Dlbn: Hey everyone, and welcome to part 2 of Haunted!
Nbld: We would've made it all one chapter, but it was just too long like that. So we split it up into two pieces. Plus, we were short one chapter idea for the month. Let's start with the Review Corner! Thank you to Yoitemichaelis and promocat for reviewing! Dream catchers for you Both!
Yoitemichaelis: Sorry to have terrified you! It's definitely a spine-tingler hehe It should make more sense in this chapter. ^^ Thanks! If I don't get paid in time to get the wig this year, I'll get it next year. Maybe I'll be lucky and the store that has it will go like 50% off or something the day after Halloween. -Shrug- I hope so, because 20 bucks is a lot of money for me, considering I have other things I need to get as well hehe
Promocat: A nightmare indeed! But it's not over yet ;)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ritsuka or any other character from the series. I do not own Loveless. They all belong to Yun Kouga. 3-in-1 manga will be available soon. Check your local bookstore for release dates. Volume 10 will be released in January 2013, and until then I own volumes 1-9. I make NO money off of writing in this category.
Disclaimer 2: I do NOT own Evanescence or their song "Haunted". That all belong to Amy Lee and the rest of Evanescence. I make NO money off of using lyrics from their song.
Dlbn: So without further ado, we bring you to the slightly longer then part one, dramatic conclusion of "Haunted"!
~ Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you
Loving you
I won't let you pull me down~
~"Haunted" by Evanescence
000
After the disembodied voice steered Ritsuka away from almost every door in the hallway, Ritsuka found himself at a door that led to a room at the end of the hall. This had to be the exit, right? The neko grabbed the doorknob to open it and enter the room. When the voice didn't argue with his choice, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open. The door slid open with a loud squeak. Ritsuka looked around behind him to make sure he hadn't been followed by his mother or whoever it was that had whistled for her. Seeing nothing, he stepped into the room. Instead of it being a classroom, Ritsuka found himself inside someone's office. A large oak desk sat in the middle of the room. A big chair sat behind the desk, and two smaller chairs sat in front of it. A water cooler bubbled in the back, making Ritsuka look over. Instead of pristine water, the water cooler was filled with blood and floating eyeballs. Ritsuka shuddered and looked away to take in the other surroundings. Blood was splattered everywhere, as if a struggle had taken place. There was a bloody and ripped couch with cushions thrown everywhere and the couch itself upside down on the floor. A rotary phone lay on the ground on its side. A dial tone came from the phone's speaker. There were pools of dried blood on the floor and wet blood dripping down the walls. There were pictures of people lying around. Blood poured from where their eyes were. There were photos tacked to cork boards and hung on strings around the room. A large map was on display in one corner of the room, though the left bottom corner had been torn off.
"What…what is this…?" Ritsuka walked towards the desk. "Who's office…?"
He picked up the golden name plate and read it, before dropping it in shock and horror.
"S-Seimei A-Aoyagi…" Ritsuka read.
This was Seimei's office? But Seimei didn't have an o…wait, yes he did! At Seven Voices Academy's old schoolhouse! He had an office in the old schoolhouse because he was a member of Septimal Moon. Seat number six. Beloved. Seimei Aoyagi. But why were the walls covered in blood? As Ritsuka looked around the room, he saw blood oozing from cracks in the wall paneling and bubbling up from the wood flooring underneath him. The ceiling was bloodstained, but there wasn't any dripping from there at least.
"Do you like what you see, Ritsuka?" A deep voice asked from behind him.
Ritsuka turned to see his brother. Seimei was again dressed in a clean white suit, but blood was dripping from his hair and chin. There were drops of blood splattering his pant legs, and his blazer was covered in drips and splatters of blood down the front of it. Even his white tie was dripping in blood. His shoes looked okay, but soon they became engulfed in the red oozing up from the flooring.
"S-Seimei?" He asked. "Why is there so much blood in here?"
"No one that comes under the watchful eye of seat six makes it out without spilling at least a little life essence." Seimei explained. "They all had to be eliminated. It was only necessary, after all."
"Necessary?"
"Units that are too weak must be disposed of. As the holder of seat six, it's my job to test the units. Some that lose make it off alright and I let them go. But others?" Seimei chuckled. "Some just push my buttons and rub me the wrong way. Mostly the ones without families that will worry about them and have an investigation launched into their disappearance."
