The story opens in the aftermath of an earthquake that destroyed several towns and villages. Following the earthquake, a large fault was discovered in the epicenter on the north slope of Amigara Mountain.
"This was the sign... of the beginning of this strange incident."
Yoshida's looking for something that she was on TV--a hole in her exact shape. When Owaki points out to her that these holes must be thousands of years old, she responds "I knew it was me. It doesn't have to make sense!"
A man named Nakagaki introduces himself and says he came here for the exact thing--his hole. Most of the other people here have come for the same reason. He points to a hole in the rock, and tells them that it's his.
The rescue squad is called, and one of them attempts to go into the hole himself, but to no avail.
The next morning, no sign of the man has been discovered. Yoshida tells Okawi that she has finally found her hole.
The next day, another kid finds his hole and, claiming that it was made just for him, goes inside it. More people are now entering the holes on the fault.
He tells her yes.
That night he has another nightmare. "It was another time...I don't know how long ago." In the dream, he has committed a crime and his punishment is to go through one of these holes.
Waking up from this nightmare, he realizes that Yoshida is gone...