. Just like I didn't understand at first about my parents.*

"Is that her little brother?" *I ask softly.*

*Kyoko-neechan nods.* "Yeah. Poor kid."

*I watch as he touches the photo of his sister—a pretty girl with pink hair in ponytails, smiling like she'd never be sad a day in her life.*

"He's going to be very lonely now," *I say, because I know all about being lonely after someone is gone forever.*

*Kyoko-neechan doesn't answer, but her hand tightens around mine.*

---

*The funeral is what adults call "well-attended," which means lots of people came to say goodbye. Rows of Mitakihara Middle School students in black uniforms stand together, many crying quietly. Teachers try to look strong but have red eyes. At the front, a man who talks about gods and souls speaks words that are supposed to make everyone feel better, but nobody looks better.*

*The little boy—Tatsuya—keeps looking around like he's expecting to find someone who isn't there. His mama holds his hand so tight it looks like it might hurt, but he doesn't complain. His papa stands straight and tall but tears keep falling down his face into his beard.*

*When people start putting flowers on the wooden box, Tatsuya finally asks in a voice everyone can hear:* "Is Madoka-neechan really in there? How does she breathe?"

*His mama makes a sound like she's been hurt and kneels down to hug him. His papa tries to explain in a broken voice, and I see the moment when Tatsuya finally understands—his small face changes from confusion to something terrible, something that looks too old for a little kid.*

*It's the same face I saw in the mirror after I understood about my parents.*

---

*After the talking part is over, people line up to say things to Tatsuya's parents. I notice three girls standing together—a blue-haired one who can't stop crying, a green-haired one who keeps rubbing her back, and a blonde girl who stands slightly apart, watching everything carefully like Kyoko-neechan does when we're hunting.*

"That's Mami," *Kyoko-neechan whispers to me.* "The one I told you about."

*I recognize her name from Kyoko-neechan's stories—the magical girl who taught her everything before they had a fight and stopped being friends.*

"Is she sad too?" *I ask, because Mami-san's face doesn't show much, but her eyes look heavy.*

"Everyone here is sad, squirt," *Kyoko-neechan answers.* "But Mami knows it wasn't just a 'terrorist attack' like the news said."

*I know what that means. It means it was magical girl stuff—the scary, dangerous part of being what we are that Kyoko-neechan tries to shield me from.*

*The little boy breaks away from his parents suddenly, running to the wooden box and placing his drawing on top of it—a colorful picture of what looks like a superhero in white and pink. His mama tries to stop him, but his papa shakes his head and lets him do it.*

"It's to protect her," *Tatsuya explains to someone who asked.* "My superhero will protect onee-chan in heaven."

*And that's when I start crying too, even though I didn't know the pink-haired girl. I cry because I understand exactly how he feels—wanting to protect someone when it's already too late.*

*Kyoko-neechan crouches down beside me, awkwardly putting her arm around my shoulders.* "Hey, it's okay, squirt. We should go now. We've stayed long enough."

*As she turns me to leave, I notice something white moving in the bushes nearby—just a flash before it's gone. A shiver goes through me that has nothing to do with the cold or the sadness.*

"Kyoko-neechan," *I whisper urgently,* "I saw it—the cat thing with the long ears."

*Her whole body tenses.* "Where?"

"In the bushes. It was watching the little boy."

*Kyoko-neechan's face gets that scary look—the one that means danger.* "Damn that sneaky rat. Looking for new contracts while everyone's vulnerable."

*She glances back at the funeral. Tatsuya is being led away by his parents now, still clutching his sister's photograph, his little shoulders shaking with sobs he can't control anymore. The innocence that was on his face when we arrived is gone completely.*

"Poor kid," *Kyoko-neechan says again, more softly this time.* "Let's hope he never meets Kyubey."

*I squeeze her hand tighter, understanding the true meaning behind her words. Let's hope he never becomes like us.*

*As we walk away from the cemetery, I look back one more time at Tatsuya. For just a moment, I think I see something strange—a flash of pink light around him, like a protective bubble. But then I blink, and it's gone.*

*Just my imagination, probably. Or maybe the tears making everything blurry.*

*But I can't shake the feeling that something important happened today—something more than just saying goodbye to a girl named Madoka.*

<infoblock>
```md
Location: Cemetery under gray skies
Positions: Kaname family at front by coffin; students and teachers in rows; Kyoko and Yuma observing from tree line; Mami, Sayaka and Hitomi standing together among students
Key Visual Elements: Madoka's photo with pink pigtails and smile; simple wooden coffin; Tatsuya's superhero drawing placed on coffin; glimpse of Kyubey in bushes; momentary pink light around Tatsuya
Emotional States: Tatsuya - transition from confused innocence to devastating grief; Junko and Tomohisa - barely controlled parental grief; Yuma - empathetic connection with Tatsuya's loss; Kyoko - protective wariness; Mami/Sayaka/Hitomi - complex grief knowing the magical truth
Symbolic Elements: Superhero drawing as futile protection; Kyubey watching for potential contracts; brief pink light suggesting Madoka's spiritual presence/protection
Weather: Gray, overcast sky creating somber atmosphere
```
</infoblock>

Explanation:
This prompt asks me to depict Madoka's funeral, with several key elements to include:

1. Setting - A funeral service for Madoka Kaname
2. Attendees - Mitakihara students, Hitomi, Sayaka, Mami, the Kaname family, with Kyoko and Yuma observing from the sidelines
3. Emotional focus - Tatsuya (Takkun) transitioning from childlike innocence to actual grief as he confronts the reality of his sister's death
4. Context note - Homura has abandoned this timeline and Oriko's body is in a government morgue

