Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue is a free prologue to Paper Lily developed and published by Leef 6010. The game was released on Steam on October 16, 2021, and it is also available on itch.io.
Premise[]
Project Kat is a short, unconventional RPG horror game in which there is always another way. Solve puzzles, make friends (or not), and guide Kat as she attempts to uncover the mystery behind a strange golden letter.
Characters[]
Endings[]
"Does this look like a flower to you?"
True End K1 - Curiosity Killed the Kat[]
Kat's Dream[]
The game begins with Kat waking up in a white world filled with pink-leaved trees and grass. As she stood up, she stumbles upon a small gate and finds a white lily lying on the ground. Kat picks it up and continues on a straight path until she reaches a grand manor. At the entrance, there are four vases, three of which contain white flowers while the fourth one is empty. The door has four lights, three green and one red. Kat decides to put the lily in the empty vase, hoping it would solve the puzzle. Suddenly, the environment changes to a surreal and bloody scene, and a shadow-like entity appears before her.
The entity spoke to Kat, warning her to be careful with her decisions and reminding her that the seemingly obvious solutions to puzzles might not be as straightforward as they seem. The entity circles her, stressing that her decisions would have consequences, some of which she might not even realize, and that regret could follow. The entity cautioned Kat that this place was not her home and questioned why she was messing in things that didn't belong to her. Picking up a white lily, the figure revealed the harsh reality of her actions: the lily Kat thought she had placed in a vase was actually a bird she had unintentionally drowned. With a hint of cruelty, the entity warned her that she's not ready to face the truth yet, and threatens to kill her if she's foolish enough to cross it's path again.
With that, Kat woke up in her classroom and realized it was all just a strange dream. She saw that it was 11 and everyone had already left. She blinked, brushed off the odd dream, and decided to continue with her plan.
Occult Club[]
Later that night, the three girls, referred to as the “ponytail girl,” the “pretty girl,” and the “quiet girl,” gathered around the table to play with the Ouija board. Clearly scared, they debated whether one of them had intentionally moved the plachette to spell "DIE" or if it had moved on its own. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, which they believed was a ghost they had summoned. But to their relief, it was Kat, standing with a knowing smile. She explained that she had joined the occult club and revealed that their experience with the Ouija board was actually due to a psychological phenomenon called the "ideomotor effect". Kat clarified how strong beliefs and thoughts can trigger this effect, causing the subconscious to make those beliefs real. Rather than being grateful for Kat's explanation, the girls responded with sarcastic remarks, teasing her for killing their mood.
As the girls settled back around the table, the mood lightened a bit. Kat double-checked her notes and started listing the things she needed for a specific ritual. The note ended with a bunch of question marks, hinting at some uncertainty about how things might turn out. She left the occult club and wandered around the school, crossing off items on her to-do list one by one. While she was in a classroom moving desks around, she noticed one curtain was missing, which was a crucial part of darkening the room as the note had mentioned. She ended up at the theater club room, but it was locked. Back at the occult club room, Kat asked the ponytail girl if she had a key to unlock the theater room. Instead, the ponytail girl offered to trade the key for a notebook in Class 3C. Kat handed over the notebook and finally got into the theater club room. After retrieving the curtain, returning to Class 3B, and hanging it on the window, she cut her own hair with a scissors she found in Class 3A, drew lines with chalk, lit candles, and used a rune from the occult club room.
It then flashes back to Kat was talking to her classmate, Annie, who was worried about Kat's fascination with rituals and told her about the risks of summoning entities and messing with her soul. But Kat was determined to keep trying, even though she had been let down in the past and thought it was all just a scam. Embarrassed, her friend mentioned that there was a golden envelope with a specific letter in the occult club room, but Kat would need to join the club to see it.
Returning to the present, Kat suddenly heard a loud knock on the door. She quickly checked, but there was nobody there. Shrugging it off, Kat proceeded with the ritual, burning the piece of hair she had cut out. Just as she was about to blow out the candles one by one, they unexpectedly extinguished themselves, plunging Kat into complete darkness. For the final step, Kat closed her eyes and began counting to 100. Throughout the countdown, she expressed doubt, declaring how the ritual couldn't actually work. She also wondered if her mother was worried about her. Strange noises in the room caught her attention, but she stayed focused on counting. When her countdown is over, she cautiously opens her eyes and only finds herself in a strange place, excited that the ritual actually worked. Eager to explore this new realm, Kat ventured forward.
