AN: I told myself when I started uploading this I wouldn't abandon a multi-chap story for months on end. That certainly worked out great -_- anyway, I'll try to upload on a somewhat schedule and not make it look like I've abandoned this (I've already written a lot more chapters that are waiting to be edited + more to come! ^.^) Btw, the flashback chaps are the only ones that will be named, just a heads up.

"Hey, Renko. Tell me, what's the time?"

"What happened to wearing a watch? Surely it's better at time keeping, or at least check your phone."

Maribel turned to Renko grinning like a Cheshire cat, as she noted her brunette friend's sarcasm.

"Why, I don't need one if I have you by my side. Besides, you're more accurate than a watch. A human GPS! Only your skill can be used to navigate the terrain!"

Maribel stretched out her arms to indicate their surroundings as she turned on the spot, an innocent grin making its way onto her face to replace the one before. Renko only placed a hand on her head in embarrassment at Maribel's childlike antics. She thanked luck that no one was around to witness this strange behaviour from a university student, especially when they come from a refined background.

'How come someone like Merry who looks like a lady, acts nothing like one?'

"I'm not a GPS Merry. I can only tell the time, and where we are. I don't navigate to places I've never been to before. I'm also human, not a systematic machine."

"But you're reliable."

"When the skies are clear. Now, we're only lucky it's partially cloudy."

To Renko, Maribel looked as if she wasn't listening as she continued to twirl on the spot, reminding the brunette of an excited child. Sighing, Renko grabbed a hold of Maribel's wrist to stop her twirling as well to get her attention.

"First, I want you to calm down. I don't want you running off and getting separated. Secondly, how much further is it?"

The Cheshire grin was back.

"Only if you tell me the time~"

Renko sighed in frustration as she let go of Maribel, who joyfully skipped away from the brunette, jumping onto a small, flat rock again with childlike antics. Her hands behind her back with a playful smile on her face and mischievous eyes.

"Alright fine."

She sighed again before looking up to the stars. Instantly, the quick calculations came to her in a flash. Giving her the information she needed just from a glance.

"The time is 10:30, the day is Friday 20th of June 20**. We are currently in a forest fifteen miles away from the nearest station and north west of Tokyo."

She looked at Maribel with a smug look on her face.

"Anything else?"

Maribel returned the smug look with a glare as she crossed her arms. But the glare quickly turned into a smirk as a thought crossed her mind.

"Still adamant you're not a human GPS?"

She saw the look of confusion cross the brunette's face before it was quickly replaced with a series of expressions. Starting off with realisation, then slight frustration and ending with embarrassment as Maribel began giggling at Renko's array of facial expressions.

"Very funny Merry. Now can you tell me where we're going?"

Maribel grabbed Renko's hand and began dragging her along, walking through the dirt path in silence.

"Merry?"

"We're almost there, don't worry."

The rest of the journey was made in relative silence. Renko neither complained nor asked Maribel to let go of her own hand as she felt somewhat relaxed being dragged to wherever they were going. what could go wrong on a harmless trip?

"And we're here!"

Renko immediately snapped out of her daze once she heard the sound of Maribel's voice. She looked at her blonde friend, who turned to face her. Before shifting her vision behind Maribel to what looks to be a rundown shrine.

"You brought me to uselessly pray at an abandoned shrine in the middle of nowhere?"

Maribel chuckled at Renko's curious yet slightly worried sounding question.

"No, silly. This isn't just a shrine, it's The Hakurei shrine. One where, although abandoned by humans, still resides a god."

Renko turned to Maribel with a sceptical look on her face.

"Merry, I think shrine gods will eventually disappear if there's no faith. From what I can tell, the shrine looks as if no one walked this path for years."

"That's what I mean!"

Renko was stopped in her tracks as Maribel placed both her hands on Renko's shoulders. Looking at the brunette straight in the eye.

"A rumour's been going around campus about the place. Strange light anomalies have been spotted both by hikers and pilots. Many of our fellow students have witnessed when visiting the place that they see ghosts."

Renko scoffed at the explanation.

"Really Merry? Come on, I'd believe there's a colony of rabbits living on the moon more than believe our classmates. Those stories are usually made up to scare their friends or something like that."

She was given a scoff as Maribel pushed her hands off Renko and walked to the shrine.

"Sure, I wouldn't believe them either. However, have you considered the folklore here that I'm positive our classmates don't know about?"

"Folklore? What folklore?"

Maribel placed a hand on her head, both realising that it was a probability that Renko had not heard them due to not living in Kyoko for most of her life, and that it was also possible she wouldn't have heard them anyway in the campus.

"Ah, of course. I should have realised."

She grabbed Renko's hand and guided her off the dirt path for no other reason other than quickly stating 'it's not wise to be overheard by the gods'.

"Apparently, the shrine maiden from centuries ago helped create a whole other world within Japan. A world where youkai and other mythical creatures can live in peace."

In a hushed voice, slightly drawn in by the questionable statement of god's overhearing them, Renko asked.

"But, why?"

The mischievous glint in Maribel's eyes had dimmed, scanning the area for some reason before answering.

"That's something that even you can figure out Renko. It's because of technology. People start to think more scientifically and forget about the past. Youkai began to disappear and fear spread. It's been said that there was a war between humans and youkai, one side wanting change and to move forward, the other want things to be the same. Humans gradually started to win, as the youkai were continuing to disappear. In a desperate decision, they decided to take refuge in a place that was closed off from the world. With the help from the Hakurei shrine maiden and an anonymous source, they got what they wished. Humans still continued to forget them, but they stayed alive because of this world."

"How?"

Maribel leaned even closer to Renko, their noses barely touching as Maribel answered her question in a hushed voice. Excitement dancing in her eyes as she unfolds what she believes is the truth to her brunette friend.

"Because it's the land of the forgotten."