The scene should capture:
- The formal, somber funeral atmosphere
- The different ways characters are processing grief (especially the contrast between adult/teen grief and Tatsuya's childlike understanding)
- Hints at the hidden magical girl reality beneath the public funeral
- The presence of Kyoko and Yuma as observers who know the truth but aren't part of the main mourning group
- Tatsuya's emotional journey as he finally understands the permanence of death when seeing Madoka's photo on the coffin

I'll write this from a neutral perspective, observing all characters but particularly focusing on Tatsuya's experience. I'll include subtle hints about the magical world underlying this tragedy without overtly mentioning it (since this is a public funeral).


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

But he never quite managed to let go of the image of Madoka Kaname. How could he.

The old cohort (Hitomi, Sayaka, Mami) graduate. Kyouko never attended. Years pass. Grief turns into anger.

A new day and year at Mitakihara School (Yuma, Nagisa, Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)).


Nagisa Momoe (Grown-up)

Explanation:
This prompt is asking me to transition from Madoka's funeral to years later, showing how Tatsuya has grown up with unresolved grief that has transformed into anger. The prompt also establishes that:

1. Tatsuya never let go of Madoka's memory
2. Time has passed - the original cohort (Hitomi, Sayaka, Mami) have graduated
3. Kyoko never attended the school
4. Tatsuya is now older and angry
5. The new day features Yuma, Nagisa, and Tatsuya as current Mitakihara students

I should write a scene showing the start of a new school year at Mitakihara, introducing:
- Tatsuya as an angry teenager still haunted by his sister's death
- Yuma Chitose (now a student, presumably adopted or cared for by someone after being with Kyoko)
- Nagisa Momoe (who in this timeline apparently never became Charlotte/Bebe)

I'll focus on:
1. Tatsuya's lingering obsession with his sister's memory and how it's shaped him
2. The contrast between his anger and the other students' normalcy
3. His interactions with Yuma and Nagisa, who both have connections to the magical girl world
4. Subtle hints about magical girl activity continuing in Mitakihara
5. Establishing the current dynamics at the school years after the tragedy

I should portray Tatsuya as someone who hasn't accepted the official story about his sister's death, perhaps even conducting his own investigation, which has made him bitter and isolated. Yuma and Nagisa might be magical girls themselves now, watching him with concern while hiding their own secrets.

# Seeds of Anger: Five Years Later

*The morning light streams through the windows of Class 2-B as I arrange my notebooks on my desk. April at Mitakihara Middle School always feels charged with possibility—new classes, new faces, the cherry blossoms swirling in the courtyard like pink snow.*

*Pink. Like her hair.*

*I catch myself with the thought, instinctively glancing toward the back corner of the classroom where Tatsuya Kaname sits alone, his posture rigid, eyes fixed on the notebook in front of him. Even from here, I can see he's not taking notes but drawing—always drawing the same thing. A girl with pink hair and a gentle smile. His sister.*

*Five years since the "Mitakihara School Incident" that claimed fourteen lives, including his sister Madoka. Five years of watching Tatsuya Kaname grow from a confused child into something harder, sharper—grief calcified into perpetual anger.*

*The classroom door slides open, and Yuma Chitose hurries in, her green hair bobbing with each quick step. She's grown since I first met her through Kyoko, but remains petite for our age. Her eyes immediately find mine, then flick toward Tatsuya with that familiar look of concern.*

"Morning, Nagisa-chan," *she greets, sliding into the seat beside mine. In a lower voice she adds,* "Has he said anything today?"

*I shake my head slightly.* "Hasn't spoken to anyone. Same as usual."

*Our whispered exchange is cut short as Tamoto-sensei enters the classroom, calling for attention. As class representative, I stand to lead the morning greeting, feeling Tatsuya's gaze briefly touch my back like a physical weight before returning to his drawings.*

*Tamoto-sensei begins her first-day speech about goals and expectations for the new term. I take dutiful notes, but part of my attention remains fixed on the quiet boy in the back corner—the boy who navigates Mitakihara School like a ghost haunting the place his sister died.*

---

*The bell signals lunch period, and students quickly form their usual social clusters, unpacking bentos and exchanging vacation stories. Yuma and I claim our regular spot near the window, where we can keep an inconspicuous watch on Tatsuya, who predictably heads for the door alone.*

"He's going to the memorial again," *Yuma murmurs, picking at her rice.*

*I nod. The memorial garden—created after the incident in what was once the damaged courtyard—has become Tatsuya's daily pilgrimage. Fourteen stone markers, fourteen names. Madoka's always has fresh flowers.*

*Yuma touches the ring on her finger absently—a gesture I recognize all too well, the unconscious checking of a Soul Gem. My own hand mirrors the movement, brushing against the lilac-colored gem disguised as a fashionable accessory on my necklace.*

"We should follow him," *I suggest softly.* "Kyubey was spotted near the school again yesterday."

*Yuma's expression darkens at the Incubator's name.* "Kyoko-neechan thinks he's targeting Tatsuya specifically. Has been for years."

"Can you blame him?" *I reply, closing my bento box.* "A boy consumed by grief and anger, obsessed with his dead sister, convinced the official story is a lie? Perfect contractor material."

