Greetings and salutations to you, the reader. As some people may now (or others who don't) I kind of died on a pair of stories I was writing last year. I don't plan on continuing those what-so-ever as A) I've lost the ideas I had originally planned for them and B) I wanted to start fresh with a new idea that sparked during a conversation with a good friend of mine. Don't worry, this story won't crash and burn like my first or live on discontinued like my last two. (Who knows, maybe the flames for the other two will light once more and I'll finish them.) Either way, here's the Prologue, enjoy.

Chapter One: Sunset Blood and Navy Corpses

The sound of ambulances rang in my ears as I rode down the streets in a rush. We had just gotten a call at the office and since it was the holiday, we had none of our staff onboard. Well, except for me anyways, since I'm a the boss' number one lapdog. The name is Rena Mashiro, ace reporter extraordinaire. I live up to my name, taking the job to capture both the truth and the sights of a scene for the people. After all, Shibuya Sundown News is all about the people so it'd be terrible if I didn't bring the whole dinner to the table. Enough about the news, I'm twenty-two and single but I'm not really interested in a relationship, my work is my true love and-

"Get out of the way asshole!" I screeched at the top of my lungs, sticking my head out in the humid summer heat. I was clearly in a rush and some idiot thought he could just cross when the light was green. He flipped me the bird but I flipped him two right back. Letting out a sigh of irritation, I slammed my foot on the gas pedal. "Waste of thirty seconds, motherfucker…" As you can tell, I'm not particularly in the mood right now. It's been a terrible morning; spilled coffee, burnt breakfast and I couldn't even relax with the fresh smell of printed newspapers. But seriously, I am getting sidetracked. What is wrong with me?

I turn a sharp corner, heading down a typically unused street but I currently filled with police cars. Right, the call. So around 8:15 this morning, my boss gets an anonymous call about a huge scoop on high street. Of course, we're dubious because anonymous tips get sent here all the time and they're usually nothing but fabricated lies. Usually. This one felt, different though. The boss was really unnerved by it, perhaps it might've had something to do with his niece going missing some time ago. I'm not too keen on the details but it seemed really serious. He hadn't been in for a month when that happened and let me tell you, when I say he adores his niece I mean he buys her the most expensive gifts money can buy. He's a sucker for little tykes. So yeah, I'm thinking he myth be related to this but… I'm not totally sure…

I pull up behind the back gates of what appeared to be some sort of school building. What was it called again…? Oh right, Fate's Alliance Academy, the one for students with extraordinary talents at such a young age. Right… I never got accepted here, not that it bothered me. So I couldn't get on the wait list, no big deal. My life is perfectly fine without some proof of me attending such an elite school because I'm doing simply fantastic right now. I shut off the engine to my baby girl, a Maserati my father had gotten me for my twenty-first birthday. Why he got me this, I have yet to figure out. I would've preferred a house but no, some imported vehicle. Not that I can complain though, it's pretty cute. A usual, I lock my car and grab my camera as well as a messenger bag chock full of supplies. Undoing the messy bun I kept my hair in and sliding on a pair of sunglasses, I strut my way over to the huge crowd of police officers, seemingly in a heavy conversation. The atmosphere around them just seemed so… grave… But then again, they were police officers, those outfits were not stylish so I don't blame them. But all jokes aside, I attempt to weave my way into the group to get a lick of what they're talking about but I'm stopped by some guy I never met. Maybe he was new to the force.

"'Scuse me ma'am, but you're not allowed to head through here. Police access only," he adds in that little bit, attempting to sound all mighty with his authority. I gave him a wry smile, prepared to dig my claws into his neck and make him move but of course, Prince not so charming comes to save the day. Lame.

"Hey, rookie. She's with me so back off, or else you'll get a demerit." I rolled my eyes a bit, a bit irritated at that. I would've loved to give him more than a demerit, trying to say I'm not allowed here. But anyways, this guy is Seto Otonashi, an irrelevant human being. Well actually, no, he's at least good for giving me access to police only areas. I swear, he does it just so I'd go on a date with him which would never happen. "Y'know, if you just applied to the police academy along with getting your degree you wouldn't go through this every time."

"If you just applied to the police academy while you got your degree you wouldn't go through this every time- oh shut up." I huffed a bit, strolling past him with my arms crossed. I really had no time to spare for him, work is money and money is time. "So, what's the case we're working on this time? School shooting? Group suicides? Teacher going crazy?" I threw out several scenarios, completely oblivious to the severity of the situation at hand. I mean, it was a school, what else would happen? Not to mention an extremely high standing one at that.

