"Three of the kidnapping victims were found last night in Nikko. Only one, Kuramochi Youichi, sustained a major injury, but thankfully, all three were rushed to the hospital to receive treatment and they should make full recoveries." The newscaster, Ida Sayuri, announced. Currently, the whole of the Seido team was crammed inside of the cafeteria, to surround the T.V. Breakfast was forgotten. The television had been turned on by an early riser for background noise and had been left on as more and more entered with groggy eyes. It had been by chance that Kenta caught the old pictures of Kuramochi, Furuya, and Kominato on the screen. He had rushed to turn up the volume and immediately drew the attention of the rest of the cafeteria's occupants. As one, everyone rose from their seats to crowd around the box television for a better view. More rushed into the room as word reached those that had finished their breakfast and those that were late.

Kenta was lucky enough to have claimed a spot directly in front of the screen with the remote clutched tightly in his hands. His heart was racing with the news. He was too afraid to even blink in case he missed something in that split second. This was the news they had all been waiting on for the past month and he did not want to miss any information. Just to be safe, he turned the volume up, even more, to hear over the chatter of the rest of the team. Everyone was asking their own questions despite no one else having any of the answers either. Someone in the back loudly shushed the group to little effect.

"They were held in the basement of an old, abandoned building that had previously been used as a mental facility for children. The facility had been closed down due to abuse." Ida continued, a picture of the building faded onto the screen. Police tape crossed over the main door frame to signal the interior off-limits to non-police personnel. "We have received images of the basement they had been held captive in, however, they are graphic so viewer discretion is advised." She paused while a ten-second countdown appeared on the screen to allow people the chance to change the channel. As the timer ticked down, Kenta began to feel anxious with part of him not wanting to see, afraid of what will be shown. The other part, ruled by curiosity, needed to know just what kind of conditions they had to have been in after so long. Kenta was warring with himself so much that he had to physically remove his fingers from any buttons with the off chance he accidentally changes the channel. Once the countdown hit three seconds, Kenta held his breath while the rest of the team collectively grew silent.

"According to authorities, Miyuki Kazuya and Sawamura Eijun have not been found at this time." Ida continued as the first image showed up. It was of a dimly lit hallway with a total of three metal doors branching off of it. The space between each was large, suggesting that the rooms were either spacious or had thick walls separating them. The white paint along the walls was chipped and cracked with splotches of grays and browns that showed its age. However, the most shocking aspect was the streaks of dried blood leading down the hall and into the very last door. Kenta felt his stomach drop at the faint footprints he could just make out amidst all the dirt and bloodstains across the floor. If this was what the first picture was going to be like, then maybe he should have changed the channel or turned the T.V off after all.

"Our intel has briefly informed us that, for unexplainable reasons, the kidnapper appeared to have tortured the students in this basement, but exact details are still unknown." Ida went on as the second picture took up the entire screen. Kenta assumed it to be the door that was closest to the entrance of the hall. Against the back wall was a line of counters with another door leading somewhere else in the far left-hand corner with a mirror on the perpendicular wall. A lone, metal chair resided in the center of the room, directly over a grated drain. Blood coated the armrests, and Kenta could envision where the blood had dripped over the edge to splatter onto the seat as well as the floor. The most were pooled around the front legs of the chair where the bloody footprints originated from as they led out the door. Hidden amongst the footprints were grooves from the soles of someone's shoes.

"Whose footprints are those?" Someone quietly wondered aloud. Kenta had just thought the same thing but was still in utter disbelief to even think about asking. He was already having a tough time believing that people he knew personally had gone through something so traumatic. It almost felt like he was watching a horror movie, and if he really tried, Kenta could probably convince himself that it was one.

"Hard to say." Someone else responded despondently. Kenta was too focused on the television to pay attention to who said what.