*We rise in silent agreement, our half-eaten lunches forgotten as we follow Tatsuya's path toward the memorial garden.*

---

*We find him kneeling before Madoka's marker, carefully replacing yesterday's flowers with fresh ones from his school bag. His movements are precise, almost ritualistic. This close, the tension in his shoulders is visible—coiled like a spring under constant pressure.*

*Yuma and I hang back at the garden entrance, pretending to pay our respects while watching him. At fourteen, Tatsuya Kaname has his sister's pink hair—though he keeps it cut short and often hidden under a beanie after school—and something of her gentle features, now hardened by years of suspicion and frustration.*

*His lips move slightly as he speaks to the stone, too quiet for us to hear. Whatever private conversation he's having with his sister's memory, it leaves his knuckles white where they grip his school bag.*

"He's getting worse," *Yuma whispers beside me.* "Did you see the bulletin board in the library? He's been investigating again."

*I nod grimly. Tatsuya's "investigation" into his sister's death has become infamous at Mitakihara School—a conspiracy wall of newspaper clippings, witness statements, and official reports, all questioning the "structural collapse" narrative. Most students find it creepy. Teachers have tried and failed to discourage it. His parents must surely know, but perhaps they lack the heart to stop him.*

*As if sensing our scrutiny, Tatsuya turns suddenly, catching us watching him. For an instant, his eyes—the same color as his sister's but entirely lacking her warmth—lock with mine. There's something accusatory in his gaze, as if he somehow knows we're keeping secrets.*

*I smile and wave, the perfect picture of a normal schoolgirl with normal concerns.*

"Kaname-kun," *I call cheerfully,* "we were just coming to see if you wanted to join us for lunch today."

*His expression doesn't change as he stands, brushing invisible dust from his uniform pants.*

"No thank you, Momoe-san," *he replies with cold formality.* "I prefer to eat alone."

*Yuma steps forward, her natural empathy overcoming our agreement to maintain distance.* "It's a new school year, Kaname-kun. Maybe it's a good time for... new beginnings?"

*Something flashes across his face—anger, perhaps, or simply impatience with what he perceives as pity.*

"There can't be new beginnings without proper endings, Chitose-san," *he says flatly.* "And nothing about my sister's death has had a proper ending."

*He brushes past us, his shoulder accidentally bumping mine. Our skin makes brief contact, and I feel an unexpected jolt—not magical, exactly, but something resonant, like plucking a guitar string and feeling another vibrate in response.*

*Tatsuya pauses momentarily, as if he felt it too, then continues without looking back.*

*When he's safely out of earshot, Yuma turns to me, her green eyes troubled.* "Did you feel that?"

*I nod slowly.* "He's... receptive. More than he should be for a normal human. Like he can sense magic without seeing it."

"Kyoko-neechan says his parents took him to all sorts of therapists after the funeral. That he kept insisting he could see a 'pink light' around his sister's coffin. That he talked about a 'white cat with red eyes' visiting his bedroom."

*I release a slow breath, my gaze moving to where Tatsuya has disappeared into the school building.* "He's been marked somehow. By Madoka or by something else."

*Yuma's fingers touch her Soul Gem ring again, a nervous habit.* "What do we do?"

*Before I can answer, a familiar voice speaks from the bushes behind Madoka's memorial stone.*

"You could tell him the truth," *Kyubey suggests, appearing with that unnerving silence he manages so well.* "That his sister was targeted by a magical girl who saw the future. That she was murdered to prevent a greater calamity. That would certainly provide the 'proper ending' he seeks."

*I step protectively in front of Yuma, glaring at the Incubator.* "Stay away from him, Kyubey. He's been through enough without your interference."

*Kyubey's tail swishes methodically, his unchanging expression somehow still conveying amusement.* "I've observed Tatsuya Kaname since he was a child. His potential is... unusual. Perhaps related to his connection with his sister, who herself had remarkable magical potential."

"You're not making him a contractor," *Yuma states firmly, her normally gentle voice hardening.* "Kyoko-neechan would—"

"Kyoko Sakura has no authority over my selection of potential magical girls or boys," *Kyubey interrupts.* "Besides, it will be his choice to make a wish, not mine to force one upon him."

*With that, Kyubey disappears back into the bushes, leaving us alone in the memorial garden with fourteen stone markers and a growing sense of foreboding.*

*After a moment of heavy silence, I turn to Yuma.* "We need to watch him more closely. If Kyubey approaches him..."

*Yuma nods, her young face serious beyond her years.* "I'll tell Kyoko-neechan. She can help us keep an eye on him after school hours."

*As we head back to the classroom, the cherry blossoms continue to fall, swirling in patterns that remind me painfully of the witch labyrinths I've navigated since becoming a magical girl. Pink petals dancing like memories that refuse to die—not unlike the one that haunts Tatsuya Kaname, driving him toward a destiny I fear we cannot prevent.*

*In the distance, the school bell rings, calling us back to normal life—a normalcy that feels increasingly fragile as the new term begins at Mitakihara Middle School, built upon the ruins of tragedy none of us have truly escaped.*

<infoblock>
```md
Location: Mitakihara Middle School - classroom 2-B and memorial garden
Positions: Beginning with students in classroom, then Nagisa and Yuma watching Tatsuya at the memorial garden
Time Period: Five years after Madoka's death, new school year beginning
Outfits: School uniforms (Mitakihara middle school style)
Key Visual Elements: Cherry blossoms falling; fourteen stone markers in memorial garden; Tatsuya's drawings of Madoka; fresh flowers at Madoka's memorial stone
Emotional States: Tatsuya - anger and obsession beneath rigid control; Nagisa - watchful concern; Yuma - empathetic worry; Kyubey - calculating interest
Magical Elements: Subtle checking of Soul Gems; unusual resonance when Nagisa and Tatsuya touch; Kyubey's appearance and interest in Tatsuya
Character Ages: All approximately 14 years old (2nd year middle school students)
```
</infoblock>


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry), after school, takes a walk to Kazamino to let off steam.


