Jokers Underground [ IC / Started / Not Accepting ]

[.:Blu:.]

OOC: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/300877-jokers-underground-ooc-not-started-not-accepting/

 

Jokers Underground
CHAPTER 1: I AM A JOKER

 

[spoiler=Chapter 1 Synopsis]Yukio Yamada's arrival at a new school signals the beginning of mysterious events when a young girl from his new high school strangely disappears. Desperate to find his classmate, a male student named Gin Tsukishima convinces Yukio along with several other students to join him in investigating an abandoned building where the missing girl was supposedly last seen. Unbeknownst to the group of students, an event will take place in that building that will change their lives forever: they will die.[/spoiler]



Yukio was drowning. At least that was what he thought at first. His entire being was submerged under the vast, deep blue of the ocean. There, he slowly sunk deeper into the abyss. The light from the sun far above the ocean illuminated the vast body of water as far as the eye can see. If Yukio knew he was not drowning, he could open his eyes and see the beautiful emptiness of it all - the marriage of deep blues and greens. Believing that this was the end of him, Yukio relinquished his will to cling onto life and took a breath; thinking that the salty poison would engulf his lungs. Surprisingly, it felt like taking in a breath of clean, refreshing air. Yukio opened his eyes and took in another breath, only to have the same results as the previous breath. He was breathing just fine under water. "I'm not drowning... Does that mean- Am I dead...?" Yukio suddenly spoke. His voice echoed softly through the water much to his surprise. "Just what is happening," he must've wondered. Yukio was raised on the notion of death being a chaotic event, but this instant, his believed death, seemed so orderly - so calming. Yukio attempted to move around but found himself immobile. Then, echoing whispers began to call out for him. "Yukio. Yukio. Yukio." the whispers repeated in succession.

The whispers were so frequent that it made it seemed like they were chanting. The whispers got louder and louder, or were, that too, an illusion? "Yukio!" a masculine voice brought him back from the land of dreams. It was his father calling him as he gently shook Yukio's shoulder. Yukio wiped his eyes and saw his father leaning against the family car. "Oh, well look who's awake. Honey, it's a miracle. Our son is alive." the father, turning his head to the right, lightly joked. "How long was I asleep?" Yukio asked. Yukio's mother passed by with a small box held in her right hand. "You slept the whole way, Yukio. But, hey, we're finally here." the mother said before walking away. Yukio slowly got out of the car and turned his attention to the humbly small, two-story house that stood resolute in front of him. "Welcome to your new home." Yukio's father said before heading to the trunk of the car. "Here, come help me unload some of this stuff." his father said as he impressively took two huge boxes from out of the trunk and made his way towards the house. Yukio headed for the trunk and, once he got there, he unloaded a pretty large box labeled "glassware".

As Yukio turned around, he noticed a young girl about his age heading down the street. She had a school uniform on - a Kumagawa High School uniform. Kumagawa is going to be Yukio's new school as he continues his second year of high school. He used to attend Mishima High School located in Takano's Guken district but due to an unusual incident that caused his former home to be burnt to the ground, Yukio and his parents had to relocate to the Inabi district. Where Guken has a more studious, urban excitement, Inabi offered a more tranquil, rural comfort. Not to say that the noise of the Takano's urban center didn't made its way to Inabi. No, Inabi was still part of the city after all, just a quieter part. "You're gonna bring that in anytime soon, Yukio?" his father called for him from the door. "Oh. Sorry." Yukio said as his mind drifted back to the task at hand. "Not much excitement around here..." Yukio spoke quietly to himself as he headed inside the house with the box of glassware.
 
[The Next Day]

 

This was Yukio's first quiet morning. In Guken, every morning was noisy with the sound of traffic, but here in Inabi, the only noise came from the pitter-patter of student shoes. Yukio had received his uniform the previous week when his father dropped by the school and picked it up. Now Yukio will have to put it on for the first time. In all honesty - and understandably so - Yukio hated the fact that he had to change schools. He was leaving behind his friends and a year of memories at Mishima High School. Unfortunately, the Guken district had few houses left available and the ones that were available were ridiculously priced, leaving the Yamada family with the only choice of moving to a new district. Yukio understood that fact but that didn't help him to like this new school any better. It was already mid-year which meant being a new student was only that much more difficult. But complaining about it won't help his situation in any way. He might as well tolerate his new life. With the grey clouds obscuring the sky, Yukio made his way to Kumagawa High School.

 

"Alright students, settle down please. We have a new transfer student joining us today from Mishima High School. Please introduce yourself to the class." a large, clean-cut man - who no doubt is the teacher - instructed Yukio. "My name is Yukio Yamada. I'm pleased to meet all of you." Yukio introduced himself with a complementary bow of respect. The class responded in unison with, "We're pleased to meet you," along with a respectful bow of their own. Yukio's first class of the day is an elective social studies class. This class is one of the few at Kumagawa in which both second and third year students could take together. "There's an empty seat next to Mr. Ito. That will be your seat from this point forward." the teacher, Tomido-sensei, told Yukio. Yukio studied the layout of the classroom before taking his seat next to the student named Kazuma Ito.

 

[Two Days Later]

 

Yukio had adjusted somewhat to his new school. For the most part, he still keeps to himself but he, at least, seems to be generally liked by his classmates. Today was an especially cloudy day. As Yukio entered into his elective social studies class, he noticed that everyone was staring at the tiny television hanging on the wall near the entrance. Yukio was a bit taken back by what he saw but quickly recovered his composure and made his way to his seat. Instead of asking his classmates any questions, Yukio merely adjusted his attention to the screen. "A girl by the name of Saki Yoshida has gone missing late last night. Saki Yoshida is a third year student at Kumagawa High School-" a reporter on the news explained much to Yukio's surprise. "(Saki?)" he thought as he looked over to the far side of the room. "So it really is true. Saki's gone missing." Masaru, the student sitting in front of Yukio, said with a defeated tone of voice. "How could something like this happen in Inabi?" another student - this time, Chie Izumimura - asked; her voice was a mix of anger and disbelief. As the students continue to share their thoughts on the situation, Gin Tsukishima, a good friend of Saki, sat at his desk without making a single peep.

 

As class ended, most of the students left along with Tomido-sensei who needed to make a quick trip to the men's room. There were seven students left in the class: Yukio Yamada, Yoshiko Uekita, Kiyoko Yamamoto, Kazuma Ito, Ayame Chika, Masaru Hanamura, and Gin Tsukishima. As the rest were about to leave, Gin walked to the front of the classroom in order to confront the others. "So what? Are you guys just going to forget about your classmate?" Gin suddenly asked them. "Well what are we supposed to do? We're just students. We need to leave this to the police to handle." Masaru responded. "The police are gonna do a half-ass job at finding Saki. WE need to take care of this ourselves. I have a hunch of where she might've been last. We could go there and conduct our own investigation." Gin proposed. Masaru gave a remorseful sigh. "I'm sorry but I- I gotta get to my next class... Sorry Gin..." Masaru said, defeated, as he walked past Gin and head out the classroom door. "And what about you guys? Saki needs our help. Think about it this way. If we find something that would help find Saki, we could give that to the police." Gin stated.

 

"Masaru's right. This is something beyond our power. We can't do anything-" Yukio began to speak but was interrupted. "Bullsh*t! I don't know about the rest of you but I'm sure as hell not gonna let this defeat me. I'll find her myself if I have to!" Gin claimed. While Yukio wasn't exactly friends with any of these people, there was something about Gin that made Yukio want to help. "You're dead set on doing this aren't you?" Yukio asked. "Yes I am." Gin replied. Yukio noted the fierce determination in Gin's eyes. "Fine. I'll help you." Yukio stated, much to everyone's surprise at the new student. "You will?" Gin asked eagerly. "Saki's a classmate of mine's. I'll help in anyway I can." Yukio answered.

[Ren✧]

The grass felt good against Ayame's bare hands. It was still cool from the night and dew still sat perched on its blades. A light breeze blew through the grove of trees, tickling Ayame's hair. Everything was so tranquil, so calm. A loud car horn interrupted the silence, causing Ayame's eyes to snap open. A sneer appeared on her face, the life in a city was not one she treasured. Checking her watch, she realized that the interruption was for the better, she was going to be late for school. Springing up, Ayame grabbed her book bag that sat against a tall tree and dashed out of her haven.

