"Come on, out of the way, witch." She looked disgusted to see me.
I've been called a lot of names since that day. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon, but I had to be a drama queen, scream my lungs out, kick, and flail my arms around out of the blue like a mentally ill maniac.
We could've all just shrugged it off after that, but, no, they were determined to get me – they finally had someone to prey on. The pranks got out of hand, and soon, the mean shit they did got me injured on multiple occasions. This bell I was holding didn't help either. I was that weird kid who speaks gibberish, the one who randomly passes out, and now I have this voodoo thing with me and it just caused more aggression.
I mean, I lost my father! And I know more perished that day. Is there something worse that could happen? It's like everyone's just oblivious to this. I don't understand. A lot of people died and they're here playing pranks like nothing serious is going on.
The last straw was back in homeroom.
I just fell unconscious, like I occasionally, and unintentionally do, but when I woke up, they started yelling and throwing things at me.
I wasn't even able to compose myself, it was just bad that I had to run out of there as quickly as I could.
I was an outcast from that day on.
Only after a few weeks did I understand why.
I was branded the 'Witch of Jousen'.
I got possessed.
Or so they say.
I don't even remember what exactly happened. As I said, I just passed out, and then I was the most hated student at school.
I tried to explain myself a lot of times, but nobody listened.
Nobody even tried to get near me.
Until that moment I walked past him.... That scrawny guy with a prominent graze on his eyebrow, red marks on his cheeks from shallow wounds that just started to heal. He brushed against me and I was pulled into an abyss of swirling images and disorienting echoes.
Images flashed in my head.
People consumed by fire;
People impaled by swords and arrows;
the undead rising;
People worshipping a shrouded figure.
It was so vivid that I had to hold my ears shut from the accompanying screams of agony and songs of celebration - like a cult in trance.
Right there in the middle was that shrouded figure, standing over a pair of dead bodies. Two, I think. I couldn't be sure.
Standing behind her was...me.
I don't understand, I keep seeing myself. She turns and looks at me like she's the only one who can see me. She nods at me, assuring me that I was indeed only visible to her, and then looks ahead as if I did not exist in here.
The lady in shroud took off the black robe hanging over her body. She looks all normal, at first, but looking at her eyes, there's a sinister spirit lurking behind, I could just feel it.
She turned around and studied me, I mean the other girl in the purplish cloak that looked exactly like me, and then the other, someone beside her, a girl almost my age, who was in full battle armor.
That girl smiled after taking a deep bow and pulled out one of those dead bodies, presenting it to her dark lord.
Upturned, the guy's face was engraved with an expression of fear, his eyes were still open, and a wound was carved in his chest. He surely died a painful death.
"It's done.", the dark figure's words sent chills down my spine. I wanted to run but I couldn't, I wanted to stay and see what happens as she suddenly swooped down and grabbed both of us by the neck. "Now there's only you two left."
I bolted myself up running my hands through my neck, it felt real, my life was being strangled out of me. I looked up and to my horror, that dead guy was right in front of me.
I panicked.
I didn't even mind all those people thinking ill of me. I know I might have done something weird again but who cares? Go away! My head kept yelling, it was him!
I didn't look back.
That guy...
Seeing him back then made me feel like it was his fate, I shouldn't interfere.
But I got dragged into this. All this blood and murder.
Yuuri was holding my hand that whole time we were in here. Tears were nowhere near her eyes but deep sadness and regret were painted on them instead.
She was desperate to save that guy.
He's bound to die anyway, why?
Yuuri, she was supposed to die right then, too, by that scythe, but she didn't, that guy, Ken, saved her. And now this...
It's just weird, this has happened before. The many times I felt the déjà vu made my head hurt... it's all just eerily familiar.
It's the same thing, right? My father, me.
"I'm going to get something to eat.", I told her. "Would you like anything?"
"I'm good." She responded without even looking at me. She was fixated on Ken who's lying on the hospital bed. Hyuk was sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep.
"Ok, I'll go get things for you guys, anyway."
I made my way out. Thinking about Ken, I saw his history, his bloodline, it was a bloodline of murder. His great ancestors were killers, and some generations that followed were unrighteous, as well. It didn't matter for whatever reason that they killed, blood stained his ancestry. But somehow, I don't see that negative energy on him, he looks... redeemed. Well, as redeemed as a guy on a deathbed can be.
I'm new to all this and honestly, I'm scared. That vision then - Ken was brutally killed and was presented like a trophy, and as for me, was I supposed to die right then, too? After she grabbed both of us, what happened next? I am very confused about all that and curious about what happened next but I don't want to relive that horrific scene.
I snapped back from my daydream. Where am I?
"Oh!?" I exclaimed, and then a loud bang echoed across the empty halls. On the floor was a thick book wrapped in some sort of brown leather jacket. Curious, I bent down and studied it. The spine was bare, no title, no author, and upfront was a symbol depressed into the leather. Where did it come from?
I didn't want to just leave it there. As soon as I opened it, my vision spun, these images came back again, flashing rapidly and repeatedly worsening the dizziness I have. People, places, weird lights, a lot of things.
I shut that book and flung my eyes open – and I was back in the hallway.
Guess this isn't for me.
It got me a bit disoriented but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary. I stuffed it inside my shoulder bag which fit surprisingly and then proceeded to buy those snacks for everyone waiting.
I froze in place.
He locked eyes with me and that gave me a dry throat, I was petrified.
Standing by the door to Ken's room was the other guy they fought with. The one that transforms, I didn't get his name, but his presence alone was enough to scare me out of my wits. He killed that girl like it was something so casual for him, no hesitations at all.
He then looked away and straightened himself up.
"How's he holding up?" He suddenly talked which made me took a step back. He looked at me, confused, "Are you OK?" He asked. It was dark and I was nervous, I couldn't tell what expression he wore on his face.
"I..." I don't know what to say.
"Your neck, is it fine? And your..." He stopped before getting any closer. It might have looked funny since my hands were full of items bought from the convenience store earlier but I just brought them up in defense anyway. If he gets closer, I'll throw all these at his face and make a run for it.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if Ken's fine. I'm leaving now."
"You're worried about Ken?" I blurted out.
"No, just wanted to know... I don't have to explain this. I'm leaving."
I just stared at him. If I was a bit nicer I would invite him in, but no. I'm not that nice, or stupid. This guy is just like them and seeing the battle, I'd rather stick with Yuuri, Ken, and Hyuk. I just feel safer with them.
Technically, just with Yuuri, those two can't do anything right now.
"I'm leaving now."
"You don't have to tell me that, though."
"Oh." He paused and rubbed his knuckles together.
"I'm sorry."
I was taken aback.
"What are—"
"Huh? Forget I said anything. I'm leavi— no, umm..." He stuttered through the whole thing.
"Ok," I interjected, silencing him. "Hey!" I called before he disappears to the far end of the corridor.
Without a word, he turned and sheepishly looked in my direction.
"Your name?" I casually asked.
He hesitated for a moment, but then,
"Jin."
Just that and he hurriedly went on his way.
So he's Jin. He's not safe as well.
What? Who was that?
What is happening again? I pushed my thoughts aside and got into the room.
"Himura!"
***