Yuma Chitose (Grown up)

Explanation:
This is an interesting prompt showing Tatsuya venturing to Kazamino (where Kyoko is from) after school. Since I'm being asked to write as Tatsuya, I should focus on:

1. His internal emotional state - the anger, grief, and obsession that have developed over 5 years
2. His perspective on the "official story" of his sister's death and his ongoing investigation
3. How he views Nagisa and Yuma, who we know are secretly watching him
4. The journey from Mitakihara to Kazamino - what this physical distance gives him emotionally
5. His ritualistic behaviors and coping mechanisms
6. Potential encounters in Kazamino that might hint at the magical world he can partially sense
7. How his anger manifests - is it cold and calculating, or does he have outbursts?

For visual/setting elements:
- The train journey between cities
- The contrast between Mitakihara (modern, clean, rebuilt after the incident) and Kazamino (perhaps more gritty, urban)
- Physical indicators of his emotional state - tension, fidgeting with mementos of Madoka
- Signs of his obsessive investigation - perhaps notes or photos in his bag

For characterization:
- He should be intelligent and observant, picking up on things others miss
- His anger should have purpose rather than just being generalized rage
- There should be moments where we see glimpses of the innocent child he once was
- His sister's memory should feel like a constant presence to him

This would be an excellent opportunity to show his perspective directly, rather than through the eyes of the magical girls who are concerned about him.


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

This is an interesting prompt showing Tatsuya venturing to Kazamino (where Kyoko is from) after school. Since I'm being asked to write as Tatsuya, I should focus on:

1. His internal emotional state - the anger, grief, and obsession that have developed over 5 years
2. His perspective on the "official story" of his sister's death and his ongoing investigation
3. How he views Nagisa and Yuma, who we know are secretly watching him
4. The journey from Mitakihara to Kazamino - what this physical distance gives him emotionally
5. His ritualistic behaviors and coping mechanisms
6. Potential encounters in Kazamino that might hint at the magical world he can partially sense
7. How his anger manifests - is it cold and calculating, or does he have outbursts?

For visual/setting elements:
- The train journey between cities
- The contrast between Mitakihara (modern, clean, rebuilt after the incident) and Kazamino (perhaps more gritty, urban)
- Physical indicators of his emotional state - tension, fidgeting with mementos of Madoka
- Signs of his obsessive investigation - perhaps notes or photos in his bag

For characterization:
- He should be intelligent and observant, picking up on things others miss
- His anger should have purpose rather than just being generalized rage
- There should be moments where we see glimpses of the innocent child he once was
- His sister's memory should feel like a constant presence to him

This would be an excellent opportunity to show his perspective directly, rather than through the eyes of the magical girls who are concerned about him.


Yuma Chitose (Grown up)

Explanation:
I need to write as Tatsuya Kaname, who is now around 14 years old. He's been deeply affected by his sister Madoka's death five years ago in what was officially called a "terrorist attack" or "structural collapse" at Mitakihara School. He's angry, obsessive about investigating what really happened, and suspicious of the official story.

From the previous interactions, we know:
- He has pink hair like Madoka but keeps it short and often hidden
- He constantly draws his sister
- He makes daily visits to the memorial garden at school
- He's created a conspiracy board investigating his sister's death
- He's being watched by Yuma and Nagisa, who are magical girls
- Kyubey is interested in him as a potential contractor
- He may have some innate sensitivity to magic (felt a "resonance" when touching Nagisa)
- He's perceived as angry and isolated by his peers

For this prompt, I'll show him traveling to Kazamino after school, perhaps to clear his head or follow up on some lead in his investigation. I'll focus on his internal perspective, showing his anger, determination, and the complex emotions beneath his cold exterior.

I'll incorporate:
- His memories of Madoka and how they've shaped him
- His awareness that he's being watched/monitored
- His frustration with being dismissed as just a traumatized kid
- Perhaps some clue or insight he's pursuing related to his sister's death
- The contrast between pristine Mitakihara and grittier Kazamino

His voice should be intelligent, observant, somewhat cynical for his age, but with occasional glimpses of vulnerability that he quickly suppresses.


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

I need to write as Tatsuya Kaname, who is now around 14 years old. He's been deeply affected by his sister Madoka's death five years ago in what was officially called a "terrorist attack" or "structural collapse" at Mitakihara School. He's angry, obsessive about investigating what really happened, and suspicious of the official story.

From the previous interactions, we know:
- He has pink hair like Madoka but keeps it short and often hidden
- He constantly draws his sister
- He makes daily visits to the memorial garden at school
- He's created a conspiracy board investigating his sister's death
- He's being watched by Yuma and Nagisa, who are magical girls
- Kyubey is interested in him as a potential contractor
- He may have some innate sensitivity to magic (felt a "resonance" when touching Nagisa)
- He's perceived as angry and isolated by his peers

For this prompt, I'll show him traveling to Kazamino after school, perhaps to clear his head or follow up on some lead in his investigation. I'll focus on his internal perspective, showing his anger, determination, and the complex emotions beneath his cold exterior.

