You can imagine the class as anything but uh
This is what I imagine-
Rose - Minerva
Rena - Anemos
Ara - Apsara
Elesis - Empire Sword
Add - Dominator
Elsword - Rune Master
Chung - Fatal Phantom
Raven - Furious Blade
Lu/Ciel - Catastrophe
Ain - Bluhen
Aisha - Metamorphy
Eve - Code: Esencia
Laby - Radiant Soul
How cruel is a job?
I'm not saying my job sucks and stuff. I really love it, to be honest. Travelling around the world as a tour guide, meeting new people every day, and seeing their happiness are the best part in my job. My co-workers are nice and we get along a lot.
The best part besides my job? Day off!
"We'll wait on Rena's house this time, okay? We can't go to airport, but we'll tell you the reason when you come here!" my friend tells me on the phone call.
They usually pick me up in the airport, but this time is different. I wonder why, though. "Okay. I'll call you later!" I reply to her before I end the call.
Last thing… I need to make sure I can meet someone that I consider a little brother. I send a text to him.
"Can we meet?"
I wait for a few seconds and he replies it.
"Sure"
I look at my phone strap. Rena made it for all of us as a sign of friendship. She said whenever I feel alone, this phone strap will remind me that they'll be there for me.
"You can stop smiling, Rose. People will question your sanity!"
This navigation of mine... "Zero, I'm excited! It's been a while since I met them!" I shout at my robot. Yeah, he's not a living being. "Stay here, okay? I need you to watch the house!"
"Hey, I'm not a security!"
I lock the door and quickly go to the airport. I almost late for the airplane, but I made it. The reason I didn't bring Zero is because my co-workers need a report from me at random times, so I put everything on Zero and leave him at the house if they need something.
When I was little, I went to another country called Elrios for vacation with my family. It was a strange place and the map was confusing to me. One day I got lost and cried, but a group of people found me and let me stay with them for a while. They were playing around like normal kids, except there were a grown-up elf and Nasod. I hesitated to do anything, but they considered me as new friends. In the end, we became friends.
I have to admit, sometimes I feel left out when they talk in group chat, but they never leave me out. They're so amazing and I really love them.
The airplane is landing. I can't wait to meet and hang out with them!
I arrive at the place where we usually group up, a small house right next to a candy shop, which is Rena's house. My excitement turns into shock and sadness in an instant.
"Are you their friend? They all got murdered there three days ago."
That's what the shopkeeper told me. I want to cry, but I can't. A part of me believes they're still alive, but the other part of me accepts their death. Obviously because I have a reason for that.
"Sir, are you sure? I just called and chatted them a few hours ago," I tell the shopkeeper and show the call history on my phone and the chat messages. If they're dead, then who called me?!
He's confused with it. I thank him and go out. I just need to enter the house and find it out myself.
"Miss, don't go there! Stuff happened lately!"
I face the shopkeeper and ask him about the stuff he said. "Some investigators got possessed, some of them died for no reason, some of them went missing, and there were many weird things happened for the last three days. That place is cursed!"
We'll see the curse then, especially when he's still dare to open the shop beside it. I walk away and step inside the house. It's… fine? Just a living room with TV on the left side, sofas on the other side, a small table with cookie jar in the middle of it, and a large bookshelf. Nothing wrong here!
Bang!
I try to open the front door, but it's locked all of a sudden. "Whoever you are, this isn't funny!" I shout as I bang the door.
"Welcome home, Rose!"
I turn around after hearing the voice. Blood is splattered everywhere on this room. Several books are missing from the bookshelf, the empty cookie jar is opened, and the TV is destroyed on the floor. Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder, the sun sets. I try to break the window this time, but it feels like I'm hitting a wall. I turn on the flashlight on my phone—wait, it's 20% battery left and the signal is lost? I'm screwed!
"Guys?" I call them as I walk forward. Something falls to my head. I rub my head and look at the thing that just hit me.
