Chapter 4
We were walking through the long hallways, laughing together, silly jokes being spewed from my mouth. At least thirty minutes have passed since we made the decision to roam the halls. After exploring the halls with silence, I found the need to lighten the atmosphere up. It was a bit awkward at first but Namine soon eased up, nervously giggling a few times at the ridiculous puns I decided to throw out. Then, we both were at ease, striding down the halls as if we were the closest friends ever. Though, we were still a bit tense with caution.
Even though we've been out in the isolated halls for a while, we haven't crossed paths with any participants yet which I found a bit odd. The halls were as silent as a grave. Though, the only sounds we were able to hear were the lights flickering. However, any small noises were hidden behind the loudness of my voice. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but worry slightly about the intensity of my voice, which was sure to attract the attention of people. Strangely enough, Namine didn't seem too bothered by it.
It wasn't long before a "ding" echoed through the place, interrupting our conversation and causing us to glance at each other in confusion. I was about to open my mouth to question the odd sound when a few crackling sounds penetrated my ears. The sound being produced reminded me of those awful static noise a person would receive when they were changing the radio station. Then, after a moment of that ear-piercing noise, a low menacing voice vibrated down through the halls, making shivers run up my spine.
"The first kill has been initiated. The competitor, Larxene Warner, is now eliminated from the game. It is a pleasure to have you guys in this MurderFest, so please enjoy it to the fullest. Have a good day!"
Any laughter on our faces disintegrated quickly, a horrified look appearing instead. Her startled eyes contacted with mine, light blue eyes wide with shock. The way her lips quivered in panic, her eyes wide open with fright was probably the reflection of what my face looked like. My head dully ached, as my mouth opened repeatedly, only to close again after words weren't properly formed. It took me a while but I was finally able to compose myself, though my fearful eyes conveyed the horror I felt.
"I-I-I.." I sharply glanced at Namine, who appeared to be lost with her words. Then after a long while, with sorrowful eyes, she stated. "I knew her.. I-I knew Larxene.." I breathed in deeply, head pounding more intensely than before. I never even knew a Larxene existed before today but the way Namine's eyes were blinking rapidly, frightened breaths escaping her, made me mourn a lot more about her death more than I probably would have if I were alone. It was clear Namine wasn't taking the announcement very well. I took a step closer to Namine, before rubbing her back gently.
"Are you okay?" I mumbled worriedly, a frown on my face. Namine didn't immediately replied, still in a state of shock. She stood there, head held down before answering.
"Y-yeah, I am.. I'm alright.." She whispered quietly, making me strain my ears. A quick glance at Namine was all I needed to understand that she was not at all "alright." Namine was shaking, her face pale with sadness. I bit my lips, turning my head away from the sight. That was a stupid question to ask.. There probably won't ever be a time where we would be "okay" in this game.
"Well, then.." I started slowly. "I guess we should keep walking.." I took a few steps forward, only to notice Namine wasn't following behind. She was still standing there, frame trembling in fright, mouth drawn tightly. So, I added in another option. "Unless, you want to stay in a room for a while?" She shook her head softly, staring into my eyes.
"I don't have the strength to keep moving.." Namine mumbled, her eyebrows furrowed together.
"Then, let's just spend our time in this room. We can relax for a while and ease up. We probably need some rest anyways. Besides, we-" I babbled, pointing to some random room to my right, getting ready to open the door. However, she shook her head, disagreeing.
"But I want to keep moving forward.." Namine declared, holding my stare. I pursed my lips together, thinking deeply as I stared at her intently. Her legs were still shaking, knocking into each other but her face was collected. I sighed lightly, before grabbing her hand tightly to mine and taking a hesitant step forward. She stumbled a little so I glanced at her with concern, a slight frown on my face, awkwardly holding on to her hand.
"Is this alright?" I questioned, holding her hand. She was slightly flushed but she nodded. So, we continued down the long halls. The lively mood from before had vanished completely, leaving only a gloomy heaviness in it's absence. We were silent, slowly trudging around the never-ending maze. I wasn't liking any of this. The more we continued on in the still quietness, the more I was becoming aware of the bad situation we were placed in.