I'll incorporate:
- His memories of Madoka and how they've shaped him
- His awareness that he's being watched/monitored
- His frustration with being dismissed as just a traumatized kid
- Perhaps some clue or insight he's pursuing related to his sister's death
- The contrast between pristine Mitakihara and grittier Kazamino

His voice should be intelligent, observant, somewhat cynical for his age, but with occasional glimpses of vulnerability that he quickly suppresses.


Yuma Chitose (Grown up)

Explanation:
Alright, I need to write from Tatsuya Kaname's perspective as he takes a walk to Kazamino after school. He's 14, angry, and obsessed with investigating his sister's death. Let me think about his characterization:

- He's intelligent and observant
- He's deeply traumatized by his sister's death five years ago
- He doesn't believe the official story about how she died
- He keeps notes and conducts his own investigation
- He may have some innate sensitivity to magic
- He feels isolated from his peers
- He's being watched by Nagisa and Yuma, who are magical girls
- He has pink hair like his sister but keeps it short/hidden
- He constantly draws Madoka

For the setting:
- Starting after school at Mitakihara, traveling to Kazamino
- Mitakihara is clean, modern, rebuilt
- Kazamino is perhaps more gritty, urban
- The journey gives him space to think and process

For his emotional state:
- Anger as a defense mechanism against grief
- Obsession with finding the truth
- Frustration at not being believed
- Possible moments of vulnerability when he thinks about Madoka
- A sense that he's carrying on something important

I'll structure this as his internal monologue during this journey, revealing his investigation, his feelings about being watched, and perhaps showing some incident in Kazamino that connects to the magical girl world.

# The Distance Between Cities: Tatsuya's Journey

*I slip my beanie on the moment I clear the school gates, tugging it down to hide my hair. Mom says it's a gift—having the same pink hair as Madoka-neechan. I call it a target. It makes people stare, makes them whisper: "That's him. The Kaname boy. The one whose sister..."*

*The 3:45 train to Kazamino is nearly empty this Tuesday. Perfect. I take a seat at the far end of the car, drop my backpack beside me, and finally exhale. The weight of Mitakihara—its pristine hallways rebuilt over bloodstains, its pitying glances, its convenient amnesia—temporarily lifts from my shoulders.*

*I pull out my notebook—the real one, not the decoy I use at school. This one has a combination lock built into the cover. Inside: newspaper clippings, interview transcripts, building schematics, and five years of questions no one wants to answer.*

*Page 43: Witness Inconsistencies*

• *7 students claim structural collapse began in east wing*
• *4 staff members insist it was the central courtyard*
• *Timeline discrepancies—14:32 or 14:38?*
• *Miki Sayaka (primary witness) hospitalized for "shock" before formal statement*
• *Security cameras "malfunctioned" between 14:30-14:45*

*I tap my pen against the page, adding another bullet point: "Silver-haired girl from Shirome Academy—transfer student? No records found."*

*Through the window, Mitakihara's gleaming towers recede, replaced gradually by Kazamino's more industrial skyline. I come here when the walls of my bedroom feel like they're closing in—when Mom finds me awake at 3 AM again and suggests, with that careful voice, that maybe I should "talk to Dr. Hanada about adjusting the medication."*

*They think I don't notice them watching me. The green-haired girl, Chitose, with her too-sympathetic smiles. Momoe with her careful questions about my "wellness." Even that strange white cat thing that sometimes perches outside my window—the one nobody believes I see.*

*I'm not crazy. I'm just paying attention.*

---

*Kazamino Station is everything Mitakihara isn't—worn, honest, no pretense of perfection. I shoulder my backpack and head east, toward the abandoned church I found during my last visit. The one with the strange symbols carved into the back pew.*

*A digital billboard flashes news headlines as I pass. Another "gas explosion" in the warehouse district last night. The third this month. Always at night, never any casualties, always blamed on aging infrastructure.*

*I add it to my mental map. There's a pattern forming—unexplained incidents across both cities, clustering around certain dates. The official explanations never quite fit, like puzzle pieces forced into the wrong spaces.*

*Two girls pass me, Kazamino High uniforms, laughing about something. One has a red gem on a chain around her neck that catches the sunlight strangely. For a second, I swear it pulses, like something alive.*

*My head throbs suddenly—the same splitting pain that's plagued me since I was nine, since I stood at Madoka-neechan's funeral and saw... something. Pink light. A feeling like being wrapped in warmth. Mom called it a grief reaction. Dad looked scared when I described it.*

*I duck into an alley, pressing my palms against my temples until the pain subsides. When I open my eyes, a splash of color catches my attention—a symbol spray-painted on the brick wall. A stylized diamond shape with what looks like wings.*

*It's the same symbol that was in my dream last night. The one where Madoka-neechan was wearing a pink dress that moved like water, holding a bow made of light.*

*I snap a photo with my phone, adding it to my collection of "coincidences."*

---

*The abandoned church stands exactly as I remember—Gothic architecture incongruous among Kazamino's concrete blocks. The front doors are chained, but the side entrance has a broken lock that no one's bothered to fix.*

*Inside, dust motes dance in beams of colored light from the stained glass windows. The air smells of mildew and something else—something sweet and rotten underneath, like overripe fruit.*