Hallway of Doors[]
The walls were filled with big pipes that gave off a cozy warmth when touched. Kat wandered around and found some locked industrial doors, one of which was boarded up. She noticed a strange, black substance dripping down from the edges, which made her wonder if it was alive. Kat then saw mirrors scattered throughout the area and joked about how they were just asking to scare her. Following a one-way path, Kat suddenly found herself back where she started, feeling disoriented as the environment began to change, with one hallway stretching out unnaturally. Just as she started to feel lost, she came across a key hanging on the wall, almost as if it had been left there just for her. Taking the key, she unlocked a door with a keyhole, leading to a large staircase.
Into the Door[]
After Kat unlocked the door, she entered a similar hallway and assumed the ritual was over. However, she spotted a note on the wall listing rules: "No running, no screaming, no escaping. Ever." As she moved into the next hallway, a mysterious voice startled her, demanding her attention. The voice promised some entertainment if she played along, with nothing in return for Kat.
Continuing her exploration, Kat saw a shadowy figure with blood-red eyes staring at her through a glass panel. Kat tried to get closer for a better look, but the figure suddenly slammed its hand against the glass, causing her to fall to the ground. The voice, still present, taunts her and declares she's on a one-way trip to hell without even realizing it. Unfazed, Kat suggests that the voice be quiet if it isn't going to help her, promising to leave once she finds what she came for. She then stumbles upon unsealed golden envelopes scattered across the floor. Each envelope contains a different ritual with intriguing titles such as "The Mirror Ritual," "The Ritual of the Well," "The Bus Ritual," and "The Three-Room Ritual"—the very ritual Kat has just completed. She wonders if these rituals have some kind of power, especially since they're written in golden letters.
The voice, sounding pretty entertained by her discovery, mentioned that she had actually proven the effectiveness of those rituals. But it declared that there was no way for her to escape and share what she had learned with the outside world; that knowledge she had gained would die with her. But Kat refused to believe the voice's words, choosing to dismiss its attempts to scare her. She kept exploring and eventually reached a dead-end with a note asking if she was lost. Backtracking, she found the hallway had transformed into a whole new path with another dead-end and another note, advising her to just give up because she was stuck. Ignoring the message, Kat continued to dash through the ever-changing corridors until she stumbled upon figures standing behind glass panels, constantly watching her every move.
The voice, cold and without mercy, brought up Kat's mother, suggesting she would be devastated by losing both her husband and daughter. Kat, feeling angry, argued back that the voice didn't know her at all. Despite her defiance, the voice continued to torment and break Kat mentally, leaving more notes on the wall. These notes hinted at her struggle to say goodbye to her father and now her mother too. One note even questioned whether the presence of someone else with her could provide reassurance, insinuating she was incompatible with others. More notes appeared, emphasizing that there was no way to escape this one-way trip. The last note, with unsettling fonts, questioned why it would offer its prey a way out. As Kat ran, she saw other shadowy figures pressing against the glass, causing it to crack and intensifying her fear.
The voice responded to Kat, letting her know that it had more info about her than she realized. It showed her a vision of a therapist's office, with a cozy yet eerie atmosphere. There were bookshelves overflowing with books, a messy desk covered in papers, a comfy sofa, and a window showing a blood-red sky. Kat spotted a younger version of herself drawing with crayons on the floor, but as she got closer, the child disappeared. She then focused on someone sitting on the sofa, thinking it was her therapist. However, the creature's head twisted around, revealing a horrifying face with four red eyes. In a instant, the creature vanished into the darkness, leaving Kat scared and bewildered.
The voice gloated about its ability to invade her thoughts, urging her to become more lively and warning her that it would decide when it was done playing with her. As she was running through a labyrinthine maze, a shadow creature suddenly appeared, only to disappear in the blink of an eye. She then arrived at a small box room, barely big enough to fit her. With a heavy door slammed shut behind her, the last note stated that she would remain trapped until she died. The voice sneered, asking if Kat enjoyed her current position and how it revealed her foolishness and announces it will enjoy seeing her decay. Unable to bear the torment any longer, Kat finally broke down, shouting for the voice to shut up and to get out of her head. She asserted her autonomy and begged to be released and just wanted to go home. And to her surprise, much to the voice's satisfaction, it obliged. The door opened, and Kat returned to the strange place she had first appeared in after the ritual.