"Well actually…" Seto trailed off, beating around the bush like most did when they were about to leak something they weren't sure about. I studied criminal law and I observed cases for days, he's not going to be dodgy with me. "I think it would be more efficient for you to see it for yourself." He sped ahead of me and I just stared at him in disbelief/ was bit really that bad? Ugh, whatever. I followed after him nonetheless, passing through the golden gates to the school's estate. It was rather nice actually I it weren't for, y'know, dead plants and murky fountain water then this place would be fantastic. He continues onward, disappearing into the inky darkness beyond the open door.

This is a school right…? Cause it feels like something more… Shaking my head a bit I quickly followed suit, the sound of my heals clacking the floor with each step I took. The hallway I was in was rather eerie and unnerving. It didn't take long for me to catch up to Seto but when I did I froze in my tracks. A pair of fairly fresh corpses though they still bore a putrid odor. They looked to be high school students, probably the ones who were studying at this facility but… they weren't wearing uniforms… I arched a brow at this an immediately pulled out my camera. I snapped a few photos of the pair of corpses.

"Is this it?" I inquired, my curiosity piquing further than I expected. I felt like there was more to see for some strange reason. He nodded his head before continuing forward down the seemingly endless hall. I stared at the corpses for a brief moment, letting a small prayer escape my lips before I too treaded down the hall. We arrived at what seemed to he some sort of court room. It seemed rather high in etiquette with an expensive looking carpet as well as furnished wood. However, the oddest things were posted at a circle of fourteen stands. Eleven of them had a portrait of what I assumed were students on them with a large x crossing through the portraits. Of course, I took a picture of each one as one could never have too many pictures and this was vital information.

"Did your guys figure what these were for…?" I turned around, asking him with a hand to my hip whilst the other cradled the camera. I got a pathetic nod in response and furrowed my brow in irritation. "Well, that explains a whole lot Seto. Thanks so much. I really appreciate the cooperation." He let's out a sigh, pulling out his little notebook and begins flipping through it before he stops at a page.

"We believe each post represents a student who died but there is a total of fourteen corpses in the facility but only eleven posts so…" He trailed off, closing his notebook and sliding it in his pocket. I scoffed a bit at his behavior considering how he was supposed to be a police officer. I didn't get what was so awkward about this but I didn't press him on it.

"Where to next?" I was a bit confused considering how there weren't anymore doors but as I asked that, a ding rang from behind me. Startled, because I hate surprises, I turned around to witness an elevator sliding open. I assumed that was our ticket out of there and quickly hopped on. I tapped my foot impatiently as my companion sluggishly pulled himself onboard. Without the press of a button, it closed and began to creak as it pulled us up. It took a few minutes but the elevator finally stopped, revealing a room that held none other than a door. Not missing a beat, I stepped out of the elevator, rushing out the door and leaving Seto behind.

After passing through the door I found myself in a brightly lit hallway. The walls had a pretty coat of baby blue paint and the floors were a black marble. Was this actually a school or was it some kind of extravagant household. Either way, I began making my way deeper in the hallway until I came across a door with a sign above titled, Nurse's Office. Of course, I went inside expecting something of interest but… It looked like a normal nurse's office in a typical high school. Medicine, blood packs, medical instruments- wait, blood? I quickly took snapshots of the room before taking a few of the supplies. Why would a nurse need such a thing? Are nurses even trained to handle blood transfusions…? I don't know. Quickly losing interest in the room, I hastily left it before coming near a staircase but a set of shutters were lowered and I didn't exactly have the key to raise them.

"Splendid…" I muttered, running a hand through my hair as I strut down the adjacent hallway. I come in contact with a few more rooms, a classroom with a large number of desks in a rather neat and orderly arrangement. There appeared to be something written on the blackboard but… I couldn't quite make out what it said. Nonetheless, I snapped a picture of it just in case. There were also steel platings bolted into the wall. I was a bit on the confused side as to why such things would be there. Maybe windows were there and students used to get so distracted from the outside? Tall about drastic measures. On my way out, a rather strange camera caught my eye. It was some sort if hi-tech security camera but it didn't seem to be on. This place was extremely strict, wasn't it? I use past tense because it's probably going to be closed down now. An incident like this could very well ruin a school's reputation, emphasis on could. Either way, I was finished with this classroom. The rooms that followed were just as boring, a gymnasium as well as two other classrooms. There was also a locker area that led to a sauna as well as a storage filled with a variety of different items. But nothing of interest.