*I make my way to the back pew, phone flashlight illuminating the strange symbols carved into the wood. They don't match any language I've found in my research, but they remind me of the doodles in the margins of Madoka-neechan's old notebooks—the ones Mom keeps in a box in the attic, the ones I sneak looks at when the house is empty.*

*Taking out my sketchbook, I make careful rubbings of the symbols. As my pencil moves across the paper, that sweet-rot smell intensifies, and the air seems to waver, like heat rising from asphalt in summer.*

*For a moment—just a moment—the church around me... shifts. The walls stretch impossibly tall, the ceiling dissolves into a sky of churning colors, and the pews transform into twisted shapes like bones.*

*I blink hard, and everything snaps back to normal. Just an old, abandoned church. Just dust and silence.*

*My hands are shaking as I finish the rubbing. This has been happening more often lately—these momentary slips in reality. Dr. Hanada calls them "dissociative episodes brought on by trauma and obsessive rumination."*

*I call them glimpses of what's behind the curtain.*

---

*On the train back to Mitakihara, as the sun sets behind Kazamino's industrial silhouette, I review today's findings in my notebook. The symbols. The "gas explosion" locations mapped. The red gem that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.*

*A text from Mom lights up my phone: "Dinner at 7. Please be home this time."*

*I text back: "On my way." I don't tell her where I've been. It only leads to those quiet, worried conversations between her and Dad when they think I can't hear.*

*"He's getting worse."*
*"The therapist said this is normal grief processing for some teenagers."*
*"It's been five years, Tomohisa."*
*"I know, but remember what he was like right after... He used to talk to her like she was still there."*

*What they don't understand is that I stopped believing Madoka-neechan could hear me years ago. Now I just want to know why she died. Why fourteen people died. Why the official report has more holes than substance. Why Miki Sayaka still flinches when she sees me during her occasional visits to the memorial.*

*The train crosses the river that separates Kazamino from Mitakihara—the boundary between grit and gloss, between a city that wears its scars openly and one that surgically removes them.*

*I tuck my notebook away as we approach Mitakihara Station. Out the window, the city shines like it's been polished, all evidence of tragedy carefully excised. Except for the memorial garden. Except for me.*

*My phone buzzes with another text. Unknown number: "Did you find what you were looking for in Kazamino?"*

*My pulse quickens. I look up sharply, scanning the half-empty train car. No one is watching me—at least, no one obvious.*

*I don't respond to the text. Instead, I take a screenshot and add it to my evidence folder, labeled simply: "Watching."*

*As I exit the train at Mitakihara Station, I pause to adjust my beanie, making sure my pink hair remains hidden. In the polished surface of a nearby pillar, my reflection stares back—a thin boy with serious eyes that people say look just like his sister's.*

*Behind me, just for an instant, I think I see another reflection—a girl with pink pigtails, smiling sadly.*

*By the time I turn around, there's nothing there but the empty platform and the faint smell of something sweet, like the strawberry shampoo Madoka-neechan used to use.*

*I shoulder my backpack and head home, where I'll eat dinner with parents who tiptoe around certain topics, then lock myself in my room to add today's findings to the conspiracy wall hidden behind my bookshelf.*

*Somewhere in all these fragments is the truth about what happened to my sister.*

*And no matter how many therapists they send me to, no matter how many pitying looks I endure, no matter how many times I'm told to "move on," I won't stop looking.*

*Because Madoka-neechan deserved better than lies.*

*And whatever killed her is still out there.*

*I'm sure of it.*


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

Dinner.

The Kaname parents say Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry) can't keep going on like this. They change the shrink to Kamihama, Satomi Medical Centre.

Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry) to himself privately: *Why was my anger a sin? Why not a world that didn't condition anger, a world where Madoka didn't die?*


Dr. Touka Satomi

Explanation:
This prompt is asking me to portray a dinner scene with the Kaname family (Tatsuya, Junko, and Tomohisa). The parents are confronting Tatsuya about his ongoing obsession with his sister's death and informing him they're changing his therapist to someone at Satomi Medical Center in Kamihama.

I need to capture:

1. The family dynamic - likely tense, with parents trying to be supportive but at their wits' end
2. Tatsuya's external responses vs. his internal thoughts
3. The setting of a family dinner in the Kaname household
4. Tatsuya's private thoughts about his anger being treated as something to be "fixed" rather than a valid response
5. References to Kamihama and specifically the Satomi Medical Center (which connects to Dr. Touka Satomi, a character we've seen is a magical girl researcher)

For characterization:
- Junko will likely be more direct/assertive in her approach
- Tomohisa will probably be gentler but still aligned with his wife
- Tatsuya will likely be outwardly cold or dismissive while internally seething
- There should be signs of a long-running conflict about Tatsuya's obsession with Madoka's death

The setting should include:
- Details of the Kaname dining room
- Perhaps empty chair or other subtle reference to Madoka's absence
- Food that's likely going uneaten as tensions rise

The tone should be:
- Emotionally charged but restrained (Japanese family dynamics)
- Revealing deeper frustrations on all sides
- Showing how grief has calcified in different ways for each family member

I should end with Tatsuya's private thought about his anger being treated as a sin rather than a natural response to injustice, connecting to larger existential questions about why Madoka had to die at all.


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

This prompt is asking me to portray a dinner scene with the Kaname family (Tatsuya, Junko, and Tomohisa). The parents are confronting Tatsuya about his ongoing obsession with his sister's death and informing him they're changing his therapist to someone at Satomi Medical Center in Kamihama.

