Thump. Thump. Thump.

A slow growing pain echoed within Yoshiko's head. Her body felt like she had been thrown down a flight of stairs at least three times in a row as it hurt to even intake a single gulp of air. Every one of her muscles ached. As much as she wanted to roll over and sleep away her troubles, her mind wouldn't allow that with the constant agonizing pain making itself known throughout her body.

Slowly getting up, Yoshiko groaned as she brought her shaky hand to her head. The world felt like it was spinning all around her. She couldn't even see if that were true as once she opened her eyes, the world around her remained dark. She felt around to make sure she wasn't still in her dreamland, but all she felt was the cold concrete floor beneath her fingertips.

In confusion, the young girl used what strength she had left to lift herself up to her feet carefully. Any sudden movements and she would be back on the floor where she started.

'How am I here?'

Yoshiko's thoughts ran rampant as she could still remember everything as clear as day. She remembered what she did to her friends, all of their disfigured faces crowded her mind along with the screams of terror that echoed those halls. Most importantly though, she remembered what Ruby did to her.

She thought back to it all. How could she let things get so far between Ruby and her. It was no wonder Ruby did what she had to.

As the fight played within her mind, Yoshiko tried to shut her eyes to stop its events from reoccurring. She pushed her hands against her face to stop herself but nothing was halting her repeated defeat. It was bad enough of what she did to get to that point, now she had to be reminded of how it all ended. Great.

It wasn't until she remembered all the pain she had once felt. The tumbles, the scratches, the stabs that brought her to tears, were nothing more.

Patting herself down, Yoshiko couldn't find any reminiscence of her fight with the red-haired girl.

Slowly bringing her hand to her stab wound below her ribs, Yoshiko was met with a soft fabric, much different than the dress she was once wearing. Feeling around at her outfit, she could tell the texture from anywhere. She was in her summer school uniform, yet she couldn't recall ever changing into it.

Her hands moved up her body, feeling at her exposed skin for any traces of road burn from when she had fallen or welts from the strike of Ruby's flashlight. Nothing but soft skin laid under her fingertips.

Quickly reaching towards her face, Yoshiko finally felt her eyes. Despite there being all darkness around her, her eye no longer bared the scar brought upon it by the simple keychain either. It was as if she had been restored to full health.

With nothing wrong with her, the young girl began to panic. She couldn't see nor hear anything around her. There was no telling what could come to her. Yoshiko quickly called out in a nervous tone,

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Nothing responded to her question. Fiddling for a moment, Yoshiko continued to yell out in hopes someone would respond,

"It's me, Yoha-"

Yoshiko stopped herself. That name was once something so special to her. Her own self-made identity, yet after the events that unfolded, nothing in her wanted to be associated with it. She just didn't want to be that person anymore, only the girl she used to be before this all. Taking a moment to breathe, Yoshiko softly said to the empty room,

"It's me, Yoshiko."

There was still no response. It felt as if the emptiness was laughing at her pitiful cries. Bunching her eyebrows together, Yoshiko brought her hands into fists before yelling out with everything she had,

"It's Tsushima Yoshiko!"

Yet once more, there was no response. She took another breath to yell, but stopped midway. There was no point. If someone were truly there, they would have already responded. Rather than waiting for someone to come to her, the young girl decided to take matters into her own hands.

When taking her first steps, Yoshiko had already figured they wouldn't be easy as her body was in a weakened state, yet her feet felt as if there were invisible chains attached to them. Each step was like taking a sixty pound weight with her.

It didn't take but a moment later for Yoshiko to stop. She couldn't see a point to continuing on either way.

The young girl sat back down, not even two steps from where she had started. She couldn't help but think of everything that led to this. She brought so much pain and chaos to those around her, for what? Nothing they ever did could ever deserve a fate so cruel. Yet in that moment in time, Yoshiko didn't see it that way.

Yohane was the one in charge of it all anyways, or so she'd like to blame.