 

[A few hours later]

 

Ayame began to gather up her things, class having ended. Today had been an especially somber day, learning that Saki had indeed gone missing. Ayame had never really been close to the girl, but they had shared a few friendly smiles and conversations and it was a shame that the light she had brought to the classroom was now gone. Standing up, Ayame began to head for the door when she was interrupted by Gin's statement. "And what about you guys? Saki needs our help. Think about it this way. If we find something that would help find Saki, we could give that to the police."

 

Ayame's face grew slightly warm. She had, had a crush on Gin for a LONG time, not that anyone knew, and was willing to do just about anything the boy said. Of course, what he was proposing was slightly ridiculous. Conducting an investigation? They were just kids, what did they know about detective work. But, the new kid, Yukio, seemed in on the idea. "This sounds kind of dangerous." Ayame said, her voice light. She didn't want to seem like she was being weak, but in all honesty the idea of searching for a girl that could have possibly been kidnapped was not exactly an appealing task. "But, I guess I'm in." Ayame finally said, giving up her moment of hesitation.

[Aix]

Though she was not one who would display her emotions, Kiyoko had woken up that morning with a light smile on her face. Her father had come home very late last night after being away for three entire months on some government assignment and he was finally able to stay at home with them on break for a yet undetermined span of time. It was a happy occasion. Her father was home less and less and Kiyoko feared that a gap would grow in their family. They were becoming disconnected, they weren't even allowed contact him while he was away, so they had best make best of their time together. First of all before anything, she had to get up and out of bed. Letting escape a soft moan, she slowly got up whilst stretching her lethargic muscles.

 

Kiyoko made her way downstairs after the typical morning ritual (getting dressed, brushing her teeth, etc.)  to find a traditional Japanese breakfast on the table. Surprised, she looked over to find her father wearing the apron, carrying the last dish over, broiled fish. Today was supposed to be Ken’s turn to prepare breakfast, but she supposed her father had taken the opportunity to treat them.

 

“Alas, the princess arrives,” said Ken jokingly. He was a tall, brazen-looking teen in his final year of high school. He sat back in his chair with his well-toned arms crossed in an admittedly successful attempt to look badass. The buttons on the uniform was undone and the tie was astray, but the teachers at school were likely to intimidated to care.

 

“Just in time, too,” said their father. Seijirou smiled at her. He was a relatively tall, middle-aged man with military cropped hair and a deceptively average-looking build. One should not take his strength lightly, even at the age of fifty-one, he was a monster.

 

Of course, the young "princess" of the family, Kiyoko herself, was not to be underestimated. She may seem to be a mere high school girl, but she held the rank of black belt, second dan, and may well be stronger than that, as it had been a long time since she was tested on her abilities.

 

Being the quiet person she was, Kiyoko simply glanced their ways to acknowledge them before taking her place at the table. Her father shrugged at this nonchalant response and sat down as well. “Itadakimasu,” they all said in unison and they each stabbed their chopsticks into their food.

 

“So how should we spend our first day back together? Feel like going somewhere tonight? Who’s up for some karaoke?” The military colonel seemed very enthusiastic about his suggestion and the two siblings could only look at each other helplessly.

 

“Sure, why not,” said Ken as Kiyoko nodded.

 

[hr]Later

[hr]

Class ended, Kiyoko was lagging slightly behind everyone else to tidy up her notes and check them over. Like everyone else, she had been thinking a bit on the disappearance of one of her fellow classmates. It was quite upsetting and who knows if someone else will disappear in the area. But then, there was also the possibility that the girl simply got lost, however, it was still something to worry about. Who knows what she could’ve gotten into, there are some shady figures in the city.

 

It was then which her fellow classmate, Gin, spoke up at the front of the class about this issue. An intrepid young man, he advocated looking for their classmate themselves. Though Kiyoko personally thought it rather far-fetched to be able to do anything themselves, but it appeared that Gin had a clue and two of her classmates had already agreed to join in investigation. Kiyoko’s sense of responsibility as a peer, to take care of each other, kicked in. Taking care of each other would include looking out for another when they are lost or disappeared, and she should also look after those investigating in case something dangerous popped up. Yes, she would agree... but wait. There was also that much awaited family reunion tonight to take into consideration. Hopefully, this investigation won’t take too long, as Gin already had a lead, but if it did drag on, her family would definitely understand, she’ll call them later telling them that she may not make it or maybe she should call to tell them that they should reschedule for some other day, like tomorrow.

 

“I will help,” said Kiyoko, her voice slightly hoarse from not talking for a long while. A few classmates may have been initially surprised, Kiyoko was a quiet one who typically didn’t speak up much, but Kiyoko's morality and responsibility was probably the first thing anyone learns about her. After a pause, she asked, tentatively at first, but adapting a business-like tone. “How long will this take?”

[Hotaru987]

Just as she has done every other day, Yoshiko slowly walked towards her school. And just like the days before she wonders to herself why her parents subjected her to the listless days of study. There wasn't a point to going to classes anymore. Yoshiko was what one would call a genius. At the age of 14 she graduated from an overseas collage gaining a degree in physics. So to her attending high school level classes were nothing but a waste of her time. Even so her parents forced her into finishing out high school until she was 18. Something about using the opportunity to be around those her own age. Again, a waste of her time. There weren't many people who she could actually hold a conversation with, or at least a conversation that interests her. Instead of that she would rather have literature as her companion. 

 

The young teen's destination was soon ahead of her. She didn't stop to say hi to any of her classmates; she never did. Not that any of them ever seemed eager to speak to her either. Without so much as a word she entered her classroom, and slid into her desk while pulling out a book. Not long later, the teacher began class with a surprise addition to their roster. A male transfer student by the name of Yukio Yamada. After the customary response from the class Yoshiko returned to what she did every class period. Reading.

 

[Two Days Later]

 

Yoshiko's morning remained the same; wake up, get dress, eat breakfast and then walk to school. Though today she also had a purple umbrella as it looked it may rain later. It wasn't until she entered her class did the first abnormality appeared. A quick sweep of the classroom revealed that there were three empty seats. One obviously hers, and the second belonging to the newest student Yukio. The odd one out was the seat belonging to Saki Yoshida. Though they had never crossed paths, the young genius always saw Saki sitting there when she arrived. Not only that but Saki was one of the few with perfect attendance. Perhaps it was just a bad day for her. Yoshiko sat down, pulling out a different book to began reading. However, the moment she sat down the T.V came on revealing the reason for the empty seat. It appeared the aforementioned girl vanished sometime late last night. A few people made comments, but Yoshiko was one of the few to remain silent.

 

Despite Saki's disappearance, life went on and class continued. Yoshiko doing her usual and reading the entire period. Once it was over, unlike everyone else she remained in her seat. Her next class was in the same room, with the same teacher just a different subject. So she continued to read, but was disturbed when Gin Tsukishima stood at the front of the classroom asking the ones left in the room whether they were going to just sit by a not do anything when a classmate has gone missing. He even had an idea of where they could start looking. Masaru had the right idea and left, though he did appear remorseful about it. The new student, Yukio agreed after a bit of bantering. Ayame Chika agreed, no surprise there. From that blush earlier she probably had a crush on Gin. Surprisingly Kiyoto Yamamoto also agreed to help out. She never spoke much, about as much as Yoshiko herself did. Though she doubt it was for the same reasons.

 

Yoshiko sighed inaudibly, "Really. Why should we waste time doing all of this? Just as Hanamura said this is something that should be left to the police. It's idiotic, reckless and I for one do not wish to be a part of it. It's an unfortunate turn of events, but Yoshida shouldn't have been wondering about so late at night. You are all more than welcomed to continue with your decision, but count me out." She didn't even bother looking at them as she spoke. "Just think about it. You'll be doing more harm then good if you all end up getting caught by whatever weirdo that snatched Yoshida if you go snooping around."

[BANZAI!!!!]

"Kazuma!!! You'll be late for school!" Noriko Ito called out to her son, who was out in the back yard preparing to throw a baseball at a homemade pitching target. "Mom, it's fine. I've only been out here for five minutes." Kazuma called back as he let a powerful fastball loose. It impacted its target, right where it was supposed to. "Kazuma! Its been twenty five!" His mother said, putting her hands on her hips. At this, Kazuma took his cell phone from out of his pocket.

 

A minute later, Kazuma was sprinting up the road, backpack in hand, toward Kumagawa High School. Luckily for him, his house was relatively close to the school. Although he was most certainly out of breath by the time he reached Kumagawa High, he made it on to the school grounds just before the gate closed. After recovering his breath (and then letting all of that air out again by breathing a heavy sigh of relief), Kazuma entered the building. He was lucky today. It was barely half way through the school year and already the school's faculty had threatened to penalize him for being late to school so often. And they probably would have done so already if he wasn't a competitive varsity athlete. After this little train of thought had ended, Kazuma made his way inside the building for his first class.

