My hands involuntarily shake as we approach the school. I nod at Satoru and Suguru as they escort Riko onto the grounds. A flock of girls gasps as the males walk by, making me giggle. Something in the distance makes me jerk my neck to the left.
Nothing. I rub my face and put my nose into my phone.
"We should go. Riko is in good hands." The woman smiles meekly, avoiding eye contact. While gathering my thoughts, I tell my partners to keep their eyes open.
Within a few minutes, I spot an area with lots of pedestrian traffic. Perfect. I steady my pace, letting the woman catch up. When we reach the crosswalk, my eyes bulge out of their sockets! I grab the woman, pulling her in front of me.
In haste, I text Satoru and Suguru. Blood swooshes in my ears as we come upon the corporate campus. The silver buildings bask in their glory like a king enjoying their court. I steady my gaze on one building, shoving Miss Misato inside.
I duck my head, avoiding the security personnel on our way to the cafe. The handle of my blade barely peeks from inside my shirt.
"Miss?"
If the five of us can regroup, that would be the safest way to keep Riko alive!
"Hello?"
Why have you not responded? Do I redirect us to Riko's school? What if the Higher Ups find out I am in on this mission?
"I hear you, Miss Misato," I force a smile onto my face, "thank you."
Then I check my phone. My heart leaps from my chest, making me choke hard. I grab Miss Misato's hand and rush us back to campus, my one-track mind forgetting about our company.
My face is warm to the touch, and I can't stay still. If I were Riko, where would I run off? I clear my throat before the boys reach us.
"Hey, sorry to give you a fright," Satoru addresses Miss Misato while Suguru texts Yaga. "Any idea on where Riko may have gone?"
Students slowly approach us on their way home. Most of them gawking at my colleagues or giving me a death stare.
"On our way out the door this morning, she briefly mentioned wanting to meet a friend."
"Would she have gone back to the house?" I say through gritted teeth, "Or straight to her friend?"
I hold a hand up to Satoru before he interrupts Miss Misato. "To her friend, why?"
"I was attacked before we found both of you at the store." I step aside and hold my left palm out. "Please, lead us to her friend. Hurry."
Within a few minutes, we find ourselves outside an ice cream shop. Sure enough, Riko is conversing with three classmates. I rub my face, taking a deep breath before turning around. I point a thumb to the table Riko is seated at while holding a palm out to Suguru and Satoru. It takes every ounce of self-control for me to stay put.
Then I see the exact figure from before, lurking by a telephone pole.
"Suguru, go inside and fetch Riko." Satoru looks at me, glasses hanging off his nose. "What is the matter with you?"
"Look for yourself." Just as Satoru turns around, the figure is gone. Vola! Like a magic trick!
"We need to get to campus. Now!" I say over my shoulder as I walk across the street. There is no way I am losing the stalker's trail. I veer left into a lightly packed alleyway.
After coming to a dead end, I grit my teeth and retrace my steps. My hand reaches for the fire escape, and my body swings gracefully onto the rungs. The coolness of the metal heightens my senses. From across the street, I hear Riko's soft tears roll down her face.
Remember, when following a trail, get inside the other person's mind. What are they experiencing? What is their aim?
My mother's wisdom brings me to an ajar door with a clear view of the ice cream shop. Dang, whoever this is, they are careful in covering their tracks!
I stay put as the tip of a gun is pushed into my rib. The urge to pee hits me hard. I hold up my left thumb, watching the faintest light reflect off my phone before disappearing behind the door.
I catch my balance by grabbing onto the handrailing, smacking my face on the metal. My veil drops, allowing an influx of cursed energy to pulse through my veins. When the double vision subsides, I elbow my opponent, hearing a clanking sound off in the distance.
My heart rate escalates, and my breathing quickens as I fly down the stairs. I smack my opponent's face as they pin me to the wall, and a faint golden hue shoots from my fingers. I skip another flight of stairs, palming my knife as my leg gives out.
"Crud!"
My voice vibrates off the walls. The cement knocks my teeth around, leaving a metallic taste in my mouth. Suddenly, I feel a tug on my leg and hit the door with enough force to rival a bull elephant. With trembling hands, I push the door open. The wailing siren competes with the crack of a speeding bullet.