"So you kill them…?"
"No, I exterminate them." Seimei corrected. "I know it's the job of seat four, but I just can't help myself sometimes. It's so exhilarating…using wordspell to attack the opponent without them expecting it. Their screams and cries as I end them. The crimson blood flowing forth from their wounds; their mouths, eye sockets…" Seimei took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. "It's so…electrifying…"
Ritsuka took a step backwards. "You…You're insane…" He spoke softly. "You've gone off the deep end, Seimei! Killing people!? That's not you, Seimei! It's not!"
Seimei's eyes snapped open. Heated plum orbs gazed at Ritsuka with an anger that Ritsuka had never seen from his brother before. "Oh, but it is." The elder Aoyagi assured. "You see…Ritsuka…You don't really know who I am. You don't know the first thing about me."
"Yes I do! I know everything about you, Seimei!"
"No you don't." Seimei shook his head. "You don't know the first thing about Beloved."
"I don't want to know Beloved! I want to know Seimei! The Seimei from my memory…"
Seimei snarled. "All your memories are lies. Accept it."
"No, I won't!" Ritsuka covered his human ears and shook his head. He closed his eyes as he did so. "They can't be lies! My memories can't be fake!"
"They are."
"They can't be!" Ritsuka argued, clenching his ears tighter. His neko ears flattened against his head in an attempt to block out his brother's words.
"They are. Stop denying it, Ritsuka."
"I don't want to lose my memories…" Ritsuka loosened his grip on his ears a little bit, since it wasn't helping him to block out the voice that felt like it was whispering across his mind. "If my memories are fake…that's worse…" He opened his eyes and looked at the ground; ashamed. "I don't have anything but my memories. They can't be false, they can't! They're everything I am…"
"Loveless…" Seimei spoke his brother's true name. "The Seimei you remember is just a figment of your imagination." He smirked. "Mom knows the same Seimei, but it's a lie. You're both being manipulated."
"No!" Ritsuka argued. His arms fell to his sides as he hands clenched into fists. He fixed Seimei with a glare that would have sent Yuiko crying and running off in the opposite direction. "You're lying to me! You're not real! You're not Seimei!"
Seimei took a step back. "Ritsuka, you…you sound like mom…"
Ritsuka felt the world shatter before he saw it happen. Everything splintered away into jagged fragments. The blood in the room fell and splattered on the ground with a sickening noise. Ritsuka felt himself falling again and desperately scraped the walls with his fingers to try and grab something. Finally, his fingers barely gripped onto a ledge, but it was enough. Ritsuka took a few deep breaths to steady himself as he clung hard to the ledge. He swung a little as he used his feet to brace against whatever it was he was clinging to. Using his feet, he began walking up. He pulled himself up onto the ledge so his arms were laying on it. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. Suddenly, his feet slipped out from under him.
"Ah!" Ritsuka cried out.
He scraped against the ledge with his hands as he slid backwards into the abyss underneath him. His fingers gripped onto the ledge as the rest of him dangled. He felt his fingers slipping and tried to get a grip with his feet again.
"No, no, no, no, no…!" He spoke as he tried to get back up. Suddenly, his fingers slipped off the ledge and sent him tumbling downwards. "Ah!" he cried out, thinking he was about to fall to his death.
A hand wrapped around his wrist and caught him before he could go too far down. Ritsuka opened his eyes and looked down, before kicking his feet a little in response to being up so high in the air. He stilled himself, lest he make the person let go because his wiggling was too much, and looked up. Soubi was leaning over the edge of the ledge that he'd been trying to get up on.
"Ah! S-Soubi!" Ritsuka greeted as a big grin stretched across his face.
"Fancy seeing you here, my sweet little Ritsuka." Soubi smiled.
He pulled Ritsuka up with both hands until he was able to physically lift the younger male up and carry him further onto the ledge.
"What are you doing here, Soubi? How did you know where to find me…?"
"I followed our bond."
Soubi grasped at the thin wire connecting the two of them. People who weren't fighters or sacrifices couldn't see the bond, but it linked the hearts of a sacrifice and a sentouki; Ritsuka and Soubi, respectively, in this case.
"O…Oh…" Ritsuka paused, latching his arms around Soubi's neck like he'd done so many times before. "Um…you can put me down now…"
"Just let me hold you a little while longer, please." Soubi informed. "We're not there yet."
