A moment later, kitchen doors were thrust open, and the head chef, his white uniform stained with the remnants of his work, hurried inside. He scanned the room with concern. "Is everyone alright? What happened?"
All eyes turned towards the cook, and the unease of the moment deepened.
Kosuna shot up and left, nearing the exit of the dining to search through the hallways for the source of the noise. Her sudden leave from the table left Kiyoku and Yukiya slightly stunned, their eyes locked for a moment. Without a word, they decided to chase after Kosuna.
As her footsteps echoed down the long candlelit corridor, the hall, once filled with loud chatter, was now punctuated by unsettling silence.
Kiyoku, frantically concerned, called out, "Kosuna!" but her words never seemed to reach her.
Yukiya's heart raced, and he joined in the calls. "Kosuna, wait! It's too dangerous!" he yelled. But his words fell on deaf ears.
Panic continued to grip the hall as the staff tried to secure the heavy wooden doors, shouting to one another as they worked. The air was thick with the smell of exotic dishes that had been set on the long banquet tables. Worried family members herded the youngest children away from the sound while still trying to find their older relatives.
The atmosphere grew colder with each step she took, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms. Kosuna shivered. Then, in the distance, her see-through ability revealed two figures. One stood tall and motionless. The other was sprawled on the floor like a leaf. The sight was eerie. Yukiya and Kiyoku followed her closely, still calling out to her.
The once-polished wooden floor had shifted into an eerie sheen-like frost creeping across a cold window pane. She clung to her light kimono, trying to stave off the biting cold that seemed to penetrate her very bones. Intrigued and frustrated, she reached the end of the hallway and stared at the pair before her.
The first was a tall man whose identity she couldn't place. The second was a woman... Asleep? Kosuna narrowed her eyes to focus on the figure on the ground. She immediately wished she didn't.
It was Aunt Emiko motionless. Her head was smashed in, brains oozing out onto the floor.
Kosuna's heart pounded and she disgustedly recoiled. Beside her, Yukiya and Kiyoku had arrived, and they had to see it too. Their eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
The man just stood there. He had long, flowing silver hair hung like a shimmering curtain over his frame, glistening in the dim light of the corridor.
His eyes, though, were the most unsettling things about him. Twin rainbows lettered with 'upper' and 'two'. Was it even possible to have eyes like that? Kosunas were strange, but not that strange.
The man bore a carefree expression and a large bemused smile despite what he had done. It looked as if he was enjoying this. Kiyoku's heart screamed with fear as her eyes met his. Yukiya found himself struggling to maintain his usually kind face. His hand trembled as he clutched the fabric of his hakama pants.
The man cleared his throat. "Well, how are you three doing?" he casually asked, an ugly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "My name is Douma," The trio still didn't know how to react. They just stared back, frozen in dread.
The man, now identified as Douma, leaned in slightly. His smile never wavering, he asked, "And what about you three? What should I call you?"
The children remained silent. Kiyoku's wide eyes locked onto the stranger, and she whispered to Kosuna and Yukiya, "That thing's not human. That thing's a monster."
The man ignored her and continued speaking. "I was supposed to bring some of you back, but I think I scared everyone away..." he mentioned, frowning. Then his smile almost instantly came back. "Do you three mind coming with me? I need to take you to that man."
And then something cold and icy crept up the side of her legs. She looked down-- her feet were coated in it, in vines of ice. She hadn't noticed since the man was talking. Then it went up her spine in an instant and locked around her neck all while she tried to stop it but couldn't. Her terrified breaths quickened into hyperventilation.
Yukiya's voice cut through the air. "Kosuna!" he yelled. But it was too late. Darkness closed in around her, and Kosuna's world faded to black.
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Action"ššš ššš š šš ššš šššš šš šššššš šš ššš šššššš šš ššš šššššš." - āāįµ£cįµ¤ā āįµ¤āāįµ¢įµ¤ā Cįµ¢cāįµ£ā ā³-Ā°;--| ą¼ Ė ļ½”ā ā§ āļ½” Ė ą¼ |--;Ā°-ā³ If forgotten memories aren't preserved, our understanding of humanity will be lost fo...