The longer we kept walking, the more I was convinced that this place was a huge labyrinth. There were so many twists and turns that only continued to confuse me. The halls were awfully repetitive, with their bricked walls and dim lights. It was clear I had no idea on where I was going, as I tugged Namine down the ongoing hallways. It was the same with Namine, as she glanced around the maze with a perplexed expression It was only a couple of minutes later, when I wasn't able to take any more silence, the unchanging halls making my head blank out.
"Namine, are you sure you're alright?" I muttered, tightening my grip on her.
There was a slight pause, before a hesitant answer. "Yeah, I am.. Thanks for asking.." She sounded better than before, her voice calmer than the other time I asked her. My stiff grasp slightly loosened up. I sighed slightly, relieved, glad that she was feeling a bit more serene.
"How would they know if someone died?" I blurted out, attempting to start a conversation. I glanced behind me, watching as her eyes flickered to mine in mild surprise. It was a bad starting subject but I was desperate to continue talking.
"There might be cameras around here.." She quietly answered, tightening her hold on me, warning me. I nervously nodded, before resuming down the halls. Even though I wanted to carry on with chatting lightly, Namine didn't appear to be quite enthusiastic about talking. She only pursed her lips together, following slowly behind me, clenching my hand.
We were strolling down the repetitive halls when Namine tensed, clutching my hand firmly until I felt my bones crack. However, I was too busy turning around the left corner that I didn't take notice of the harsh, loud running heading towards our direction. Then, while turning to the left, my body bumped into some unknown figure, my forehead slamming against theirs. A slight crack rang the air, along with spontaneous groans. Namine let out a little frightened gasp, her sharp nails digging harshly into my hand as I stumbled back before hitting the ground with a grunt. I heard the other let out another low groan before they too dropped to the floor.
I was clutching my forehead, moaning in pain, my eyes clenched tightly together. Namine had placed her hands on my shoulder, shaking me softly in panic, but I only groaned in response. I opened my eyes, only to find my vision blurry. I blinked a couple of times, the dim lights of the gloomy halls shining brighter than ever. Slowly, I allowed myself to be plucked up by Namine, who gripped my arm and pulled upwards. I began to lean against the gritty walls, my body swaying to the side, my forehead aching dully.
"Are you okay?"
Namine whispered, worried. I nodded, despite my head continuing to pound. A disgruntled groan caught my attention, causing me to flicker my eyes downwards. Namine had also shifted her eyes the same way, scrutinizing the figure sprawled out on the floor, gripping their head. An inaudible gasp of recognition escaped her, light blue eyes widening.
"Aren't you R-" Namine paused, a slight frown on her face as she wracked her head for the name. "Roxas?" I was a little baffled, amazed on how Namine was able to identify every participant so far. I frowned, slightly shuffling, as I observed the way cerulean eyes dully gazed back, a bit dazed. Though, his eyes soon turned clear, ocean blue piercing sharply into my head. He never replied, not even a nod of confirmation to the name, nothing. He ignored the hand Namine placed out, eyeing it warily, before standing up stiffly, wiping off "imaginary" dust from his clothes.
Namine appeared to be uncomfortable, as she moved to hide behind me. I was a bit wary as well, uneasy as a blank stare was directed towards me. The blond narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the both of us intensely. It was dead quiet in the halls, accompanied by awkward staring.
Then, after what seemed like an hour of silence, he finally spoke.
"Yeah..." He mumbled under his breath, the suspicion in his eyes dimming down. "I'm Roxas.." Everything went silent after that, as his eyes flickered to the ground, glaring. Namine wasn't saying anything and I didn't feel quite prepared to start talking as well. But I kept in mind how it could've been worse.. That there was a good possibility that Namine and I could've ran into some psycho instead of the seemingly harmless person in front of us. Luckily, it wasn't a lunatic with a deadly weapon in his hands.
