18 Seconds of Dawn
I played the 2025 Creative Awards to the fullest.
Five creative works in these four months.
+ four strange essays.
This time, I also challenged myself in the fantasy category.
"It was fun." That is all.
A little introduction to the work.
"18 Seconds of Dawn"
Synopsis
In the snow-bound town of Finloch, people repeated the same "today" over and over.
A boy named Nao, while losing his memories, is guided by a white cat named Misha and begins to remember "yesterday."
A stopped clock, a half-read picture book, a cat that saw the end of the world, and—a train that appears at "6:41:18."
It was a one-time journey to reclaim a "promise" left behind in the past.
Crossing the snow of oblivion, Nao boards the Never Train with a girl named Yoake to choose "tomorrow."
At 18 seconds past dawn, the stopped time begins to move.
Characters
■ Nao
A boy who lost his memories.
In a world that has forgotten "yesterday," he follows a slight sense of unease and the guidance of a white cat named Misha, choosing a journey into the past.
A stopped clock and the time "6:41:18" change his destiny.
■ Misha
A white cat that walks outside of time in the snowy town.
Nao follows the small footprints left in the snow, leading him on a journey to yesterday.
■ Yoake
Nao's childhood friend, a girl who appeared to "choose tomorrow." Her existence fades as time progresses.
■ Persi
A quiet newspaper delivery man who delivers newspapers and letters in the town of Finloch.
The "letter from the past" that arrived for Nao was something he had delivered.
He was Misha's former owner and one of the first to notice the anomaly in time.
■ The Man with the Black Pocket Watch
A being like a guardian of time who wanders without losing his memories. His true identity is someone who could not forget "a prayer from the past." For Nao, he becomes a threat to both the future and the past.
■ Toko-san
A man who runs a small snow boot shop on the outskirts of town.
In the snow-deep town, he has quietly and for a long time continued to protect the feet of each person.
The pair he gave on the morning of the departure entrusts a final gift for "a today that can never be returned to."
The theme of this work is the back alley.
Konishi Kinoko I wrote about the belief of "not fearing change" proposed by her, as well as kind people and people who walk through kind time.
For the characters, I had persi-san and toko｜note-san appear. When asking for permission, both of them readily agreed, saying, "Please go ahead and use it" and "It's free material."
Although this is based on my own image of their personalities, they are the two who form the core of the story. I would be happy if you could watch over them.
Like this, I might contact you from time to time to ask if I can borrow your name, so thank you in advance 😂
Thank you very much.
I will be uploading them little by little.
いいなと思ったら応援しよう！
応援が物語のインクになります。
あなたにもそっと、届きますように。