"The perpetrator is still at large. Authorities believe the man took Miyuki and Sawamura to a different location after leaving the others behind to eventually make their escape." The fact that they were still trapped with such a mentally unstable human, physically made Kenta sick. They were only two photos in, but already, he has seen enough. However, Kenta couldn't bring himself to turn the T.V off or even look away for that matter. It was like watching a horrible car accident, he knows it'll end tragically for some, but would be unable to fix his gaze elsewhere. In this instance, he could only hope there will be no tragedies for them.

As the third picture faded into view, Kenta couldn't help the faint gasp that he let out in his surprise. The new room was mostly empty other than a table at the back with a locked chest directly next to it. Compared to the hall and the first room, the light was brighter to perfectly illuminate the area. A large splatter of blood stained the center of the floor with flecks that speckled around the main puddle. The streaks extending from the mass towards the door, where someone had presumably been dragged out of the room. Kenta could not fathom what could have possibly occurred in there to cause that amount of blood with the splatter. Considering he lives a fairly normal life, it shouldn't be odd that he couldn't think of many torture methods other than the common ones used in the occasional action movies. Maybe if he watched more horror films, he could come up with more. Not that he wants to, especially not after witnessing the after-effects that his teammates had suffered through.

"What the-" Asou began, only to be immediately shushed when the newscaster continued.

"Authorities have obtained a vague description from the survivors on what their kidnapper looked like. He is tall with a slim build. His hair is graying suggesting he is middle-aged and that he has pronounced eye bags." Kenta wasn't sure he liked the term "survivors". To him, it almost sounded as if Ida was suggesting that Miyuki and Sawamura weren't. But she had said that they hadn't been found, which still meant there was a chance they were alive. They had to be. They were both stubborn in their own rights and they were both fighters.

A fourth picture replaced the previous one, and like the last one, this room was also brightly lit. However, while in every other image, the flooring was made up of concrete, this was the only one that had tile. A toilet and sink were positioned on the right side with a box in the far corner; random sheets of paper were scattered around it. There was a mirror above the sink, yet just like the utilities, it was coated in so much dirt and grime that Kenta wouldn't be surprised if no one could see their reflection through it. Other than those, the room was sparse. Unfortunately, this room was not spared from the blood. There was a dried puddle near the door, but the consistency was not as dense compared to the prior rooms, and the darkest parts were what had gathered in the surrounding grout.

Going by the faded footprints, Kenta believed this to be the room they were kept in as it was where all the trails meet.

The image changed again to reveal four sketches of what the kidnapper could possibly look like given his description. In Kenta's opinion, in each drawing, the man clearly appeared to be insane. The newscaster expressed how imperative it was for people to keep a lookout for a man who matched the characterizations, especially those in Nikko. She concluded by urging anyone who may know or those that find clues to call their local police with any and all information that they have. Afterward, she closed out the segment as a cheery tune built-in volume as the camera zoomed out from Ida behind her desk and faded into a commercial break.

With a shaking finger, Kenta pressed the power button on the remote to shut the T.V off as the cafeteria burst into chaos. Everyone was shouting over each other with their own unanswered questions as if any of them would be able to clarify. They were all in the same boat, where no one knew any more than the person standing next to them. As vice-captain, Kenta knew he should stand up and say something to settle everyone down, but he himself was still in shock, leaving his mind blank. What should he even say in this situation?

Kenta closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself as he walked over to set the remote on top of the television. When he turned, he was facing the whole team and watched as mini arguments broke out amongst a few of them as tensions rose. A couple even had unshed tears glistening in their eyes, and Kenta would probably be right there with them when the scale of things finally sank in. But right now, he needed to alleviate some of the infectious anxiety that was circulating. He clenched his fists and cleared his throat in preparation.

"Hey!" He shouted, voice carrying louder than everyone else's. Surprised at the sudden outburst, the team's eyes turned to Kenta as all sound came to a crawl before stopping completely. When he was sure he had all their attention, he continued, "There's no point arguing with each other about this. At this point in time, we still don't know anything." He paused as he scanned the group in case someone was looking to contend with him. Nothing. He plowed on, "All we know for certain is that Kuramochi, Kominato, and Furuya are safe. However!" He held up his hand to stop any refutes before they could start, "That does not mean Miyuki and Sawamura will never be found. In fact, now that the kidnapper's face is out in the public, he can't hide."