"Where is 'there'?"
"You'll know soon enough." Soubi's left hand squeezed Ritsuka's butt cheek.
"Soubi!" Ritsuka pulled back a little bit. "Baka, stop it!"
Soubi chuckled and leaned down, kissing Ritsuka on the nose. Ritsuka closed his eyes as he felt the warm lips on his cold nose. He started to open his eyes again, but Soubi kissed him deeply; slipping his tongue past Ritsuka's lips and nudged the matching appendage inside the neko's mouth. Ritsuka squealed as he gripped tightly to Soubi's collar. What was wrong with Soubi? He never kissed him like this! But…it did feel good…
Soubi's hand slipped out from under Ritsuka's legs to trail his fingers up and down the boy's side. His kiss got more aggressive, but Ritsuka pulled away to get some air into his lungs.
"S-Soubi…w-what are…you…?"
"It was just a kiss." Soubi set Ritsuka down and took him by the hand. "Come."
The two of them walked through the dense blackness in silence. The silence made the dark even more eerie. But having Soubi attached to his hand made things seem at least a little better. Light began to fill the area, and Ritsuka felt like he was exiting a tunnel into the sunlight. Once they left the tunnel completely, Ritsuka noticed the area they were in to be an amusement park. His hand felt empty and he looked next to him. Soubi was gone, as though he were never there next to him.
"Soubi?" Ritsuka wondered, looking around.
"Ugh, you again?" A familiar voice asked.
Ritsuka turned towards a large roller coaster to see a tall figure with black hair, and matching ears and a matching tail. He was dressed in a short brown jacket, skinny denim jeans, sneakers, and a white shirt. His arms were folded over his chest in annoyance. His tail flickered back and forth impatiently.
"What?" Ritsuka wondered. He recognized the figure from when he and Soubi fought Bloodless, and they tried to pull out his biggest fear. "W-Who are you?"
"You can't tell?" The taller figure wondered. "I'm you, smart one."
"Me?" Ritsuka wondered, putting a hand on his chest. "But…you're so much older…"
The other Ritsuka scoffed. "So what? People grow older, you know." He informed. "Besides, I'll be you in the future."
"What?" Ritsuka wondered.
"God, I forgot what an idiot I was at twelve." The older Ritsuka said, rolling his eyes. He began walking forward towards him.
"Hey!" Ritsuka argued, flushing. "I'm not an idiot!"
"Yeah, you kind of are." The older Ritsuka stopped in front of him and ran a hand through his hair, making Ritsuka pull away a little.
"Where are we?" Ritsuka wondered."And what do you want?"
"It's an amusement park. Even you should know that."
"Well, I figured that, but I don't recognize it…"
"Yokohama?" The older Ritsuka wondered. "This was what it looked like back when you were little…littler…"
Ritsuka glared at him for the height joke. "But…if this is my dream…and I don't recognize this place…how is it here? Shouldn't it be like it was when I went with Soubi and my friends?"
"Of course not, you idiot." Older Ritsuka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ugh why did I think I could teach you anything?"
"Teach me what?" Ritsuka wondered, cocking his head to the side. "I want to know."
"Yokohama looks like this in here because you were there when it looked like this."
"W-What are you saying? I don't remember…"
"How could you remember when it happened when you were nine years old?"
"Nine? I lost my memories when I turned…ten…"
"And where were you the day before you lost your memories? Where did you wake up?"
"I woke up at home…didn't I? But the day before…I can't remember."
"You were in Yokohama with Seimei and our parents." The older Ritsuka informed. "Seimei was supposed to be watching you, but he botched up." He sneered.
"Botched up?" Ritsuka wondered. "What did he do?"
"That I cannot completely explain, as certain details are fuzzy, even to me." Ritsuka sighed. "But you were knocked unconscious and he didn't want to tell mom and dad."
"So he…?"
"Pretended you'd fallen asleep when you were with him. No hospital, no treatment for your concussion." The older Ritsuka muttered.
"It must have been something real bad that happened, though…for me to forget ten years of my life…" Ritsuka blinked. "Did…did Seimei…er…his fighter…?"
"Hm, hm." The older Ritsuka nodded. "A spell. One that can be reversed. If you want to become me, that is."