A book with dark blue blank cover? I pick it up and open the first page. Wait… this is…
Why is this here?!
I believe it's around 7 years ago. I hung out with Rena, Ara, and Elesis a lot. Rena was an elf I mentioned before. Her home—which was a forest—was burnt because of us, humans. Instead of hating us, she was taking care of us a lot like a mother. Sometimes all of us called her "mom" and she'll laughed it off. Despite all of that, we still see her as a friend more than a mom.
Ara was a clumsy girl. She was always happy and positive until an accident happened and killed his brother 5 years ago. Her happiness turned into depression and suicidal thoughts. Sometimes she filled the group chat with her own drama, but don't get me wrong, I cared about her.
Elesis was… I don't really know how to describe her. She was just amazing, like almost perfect. She was the one who always replied to Ara's messages in group. Guess what, they dated 3 years ago. The happy Ara we all knew was starting to come back, but then this happened.
We were imagining ourselves as an idol. We almost had hope for it, but we realized none of us can play an instrument, so we just made up some song lyrics. If we could became an idol, we decided Rena to be the leader and vocalist because we heard her sing before. Ara said she will be the dancer, even though she can't even dance and tripped on something often. Elesis wanted to be a rapper, but she was so bad at it and we laughed a lot. Thankfully she knew we were joking about it. Me? I was just a sub vocalist, since I can't do any of those.
"Rose, you should keep it," Rena said as she gave a dark blue book. It was just a simple book with no decoration at all.
"In case you miss us in your home, you can read the book!" Ara smiled at me.
I laughed at them. "Guys, it's just lyrics. Give me another reason to keep it."
This is the book of lyrics we made 7 years ago. Why is it here?! I left it at home! I keep turning the next pages to see if this is the real book. Everything looks the same, even the handwriting and a small fox doodle from Ara on the third song.
But then I found a new lyrics. The handwriting is messy and most of the lyrics are covered with blood, I can only read a bit of it.
Today the dream come true
Vague and gloomy voices
We will reach the
Despair that fills empty space
We… never write this. I put the book into the bookshelf and walk to the next room, the kitchen. I walk toward the back door first and try to open it, but it doesn't work. There's a chocolate cake decorated with six eyeballs. I walk away quickly, my stomach doesn't feel good after seeing that. Who did that anyway?!
Creak...
I hear a sound of an opened door. I point the flashlight to the nearest room, which is the room we usually used to discuss something. I talked over the idol stuff there with them and sometimes... a private talk with a blonde boy called Chung, the one that I consider as a little brother. We have blonde hair and blue eyes. They said we looked like siblings. And... that's how we became close.
I walk inside the room with no windows. This smell... is it blood? I move my flashlight to see what's in front of me.
Three dead bodies without eyes hanged upside down. The blood is still dripping from the body. They're... the three I was talking about!
I close my mouth and nose with my left hand. I fall down to my knees, I feel so weak when I see this. I can't take this, I'm going to puke! I can feel tears rolling down to my cheeks. Who did this?! What did they do?! They don't deserve this!
I hear a sound of chalk. I move my flashlight to the chalkboard on my left. The handwriting is messy and the blood is splattered on it.
"Our last talk"
What...? My last conversation with who? Them?
I shake my head. I get up and look at my friends' dead bodies. I refuse to believe they died this way, but it already happened. The least I can do is take them down. I don't want to let them like this.
My... last talk with them...? I recall my memories as I put down the dead bodies.
It was a year ago on summer break, I took days off to go here. We were in this room to gossip and such, but sometimes we didn't even believe what we made up. The gossip was just for fun.
"Rose, are you still in contact with Chung?" Rena asked me with worried look.
I tilted my head in confusion. "I do. Why?" I asked her back.
Ara looked at me. "Is he fine?"
I nodded as an answer. They all looked worried and sad at the same time. I was so confused. "We lost contact with him after new year," Elesis muttered. After she said that, I realized I hadn't see Chung anywhere in the house.