 

When he was out of sight of the faculty, he took his red headband out of his backpack and put it on his head. However, Kazuma hesitated to put on his trademark baseball cap. Kumagawa High had a strict rule against headwear while school was in session, and  after two and a half years at Kumagawa, Kazuma had learned where he could and could not wear the hat. Still, at least they couldn't do anything about the headband. Kazuma sighed as he made his way toward his first class and out his hat back into his backpack. The teacher, Tomido-sensei, was a bit of a hard-ass, and didn't care for Kazuma or his choice of clothing. Kazuma didn't very much like him either. As he walked in, Kazuma waved hello to the new kid, Yukio Yamada, who happened to have been placed in the seat next to him the day before. Kazuma had said hello the previous day as well, and Yukio had politely responded, but other than that, Yukio had been pretty quiet. Kazuma figured he'd open up in a week or so, once he was more comfortable.

 

[After Class]

 

Tomido-sensei left the room after class to use the bathroom, and the second he was out the door, Kazuma donned his hat. He always felt a little naked without it, and breaking the rules in this particular classroom was a bit of an added bonus. Then, Kazuma's phone buzzed: a text message.

 

As he was typing out his answer, Kazuma heard the voice of his good friend, Gin Tsukishima, at the front of the class. He was talking about going to look for Saki Yoshida themselves. Like everyone else, Kazuma was a bit shaken up by the news of her disappearance, but going to look for her themselves? That was just crazy. He was about to respond to Gin when three other students: The new kid, Ayame Chika, who Kazuma knew for a fact had a huge crush on Gin, and Kyoko Yamamoto, whom Kazuma barely knew. Then, Yoshiko Uekita, the smartest girl in class, spoke. She had a similar opinion to Masaru Hanamura, who had refused to tag along. Normally, she was silent, and Kazuma was a little surprised to hear her speak up and denounce Gin's idea.  Kazuma laughed internally, then he spoke. "Gin, bro, you're crazy. But then again, I have nothing to do today, so I guess I'll come along too. Might as well do what we can to help, after all." He didn't quite like what Gin was proposing, but Kazuma went along with it to support his friend. He gave Gin a reassuring smile, then, he turned to Yoshiko. "It wouldn't hurt to think of someone other than yourself for once, 'Miss Genius'. We could use an extra set of eyes, after all." Kazuma frowned at Yoshiko after he spoke.

[.:Blu:.]

Gin stood there, impatiently, awaiting an answer from the others. He had high hopes that they, too, would realize the importance of their classmate and, fortunately, his hopes were well-founded. Ayame was the the second to voice her agreement with Gin and Yukio. Though she seemed hesitant at first, stating that Gin's plan sounded dangerous which was a sound and reasonable observation, she ended up agreeing to help Gin. Of course part of her reasoning for lending her assistance was because of her long-standing crush on the young man. Whether he is aware of this fact or not has yet to be seen. Though her agreeing to help him gave him much joy. "Ayame, thank you." Gin stated. Next was Kiyoko, a quiet girl - more or less quiet as Yoshiko but for a radically different reason - who has a strong sense of morality and responsibility. She, too, agree to lend a hand in the investigation despite her scheduled family reunion that would take place later today. After stating her support, Kiyoko asked Gin how long he believe it would take to do their little investigation. "An hour, tops. Don't worry, I know exactly where to go so we won't waste any time." Gin answered.

 

Following the quiet Kiyoko, who surprised the others by voicing her support, was the equally quiet Yoshiko. However, unlike Kiyoko, Yoshiko thought the idea of an investigation to be quite foolish and voiced her thoughts rather harshly. She told Gin that an investigation by them would be a waste of time and that it was idiotic and reckless. She even hinted that Saki's disappearance was a part of her own fault as she shouldn't have been out so late at night. The last thing that Yoshiko said was able to catch Yukio's attention however. Before Yukio or Gin could say anything in response, Gin's good friend and teammate, Kazuma, reassured Gin by telling him that he has his support. Kazuma then proceeded to lightly scold Yoshiko for her cold response, frowning at her afterwards. Yoshiko still seemed adamant about her stance on the situation. Yukio then decided to address the matter.

 

"That last thing you said, Yoshiko, made it seem like you at least had some concern for your classmates. If that's true then how in good conscious can you sit idly by when you have the opportunity to help someone else; especially when this person is a classmate of yours? If it were you, wouldn't you want to know that your classmates are looking for you too? Ultimately, it's your decision, Yoshiko." Yukio stated before turning to face Gin. "When do you want to do this?" Yukio asked.

 

"Uh- After school. Meet me outside the school gates." Gin said, his voice seemed a bit surprised by what Yukio had said to Yoshiko.

 

"Okay. I'll meet you then." Yukio said with a single nod before heading out the room and onto his next class.

 

[After School]

 

Gin waited impatiently just outside of the school front gates. Leaning against the stone fence that was connected to the metal entrance gates with his arms crossed, Gin stared blankly at the cement ground below, repeatedly kicking against the ground with his left feet. He was in deep contemplation. "Are you ready?" a voice suddenly caused Gin to jolt out of his deep thought. It came from Yukio who was standing beside him. "W-What the- D-Don't sneak up on me like that!" Gin comically exclaimed. "I didn't sneak up on you. You just weren't paying attention." Yukio replied. "I-I was? Sorry, Yukio. It's just this whole situation with Saki..." Gin explained as he let his words trailed off. Noticing it, Yukio decided to speak up about Gin's relationship with Saki. "You like her, don't you? Saki, I mean." Gin asked. "Huh? N-No. She's just a good friend and I'm worried about her is all." Gin quickly defended his position. "I guess it's just natural for friends to worry about one another." Yukio replied.

 

Before long, the others students arrived at the front gates, although there was no sight of Yoshiko. "Looks like all of us are here." Gin said. "Not Yoshiko." Yukio commented. "Did you seriously expect her to come? Even after all of the things she said?" Gin asked, doubtful that Yoshiko would join them on the investigation. "I don't know, but I rather keep whatever hope I have left." Yukio replied. Hearing that, Gin was reminded of something. "Look, I haven't been completely honest with all of you. I know that my proposed knowledge of where Saki was last seen may seem like a desperate attempt at getting all of you to help me on my wild goose chase, but... the afternoon before Saki's disappearance, I was with her and she was acting really strange." Gin stated.

 

[Yesterday]

 

"Would you stop reading that book, Gin? You've been reading that same book after school, every day for the past three days. You've been talking to me less and less every time we walk home." a gorgeous-looking girl, Saki, said with a bit of annoyance in her voice. "Sorry Saki. This book is just way too good for me to put down. I've been so busy with sports and academics that I rarely get time to read anymore. These walks are the only time I have to get a chapter or two in." Gin explained his position. "Fine, I'll forgive you, but you'll have to take me to the Summer Festival next month and buy me all the things I want." Saki demanded. "E-Everything you want??? My wallet's gonna be on life support after that!" Gin comically exclaimed. "Promise me or I'll never walk you home again." Saki blackmailed. "Fine, fine. At least let me finish this chapter today." Gin said as he turned a page in his book.

 

"Hey, Gin, can I ask you something?" Saki asked.

 

"Hmm? What is it?" Gin asked in reply.

 

"You know that abandoned building downtown that used to be a small hotel?" Saki asked.

 

"Yeah, I know that place. Why?" Gin asked curiously.

 

"Well, lately I've been finding myself spending more and more time there." Saki explained, much to Gin's utter surprise.

 

"What? You? I thought you hated those creepy, dirty places. What are you doing going there?" Gin asked as he stopped walking.

 

"I don't know... Something about that place seems alluring to me... I gotta go there now actually." Saki stated before turning around to head up the street.

 

"Hey, wait- Saki, why are you going there now? Those places can be dangerous. You never know what kind of people might be hanging around there." Gin attempted to dissuade Saki from heading to the abandoned building.

 

"Go home Gin. I can take care of myself." Saki responded before attempting to leave once more.

 

Acting quickly, Gin grabbed a hold onto Saki's wrist. "What's gotten into you Saki? A moment ago, everything was fine but now it's like you're a whole different person." Gin stated.

 

Saki forcefully took her wrist back and stared at Gin with cold eyes. "It's none of your business, okay? I shouldn't have told you anything. Just go home, I'll see you tomorrow." Saki said before running off in the opposite direction.

