[ it looks like the camera was deliberately set and focused in front of a kitchen chair. there's a silver-haired boy who's sitting there. for all that's going on, he looks calm. you might've seen him around, either running errands or doing odd jobs around town. for the moment, he looks serious and calm. as the static clears he doesn't hesitate. his expression is firm and determined, and there's no wavers in his voice. it's like he was born a natural. ]

For a moment, I need everyone to stop and listen.

[ and he pauses, as if he's allow everyone to collect their thoughts, just as he is--and then he begins. ]

For all of you who don't know, my name is Souji Seta, and I'm the head of the Investigation Team here in New Moore. What I have to say is important: It's about the kidnappings and about your missing loved ones. I'm going to try to answer all the questions I can but please understand, a lot of the details surrounding this case are still unclear.

Firstly, you should know that 12 a.m. every night there occurs a phenomenon that we call the Dark Hour--an extra hour between one day and the next. It may sound crazy, but please bear with me while I explain. Usually people are asleep during it and it doesn't cause any problems, but lately it has, and more people are becoming aware of it and wake up. They can fall prey to the creatures that live in the dark hour, called Shadows. They come from humans, from us--all of us. They're the physical manifestation of our insecurities, our hateful feelings, our judgements, and all of our guilt.

Where I come from, the Dark Hour was a little different, but the events following a disappearance have all been the same: people go missing, and not long after comes the broadcast that we call the "Midnight Channel." What you're seeing on screen is real, and not real. It's the Shadow's way of crying out for recognition, but when it doesn't get what it wants, it can turn violent. We have to try and keep that from happening.

[ his tone is frank, but sincere. ]

The Shadows that you see of the people that you love are part of them, and we have to understand, because all of us have felt that way at one time or another. They can be devastating, but they're also a gift. We dig holes for ourselves and don't look out, the parts of ourselves that we hate never seen the sun. So we just continue living without dealing with it. But for once we can see it, and we can do something about it. You can't run from a Shadow, you can't fight it, and you can't save someone from themselves, all we can do is support them and help them accept the person that they are. As much as a Shadow tells you that it's its own person, it's only part. It can only become its own person when the person who manifests it denies it.

We've been investigating it since it first started taking place, but so far we've haven't been able to pinpoint a single kidnapper. We also don't know why the Dark Hour suddenly appeared in this world. For a while it stopped, and we got a lot of new faces, and suddenly, it's happening again. Someone who was here a long time ago once told me that he thought that New Moore could be a place that takes ideas from all different worlds, but I still don't know. Even after two years, I still haven't found the truth.

We also... have a time limit. We have to save people by the full moon.

I need to ask for help, from whoever is willing and able.

The Investigation Team has been helping people since the Dark Hour started happening, and I plan on helping as long as I'm here. We haven't lost anyone yet, and I don't plan on it. I know there are a lot of people who've been helping us since we've arrived, but it's time to make the whole island aware of it. We need to do something about this, but we must remember that there's a responsibility that comes with helping someone who's facing their Shadow. There can be no judgement and no doubt, all we can do is help them accept themselves.

It's a big job, I understand if there are people who know that they have to sit it out, and I won't ask anyone to do anything they don't feel comfortable with. Seeing people that you love like that is hard, but we can turn into something good.

I'll answer any questions you have the best I can.

[ and then the video ends. ]