"So.." I placed on a strained smile, offering a handshake. "I'm Sora. Nice to meet you!" Namine gripped my bicep, as if she was trying to warn me. I brushed it off, as my polite smile grew wider. His cerulean blue eyes flickered to mine, blandly keeping his gaze on my outstretched arm. My bright smile slowly died down, hesitant, as the blond delayed any response. Then, after some more waiting, he spoke once again.
"Yeah, I know your name.." The reply was quiet. After a few seconds, my smile soon turned into a frown, as Roxas made no move to shake my hand. I slowly drew back my hand, only to blink in surprise when Roxas softly clutched my hand, shaking it lightly before pulling his hand away quickly. His expression was still stiffly blank, the slight frown on his face just barely there. I grew aware of Namine, who was directing a curious gaze to the blond.
However, Roxas ignored it as his attention flew to the ground once more, regarding it with false interest. Namine soon stepped in front of me, eyes wandering all over the blond. She was deep in thought, slightly frowning, as she observed Roxas. I stared at Namine oddly, wondering why she was staring at Roxas so strangely.
"Roxas." I looked at Namine, astonished when words fell out of her mouth. She wasn't much of a talker nor was Roxas from what I seen so far. "Why are you here?" I glanced at Roxas, waiting for an answer.
"I don't know.." He spoke softly but his words held an ounce of harshness to them, warning her not to ask anymore. His vacant expression slightly morphed, eyebrows furrowed together in irritation. Namine bit her lip and proceeded to step behind me again, murmuring an "okay." He was still staring at the floor, not daring to take a glimpse at us. I thought his behavior was a bit weird, along with Namine's. However, I didn't risk questioning it.
Another awkward silence occurred.
"Well.." I coughed lightly, gaining the attention of two blonds. "We're sort of looking around the halls, trying to find some people around here.. Would you like to follow along?" Roxas finally averted his eyes away from the ground, drilling his hollow eyes into mine. Wordlessly, he nodded absent-mindedly. I sent a hesitant smile his way, before saying, "Great!"
I grasped Namine's hand, tugging her forward. She stammered in surprise, slightly flushing. I mumbled an apology, slightly grinning, before releasing her hand. However, before I could walk past Roxas, a hand clamped down on my shoulder, startling me. It was Roxas, frowning deeply, clutching my shoulder tightly. Namine paused besides me, sending Roxas an alarmed glance.
"Uhh?" A questionable sound escaped my throat, making me sound like a moron.
"Let's go the other way.." Both Namine and I blinked obtusely, sending each other a dumbfounded look. Roxas didn't seem bothered by it, moving the opposite way we were walking, before pausing. He glanced at us, his face blank. "Are you coming?" He quietly asked, pausing to adjust the backpack I hadn't noticed until now. It was the same bag I have seen everyone carry around and his weapon was sticking out of his backpack. I couldn't help but blink, staring at his weapon, wondering how I could've missed it. Though, it was probably because I was facing his front side the whole time instead of his back. I noticed that Namine was also eyeing his weapon.
It was an aluminum baseball bat, and the metal was shining brightly under the gleaming lights. Begrudgingly, I told myself even a baseball bat did more damage than a simple screwdriver.
"Why do we need to go the other way?" I asked, glancing back at the hall Roxas first emerged from before placing my attention on him. "We already spent about an hour exploring those halls." I pointed behind Roxas, frowning deeply.
"We're going this way.." Roxas responded lowly, his vacant stare replaced with a small ounce of aggravation. I blinked again, wondering if Roxas was even listening to me. Small memories of Marluxia holding his sword popped up in to my head, urging me to protest against Roxas.
"But-"
"We are not going down those halls." Roxas firmly stated, his previous soft voice instantly growing louder and stronger. His empty, dull face had changed completely, replaced by a hard, irritated glare. I opened my mouth in disbelief, stupefied by the change in both his expression and tone. His face which was previously void of all emotions was scowling, eyes narrowed in impatience. I looked at Namine, who seemed shocked, caught off guard by the unexpected change of attitude in the blond.