I took out my phone and called him. Luckily he answered it and we all called his name.
"Chung, where were you?! We're so worried!" Rena shouted. She looked angry and sad at the same time.
"I'm sorry."
And Chung ended the call.
I don't get it. If they were murdered three days ago, how come the blood is still fresh?! And... if Chung wasn't with them, does that mean he's safe?
I press the contact and call him. Please answer it, please! I can't lose you too!
...
...
...
No answer.
I keep calling him, but he isn't answering. Did they kill him too, even though he wasn't with them? That's... cruel. That's just cruel! What do the killer want from them?!
I hear the chalk sound again. I look at the chalkboard. The text changed to "RUN".
Run?
I run out the room and try to open the front door again, but it doesn't work. I can't even open it by force.
This... isn't a prank anymore. Something weird is actually happening. I should've believed in the shopkeeper.
I can hear sound of TV this time. I turn around and see the broken TV is actually working. It shows a cartoon show for a few seconds before it goes off by itself.
That was those three favorite show.
Three of them were usually here watching the TV every morning. The oldest of them was Add, an arrogant white haired boy. He loved to insult people a lot, but according to Rena, he's just shy.
Then Elesis' little brother, Elsword. He was a cheerful boy and looked up to Elesis a lot. I barely found a sibling like them. I mean, most siblings just fight all time.
Lastly, Chung. He was mature and really nice to everyone. Sometimes I feel bad when Add insulted him because he won't fight back like Elsword.
The only time they were quiet was when the cartoon show started. They will sit here, eating cookies and drinking chocolate milk. I joined them once and I understood why they love it.
It's just funny, so funny. The episode barely have a plot and mostly comedy, but that's why we love it.
They still loved it. Two years ago, they were still here watching the show in the morning. Elsword will laugh like usual, he didn't change much. Add was still arrogant and even more annoying in my opinion, but he would still laugh at several scenes. Chung... wasn't even showing any expression. He was like a living zombie and Add teased him a lot for that.
"Are you dead? You seem like a ghost wasting my cookies," Add poked Chung's cheek. "Just squirm for my experiment."
"What kind of experiment do you do this time?" I asked Add. He loved experimenting Nasod stuffs. Our Nasod friend was uncomfortable with this, though.
Elsword laughed. "Let me guess, is it teleportation?"
Add rolled his eyes. "Sure, I'll teleport you and Chung to the nearest man-eating plant. I don't need a dumbass and a zombie on my life."
"Not if I teleport you first! And Chung isn't a zombie!" Elsword slammed the table.
"Yeah right, he's just a puppet," Add shrugged.
Chung looked at the two. "I'm sorry."
Elsword blinked his eyes several times. "Why are you apologizing?"
"For being dead," Add replied with a laughter.
I miss them, especially Chung, I really do... The last time I met him, he was staring at everything blankly, as if he lost his purpose of living. That was a year ago, the day before I went back to my country.
Drip... drip...
I feel water drop from the ceilings to my hand. My hands are bloody from putting my friend's dead bodies, I don't even know what just dropped. I look up to the ceilings.
My three friends were there, stabbed in the ceilings with several knives. Their faces were horrible, as if they got killed in an instant.
I... I can't take this anymore! I don't want to be here! I don't understand what's happening!
The TV turns on again. It only shows static.
"Run!"
It's like a crowd telling me to run. When I think about it, I can hear footsteps getting louder. I try to open the front door for the last time before I run upstairs. I closed my mouth and hide inside a large cabinet. I'm still hearing the footsteps, but hopefully they won't find me here.
Bump!
Rena bought this just for us to store our clothes when we came for a visit. We didn't have enough room for everyone, so we usually switched place for sleep. Girls on the bedrooms and boys on this place with rug and lie down on it, next day we switched.
Besides those three, there were three other boys that will prevent them from fighting—or at least they will not do a trouble.