"I'm…I'm not sure if I want to be you…you're kind of an ass…"
The older Ritsuka chuckled at that and rolled his eyes. "Look where we came from, Ritsuka." He ordered. "Mom's hysterical and tries to kill you, Seimei's a sociopathic mass murderer for no reason other then he can, and Dad's absent so often, you're not even sure he's alive."
"Is he?"
"Yes, but that's beside the point, Ritsuka." The older Ritsuka scolded. "The point is, if you want to become me, if you want to live long enough to age into me, then you better start thinking smarter. Watch who you trust and what you do."
"Trust? I don't trust many people…"
"I'm well aware." The older Ritsuka sighed. "I'm you, after all, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but…" Ritsuka looked up at the older version of himself. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Um…about Soubi…I…does he…?" Ritsuka looked at the elder version of himself. "Does he stick around?"
"I can't answer that."T he elder Ritsuka shook his head. "There's only so much I can tell you that won't affect the timeline. If things are to go the way they're supposed to, I can't tell you anything that will change or affect your actions or decisions."
"Then…can you at least tell me about Seimei? What you know about him that I don't?"
"You're on the journey to figuring it all out yourself." The older Ritsuka informed. "Besides, if this is only a dream as you claimed earlier, why would you listen to or believe anything I tell you?"
"But…you're me. I if can't trust myself, who can I trust?"
"Good question, Ritsuka." The older Ritsuka turned away.
"Wait…are you leaving?"
The older Ritsuka didn't answer him and started walking off. His feet became shadowy, silky tendrils as he glided away.
"Wait, stop! Don't go!" Ritsuka called. "There's so much I need to know!"
Ritsuka reached out as he tried to chase after him, but a figure fell from nowhere in front of him before he could catch the other Ritsuka's sleeve. It was the demented spider-like version of his mother. Ritsuka took a step back.
"Don't touch him…" She warned. "Not with your false, filthy little hands!"
She swiped out at him with spidery fingers with long, jagged nails. Though Ritsuka stepped back, her claws cut into his shirt sleeve. A sharp whistle made Ritsuka look up. The elder version of him was back, floating slightly above the ground as the dark tendrils lapped at his surroundings.
"Mother, please." He spoke gently. "He is not our enemy."
Her head turned around from where it dangled to see him underneath her legs. "Hai, Ritsuka…" Her head turned back to Ritsuka with a sickening pop. She snarled at him.
"Mother, stop." Ritsuka ordered. "Now come here."
She turned after snapping her almost-broken off jaw at Ritsuka one more time.
"You…you're the one controlling her? You saved me earlier…" Ritsuka was perplexed. He had been so certain that it had been Seimei that called out to her.
"Oh, she's acting on her own accord." Older Ritsuka chuckled. "However, I do have the skill to make her back off when necessary. I can't let her kill you here."
"O-Oh…"
"If you die here…"The older Ritsuka pressed his lips together as he glared at something behind Ritsuka.
Ritsuka turned to see Seimei in his white suit again, though it was clean of all blood, and Nisei at his side.
"Seimei…" Ritsuka started.
"How nice of you to finally show your treacherous face around here." Seimei sneered over Ritsuka at his older doppelganger. "Loveless."
Ritsuka looked back at the elder version of himself. Their mother looked confused, but he seemed to just be annoyed.
"You haven't earned the right to call me that yet, Beloved." Ritsuka informed. "It's still Ritsuka to you."
"I haven't earned it?" Seimei chucked deep in his throat. The sound was haunting.
Nisei smirked. "I'd say it's you who hasn't earned the right to use true names."
"Shut up, Nisei." Seimei and the two Ritsuka ordered.
He only earless male in the vicinity took a step back at that, but he looked annoyed by it.
"Don't tell me what to do, Ritsukas…" He muttered.
Seimei backhanded him. "I said to be quiet."
"What a way to treat your fighter, Seimei." Another voice spoke. "I'm glad I got out of there when I had the opportunity."
"Soubi!" Both of the Ritsukas called the name of the fighter.
Soubi smirked and walked over from the right side. He stood in place. "Two Ritsuka? This must be my dream, not his nightmare." He chuckled at Ritsuka, making him flush.
Seimei growled, literally growled like a wolf defending his food, at the look the fighter was giving his little brother; and the flushed, slightly happy look Ritsuka was giving him back. "Silence!" Seimei ordered.
With the force of his words, flames erupted from the ground and spread out to encase everyone in a wall of fire. Misaki backed away from the fire and screeched.