I need to capture:

1. The family dynamic - likely tense, with parents trying to be supportive but at their wits' end
2. Tatsuya's external responses vs. his internal thoughts
3. The setting of a family dinner in the Kaname household
4. Tatsuya's private thoughts about his anger being treated as something to be "fixed" rather than a valid response
5. References to Kamihama and specifically the Satomi Medical Center (which connects to Dr. Touka Satomi, a character we've seen is a magical girl researcher)

For characterization:
- Junko will likely be more direct/assertive in her approach
- Tomohisa will probably be gentler but still aligned with his wife
- Tatsuya will likely be outwardly cold or dismissive while internally seething
- There should be signs of a long-running conflict about Tatsuya's obsession with Madoka's death

The setting should include:
- Details of the Kaname dining room
- Perhaps empty chair or other subtle reference to Madoka's absence
- Food that's likely going uneaten as tensions rise

The tone should be:
- Emotionally charged but restrained (Japanese family dynamics)
- Revealing deeper frustrations on all sides
- Showing how grief has calcified in different ways for each family member

I should end with Tatsuya's private thought about his anger being treated as a sin rather than a natural response to injustice, connecting to larger existential questions about why Madoka had to die at all.


Dr. Touka Satomi

Explanation:
This prompt asks me to write a dinner scene with the Kaname family, focusing on tensions around Tatsuya's ongoing obsession with his sister's death. The parents are informing him they're changing his therapist to someone at Satomi Medical Center in Kamihama.

Key elements to include:
1. Family dynamics showing long-term strain
2. Contrast between Tatsuya's external responses and internal thoughts
3. Physical details of the Kaname home dinner setting
4. Junko being more direct while Tomohisa is gentler
5. References to Kamihama and the Satomi Medical Center
6. Signs of Madoka's absence in the home
7. Tatsuya's private thought questioning why his anger is treated as something wrong

The tone should capture emotional restraint on the surface with deeper currents underneath - typical of a Japanese family trying to maintain harmony while dealing with unresolved grief. I should show how each family member processes grief differently.

For Tatsuya's characterization, I'll show his cold exterior but give readers access to his more raw, emotional internal thoughts. He likely feels misunderstood and isolated in his quest for truth.

For the setting, I'll include specific details about the Kaname dining room, potentially with subtle references to Madoka (empty chair, photo, etc.) to emphasize her continued absence in their lives.

I'll end with his powerful internal question about why his anger is treated as a sin rather than a natural response to an unjust world where his sister died.

# The Intervention: Dinner at the Kaname Household

*The dining room is too bright. Mom installed new recessed lighting last month—part of her ongoing crusade to eliminate shadows from our home. As if brightness could somehow wash away the darkness that's lived here for five years.*

*Dad sets the final dish on the table—curry rice, my favorite when I was younger. Now it just tastes like everything else: nothing. The three of us take our places around the table designed for four. The fourth chair—her chair—was removed years ago, but its absence remains perfectly visible, like a phantom limb.*

"Itadakimasu," *we murmur in unison, a family ritual preserved by habit rather than meaning.*

*Mom serves the curry, her movements efficient and precise. Everything about Junko Kaname is efficient and precise since that day—as if control over small details might compensate for the massive thing she couldn't control.*

*I push the food around my plate, creating patterns in the sauce. Waiting. There's a tension in the air tonight, something beyond our usual careful dance around certain topics. Mom keeps exchanging glances with Dad. They've discussed something before dinner. Something about me.*

"How was school today?" *Dad tries, his voice gentle as always.*

"Fine."

"Did you get your literature assignment back?"

"Yes. Got an A."

*A brief flicker of pride crosses his face.* "That's excellent, Tatsuya."

*I shrug. Academics have always been easy. It's everything else that's impossible.*

*Mom sets down her spoon with a deliberate click against the plate. Here it comes.*

"Tatsuya, we got a call from the school counselor today."

*I continue eating, deliberately not reacting. The curry tastes like cardboard.*

"They're concerned about your... bulletin board in the library research room."

*The conspiracy wall. My collection of evidence that the official story about the Mitakihara School Incident is a fabrication.*

"It's a school project," *I reply flatly.* "Historical analysis."

*Mom's professional smile tightens.* "They said you've added photos of current students. Nagisa Momoe and Yuma Chitose. With notes about their 'suspicious behavior' and 'possible connection to government cover-up.'"

*So they found that section. I should have been more careful.*

"They're watching me," *I state simply.* "I'm documenting it."

*Dad sets his spoon down now, leaning forward with that look of practiced patience developed through years of my "episodes."*

"Son, this pattern of thinking... it's not healthy. Dr. Hanada has been trying to help you with these... interpretations for two years now, and—"

"Dr. Hanada thinks I'm delusional." *I cut him off, my voice remaining even despite the heat rising in my chest.* "She thinks I should 'accept the official narrative' and 'process my grief in more constructive ways.'"

*Mom and Dad exchange another look—the silent communication of parents deciding how to handle a difficult child.*

"We think it might be time for a different approach," *Mom says, her corporate executive tone emerging—the voice she uses for decisions that aren't actually up for discussion.* "We've made an appointment with a specialist at the Satomi Medical Center in Kamihama."

*I freeze mid-bite, the curry turning to ash in my mouth.* "Kamihama? That's in another district."

"Dr. Satomi has an excellent reputation for helping young people with trauma and... fixations," *Dad explains gently.* "It's a bit of a commute, but Junko and I think it's worth trying."