There was a black haired boy named Raven. He was always covering his left hand with bandages for some reason. I don't think I can make a joke with him because he was serious in everything.
We had a servant—at least he only served a specific person—called Ciel. He was so good at cooking, so for the last few years he cooked the meals for us instead of Rena. I thought he would be a boring person you can meet everywhere, but he actually liked cute things. It was unexpected, especially when I got a plushie from arcade and he stared at it for the whole day.
Last was... an angel, Ain. I didn't really know how and why an angel was with us, but he cared about Elsword a lot. He would go with him almost everywhere and really protective of him. He'll call the rest of us with nicknames. I still don't know why.
When Add teased Chung and Elsword too far, Ain will protect Elsword immediately. The other two will scold Add.
But there was one time they didn't scold Add. It was around 3 years ago where Chung was running away from Add and hid himself inside this cabinet. He didn't come out after hours, so we looked for him after Add said he didn't know where Chung went. Ciel and I found him here. "Chung, why did you do nothing and stayed here?" he asked.
Chung stared at angry Ciel for a moment, then he looked away. "I'm sorry."
Ciel narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't apologize. I mean, it's not wrong to fight back once in a while."
Sigh... Every time I remember something, I can't stop myself from crying. It's all too sudden, I can't believe it.
I think the footsteps are gone. I open the cabinet slowly and take a peek. Everything seems normal, so I brave myself to go out and turn on the flashlight again.
6% battery... I don't have time for this. I need to get out! I'm about to go downstairs, but the stairs fell apart. I'm stuck in second floor now? I could jump but I won't risk that. I turn around and walk toward the only room in here, Rena's bedroom.
I didn't know about the boys, but we girls used to do pillow fight before sleep. Aside of my usual group, there were four more girls with us.
There's a purple haired girl named Aisha. She was a magician and we all love her tricks, even though she insisted it was a real magic. None of us ever figured out how her magic worked.
The Nasod Queen, Eve, was a Nasod with emotions. There was a moment she talked with us girls that she had this kind of obsession feeling called love toward Elsword. We tried to explain it to her, but she said it's illogical. Before she could understand it, Elsword confessed to her. They were weird at first, but eventually they became a really cute couple.
Then... how should I say this... Ciel's master, Lu? She said she was a ruler of demon realm and stuffs, but we couldn't believe it because she looks like a little kid. She liked sweets a lot and I was always amazed at her ability to eat every dessert that exists.
Last was Laby, a pink haired girl. She always had a mirror with her and named her Nisha. Despite her surprisingly old age, she acted like a kid. Sometimes we compared her to Lu, but in the end, they had their own cuteness.
We had Aisha's magic show in the bedroom 2 years ago. There were two big cages connected to a cable on the left and right side of the bed. "I can teleport someone from here..." Aisha opened the left cage and pointed the cage on the right, "...to over there by connecting the cables!"
"Are you going to use twins?" Elsword teased.
"No, I'm using real magic!" Aisha pouted. She looked at each of us and smiled. "Come here! You will experience the fun!" she pointed at Chung.
Chung stood up and approached Aisha. She told him to enter the left cage and closed it. Both cages were covered in black cloth. Aisha giggled and connected the two cables. She put down the cloth and Chung appeared on the right cage.
We all cheered her and clapped our hands as she opened the right cage to let Chung out. He didn't seem impressed by it. "That's the face of paid actor," Add cackled.
"There's no paid actor!" Aisha shouted at him. She faced Chung and smiled at him. "Are you surprised?"
Chung looked around and realized he's on different spot. "Wow. That's great," he praised with monotone voice.
Aisha looked really disappointed with his reaction, especially when she was actually trying to make him smile. "You don't seem happy," she replied.
He looked away from her. "I'm sorry."
I wish I could see him smile one more time. I sigh as I open the bedroom door. The room stinks, it smells... blood. I point my flashlight and I see them, the rest of my friends' dead bodies lying down on the floor.