Namine hesitated but soon found the courage to speak up. "Did something happen?" I took a closer glance at Roxas, noticing he was sweating, also slumping down in exhaustion. His fierce look was slowly dying down, the same impassiveness from before returning. He straightened up, sending an absent gaze at Namine, who shuffled around nervously. Then, he shook his head, pursing his lips as he refused to answer. I sighed tiredly, scratching my head, recollecting the sound of loud, frantic footsteps before crashing into a hard skull.
"Okay then, you can lead the way. We'll follow behind you." Roxas nodded his head at my decision before turning around and striding down the halls. I glanced at Namine quickly. Then, I proceeded to trail behind the blond, alongside with Namine.
It was going to be a long silent walk...
"Aw man, what a mess I've gotten myself into!"
A voice cried out, rubbing their dirt-blond hair styled into an odd mullet-like style, bangs falling over their face. The figure waved their weapon around in the air, sighing in disbelief. The figure was known to be a guitarist named Demyx, who was known for his casual, laidback manner.
"Ah geez, I'm just not fit for these type of games." Demyx groaned, swinging his hammer around. Though, it quickly slipped out of his hand, crashing into some wooden door. He winced, before stumbling over to his weapon, noticing the dent it left on the door. "Ouch.." He murmured, picking up the heavy hammer. It was pretty clear that Demyx was feeling quite upset, as he groaned and moaned irritably to himself. He had just listened to the announcement, declaring a certain person he knew was dead.
Sure, he never got along with Larxene, especially after the many attacks she initiated towards him but he couldn't help but miss the way she stood tall, oozing with power and strength. She was a cold, ruthless woman and she was bad. Demyx just didn't understand how she died. In his opinion, Larxene was the biggest domineering person he ever met, who knew how to kick a lot of ass. He would also say that he was probably one of the closest friends she had, despite the cold responses he would receive from her. But now, she was dead.
As he mused over these frustrating thoughts, he kept a fast pace, zooming through the halls. It wasn't long until a shocking shade of red flickered into his vision, making him jump ten feet into the air. Demyx stared into light green eyes, a slight tiny amount of surprise highlighted in them. He instantly recognized the figure with the bright wild hairstyle to be Axel, a fellow classmate of his.
"Axel!" He shouted, his cyan eyes widening with joy. "It's you!" Axel glanced at him blankly, a disinterested look on his face.
"Do I know you?" Demyx could feel the nonchalant reply tearing a hole into his heart. He stared at Axel with the saddest frown he could muster and attached his hands on top of the redhead's shoulders, shaking him slightly. Axel stiffened slightly, his hands reaching for his backpack, pausing as Demyx mustered out a response.
"I'm your friend!"
Axel arched an eyebrow at the statement, not responding, his face not amused. Demyx let out a groan at that. How could Axel forget about all those times they spent together?
"I'm in six classes of yours! You know like Physical Education? Advanced Chemistry? Government Law? Music Theory? English? How 'bout icky Pre-Calculus?" Axel sent him a revolted gaze at the mention of math but did not bothered replying. Demyx had his mouth gaped open, eyes shockingly wide open.
"How the hell did you forget about me? Dude!" Axel was annoyed, staring daggers into Demyx, who let out a miserable sniff, mumbling "dude" repeatedly. Demyx tried one last time. "Come on Axel, I sit right next to you during lunch at the same table! Every... single.. day.. for the last ten years of my life!" The blond guitarist shook Axel, exaggerating his words. Axel couldn't have forgotten about him!
"I-" Demyx interrupted the redhead's words.
"Oh god! What the hell did they do to you!? Did you bump your head?" Demyx started running his fingers through Axel's hair, feeling for some sort of bump that might've been there. However, he was soon shoved off. A snort was directed at him with a slight smirk.
"Damn it, Demyx... Only you're dumb enough to think I'd forget a moron like you.." Axel snorted once again, flickering an unimpressed look at the blond, who gaped in shock.