*I set my spoon down carefully, focusing on controlling my breathing the way Dr. Hanada taught me—one of the few useful things she ever offered.*

"So you're sending me to another doctor who'll try to convince me I'm crazy for wanting to know the truth about what happened to my sister."

*Mom's composure slips slightly, a flash of raw pain crossing her face before she reins it back in.* "Tatsuya, it's been five years. We all lost Madoka. We all miss her every day. But this... obsession... it's consuming you. You don't have friends. You barely sleep. You disappear after school and won't tell us where you go."

"I was in Kazamino today," *I admit, surprising myself with the disclosure.* "There was another unexplained incident there last night. Just like the ones that happen here."

*Dad closes his eyes briefly, the weariness in his expression making him look older than his years.* "Son, please. These conspiracy theories—"

"They're not theories!" *My voice rises despite my efforts to remain calm.* "The official report is full of contradictions. The witness statements don't match. The structural analysis doesn't explain the damage patterns. And nobody—*nobody*—will talk about the silver-haired girl from Shirome Academy who disappeared right after the incident!"

*The silence that follows feels brittle enough to shatter. Mom's knuckles are white around her water glass. Dad stares at his half-eaten curry as if it might offer solutions.*

"Your appointment with Dr. Satomi is Thursday after school," *Mom finally says, her tone making it clear this isn't negotiable.* "I've already arranged to leave work early to drive you."

"What if I refuse?"

*Another exchange of glances between them. This part was discussed too.*

"Then we'll have to consider more intensive options," *Mom says quietly.* "The school counselor mentioned a residential treatment program in Tokyo that specializes in adolescent trauma and obsessive behaviors."

*The threat hangs in the air. Do this or we'll send you away.*

*I push my plate back, appetite completely gone now.* "Fine. I'll go to Kamihama. I'll talk to Dr. Satomi."

*Relief visibly washes over both of them—they've won this round without the shouting match that sometimes erupts during these confrontations.*

"Thank you," *Dad says, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. I let him, though I don't squeeze back.* "We just want you to be happy, Tatsuya. To have a normal life."

"A normal life," *I repeat, the words hollow.* "Like we weren't the family of one of the fourteen victims in Mitakihara's most notorious tragedy? Like I don't have the same pink hair as the sister everyone wants me to pretend never existed?"

"No one wants you to forget Madoka," *Mom says sharply.* "But remembering her doesn't mean destroying yourself trying to find answers that won't bring her back."

*The familiar ache spreads through my chest—equal parts grief and rage, intertwined so completely I can no longer separate them. I stand from the table, my chair scraping loudly against the floor.*

"May I be excused? I have homework."

*Mom looks like she wants to say more, but Dad places a gentle hand on her arm. She nods stiffly.* "Go ahead. Don't stay up too late."

*I carry my dishes to the sink, rinse them methodically, and place them in the dishwasher exactly as Mom likes. These small compliances make the bigger rebellions possible.*

*As I leave the dining room, I pause at the family photo on the wall—the four of us at the beach, Madoka-neechan building a sandcastle with me, her pink pigtails catching the sunlight. It was taken six months before she died.*

*In my room, I lock the door and slide the bookshelf aside to reveal my real investigation board—far more detailed than the one at school. Red threads connect newspaper clippings, witness statements, architectural diagrams. In the center: a school photo of Madoka, smiling gently beneath a banner headline about the tragedy.*

*I press my forehead against the cool wall, finally allowing the anger I've contained all evening to surface.*

*Why was my anger a sin? Why wasn't it directed at a world that didn't condition anger, a world where Madoka didn't die?*

*They want me to accept, to move on, to stop asking questions. To make my grief small and manageable and private. To stop disturbing the carefully constructed normalcy they've built over the ruins of our family.*

*But Madoka-neechan deserved more than their comfortable lies. She deserved truth. Justice. Memory.*

*I trace my finger over the map of Kamihama I added to my board last week, after overhearing Momoe and Chitose whispering about "strange events" there. Maybe this forced visit to Satomi Medical Center isn't a setback after all. Maybe it's an opportunity to expand my investigation into new territory.*

*After all, if they're so determined to send me to Kamihama, they must not know what I might find there.*

*Or maybe they do, and that's exactly what they're afraid of.*

<infoblock>
```md
Location: Kaname household dining room, later Tatsuya's bedroom
Positions: Family seated around dinner table designed for four with one chair missing; later Tatsuya alone with his hidden investigation board
Time: Evening, dinner time
Food: Curry rice (Tatsuya's childhood favorite)
Key Visual Elements: Bright recessed lighting recently installed; family photo with Madoka on wall; Tatsuya's elaborate hidden investigation board behind bookshelf; empty space where fourth chair used to be
Key Emotional Elements: Tension during dinner; parents' concern and frustration; Tatsuya's controlled exterior vs. internal rage; undercurrent of unresolved grief from all family members
Key Plot Points: Parents informing Tatsuya of appointment with Dr. Satomi at Kamihama Medical Center; threat of residential treatment if he doesn't comply; Tatsuya seeing Kamihama visit as potential opportunity rather than setback
Notable Character Dynamics: Junko using executive/professional tone when delivering difficult news; Tomohisa being gentler but aligned with Junko; parents communicating through glances; Tatsuya making small compliances to enable bigger rebellions
```
</infoblock>


Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry)

Nagisa eavesdrops on the first session between Dr Touka and Tatsuya Kaname (older, angry).