Why do I have to see this? I missed them so much, but I don't want to see them like this! Do I still have tears to cry? I don't even know.
I walk inside. They got killed... probably slowly. I can see their face in horror and I hate that. I just want to get out of here!
Except Eve. They might be able to repair her and check her memory to see the killer. I lie down and see her broken body. She died as if she's hugging something.
...There's a device on her hand. I move her hand and see one of Add's Dynamos. I pressed the power button. A light glows and I heard a voice recording.
"If you can hear me, run! Jump off if you can! Especially you, Rose—"
"Rose?"
I get distracted by a really familiar voice. The voice recording is still on, but I'm not hearing it. I stand up and turn around to see a familiar figure. "Chung?" I point the flashlight to him.
The first time we talked privately was 5 years after we met, the day before I went back home. He was holding his tears and finally cried it out. I hugged him tightly and confused at the same time. I broke the hug and stared at him. "Chung, what's wrong?"
"My parents forced me to kill people..." he sobbed.
I was in shock. I can't find any words to either comfort or yell at him. I didn't even know what to do. My mind was blank, I can't even process what he just said to me. "But it's wrong," I replied. That's all I can say.
He broke the hug and looked at me in the eyes. "Please don't tell anyone about it."
A few days after he told me that, he called me. It was late at night, the ringtone on my phone woke me up. "Hello?"
"Rose, I killed him…"
The words completely woke me up. "Chung, you shouldn't!" I shouted without thinking.
I can hear him crying. I had so many things to say, but I held it for myself. He never told me the reason his parents forced him to kill people. He kept calling me to tell me the same thing almost every day. I can't sleep well for weeks and I knew Chung might not be able to sleep at all.
In two years, we all notice he changed a lot. The happy Chung we knew began to lose his emotions. They asked him if something happened, but he never tell them. I dragged him to the room on the first floor and told him to say anything. Literally anything, I didn't want him to keep everything by himself.
He faced down. "Rose… What if I get used to kill people one day?"
I quickly shook my head and grabbed his shoulders. "You won't. Please just tell me the reason you have to do this. We can help you!"
He was trembling and tears rolled down on his cheeks. "What if I become numb to the feeling?"
It's... really him. Cuts and bruises are all over his body. "You're alive?" I walk toward him with trembling voice. He nods and hugs me. "I thought you died..." I sob and hug him tightly. I don't even know who I saw on the living room, but I don't care. This is Chung in my arms... That's all I need.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize—"
I can feel a sharp stab my back. I fall down to the floor as Chung breaks the hug. I'm starting to lose consciousness.
"It's my job," he said as he dropped all the phones from his pockets. I can barely see anything, but the light from Add's Dynamo made me realize something on the phones. Those phone straps... they're... ours...
-3rd's person POV-
Chung stared at his last friend's dead body with blank stare. He turned around and approached Add's Dynamo. The recording was still going on.
"If you're still alive at this point, I would be surprised. Anyway, our friend Prince Seiker also known as Chung is an assassin. At this point, nothing matters to him anymore. He completely abandoned his feelings. Because I investigated this matter, he's killing us all right now as part of his job. On behalf of all my friends... please don't kill him. Just stop the Cobo Service and he'll be the harmless boy we all know. They framed his parents."
He picked up the Dynamo. The light on it was still on.
"Chung, I know you're hearing me. This Dynamo contains all data to object the fraud evidence pointed at your parents, don't destroy it even if they told you to. Your parents will be free from the debt and… you don't have to assassinate people anymore. Take this evidence with you before Cobo knew about it!"
The light on the Dynamo turned off. Chung broke the Dynamo in half, walked away and went down to the first floor by carefully jumping off. The whispers and mystical things were still happening, but he ignored it all. He opened the backdoor and walked outside.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT FANFIC BUT REEEEEEE
yea you know, stuff just happened when you discuss something with friends and then "oh i need this to be one of my collection"
ahahaha *cries*
Thanks for reading!
FP has feelings btw