The tears brimmed Yoshiko's eyes as she sat in her spot on the floor while looking into the void. Before she could relive any more of what she did though, a white light appeared into the far distance.

It was the only thing that shined, it almost felt as if it were blinding her. Yoshiko placed her hands over her eyes to lessen the powerful light.

There were eight bodies in the distance, all side by side. None of them had any features to them. They were pure white entities that shined like stars. Yoshiko could make out that they were all wearing something similar though.

Squinting her eyes more, it looked like they were wearing school uniforms. It took but a moment for Yoshiko to realize they were her former friends. All of their years scattered between each other but Yoshiko could tell it was Ruby who led them with Dia by her side.

"Guys…"

Yoshiko whispered to herself. She couldn't stop her tears if she tried as they fell with no restraint. Yoshiko let out in a cracked voice,

"I'm so sorry."

They all stood with no reaction while Yoshiko tried to compose herself. As she watched them, they began to walk forward. Ruby and Dia were the ones to take the first step. A slight breeze hit her face as they did so.

As they lead, Yoshiko could see the rest of the girls follow by pairs of two. With each of their steps, the slight breeze turned into a mini storm. The wind continuously pushed Yoshiko back as she tried to remain grounded.

She slowly attempted to crawl backwards as they kept getting closer. While they had no features to signify if they were threatening or not, the young girl couldn't help but think of the worst outcome as they came closer with each step.

Tears continued to stream down Yoshiko's face from the force of the wind as well as her panicked state. She brought her hands to her face as she cried out against the force of their wind,

"I'm so sorry! Please, I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Yoshiko knew it was a lost cause, but she continued to shield her eyes as she kept crying out to them.

The wind around her slowed down before she knew it. As she looked up, she saw all eight of the figures surrounding her. Yoshiko stared at their empty faces, knowing who each one of them were simply by the aura they gave.

Finally, Yoshiko's eyes fell upon the white figure before her. It was Ruby. Quickly fumbling around, Yoshiko got to her knees as she put her hands together in prayer before Ruby,

"Ruby, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean for things to get so far. Please, forgive me."

Yoshiko pleaded yet her words fell to deaf ears as the spirit before her made no movement. Yoshiko couldn't help but become frustrated with the lack of communication.

Yoshiko laid her head on the floor before balling her fists, pounding at the concrete below her as her tears fell to the ground. She knew she couldn't make up for what she did in any type of way. Not after everything was said and done. She should have done it before, when it all actually mattered. Though Yoshiko continued to whisper for forgiveness, she knew it would do nothing for her now.

Before Yoshiko could hit the floor again in anger, her wrists were taken hold of in the air. Quickly looking up, Yoshiko caught sight of a red and green tie before being forced onto her back. As her head hit the ground, her legs suddenly had hands upon them as well.

Yoshiko's words were caught in her throat as everything was happening too fast. The once statue like spirits were now gathering around her, holding her down with ease as she tried to wiggle from their grasps.

Ruby stood in front of the remaining girls who gathered around, watching the show before them. She stepped between the spirits holding Yoshiko's legs to stand right over her. As Ruby sat down on top of her, Yoshiko kept trying to say something, anything, to her, but her voice failed her. All that came out were sputters of an apology followed by pleads to stop. It was all barely coherent from Yoshiko's frightened state.

Ruby looked down, watching Yoshiko below her. Moving her hand, she rested it at Yoshiko's neck for a moment before slowly pressing down, squeezing at her windpipe. The young girl had already struggled for air but with Ruby taking the little she had left, Yoshiko began to toss and turn more rapidly in the other girls' grasps. Her tears hadn't stopped flowing as she knew what was happening.

She had done it to all of them. She was bound to get what she deserved.

The pain that was once gone for but a moment, now flowed through her body all at once. Nothing more surrounded Yoshiko as everything was already done. She was left to the dark emptiness of her own personal hell as she bore the scars of what she did to the others. The spirits that brought the young girl her final punishment were finally able to move on. They could rest easily now knowing Yoshiko's sins washed upon the surface for all to see and none to forget.