 

"Saki, wait!" Gin shouted to her but it was already too late.

 

[Today]

 

"I didn't try to stop her... This is my fault..." Gin said, his words full of regret and sorrow. "So that's why you want to look for her instead of going to the police?" Yukio asked. "I know, I know, it sounds like an idiotic move but I feel as if it would be better if I were to look her. She might not listen to me so I figured that maybe her other classmates could convince her where I failed. I'm sorry... Are you guys still willing to help me?" Gin asked. It was quiet for a moment before Yukio broke the silence with a sigh. "I already told you I was going to help you, didn't I? I'm not gonna go back on my word now." Yukio stated.

[Hotaru987]

Yoshiko's face remained stoic with flawless ease, however, internally she was frowning in confusion from her dilemma. She thought it was stupid to go out, looking for trouble. What if something happened? And while it may have been harsh, she wouldn't recant her words. Saki knew better than to be wondering about an night alone. Besides, Yoshiko never spoke to her. Why would she need to go so far for another classmate. Even if she were the one to be kidnapped - which Yoshiko believed would never happen - she wouldn't expect anyone other than her parents to exert extreme effort into locating her. Despite all of this...Why did she feel so darn miserable at the start of the next class? As the day went on, and classes continued Yoshiko found herself staring at the same page throughout the day.

 

[Later]

 

School came to an end, and Yoshiko gathered up the few belongings she brought with her. Her bag only held some leisure reading, and a random assortment of items. There was no need for her to take notes. The only actual text book she kept with her was her English book for if she was ever called on to read. As she was leaving the classroom she happened a glance out the window and noticed that the students from earlier had gathered at the school gate. As she gazed at them she wondered what she should do. It's not like Yoshiko didn't want Saki to be found, but what they were talking about doing was dangerous. With a visible frown, she drew in a deep breath then exhaled. She turned towards the door, pulling out a cell phone a small Doremon key chain hanging from it. She pressed a few buttons, and held it up to her ear as she waiting for an answer.

 

"Hello, Uekita residence."

 

"Mother, I'll be returning home late tonight." Yoshiko cut to the chase, speaking into the light blue cell phone.

 

"What's the occasion? Did you get some friends!? Dear, our baby finally found friends!" Yoshiko dropped her head in embarrassment, a blush forming on her face.
 

"Will you cease all of that yelling? It's giving me a headache." She massaged her temple with her opposite hand, "Anyway, I'll be back later."

 

"Are you sure you'll be ok. I mean a girl was recently kidnapped."

 

It was only natural that her mother would worry, "I'll be fine....It'll be me and a group of people..."

 

"So you did find frie-"

 

"Mom!" Yoshiko exclaimed, her blush returning in a very un-Yoshiko like fashion. "Well be safe then! You'll have to introduce me to them soon. Bye, dear!" With that her mother hung up, and Yoshiko sighed in fatigue. It was always a chore just speaking to her mother. She was so energetic, that it wore Yoshiko out just thinking about. On another thought what kind of mother lets their child go out, even with a group of people, after something like this happened? "You're just too carefree." She shook her head, her composure having returned.

 

Yoshiko finally, and leisurely  crossed the distance from the school to the school gate where the rest were gathered. She had arrived just as the last person spoke up, answering Gin's question of still standing with him. Of course she hadn't heard any of what he said before hand. Yoshiko looked at Gin, her expression neutral, though she did look down a bit later giving off the impression she was embarrassed. Which in truth she was, "I'll...Come along...But don't expect me to stay if the situation takes a turn for the worst."

[Ren✧]

Ayame walked along the outside of the school building, classes already having ended. She was on her way to meet up with Gin and the others. In her hands was a flower. Ayame slowly picked off the petals of the flower. "He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not..." This chant went on for awhile finally resulting in a final 'he loves me not', which in turn made Ayame drop the remainder of the flower and frowned. What did nature know of love anyway?

 

As she neared the school gates, Ayame saw Gin, and her heart went aflutter. He was so handsome. Her cheeks began to red, but she quickly pulled herself together. She couldn't let him see her like this. Ayame had already changed out of her school uniform, now wearing a simple dress. The dress was white with various splotches of colors about it. It gained some volume the farther down you went on it, curling outward slightly at the bottom. 

 

Skipping, Ayame made her way over to Gin and now Yukio. She greeted the two boys, curtsying slightly. Soon, the others had arrived and Gin began his story. As he went on, Ayame felt the need to comfort him and tell him that it was his fault, but she quickly realized through the story that maybe Saki and him weren't just friends. This fact caused her heart to drop. She didn't blame Saki of course, not Gin either, but nonetheless she was slightly upset. 

 

Before Ayame could say anything, someone else joined their group. Yoshiko. That was a surprise, but Ayame had suspected that the smartest girl in class wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this. 

 

Her attentions returned to Gin, who seemed thoroughly upset. And why shouldn't he be? The girl he was in love with...no...Ayame couldn't think that way. It could still be just a friendship. A meaningless attraction? She couldn't overreact. 

[Aix]

As school ended, Kiyoko quickly gathered her stuff and hurried off to meet the others. She arrived and timidly greeted the others with a simple "Hi" before moving aside and leaning against the gatepost. The introverted girl stood by unresponsive as ever, waiting for the rest to arrive, but her face showed a different expression than her typical distant countenance. It was a dutiful expression with a certain degree of determination. They were on a mission. They were set on helping a friend. They were going to see this through. As the last of them, Kazuma, arrived, Gin began to tell his story and Kiyoko took a quick glance around. It seemed Yoshiko wasn't going to show up. Of course, Kiyoko didn't expect her to show up either, and she redirected her focus to Gin's tale.

 

Gin's story was an odd one, it was definitely strange that Saki had suddenly started to go to an abandoned area alone. No matter how you look at it, something was fishy here. Gin finished recounting his tale and ended up exceedingly desolate and guilty. Perhaps Kiyoko never really experienced such strong emotions herself, but she had read plenty of manga and seen anime with scenes such as this and came to the realization that Gin likely needed comfort and reassurance. Before she could act though, Yukio stepped up to the task, promising his aid. Was that enough for him? No, she should reassure him as well, everyone should, but she was interrupted once more by the arrival of Yoshiko.

 

As the pink haired girl made her way towards them, Kiyoko was surprised enough that there was a very slight movement on her face. This girl wasn't so bad as she seemed at first, after all, thought Kiyoko, though she still did not particularly like her. Yoshiko's words from before conveyed that she was more annoyed than worried about Saki. Even now, Yoshiko did not completely promise her assistance.

 

Getting over her surprise, Kiyoko turned to Gin and tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. "We will find Saki. We definitely will," she said softly. With that, she withdrew her hand and looked at the others. The details of what happened bothered her and her shy nature was overrode by the graveness of the situation. "What do you think happened? Was she somehow... forced to go there? Did someone threaten her...?" Kiyoko paused. Was her imagination going too far?

[BANZAI!!!!]

Kazuma was happy that Yukio agreed with him. Maybe the new kid was starting to open up. Good thing too, because his teammates tended to pick on the quiet ones. Still, Yoshiko refused to speak. And after it became apparent that she was not going to, Kazuma gave up, grumbling. Truth be told, if Yoshiko didn't seem so self absorbed, Kazuma would probably find her very attractive. She was smart, and was also pretty. But of course, she was just so quiet, and so she hadn't really caught his attention. Kazuma gathered his things and walked toward the door, giving gin a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked past. He addressed Gin and Yukio as he left. "Don't bother with her, guys. She'd rather just read. I'll see you later, kay?" He was out of earshot before anyone could respond, as he had a class on the opposite end of the building and would have been late if he didn't rush out.

 

[After School]

 

Kazuma was the last to show up after school. Since his house was close, he'd decided to run home and drop his things off. He came back holding an energy drink in his hand, and nearly did a spit-take when he saw Yoshiko standing with the group. 

 

After he managed to swallow without choking, he walked over to the group. He put his widest smile on his face and waved hello to everyone. Then, he spoke to Yoshiko. "I'm really glad you decided to come with us, Yoshiko. I guess you aren't heartless after all." he said in a friendly, joking manner as he leaned toward her and gently put his hand on her soulder. Then, he turned to Gin.

 

"So, we ready to go?"