Feeling broken and scared, she made the decision to escape and go back home. That's when she found and opened the door - the one that had been boarded up before, but was now slightly open for some unknown reason. Left with no other choice, Kat stepped inside and found herself in a place even stranger than before. It was completely dark, except for a trail of blood guiding her. As she followed the trail, she stumbled upon the lifeless bodies of the three girls she had met at the Occult Club. Frozen with fear, Kat whispered to herself that this couldn't possibly be real and blamed herself for everything. Eventually, she reached a small white spot in the darkness. In front of her was a pink door with an “Exit” sign. Kat reached out to open it, only to realize it was locked. She pleaded for it to open, but before she could turn back, the door behind her swung open on its own.
Trembling from the trauma she had endured, Kat whispered to herself, wondering if it was all over and if she would ever make it back home. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw what was on the other side of the open door, and she weakly said, "I don't want to die...". The screen abruptly turned black, and a horrific sound could be heard, suggesting that Kat had been viciously killed, trapping her in hell for all eternity.
''Nice'' Ending[]
Kat was pulling flowers out of four vases when she noticed the green lights turning red. After that, she opened the door and saw an entity behind her. The entity didn't seem threatening, more curious actually. It found Kat's decisions fascinating and asked how Kat knew what to do, questioning if she was different or had cheated. It then warned her not to mess with things that weren't hers, as the place wasn't always as it seemed. It told Kat that the answers she sought were not meant for her and that she wasn't ready to learn the truth. The entity mentioned that if Kat persisted, she will be killed.
However, if Kat decided to pursue her task and perform the ritual despite the entity's warning, an additional dialogue would occur when Kat opened the "exit" door. When Kat claimed that she didn't want to die, someone on the other side of the open door would respond by saying that everybody should die at least once. The same sounds from the previous ending could be heard and the game ended.
Dead End K2 - Cold Kat Feet[]
Kat left school while Juli, Saki, and Kaya were in the clubroom. When she got home, she admitted she had chickened out and decided not to go through with the ritual, planning to attempt it again later. However, her notes had mysteriously vanished. Even so, Kat convinced herself that the whole ritual was a scam and lamented the fact that she would never find out what could have happened if she had gone through with it.
Dead End K3 - Academic Spiral[]
As Kat walked back to the occult clubroom, she noticed that Juli, Saki, and Kaya had already left, leaving the room empty. Kat decided to head home, but instead of ending up outside the school building, she found herself going down an endless staircase. Every step she took led her further downward, with no end in sight. Feeling tired and hopeless, Kat fell asleep, hoping that someone would find her and bring her back to her own bed. When she woke up, she found herself on the same staircase as before.
Kat then grabbed a piece of chalk and marked an X on the floor, indicating that she would be able to determine if she was descending the same stairs repeatedly. However, as she continued down the stairs, she noticed the same X marking the spot, making her realize she was indeed stuck in an infinite loop. Feeling defeated, Kat whispered an apology to her mother, knowing she might never make it home.
Dead End K4 - Nevermind Forever[]
Kat, feeling the need for a break from her ritual, gathers her friends Juli, Saki, and Kaya to sit down and chat. As they converse, the girls collectively decide to join Kat and participate in her ritual. However, instead of completing the ritual, they leave the school and head home. Along the way, Kat begins to feel less interested in the ritual, but gains new friends to talk to, realizing that the ritual may not have been as important as she had thought.
Dead End K5 - Party Wipe[]
After four girls complete the ritual, Kat informs them that they simply have to wait for 5 minutes. Saki wonders about the idea of doing nothing, but Kat reassures them that some peace and quiet can be beneficial. Kat explains that after the wait, she will burn the hair and they will help blow out the candles one by one. Kaya mentions that the smell of burning hair isn't pleasant, but Kat insists it's the final step and they should do it properly. Juli asks what will happen after the wait, and Kat casually admits she doesn't know, suggesting they will probably just clean up and head home, thinking it might all be a scam. Disgusted, Juli accuses Kat of roping them into helping clean up, but Kat jokingly asks if they aren't entertained by the whole situation.