"Mother, please, shut up!" The older Ritsuka ordered her.
She stopped screeching and reduced to whimpering. Ritsuka was surprised how much control the older him…the future him…had on his normally erratic mother. Could he…could he be the real Ritsuka?
"I will not be defied!" Seimei snarled. "You're all making a huge mistake! Side with me, and perhaps I'll let you live. Defy me, and die where you stand!"
Flames licked out from the walls at the closest people; Soubi, the older Ritsuka, and his mother. Seimei and Nisei were ignored by the flames, and Ritsuka himself was too far from the edge to be affected. The older Ritsuka didn't look fazed. "Please, Seimei, your cheap pyrotechnics aren't horrifying anyone." He said. "It's actually rather annoying."
Seimei snarled and growled as flames licked closer. "You dare challenge me?!" He cried out.
Even Nisei seemed afraid of him; taking a step to the side to escape him. The second he did, flames licked at him and forced him back to Seimei's side.
"You may frighten your fighter and our mother, but you do not frighten us." The elder Ritsuka floated closer to Ritsuka.
"Ritsuka! No!" His mother argued. "Don't get too close to it!"
The elder Ritsuka ignored his mother's words. He grew closer and wrapped his arms around Ritsuka, holding him tight. "You won't hurt him."
Seimei's eyes lit up, but whether it was from the challenge the older Ritsuka presented or the flames was undeterminable.
"Watch me!"
"Shards of ice, encase the enemy." Soubi spoke. "Destroy the angry flames to mere ashes!"
"No!"
Ice rained down from above, encasing Seimei's fire and effectively destroying it.
"You see, Seimei, you can't win." The older Ritsuka said. "All you can do is take your sniveling fighter and go into hiding as usual. Go on, get lost. You are no longer welcome in my world!"
Power shot out from Ritsuka in an invisible from of energy. It knocked Seimei and Nisei backward.
"Nisei, do something!" Seimei ordered frantically. "Don't let him push us out!"
"W-Walls of steel, block the w-wind f-from my path…" Nisei stuttered. He suddenly didn't seem as big and tough as he had when Ritsuka first faced him at Seven Voices Academy with Soubi.
"You have no power here, Seimei." The older Ritsuka said. "Not while I control this realm."
"No!" Seimei screeched.
His mouth elongated and his eyes grew larger as he continued to let out an inhuman screech. It was worse then any scream Misaki had let out both times Ritsuka met her. Seimei's face began to stretch as well, his body following. Flames flew up from the ground to consume him. He reached out one hand towards the two Ritsuka. The elder Ritsuka snapped his wrist and a black form spewed from the flames controlling Seimei. It screeched towards the two Ritsukas; a black demon with elongated claws, no mouth, and glowing red eyes. The elder dropped Ritsuka dropped to his knees; bringing Ritsuka with him. Ritsuka, remembering his older self's words about him dying, cried out and buried his face into the elder Ritsuka's shirt.
"Don't worry, Ritsuka. You're safe. I won't let him hurt you." His older self assured.
A barely visible shield tinted purple and blue began developing over the two of them.
"S-Soubi…!" Ritsuka called out.
The fighter ran to the two Ritsuka, the demented Misaki at his heels. Soubi threw his arms around the youngest of the males as well. Misaki wiggled through to the older Ritsuka; trying to press herself into his chest to escape the unknown being. The shield grew bigger until it encased the four of them. Outside of the shield, Nisei screamed as flames consumed him; reducing him to a pile of ashes on the floor instead of a crazed demon like Seimei had become. The demon that was formerly the eldest Aoyagi brother scraped against the shield, ramming its head into it again and again to try and get through. The blackness of its body split apart under its eyes. In the opening chasm, fanged teeth protruded and he bit into the shield to try and break through.
"It's only a dream…" Ritsuka muttered as he snuggled into both the arms of his older self, and the arms of Soubi. "He can't hurt me…just a dream…"
"It's not." Soubi whispered against his ear. "If you die here…"
"I won't die." Ritsuka promised. "Not now…not ever…"
Words came to his mind and his lips moved; letting them tumble out without thinking.
"I will not be subjugated!"