 

Despite having been out of earshot as Gin told his story, Kazuma knew exactly where they were going, and why. He'd talked to Gin about it at lunch earlier in the day. Kazuma had told Gin that he thought this was a bad idea, but he was going to help Gin out anyway. After all, Kazuma knew for a fact that Gin was more emotionally invested in Saki then he let on. His friend was pretty bad at hiding that sort of thing, and Kazuma was very good at picking up on it. He leaned back against the fence next to Gin as he waited for a response.

 

[.:Blu:.]

With the reaffirmation of support from his classmates - including Yoshiko who surprisingly agreed, in her own manner, to help with the investigation - Gin smiled to them along with a singular nod of gratitude. Kiyoko brought up a few inquiries concerning Saki's unusual disappearance to which Gin shook his head. "I don't know. The way she spoke to me... It didn't seem like she was forced. She was rather cold and direct about it. Damn it, why couldn't I stop her?" Gin responded, allowing a bit of frustration to slip out. "You shouldn't think like that, Gin. What's important now is finding Saki and get her home. Let's go." Yukio said, shifting the focus back onto finding Saki. Gin shook his head in agreement. "You're right. C'mon everyone, follow me." Gin said before heading down the street. Before Yukio left, he stopped near Yoshiko. "I'm glad you decided to help." Yukio said with a calm smile before following after Gin. As he walked, Gin's pace continued to pick up more and more. Anyone can see just how important this was to Gin. "(Don't worry, Saki, we're coming.)" Gin thought. Yukio continued to follow swiftly behind Gin, his mind now completely focused on the task at hand. "YUKIO!" a sudden voice - layered with both a masculine and feminine tone - echoed through Yukio's mind, causing him to stop abruptly.

 

Yukio then turned back to face the school. Seeing this, the others stop to confront Yukio about his sudden pause. "Hey Yukio, what's the matter?" Gin asked, eager to leave. Hearing Gin's voice, Yukio shook his head quickly and turned back to the others. "It's nothing. Let's go." Yukio said before walking towards the others. Gin then continued to lead the way to the abandoned hotel.

 

[Later]

 

It didn't take long for the group to arrive at the abandoned hotel downtown. It was a rather ominous and depressing sight to look at. Once a decently-priced hotel for tourists was now a nest for rats, roaches, and other creatures of the dark just waiting to be bulldozed. The garden surrounding the hotel was completely devoid of any life. Why Saki would find this place "alluring" was completely baffling to Gin and, most likely, the others as well. "Here we are." Gin said as the ground stood in front the hotel. "Certainly has a... charm to it." Yukio said sarcastically. "Alright, let's hurry up and find Saki." Gin suggested before walking inside, followed by the others. The interior of the hotel was as barren as its exterior, if not more so.  It was certainly dark but, fortunately, the dim light emanating from outside was just enough to make things visible. Luckily for the group, the hotel is small, making their search for Saki a bit easier. "Where do you think she might be?" Yukio asked Gin. "I don't know. Let's check upstairs first. She's bound to be in one of the rooms." Gin stated. As the group headed for the stairs leading up to the second floor, they encountered the rubble of what should be the first floor's ceiling blocking their path to head upstairs.

 

"That narrows down our search options." Yukio said.

 

"She can only be downstairs then." Gin surmised.

 

The group soon arrived at the basement level of the hotel. It was dank and had a terrible, sewage-like smell. Plus there was less light down in the basement level, enough to make traversing the area next to impossible. "I can't see a damn thing down here." Gin remarked. "Don't worry, I brought a flashlight from home." Kazuma responded as he took out a flashlight, turned it on, and pointed it down the hall. "Thanks Kazuma." Gin smiled appreciatively at his good friend. The group continued onward with no sight of Saki anywhere. "Are you sure this is where Saki said she was headed?" Yukio asked as he looked around. "I'm positive." Gin reassured Yukio that this hotel is the correct location. "At least we haven't encountered anything dangerous." Yukio remarked. Suddenly, Yukio came across a strange-looking door and stopped as the others moved on. "Hey, I found a door." Yukio told the others as he began to investigate the door. The others stopped and turned back towards Yukio; a puzzled expression was on each of their faces. "Door? What are you talking about, Yukio?" Gin questioned in a cautious tone.

 

"Hmm? What do you mean? This door right here." Yukio responded as he looked to Gin.

 

"There's nothing there. You're staring at a wall. Are you alright?" Gin asked, his cautiousness now turned into concern.

 

"Wha- There's a door right here. See?" Yukio pointed to the strange-looking door. Clearly he saw the door but all the others could see was a wall.

 

"Okay, maybe you need to take a rest. I think we'll all benefit from a quick rest actually." Gin suggested in an attempt to pull Yukio back to reality.

 

Yukio looked to the door. "(Can they not see this door...?)" Yukio thought, a bit shocked by what's transpiring. Without responding to Gin, Yukio placed his hand onto the doorknob; for the others, it seemed like Yukio was grasping the air.

 

"What are you doing, Yukio?" Gin asked as a cold sweat drop slid down the side of his face.

 

Yukio's heart felt like it was beating faster and faster. There was an intense sensation of fear heavy upon his heart. His hand shook as he contemplated about opening the mysterious door to find out what was behind it. "Open the door, Yukio Yamada." a voice - the same as earlier - echoed within his mind. As if he lost control of his hand completely, Yukio slowly turned the knob to open the door. As the door budged from its position, a bright golden light can be seen emanating from the room within. Though the others could not see the door, the light was very much visible. To them, the light seemed to be emanating from the wall. "W-What the hell is that?" Gin asked, the worried expression on his face was now more prevalent than before. Then, Yukio opened the door entirely and the golden light flooded over the entire basement hall, swallowing Yukio and the others in its wake.

 

There was now complete darkness...

[Ren✧]

Ayame looked at the decrepit old hotel. It was amazing how time could ravage buildings. Windows sat blown out, burn marks along the outside of the building, and a multitude of empty beer cans and bottles. It was quite possibly the ugliest thing Ayame had ever seen. The worst part was the garden that lined the perimeter of the building. The plants that must have one day thrived and flourished, lay dead in the flowerbeds, their graying remains having long since left this world.

 

Following the others into the hotel, a chill went down Ayame's spine. This place was creepy on the outside, on the inside it was just downright scary. No lights. Collapsed ceilings. And a possibly missing/dead girl. Maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to come here. Her suspicions were confirmed when Yukio started talking about a door that no one else could see. The poor guy must've hit his head, or was sleep deprived, or had eaten some bad fish...whatever the case that door was mostly definitely not there.

 

Despite the urgings of the group, Yukio reached out for this "door". Suddenly a golden light spilled across the dark expanse of the hotel basement. Ayame screamed as everything went black. 

[Hotaru987]

Yoshiko silently followed the group, staying close to the back so she could leave whenever she felt it necessary, and of course Saki had to go and disappear inside of one of the creepiest buildings she has ever seen. A shot of fear ran up her spine that made her hesitate. Did they really have to go in there? It was getting late, and who knows what crazy person was using this place. Looking at the others she suddenly realized she was the only one still outside. They had already went in. With a small sigh, she followed the rest inside. They were coming down the stairs already, and Yoshiko slipped back into the group as they headed for the basement. It was predictably dark. Thankfully Kazuma had a flashlight, which provided some light. 

 

Moments later Yoshiko called out that he found a door. Like the others Yoshiko looked in Yukio's direction, but she failed to see the door he was talking about. In fact it looked like an ordinary wall. Is he going senile already? It was a creepy place, and a few times before Yoshiko could have sworn she saw something move behind her. Though she chalked it up to her being a bit frightened while being in this place. Though it seemed that Yukio was being serious. To him there really was a door there. Yoshiko looked closer to see if maybe she over looked it, but there still wasn't anything there. The others seemed to be with her on the matter. Yukio turned back at the wall and reached out grabbing onto air. "What is he doing?" Yoshiko mumbled confused. He turned, as if turning a knob, and pulled. Suddenly a bright golden light emanated from the wall blinding Yoshiko. She attempted to block the light with her hands, but it was all for naught and soon all she saw was darkness.

[Aix]

Kiyoko followed along without a word, content listen to the others discuss. Her calm lavender eyes surveyed the run-down area, glancing at the corners and shadows, looking for danger. There was not a trace of fear on her face, but in truth, her muscles were extremely tense. Who knows what may lurk here? Even at day, these places were not her thing. She was ready to jump at any moment, ready to lash out at anyone or anything unfortunate enough to suddenly appear in front of her. She did not like this place and she could not help but get an ominous feeling as she and her classmates descended those cracked steps, their footsteps resounding loudly for anyone to hear. Kiyoko calmed herself down by methodically reviewing her duty to others. She would stand strong. If not for herself, to reassure herself that she truly had the fortitude to uphold moral standards her, then for the others, for she sensed the fear on the other two girls' faces.