As expected, there was a cafeteria, but what caught my eye was the contents of the kitchen. It seemed rather nice, bolstering a variety of kitchen utensils as well as a large fridge in addition to a freezer packing various amounts of large meats on hooks. However, the food in both the fridge and freezer had long expired. This certainly raised a few questions as I snapped a few pictures. I jotted a few notes in my own notepad before leaving the cafeteria area altogether. The last place to check were the apparent dormitory areas. There weren't any labels on the doors so they didn't know whose door was whose, not that it mattered. All the doors were locked air tight.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I seethed angrily, punching the last door. Unlike the others, it swung open at the contact of my fist on the hard material. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that it had actually opened but also it seemed as though the room was untouched. By untouched I mean it had not been investigated by the police. Papers litters a desk, providing next to no visibility of the desktop. I began filing through them, amazed by the documents that provided so many details as to what occurred within these walls. There was a roster consisting of fourteen students. The names were unfamiliar to me but I took a picture of it, knowing full well that the cops would keep all the evidence to themselves. There were also several photos of what appeared to be the remains of what I assume to be humans. Perhaps some of the students? There was blood everywhere and the corpses were ether beyond from recognizable or destroyed completely, providing no sort of evidence that it was a human body at all. I nearly retched at the sight but I managed to keep myself from doing so.

"This… This is horrible! Inhumane!" I was at a loss for words as I continued going through the papers until I found a diary. The owners name was scratched out but the pages inside were legible. I began reading the first entry softly to myself.

Day one,

It seems that we have been trapped here under the command of some unknown individual. They appear in some sort of full body costumes, rendering us incapable of being able to identify them based on appearance. I believe they're also using a voice modifier, ensuring that nothing about them is identifiable. We have been ordered to kill each other in order to escape or to stay here forever. Everyone is in a flurry of panic save for a few of us and I'm led to be extremely concerned for the wellbeing of both myself and my peers.

I would've continued on to the next entry but the sound of footsteps bounced of the walls in the hallway before reaching my ears. I quickly closed the book and scooped up most of the important documents and shoved them unto my bag. I feared that it was a police officer and just as I predicted, it was Seto, crossing his arms with an unnaturally worried expression plastered on his face.

"Why did you go on ahead?" He fumed, glowering at me with disappointment. I merely a scoffed in response before looking away.

"You were taking too damn long, that's why." He didn't seem too pleased with that reasoning and pointed at something on the bed. I followed his gaze, having failed to notice that a black tape recorder sat on a bed. I was immediately drawn to it, picking it up gently. I glanced over to Seto and he nodded, signaling that it was okay to play. I pressed what I assumed was the playback button and listened closely.

"Hello." A male's voice. Although it's distorted I can clearly tell that it is a man or perhaps a boy speaking. "You're probably wondering quite a few things about the events that took place here at Fate's Alliance Academy. The documents piled there on that desk were the first step into diving into this mystery. The second, is this tape. We shall see how desperate you are to decipher the hidden meaning behind what occurred in this well known facility though I give you a single warning. Should you wish to turn back, drop this case immediately. If not, your life will not be guaranteed to be safe… my best wishes."

Soon, silence replaced the sound of the rather unnerving voice with the last words it spoke looming over our heads. Just what ha happened here? I needed details, stat but was it worth risking my life over? I guess we'd have to find out. I handed Seto the tape recorder, telling him to take it to the chief investigator. He jogged out of the room in a rush, obviously creeped out by the message and I don't blame him one bit. Throwing one last glance around the room, I began making my way out before I felt something press against my mouth and an arm wrap around my waist tightly. Panicked, I quickly began struggling but I couldn't get a grip on them to remove them from me. The whispered a soothing 'shhh' in my ears as vision faded from my eyes and my body fell in contact with the floor.

When I finally came to, I found myself strapped to a chair with bindings around my wrists and ankles. It was odd being restricted like this. How log had I been out? Probably not too long but I couldn't see a damn thing. Blindfolded… I began struggling, desperate to escape my imprisonment but to no avail. Though I felt something similar to wires brush against the sides of my head as I did flailed about.

"Now now Princess, can't have you breaking free," chuckled a male voice. It was unfamiliar but the fact that they called me princess irritated me beyond belief. I felt a scowl form on my face as I adjusted my head to face te direction I thought he was in.

"He's right. You wanted to know te truth, well now you're gonna learn it. This what you wanted, right? Miss Ace Reporter." A girls voice giggled lightly, almost teasingly. What did they mean that I was going to learn what events unfolded at the academy. Were they the ones who set everything up at the school.

"Anyways, no time for chit chat. Let's get this party started!" A third voice exclaimed. The sound of a machine whirring filled my ears. I attempted to speak but the moment I did, something began to fill my lungs, rendering me incapable of forming the words I desired to say. I felty eyelids grow heavy and my was rocked back and forth. However, this was a different sensation from earlier. I felt as though I was being… disconnected from my body… It felt strange… Before I dived into the world of unconsciousness a single pleas raced through my mind.

Seto, please help me…

Well that was a shorter prologue than I intended for but I suppose it's better than droning bit on forever. Anyways, here's the deal. There are fourteen slots exactly, I will not be having an OC participating in the story which is exactly why it's structured like this. The form will be on my profile and one lucky character will be the protagonist in the mutual killing. The eyes that we will view everything through

Note: I will not accept characters through review or any means that does not allow me to reply back to you as I may or may not need to ask a few questions. Anyways, until next time.