They were the words Ritsu-sensei had taught him before he left to fight Bloodless. Soubi and the elder Ritsuka repeated his words. The bubble, sensing their words, expanded and sent the demon Seimei flying. Demon Seimei exploded as it hit an invisible wall. After the sickening splat, the four huddled under the shield began to pull apart. Ritsuka was shaking.
"Are you alright, Ritsuka?" Soubi wondered.
"N-No…"
Ritsuka felt his eyes roll as he fell backwards. This was all too much…too unreal…this couldn't possibly be happening! It was only a dream, right? Wrong! It was a nightmare disguised as a dream!
The elder Ritsuka, Soubi, and the demented Misaki all leaned over him. Soubi checked his pulse while the older Ritsuka lightly slapped his cheek a few times.
"It's alright, Ritsuka." His older self informed. "It's all over."
Ritsuka felt his eyes begin to close/ suddenly, the world around him was nothing. There was no older Ritsuka. There was no Soubi, no demented Misaki. There was just Ritsuka, floating in the black.
Ritsuka! He heard the older him call. Wake up!
Please, Ritsuka, wake up! Soubi's voice pleaded.
Wake up!DementedMisaki added Ritsuka!
Are you alright, Ritsuka? Seimei's original, loving voice asked.
Get up, Aoyagi! Nisei ordered. Now, Ritsuka!
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
His name repeated like a mantra, his name spinning around in his vision.
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
His name continued spinning behind his eyelids
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
His name began to waver like ripples going through a lake. They changed shape and became something else. "Loveless".
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
The word exploded into shards and then there was nothing.
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
Ritsuka
"Ritsuka-kun? Ritsuka-kun?" The voice of his sensei, Hitomi Shinonome, called him. "Are you alright, Ritsuka-kun?"
Ritsuka began to shit and stir.
"He's waking up!" Yuiko spoke cheerfully.
"I told you he was just asleep. No big deal." One of the class bullies, Ayame informed.
Ritsuka moved and felt his arms crossed underneath him. His eyes opened to see the concerned faces of sensei and his friends Yuiko and Yayoi looking at him.
"Are you oaky, Ritsuka?" Yayoi wondered. "You were in a real deep sleep."
Ritsuka yawned and sat up. His back began to throb and he stretched. "I…I fell asleep in class…?"
"For forty-five minutes." Sensei scolded. "If you don't feel good, go to the nurse for a nap or to be allowed to go home."
Ritsuka felt a grin break across his face.
"Don't sleep in class…why are you smiling, Ritsuka-kun? You're in real trouble!"
"It was all a dream." Ritsuka laughed. "Just a dream…"
"Must have been a bad one." Yayoi adjusted his glasses. "You were moaning and saying all kinds of weird thing about Seimei, your mother, your memories…murder…"
"Heh, yeah it wasn't a good dream…" Ritsuka said.
"Then why are you grinning?"
"Because it's over."
Sensei smiled softly. "Well…I'm glad it ended then…" She turned to the class. "Let's get back to work, shall we?"
She walked up to the front of the class, saying something about a book they were supposed to be reading.
"I'm glad you're okay, Ritsuka-kun…" Yuiko said with a smile.
"Yeah…me too." Ritsuka grinned.
Yayoi rolled his eyes. "Don't scare us next time." He said. "I'm going back to my class."
"Why are you in here, anyway?"
"I heard the commotion and came in. We were on a break between lessons." Yayoi pat him on the back before slinking out of the room.
Attention began to drift from him and to Sensei. Ritsuka watched as Yuiko folded her arms on the desk and lie her head down to sleep. He smiled. Something outside caught his eye before he could turn back to the lesson.
Seimei was outside; floating in midair to be visible from the third floor of the school. He was wearing his white suit; the ends flared out like tentacles. He smirked at Ritsuka and waved. His eyes were no longer the plum Ritsuka recognized, but rather the blood red from the dream demon. He transformed into a large black creature with huge bat wings and no mouth. His eyes remained red, but lost their pupils. He let out an inhuman screech before taking off up into the sky and fading away as he did so. Ritsuka looked around and noticed that no one else had seen or heard the monster. Good, it wasn't real.
Ritsuka smiled and looked back at his teacher to focus on the lesson instead of the haunting nightmare. It was all just a dream, after all. He was safe now, and none of it was real. As his attention focused completely on the lecture, Ritsuka didn't notice the new dirt under his nails, or the way his stomach burned where demented Misaki had hit him with her tongue.