 

Little light made its way down into the basement, but it was extremely fortunate that Kazuma had brought a flashlight. Kiyoko had one herself, but Kazuma's was bright enough, there was no need for another flashlight as they were going down a straight hallway. The group came to a halt. Yukio had stopped, he was standing in front of the flat wall telling them that there was a door their. Kiyoko tilted her head to the side, confused, and she began to make her way over. Was there some sort of hidden doorway that could only be seen upon examining the wall up close? Yukio reached out and a golden light shone from the wall, blinding her and even when she shut her eyes tight, all she could see was bright, bright orange-ish red. Suddenly, the light subsided leaving her in absolute darkness.

[BANZAI!!!!]

Kazuma stared up at the abandoned hotel as the search party arrived at the front gate. The whole place sent shivers down Kazuma's spine as they walked into it. It wasn't fear that he felt (he'd done quite a bit of trespassing, some of it in abandoned buildings, during his life), but rather his sense of danger told him that this was a very, very bad idea. As the group attempted to ascend to the second floor, Kazuma's gut feeling got worse and worse. Of course, Kazuma wasn't about to show anything that even resembled fear. There were girls with them, after all. Instead, he simply dismissed his premonition, blaming it on the dilapidated state of the building, which in some sections did look like it could collapse, rather than any real danger...

 

As the group made their way downstairs, whatever light was left in the hotel quickly faded away, and the group found themselves in complete darkness. "I can't see a damn thing down here." Gin said.b Luckily for everyone, Kazuma had come prepared. "Don't worry, I brought a flashlight from home." Kazuma responded as he took out a flashlight, turned it on, and pointed it down the hall. Of course, the visibility that the light provided wasn't all that good, but it was sufficient enough for the group to keep their search going.

 

About a minute later, Yukio pointed out what he thought was another door fro the group to search. Kazuma shined his light on the section of wall that Yukio was pointing to, but it was just that: wall. As Yukio started to make his way over to the wall, Kazuma spoke in an annoyed tone. "Dumbass, there's no door there. C'mon we gotta keep moving."  Kazuma reached out his free hand to grab Yukio by the shoulder, but missed because Yukio had gotten too far away. Yukio made a motion that looked like he was opening a door, and suddenly a shining bright light, brighter even then the overpowered bulbs that Kumagawa used to illuminate the baseball field for night games, emanated from the wall. Kazuma covered his eyes with his forearm as the light overwhelmed the group. Then, Kazuma found himself in darkness.

 

 

[.:Blu:.]

Yukio was drowning. At least that was what he thought at first. His entire being was submerged under the vast, deep blue of the ocean. There, he slowly sunk deeper into the abyss. The light from the sun far above the ocean illuminated the vast body of water as far as the eye can see. Yukio opened his eyes to see the expanse in front of him. He was back here once again. But why? Yukio took a breath, remembering that he could breathe here. "This place again... Does this mean I'm asleep?" Yukio questioned. He recalled mere moments ago that he was with his classmates in the basement level of the decrepit, abandoned hotel. He also recalled a door that no one but himself saw. Once he had opened the door, a bright wave of golden light swallowed the basement along with everything in it. Was that the reason for why he's here now? Did that strange light caused him to fall asleep? So many questions yet not a single answer for any one of them. Once again, Yukio's attempt to swim forward failed as he was rendered immobile within the space he took up.

"Yukio. Yukio. Yukio." The chanting whispers began once more. It echoed louder and louder, causing Yukio to hastily look around for the source of it. "Who's there?! Answer me!" Yukio demanded. "Yukio Yamada!" a powerful, masculine voice shouted, quieting the chanting whispers completely. Yukio turned to face the expanse in front of him, believing the dominating voice to have come from ahead. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" Yukio inquired. "Yukio Yamada, you exist within a place unbound by space nor time. Everything is an illusion and yet the truth exists everywhere. This place has no name and yet it is known as 'Everything'." the voice explained. "Why are you telling me all of this?" Yukio asked. "Because your fate is interwoven to this place. You and your friends are about to face a destiny like no other. Will you have the strength to overcome it?" the voice asked. "How should I know? What is this 'destiny'?" Yukio replied. "Alas, the 'destiny' must be discovered. I am forbidden to speak of it. All I require is to know whether you have the strength to face it or not." the voice answered.

It was clear that Yukio was only receiving more questions than answers. "(I guess it would be best to say what this individual wants to hear.)" Yukio thought slyly before speaking. "Yes. I do have the strength to face it." Yukio answered the voice. The voice was silent at first which made Yukio a bit unnerved. Could the voice see through his facade? "Yukio Yamada. I will accept this answer. However, I must warn you. Once you have accepted this destiny, if you show any hesitation or the desire to admit defeat, then I am afraid you and your friends' lives will be in peril. Heed my warning Yukio Yamada for you will not hear me again until the hands of time reach their destination." the voice warned. "Our lives will be in peril...? Just who are you?!" Yukio demanded to know. "I am but a mere agent of time and a messenger of space. Yukio Yamada, you need not worry for the safety of you and your friends. As long as you do not waver and turn away from this destiny. Abstain from telling your friends of this place. They need not know. Now awaken, Yukio Yamada." the voice told him.

"W-Wait! Hold on!" Yukio called out to the voice. Suddenly, Yukio awoke; he was breathing rather hard and cold sweat was shown covering his forehead. Brushing off the sweat, Yukio looked around him and noticed his classmates; all of them were unconscious. "Damn, what happened...?" Yukio wondered to himself. Suddenly, Yukio noticed something strange about his environment. Looking around frantically, Yukio noticed the air is a dark, almost blood-like, red in color. Yukio stood up from the ground and noticed that he and his classmates are still in the basement level of the hotel. However, aside from the strangely colored air, the walls were now even worse-looking as in they seemed more destroyed and corroded. The door from before was now gone as well. Yukio wanted to wander off but he felt it would be better to stay by his classmates and attempt to wake them up. He first went to Yoshiko which was the person nearest to him. Kneeling down, Yukio placed his hand onto her shoulder and gently shook her. "Yoshiko, wake up. Yoshiko." Yukio called her but to no avail.

Yoshiko was out cold just like the others. Yukio stood up and stared down the hall. "We'll have to get back to the exit." Yukio said to himself. Suddenly, a groaning sound could be heard coming from one of his classmates. Turning around, Yukio saw Gin beginning to awake. "Ugh..." Gin groaned as he awoke. "Gin, are you alright?" Yukio rushed over. "Yukio? Yeah, I'm fine..." Gin replied before looking at his classmates scattered on the ground. "H-Hey, what happened to them?" Gin asked. "They're probably just unconscious like you were." Yukio answered before helping Gin up off the ground. Almost immediately, Gin noticed the unusual air surrounding them. "W-What the hell is this? Are we still in the basement?" Gin asked. Yukio shook his head in response. Suddenly, Gin remembered something. "Yukio, you saw some kind of door, right? When you opened it, light came rushing out and engulfed all of us within it. Just what the hell was that?" Gin asked in an attempt to piece everything together.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself, I'm afraid. Whatever it was, it seemed to change the air in this room and damaged the walls." Yukio stated. Hearing that, Gin examined the walls. "No, wait. The walls don't look damaged, they look aged." Gin corrected, much to Yukio's surprise. "Aged?" Yukio asked quietly. Suddenly, Yukio could hear the others waking up. "Gin." Yukio called his attention to the others.

[Ren✧]

Ayame could see nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing, but dear God above she could feel the throbbing in her head. Slowly her senses returned to her. The dark haze disappeared from her vision, the rest of her senses following. I must have passed out. "What happened?" Ayame said, sitting up and she rubbed the back of her head. She had fallen and hit her head, which would explain the dull throbbing pain.

 

Suddenly it all came flooding back to her. Yukio. The supposed door. The very real light. "Are you guys okay?" Ayame asked, standing up and looking over to where Gin and Yukio stood. She brushed off her dress, slightly upset that the grime of the basement and dirtied the soft fabric. It wasn't until then that she noticed the air. She could actually see the air. That wasn't right. Its dark, red composure gently wafted around her. Ayame's heart began to race. Maybe she had hit her head harder than she thought, and maybe she was just hallucinating, but something told her that was only wishful thinking. "Guys, what happened?" Her voice now thoroughly panicked. 