"Axel!" Demyx shouted at the top of his lungs, jumping up. "I knew you didn't forget about me!" The redhead only scoffed in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. Demyx couldn't help but blink uncomfortably, as his eyes take in the view of blood all over his friend's clothes. Axel narrowed his eyes, noticing the curious gaze focused on his bloody clothes. "Where did all that blood come from?" Demyx pointed directly at the area slathered in blood.
"I cut myself." Axel bluntly stated. Demyx stared up and down Axel's figure, noticing the large amount of blood splattered on his shirt and jeans. There was only a few speckles of it on his face.
"Wow.." Demyx murmured in amazement. "That must've been one nasty cut.." Axel could've laughed but he would've rather not blow his cover at the moment. But it wouldn't have made a difference because Demyx was such an idiot. The fact that Demyx did not connect the blood on his clothes to the recent murder made him baffled. Demyx must've lacked a lot of common sense. Either that or he decided not to voice any suspicious thoughts. However, Axel felt more inclined to call his friend a fool.
"Yeah, it hurts a lot.." Axel said, glancing down at his clothes with disinterest. Demyx frowned, as the blood started to remind him of Larxene's apparent death.
"Did you hear the news?" Axel quickly flickered his eyes to Demyx, frowning. "You know, the one where they announced Larxene's dead..." Axel released a small smirk at the words, not able to resist a smug smile. However, Demyx was too busy moping to notice the triumph grin on the redhead's face. "Are you upset? I mean you dated her for a while... I liked her a little, she was pretty cool." Axel resisted the urge to snort, placing on a sympathetic frown instead.
"Yeah, I'm a bit upset.. I can't believe she's dead.." Despite the perfect despairing expression Axel rested on his face, his voice wasn't able to fake it. His voice cracked, making him clench his teeth in irritation. It was also impassive, dripping with signs of boredom. Apparently, he wasn't the "best" liar out there. Demyx was able to detect the obvious unconcerned tone, resulting in an instant, long stare to the redhead's face. But Axel kept his mournful frown, heartbroken eyes gleaming with sorrow. After staring at Axel's crestfallen expression, Demyx sighed sadly, shrugging off the odd tone to the redhead's voice.
"Whoever did it has to be a real asshole.."
"I agree.." Axel replied, sounding more dejected than before. It wasn't long before Demyx brightened up, moving closer to Axel, his smile gleaming brighter than ever.
"Geez, I don't get why anyone would ever talk bad about you. Man, you're the best guy ever!" Demyx waved his arms around, before slinging an arm around Axel, who froze slightly. Though, he quickly relaxed.
"Yeah, I don't know why either.." A slight grin appeared on the redhead's face, already knowing the answer as to why anyone would despise him. Then, Axel shoved the arm away from his shoulder. He began to walk away from the blond, right before hearing the confused stutter.
"W-wait, where are you going?" Demyx yelled out, puzzlement clear in his voice.
"Isn't it obvious?" Axel turned to grin wildly at his friend, who blinked, perplexed. "I'm leaving to get away from you." Demyx's dumbfounded expression only deepened, a clueless frown appearing.
"Huh?" Demyx uttered, bewilderment found in his eyes. "Shouldn't we stick together? I don't really feel like fighting anyone alone." Axel laughed loudly, his ferocious grin growing even wider.
"Sorry, I'm just not the teaming up type of person." Unfortunately, Axel didn't sound very sympathetic, which caused Demyx to frown. "Believe me, you're better off without me. If anything, you'll be a bit tad luckier. Plus, I'm doing you a favor so don't be so lazy." Demyx was staring blankly at Axel, his head backfiring. He couldn't really understand what Axel was trying to tell him nor did he understand what Axel was implying.
Right before the redhead left his sight, a smirk was sent his way.