After five minutes had finally passed, Kat burned the hair and told the girls to blow out the candles one by one. As the room grew darker, Kat instructed everyone to close their eyes and remain quiet as she counted to one hundred. However, as she counted, Kat heard noises that made her suspect the girls were moving around. She hushed them, but then panicked when she heard cutting sounds. Upon finishing her count, Kat opened her eyes to see Juli, Saki, and Kaya brutally dismembered and killed. Shocked and terrified, Kat stumbled back, trying to comprehend the horror in front of her. Without hesitation, she fled from the room, leaving the nightmare behind. In the hallway, the voice revealed that some morons thought they could involve an entire group in the ritual, breaking all the rules. Disappointed by the lack of entertainment, the voice considered making things interesting for Kat but ultimately decided against it. Despite her pleas, Kat was immediately killed.
Dead End K6 - Snip Snip[]
After Juli, Saki, and Kaya decided to join Kat in her ritual, the group moved from room to room, but Kat's mood suddenly shifted. Out of nowhere, she decided to cut down all the plants in the three classrooms. The girls tried to stop her, growing angrier with Kat's actions, until they finally left abruptly, vowing to never speak to Kat again.
Alone in the classroom, Kat realized the gravity of her actions and felt deep regret. She decided to go home, contemplating trying the ritual again another time and hoping to avoid any more confrontations.
Dead End K7 - Girls' Night Out[]
Kat, Saki, Juli and Kaya follow the instructions of the ritual, reading the extended rules in the occult club. They have the option to try to leave the school, but the hallways are all connected, so they can't escape. They realize they're stuck in a never-ending cycle and stumble upon a supply room that's been untouched. Curious, they decide to check it out after figuring out how to unlock it with a hairpin from Kat's desk. Inside, they find a secret lawsuit from a missing student's parents, along with Kaya's shoe and Kat's old lighter. Intrigued, they move to the next room and Kat notices a strange area that doesn't match the school's layout. Saki starts to freak out, thinking the ritual isn't finished, but Kat appears calm and decides to explore further.
As the group makes their way through multiple storage closets, they finally reach a long room where a mysterious figure in a hooded cloak appears. The figure warns them to turn back, but while Juli, Saki, and Kaya agree, Kat is determined to find the answers she has been searching for. Just as Kat is about to step into dangerous territory, the figure stops her, sighs, and reluctantly confirms that the ritual actually works. However, they warn that pushing forward will only lead to disaster, leaving them with unanswered questions and a feeling of meaninglessness in their world. Despite this warning, Kat remains determined, stating she has her own reasons for continuing. The figure then turns to Saki, Kaya, and Juli, questioning whether Kat is willing to sacrifice her friends' lives for her curiosity and ultimately her own life. The figure challenges Kat, asking if she is prepared to die for the answers she seeks. Refusing to back down, Kat asks the mysterious figure to simply provide her with the answers instead. Refusing to yield, Kat asks the mysterious figure to just give her the answers instead. But the figure responds cryptically, saying it has already said what needed to be said. When Kat inquires about its identity, the figure reveals itself as someone who has witnessed countless human deaths, saddened by the thought of adding more lives to the pile of the dead. Her friends urges her to listen to the figure's warning, and reluctantly, she agreed. Before leaving, Kat asked if it was the same presence from her dream earlier that day, to which the figure suggested it might have been her subconscious trying to warn her. Taking the advice, Kat decides to skip the ritual for the night, and the figure responds with approval, saying that's good enough.
After leaving school, Saki, Juli, and Kaya noticed that Kat was feeling down. Kaya wondered if maybe Kat enjoyed singing and suggested that they all go to karaoke together to cheer her up. When Saki tried to talk to Kat but she was unresponsive, Juli stepped in and encouraged Kat to join them for karaoke. Reluctantly, Kat agreed and soon realized that her friends were just trying to make her feel happier, so she decided to trust in their friendship more.
Dead End K8 - My Way[]
Kat, trapped and tormented by a voice in a small room, decides not to give in to their taunts. She asserts her own value and questions why they feel entitled to torture with her. With a devious grin, she declares she will bore them by doing nothing, suggesting they find a book for entertainment. The voice, sensing her strength, begrudgingly agrees to her terms and falls silent.
At the moment, Kat sits quietly, choosing not to scream for help, hopeful that someone will come to rescue her.