[Aix]

Kiyoko let out a soft groan as she stirred. What happened?! that thought jolted her out of her daze and she sat up. That's right, we were in the basement, and there was that light and... there was nothing after that. That's strange, she thought. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking she wasn't fulling awake yet, but she realized the air really was tinted red. Curiouser and curiouser. She smiled inwardly at that thought. A small sense of adventure was invoked inside of her. Slowly, she brought herself up and looked to the others. Yoshiko, Kazuma and Ayame, like her, were just waking up, whereas Yukio and Gin seemed to be already up and ready.

 

Ignoring them for now, Kiyoko looked around. They seemed to be in the same place as earlier... no, something was off. She drifted over to the wall and slowly moved her fingers over it. Cracks spider-webbed across it, the wallpaper was peeling off in chunks and it was all stained, many parts completely black even. The walls weren't like this earlier, were they? she thought. They seem much older, the years have taken their toll upon this wall. But that wasn't possible. They couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes, could they? Maybe they were out for days, but that still couldn't explain how the wall aged so much. Kiyoko was about to pull out her phone to check the time when Ayame drew her attention away.

 

"Guys, what happened?" Ayame asked. Kiyoko could feel the panic in her voice and a tiny bit of that began to well up inside her as well. This place was eerie and the red air did not help with the atmosphere, it made the place much darker, much creepier, than before.

 

No, I will not panic, she thought to herself, firmly. She looked to Gin and Yukio, wondering if they had the answer to the question.

[Hotaru987]

'Where am I' Was Yoshiko's first conscious thought as she slowly stirred into a sitting position. Last she remembered was being in the basement looking for Saki when Yukio said something about a door. There was a bright and then nothing. She looked around trying to gather herself, noticing that the others were also starting to wake. "Wait what the heck is this?" She whispered taking a look at her surroundings. It appeared that they were still in the basement but the walls were all eroded, and looked like something from a horror film. Though this was far from a horror film; it was real life after all. The other strange thing was the air itself. It was dark, reddish in color and added to the creepy atmosphere. Despite it's look it didn't appear harmful. 

 

Yoshiko finally moved to her feet as the feeling of fear sunk into her system. She knew she shouldn't have come with them. It was a crazy idea from the start. Whatever happened to Saki, the same thing was probably happening to them right now. This is what happens when she second guess herself. Ayame asked what happened, looking to Yukio and Gin for the answer. Not expecting them to know anymore than the rest of them Yoshiko frowned, fiddling with the hem of her skirt in nervousness. "I knew I should have just went home. This was a dumb idea from the start."

[BANZAI!!!!]

Kazuma groaned as he began to regain consciousness. At first, he thought he was just seeing things. The air around him was red, as if someone had somehow managed to turn  blood into a gas and had pumped it into the room. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Although the air was still red, upon further inspection, Kazuma noticed that the general state of the building had degraded as well, if that was even possible. The walls were peeling, and the ceiling looked like it could collapse at any moment. As he stood back up, Kazuma's earlier premonition came flooding back to him as he got to his feet. He shivered once as a chill went down his spine. Obviously, there was something dangerous here. He knew it. Still, he wanted to find Saki and alleviate Gin's guilt before they left, and to that end managed to suppress his fear. After all, the more quickly everyone calmed down and got back on their feet, the quicker they could move. After all, staying where they were was begging to look like an increasingly bad idea. Kazuma shook his head as the chill left him. Other than the single shiver, he looked perfectly calm.

 

Looking around, Kazuma noticed that he was the last of the group to wake up. Ayame was obviously panicking, but other than that everyone else seemed to be in varying states of calm. Kazuma frowned at Yoshiko when she second guessed the search. There was no use complaining, and she didn't need to come along in the first place.

 

Kazuma made his way over to the spot on wall where Yukio's door had been, and ran his hand over the rough, peeling surface. He  then spoke aloud to the group, although he specifically addressed Yukio. "Hey, Yukio. I was thinking, maybe whatever just happened to us happened to Saki as well. Since you were the only one that saw that door, do you remember seeing any other doors like it, or something similar maybe? I was thinking Saki might have seen the same thing, and might be near one. Actually, for all we know, she could even have seen the door you opened, and might be close by." Kazuma turned back around before he asked his next question. "The door isn't still there behind me is it?"

[.:Blu:.]

As expected, everyone wanted to know just what had happened to them. Gin wished he had an answer but sadly his guess was as good as anybody at this point. Yukio, on the other hand, while not knowing exactly what occurred, knew that it was related to the strange dream he had. Unfortunately, no connection could be made between the dream, the mysterious door, and this mysterious air. Yukio wanted to tell the others about his dream but he remembered the voice had told him to keep it a secret to the others. Yukio could see the signs of panic in his classmates but they did their best to keep calm and composed. Yoshiko commented on the situation; she wished she would've stayed home and mentioned that the entire idea of finding Saki was stupid. Needless to say, Kazuma didn't approve of Yoshiko's negativity. Kazuma was one of the calmer ones of the group; he quickly assessed the situation and attempted to look for any hints as to what might've happened.

Ayame was clearly one of the more panicked ones as evident by her tone of voice. Gin walked over to her and placed his left hand on her respective shoulder to comfort her. "Don't worry, everything'll be fine. I refused to let this get the best of us." Gin assured her about their situation before placing his hand back to his side. After examining the wall, Kazuma theorized that what happened to them might've very well happened to Saki as well. He mentioned that she might've seen the mysterious door like Yukio and then asked Yukio if the door was still behind him. Yukio shook his head. "It's not there anymore." he simply answered. "Should we continue to explore the basement?" Gin asked. Although he presented as a question, Gin was dead set on continuing their search for Saki. If it came down to it, he was willing to go on alone. As the others respond to Gin's question, Yukio kept thinking about telling his classmates about his unusual dream. He believed that he owe it to them to be honest and share whatever information he may have.

Yukio then made up his mind. Turning to the others, Yukio began to speak. "Guys, I need to tell you something about this situation." Yukio began. "Hmm, what is it, Yukio?" Gin inquired casually. "Well-" Before Yukio could continue, the air suddenly grew darker and an intense pressure flooded the basement. "Ugh, what the hell?!" Gin asked as he felt the pressure. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... What do we have here...? Hehehe..." an ominous, high-pitched voice echoed through the basement hallway. Yukio and Gin's eyes widened as they saw a towering, dark, phantom-like figure a ways down the hall, seemingly floating in midair. "If you'd allow me, I would like to apologize for this... inconvenient situation hehehe..." the figure spoke once more; his unnerving voice panicking the students. "R- R-Run!" Yukio shouted to the others. Fortunately, their fear motivated the students' feet to move on their own as they ran in the opposite direction away from the dark figure.

The students ran and ran, escaping the confines of the basement and headed out into the open where their feet felt too tired to move any further. Some of them collapsed onto their knees from exhaustion. Yukio was the last one out. As he stopped, he bent over and placed his hands firmly onto his knees, feeling the pain vibrating through his legs. "I-Is everybody okay?" Gin asked. Fortunately for Gin and Kazuma, being athletes meant that they don't become tire easily though they were still breathing fairly hard. Just as the students were able to catch their breaths, ten unusual-looking creatures burst from the ground around them, encircling the group. "W-What the hell are thos things?!" Gin questioned; the shock of seeing those creatures forced him to step back a few steps. The creatures were floating in midair while their bodies and eyeballs moved restlessly.

The creatures seemed like they were about to attack the students until a familiar sense of pressure invaded the area. Sensing the presence of a powerful being, the creatures fled, much to the surprise of the students. Then, a familiar figure began to arose from out of the ground. However, unlike the creatures that burst from the ground, physically destroying it, this figure seems to phased through the ground like a phantom. "Don't mind them. They're harmless... usually." the figure spoke as he towered over the students. None of the students could move now; they were immobilized by fear. "Please, relinquish your fears. I'm not here to harm you. As I've said before, I want to apologize if you'd allow me." the figure assured the group. "W-What are you...?" Yukio asked hesitantly.

"What am I? I'll do you one better by telling you BOTH my name and what I am. My name is Schwarz and I am a JOKER! Welcome to Limbo!" the figure revealed, followed by a hysterical laugh. "Now I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, unfortunately, all of you are dead." Schwarz stated with his perpetual grin.