While stumbling over trash cans and forcing my body to move forward, I grab my phone. The ringing in my ears and the shriek of an emergency vehicle make me freeze. Once I gain control over my lungs, I shut my eyes in response to the sunlight pouring onto the main street. Everyone has left the shop.
"Miss?"
I pull my jacket close to my body, trying to steady my shaking hands, ignoring the civilian.
The sardine-packed car jerks off at lightning speed, making me cover my mouth. Thankfully, nothing comes up. A few staring eyes make me turn toward the glass; a thick band of blood adorns my forehead. I pull my collar up and tuck my head.
Still no response!
Then I sense them: an unconscious Miss Misato and two civilians.
While sitting under an umbrella, sipping tea and nibbling on a croissant, I tap the pavement with my foot. Convincing my heart to stop slamming against my chest makes me smirk. When a pair of civilians dashes by, I toss my trash and tip my hat over my eyes.
The abandoned building is crawling with curses! They are especially alert since it is dusk, I exorcise two curses with a simple kick.
"Does anyone else want to fight?" My dark-purple eyes dip further into plum. None of the curses approach or answer me. They meander around the grounds as I let myself inside. Labored breathing brings me to the third floor.
"Miss Misato, I am coming to you." My voice is lower than Naoya's chances of dating me.
The gag smells strongly of chemicals and makes my head start to spin. I turn my head away from Miss Misato, catching my breath. Reverse-Curse kicks in without my intervention. Footsteps and murmurs almost cause me to slit Miss Misato's wrists.
"Come on. Follow me!" Once we are out of the room, I freeze in place. Another set of feet is coming toward us! I grab Miss Misato's hand and whisper, "Tokyo Metropolitan Curse College."
A flashing red light and a cold gust of wind encapsulate us. We fall to the ground several meters outside the campus grounds.
While huffing and puffing, I turn to my left, watching Miss Misato struggling to get up. I reach out my hand, trying to connect with her, but lose a finger instead. My eyes bug out, my heart kicks up, and everything grows darker within seconds.
A violent shake brings me face-to-face with a dark-haired individual who resembles Naoya. "Next time, close your portal."
He drops me to the ground; a pool of blood halos my matted curls.
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"Why has she not answered my messages?" A fuming Riko marches up and down the nearly deserted streets. "What happened to that girl who was with us? The one with a pissy attitude."
Satoru looks at Suguru, who in turn puffs his cheeks before answering.
"Blaise is with Kyori at the school." Each word leaving his mouth is heavy. He rubs his face before the trio enters the subway car.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
After what feels like an eternity, my heavy eyelids slowly bat open. Something prickly rubs against my wrists and ankles, and the darkness welcomes me with open arms. I will my body into an upright position collapsing instantly.
"Hmm? You did not last very long," my neck snaps back when a hand pulls my hair, "and you are not much of a threat two days later."
Those teeth, the scar running across his right cheek, and this overwhelming amount of strength! Crunch! I place my forehead on the ground, letting the blood flow freely to the ground.
"Watch them. The Plasma Vessel and Six-Eyes are coming." Two sets of footsteps grow quiet, and a door slams.
I focus on the ground, sitting up without fail. I stare at the wall closest to me once the fog lifts from my eyes. The smell of smoke draws my attention to the civilian sitting in a chair.
"Don't think about it," He points to his wrists, "I am not the one who is tied up, and I don't want blood on my hands."
While he is talking, I shift my eyes to his forehead, focusing my gaze on his brow. In a matter of seconds, our breathing patterns mirror each other. Slow and steady breaths laced with nicotine. As my eyes turn a deep purple, his eyes roll to the back of his head! His body slumps to the ground.
The cigarette rolls out of his mouth and lands a few inches from his face. Its orange hue glows against the black room. I inchworm my way to the glowing stick, holding the rope above the amber.
"Where am I?"
"Try not to move too much," I hover over Kyoir, placing a hand on her forehead. One of my eyes is nearly white, while the other is in its neutral state. Time is not on our side. She looks past me, her eyes growing in size.
"Don't worry, I gaged and tied him well." A smile forms on my face as the Reverse-Curse finishes. I snap my fingers, summoning a halo of light. "Go. It is designed specifically for you and will close when you enter."
I look over my shoulder as the last bit of light disappears.