Aiko meets an old woman in town who knows about the curse and her family's connection to the undead. The woman explains the true nature of Aiko's half-zombie state.

Old Woman: "You're a Kurohara, aren't you? I can tell by your eyes... the way they glow under the moon. You have the look of someone touched by death."

Aiko (nervously): "What do you know about me?"

Old Woman: "I know you're not fully alive. But you're not dead, either. Half-zombie, they call it. Caught between life and the grave. Your family has carried the curse for generations."

Aiko: "How... how do I break it?"

Old Woman (grimly): "There is no breaking it, child. Only surviving it."