[Ren✧]

Ayame's cheeks turned a slight red as Gin reassured her. His thoughtful voice began to calm the panic that had risen in Ayame's throat. For a moment she believed that things really would be okay. That's when everything went wrong. Ayame nearly fainted at the sight of the phantom-like being. Luckily, Yukio's shouting got her butt in gear. Lifting up the edges of her dress, she dashed out of the basement with the others. Finally reaching the outdoors, the group doubled over to catch their breath. That's when the 'things' came. Ayame had no idea what to call them. They looked almost like leeches, but their eyes were almost intelligent, searching around for prey. She let out a squeal of terror, stepping backwards, and running into someone. She didn't take the time to look on who it was, keeping her attention fully trained on the writhing creatures on the ground.

 

Then, they fled. As if they had seen a...ghost. Sure enough, the phantom from before reappeared. Ayame began to feel light headed, nearly passing out again, but something stopped her. She stumbled slightly, but regained her composure. "all of you are dead." That was the last straw. Ayame went completely hysterical. "What do you mean we're dead? We can't be dead. I don't want to be dead. Gin, tell him we're not dead. How could we be dead? We were just alive." Tears welled up in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. Truth was, she knew that something was different. Her entire self just felt different. They were dead. And she knew it. 

[Hotaru987]

While the others tried to figure out what was going on, Yoshiko pulled out her cell phone. She was going to call the authorities to alert them that they needed some help, but when she grabbed her phone she noticed she didn't have any signal. 'That's strange....I know I had a signal earlier.' She looked at the others who all took the current situation in differently, with Ayame being the most distressed. Gin moved over to comfort her, which seemed to work. Suddenly they were visited by a phantom like creature that floated closer to them. Another jolt of fear coursed through Yoshiko, but this one more potent than before. Her feet were frozen to the ground, and her body tensed. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't like it, and whatever that thing was it was getting closer. Thankfully Yukio told them to run, which broke the spell over Yoshiko and she followed the rest of the crew. 

 

They ran out of the basement and the house, some of them falling in exhaustion. Yoshiko was one of those few. In fact she was the first one to tire out, falling to the ground trying to catch her breath. Though it seemed impossible as the adrenalin didn't want to stop. Unfortunately they weren't out of the clear yet as strange creatures popped up, caging them in a circle. The phantom figure from earlier reappeared, informing them that those things were usually harmless and that they needn't have any reason to fear him. That didn't really help any of them. He then explained that as of when they woke up, they were dead. "W-wha....Dead.." Yoshiko could hardly speak, but Ayame shouted out everything that she herself wanted to question. Though as Ayame burst into tears, Yoshiko could feel herself starting to do the same. However she held it in, gripping onto her cellphone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. 'Th-this isn't happening...I-is it...' It was all because they wanted to go find Saki. They should have just left it to the police.

 

'No...That's wrong...' Yoshiko knew that it was wasn't their fault. How could they have known that this would have happened? They just wanted to look for their friend. It's not like she was forced into coming, but Yoshiko just wanted to be a part of something. She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Y-you...D-did you s-see an-another girl c-come through h-here?...H-her name i-is Saki." She stumbled through her question both from fear and from her silent crying.

[Aix]

What is this anime-like situation? They were dead? It's almost like Angel Beats... a group of youths, dead before they could live their life... But, where were they now? Beyond the ageing of the buildings and the reddish air, they appeared to be in the same place. So... this Limbo is like some parallel dimension where the dead go?

 

Limbo... neither Heaven, nor Hell, but... in between? Kiyoko was not religious, but she did not deny the possibility of such things as afterlife. The place was a lot... creepier than what she had hoped for her afterlife with the blood-coloured air and the strange monsters that appeared. From the phantom's, Schwarz's, tone of voice when he referred to them, those disgusting looking cyclops leeches were quite common and there were much worse things out there. Kiyoko shuddered at the thought.

 

Come to think of it, the massive figure before them was quite fearsome himself, he looked to be about 3 meters tall, he wore a billowing, flame-like cloak or something and he had a diabolical grin on his face as he looked down upon them. He called himself a Joker? Were Jokers some sort of demon? Protectors or guides of lost souls, perhaps? Maybe he was Charon the ferry man. Would he guide them on?

 

On... No. No. No. It really hit her there, she would be separated from her family and the friends that she finally made. Once more, she would feel alone, so alone, without them. Those ties she had painstakingly made were to be instantly severed like this? Was this the end? No, they are not severed. Someday, I'll definitely find them again, and we'll... we'll have a happy reunion... yeah, we'll go sing karaoke together, if there is such thing in this world... A tear made it's way down Kiyoko's cheek and fell to the ground and she began to tremble a bit.

 

For now, she will make do, make new friends and stay with the friends with her right now... that was right, she still had others with her... Kiyoko tore away from her sad thoughts, turned her head to her side, to face where her classmates stood. She must focus back on reality, what was before them now, she must think through all options. If there's a will, there's a way. She shouldn't completely believe this guy yet, she could not resign to this, but she saw that the other two girls had lost it, the Joker's words hit them hard. Yoshiko was whimpering, out of fear or loss Kiyoko could not tell, and tears poured down Ayame's face as she attempted to deny what the Joker had said. Kiyoko herself was somewhat in shock, but there was still hope. It just felt unreal. This whole world felt unreal. It did not feel like her world. She may really be dead and passed onto some bizarre afterlife, but there was that possibility... was she dreaming? She brightened up, but that hope was immediately dimmed.

 

It did not feel like a dream. Dreams were blurred, details were distorted whereas Kiyoko beheld this world with terrible clarity. Gathering her thoughts, and a deep breath, she asked the Joker, "So what happens now?"

[BANZAI!!!!]

"Maybe it got up and ran away while we were out cold." Kazuma stated jokingly after Yukio told him that he could no longer see the door. He then turned around to listen to Yukio, who sounded like he had something important to tell them, but before his new classmate could say anything, Kazuma felt an intense pressure around them. His body felt heavier, and it became harder to breathe. This was soon followed by the appearance of a strange, ghost like phantom. He spoke to them, but before Kazuma could comprehend what he said, the group ran as fast as they could toward an exit.

 

Being an athlete, Kazuma was one of the first members of the group out of the hotel, coming out just behind Gin, who was a faster sprinter than him. When they finally stopped, Kazuma bent over and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath. After a few short seconds, he recovered and stood up straight again.

 

Suddenly, ten strange, mono-eyed creatures dug their way up from the ground and encircled the group menacingly. Kazuma glared and clenched his fist, ready to fight back if these things attacked. However, before either side could make a move, Kazuma felt a strange pressure enter the area. It made it difficult to breathe, and he got goosebumps as he saw the specter from before emerge from the ground like a ghost. As the creatures fled, the apparition, who identified himself as Schwarz, spoke.

 

"My name is Schwarz and I am a JOKER! Welcome to Limbo!" Kazuma didn't quite comprehend what Schwarz meant, but his next sentence was crystal clear. "Now I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, unfortunately, all of you are dead."

 

Ayame was the first to react to this revelation. Frantically crying out to Gin, she broke down and began sobbing. Next was Yoshiko. Although she didn't react as violently as Ayame, Kazuma could still hear that she was quite shaken up. As he looked at her, he could see that she was fighting back tears. Kyoko, on the other hand, seemed to be calm, all things considered. After a few moments, she spoke directly to Schwarz, asking the Joker what was to become of them.

 

Throughout this, Kazuma stayed silent, his head down and fists clenched tightly. The feeling was small at first. A slight heat building within him. Then, as Schwarz's words started to sink in, the heat intensified. By the time Kyoko finished speaking, he felt the anger ignite in his chest. Something about what Schwarz said-no, that wasn't right. It was how he said it, with a smile and a laugh, that set Kazuma off. This... thing, whatever he was obviously thought very little of them. Here they were, putting themselves in danger searching for their friend, and he had the balls to laugh at them and tell them they had died?

 

Kazuma lifted his head up and yelled out at Schwarz, pointing at him with his left hand. "CUT THE BULLSHIT!" he took a step toward Schwarz to emphasize his defiance. "LISTEN, YOU JOKER-WHATEVER THE HELL YOU ARE! I DON'T BELIEVE A GODDAMN WORD YOU'RE SAYING! I'M NOT SOME DEAD CORPSE! I'M ALIVE!" Kazuma took another step forward, this time putting his right hand over his heart. "NOW EITHER TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR FRIEND, OR GET LOST! YOU DON'T SCARE ME!" Then he stopped. His chest felt colder than usual, which was odd because Kazuma was excited and breathing heavily. As well, his hand felt weird, like their was some sensation in his palm that was missing.

 

Kazuma's eyes widened when he realized it.

 

He had no heartbeat.