"A piece of advice.. You should watch out for those close to Larxene. There's a possibility that someone we know must've killed her." The only person that popped up in Demyx's head was a certain pink-haired friend. Besides Axel, Marluxia was a very close friend of Larxene's. Axel soon disappeared, not leaving a single farewell. Demyx was left standing in the hallway, mind muddled. Then, he walked the other way, a confused gleam in his eyes.
Five minutes had passed, making me rub my eyes in exhaustion. I never noticed how tired I was until Namine started yawning. After that, I was yawning everytime Namine would yawn. Despite the occasional yawning, we were all quiet while roaming the halls. Roxas was sauntering ahead, never pausing once. I started to notice that he was walking ahead quicker than before, desperate to place some distance between him and some other person. After some more yawning, Namine decided to whisper in my ear.
"Sora, don't you know him?" Namine quietly mumbled, making me strain my ears. Was she talking about Roxas? I flickered my eyes to the lone figure gliding down the halls, thinking. Namine had also placed her attention to him, observing his rigid form.
"What are you talking about?" I whispered back, confused. Namine placed a finger to her lips, warning me to stay quiet.
"It's "that" kid. The one everyone talks about in school." I only stared back, puzzled. I was pretty sure nobody ever mentioned a guy like Roxas to me during the course of high school.
"Huh?" I wasn't able to put any more words into my confusion. Namine frowned slightly, before leaning into my ear, murmuring. Her words reached my ear, along with her warm breaths.
"He's Roxas Ford.. The one that nobody likes..." I glanced at her sharply, frowning. Then, I blinked, nervously taking a few glimpses of the stiff posture up ahead. I pondered for a few seconds, before I registered what Namine was telling me. Then, it hit me unexpectedly, making me wonder why I even forgot who Roxas was.
Roxas was a well-known freshman at our school, which was probably the reason why I wasn't comprehending her words. Earlier on, I automatically assumed Roxas was a sophomore which didn't help much. He was more "infamous" than anything, well-known for the wrong reasons. The sophomores and the juniors really never bothered to care about the freshmen rumors that spread throughout the school so I was a bit vague on details.
Apparently, in the beginning of the school year, he vocalized a few "harsh" insults to some seniors that were bothering him. It all went downhill from there. Nobody ever told Roxas that those particular seniors shouldn't have been messed with. In the end, he became the most bullied kid of the school, both by seniors and freshmen. Most of the freshmen were intimidated by the seniors, being urged to harass the blond unless they wanted to become a target themselves. However, it was easy for the freshmen, since they were spiteful of the fact that Roxas caused most of the offensive relationship between the seniors and themselves.
"Oh yeah.. I know him.." I mumbled a bit hesitantly, nervously glancing at the blond. Namine frowned, mirroring my previous actions. If Roxas heard the things we were saying, he must've been ignoring it fully. His stance was still rigid. Also, his pace slowed down and he was closer to us than before.
Namine continued murmuring about some of the rumors circulating Roxas, which caused me to peek glances at the blond anxiously. I was listening absent-mindedly, deep in thought as I pondered on to myself. Despite, being a freshman, Namine didn't appear to despise Roxas from the way she was talking about him but it still made me a bit edgy. I came to the realization that this must've been the reason Namine was acting a bit odd around Roxas.
Later, I grew exhausted of the space Roxas was placing in between us. I jogged towards him, noticing the stunned look Namine shot my way. I placed on a small smile, as I walked side-by-side to Roxas. He still had the same impassive expression from before, his face straight.
"So.." I started cheerfully, a smile on my face. "How are you feeling?" Roxas sent me a blank stare, frowning slightly, taking in my joyful attitude.
"Fine.." He answered in a deadpan tone, a small flicker of coldness found in his voice. There was a tired gleam in his eyes, which caused me to rub my eyes sleepily. From the way he was trying to ignore me, walking in a faster pace, I knew he overheard the conversation between Namine and I. I felt guilty, despite not talking bad about him at all. I glanced back at Namine, who stared down at the ground, ashamed as well.
This was not going nicely at all.
A/N: Meh, I don't know how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to update so yeah.