"But what if he does something drastic now that he has been exposed?" Kijima asked with his hand slightly raised as if they were in class. The question left Kenta lost for words, as that was a very real possibility and it hadn't even crossed his mind. Kenta opened and closed his mouth several times in an attempt to respond, but couldn't come up with a good enough reason to dispute it. However, he was saved from having to think of a solution by the door to the cafeteria sliding open.

Coach Kataoka, Ochai, and Ms. Takashima walked through the threshold, followed closely by Yuuki, Chris, Tanba, and Isashiki. Kenta was surprised to see their seniors here. Each one appeared to be exhausted with dark bags under their eyes like they had been up all night.

"I take it you all already saw the news." Coach Kataoka addressed the room at large, arms folded behind his back. At several confirmations from around the group, he nodded his own head and began, "This morning we were approached by these four," He gestured to their seniors before continuing, "and I felt it was only right that we update you all on what we have learned as well." At that, he motioned for Yuuki to take over. Their previous captain stepped forward with his back ramrod straight and cleared his throat.

Immediately, Kenta grew nervous. Somehow, their seniors had come across information that hadn't been shared on the news, and a large part of him feared it was going to be bad, but he desperately hoped that was simply the anxiety speaking.

"Yesterday, us four plus Kmoniato met up at a coffee shop when Kominato received an unknown phone call." Yuuki began, and Kenta rescanned the group that had just entered; assuming he missed Kominato as he hadn't noticed him at first, yet, Kenta hadn't been mistaken. Kominato wasn't here, so where was he then if he was a part of the story?

"Apparently, Kuramochi had managed to escape and found an old payphone that he used to call. We got him to describe his surroundings and eventually narrowed down that he was in Nikko." Yuuki paused as whispers broke out, and when it became apparent he wasn't going to continue until it was silent, the room fell quiet once more. "We headed straight there, but by the time we arrived the sun was already setting. We found Kuramochi hiding near the payphone and called for an ambulance and the police."

"The news said Kuramochi was the only one that had a serious injury." Nabe cut in with worry evident in his tone. The room sat in silence while they waited for Yuuki to respond. Though it appeared he was considering what he was going to say as he glanced back to the others.

"Kuramochi has a stab wound in his abdomen that had been stitched with makeshift sutures," Chris explained as the group broke out in an uproar or questions. Yuuki loudly cleared his throat again, this time to regain everyone's attention. When all eyes returned to him and voices trailed off, Yuuki continued.

"Kuramochi had refused treatment until the police rescued the others and he led us through the forest where we ran into Furuya and Kominato Haruichi." Yuuki paused again to take a breath, "When we arrived at the location, the police raided the entire building; however, as you are already aware, Miyuki and Sawamura were nowhere to be found."

"Afterwards, they were finally taken to the hospital and we were sent home. Though Kominato had stayed behind to be near his brother," Chris finished with Tanba nodding his head along next to him.

"Did any of them say what happened to Sawamura and Miyuki?" Kawakami hesitantly asked after a period of silence. The four seniors glanced at each other in silent discussion before Chris reluctantly responded.

"Kuramochi expressed concern over their conditions. Especially Sawamura's. Apparently, they had been separated and the last time they saw them, Sawamura wasn't in the best shape. Though none of them had gone into any detail." Chris's statement was met with more rushed questions that could not be discerned from one another. Kenta stood frozen as he processed the abundance of new information. He thought back to Kijima's earlier question as doubt began to plant its seed in his brain. What if it was already too late? Immediately, Kenta stopped the train of thought and shook his head as if that would dislodge the dark speculations from his mind.

"Will we be able to go visit them?" Kenta asked as a way to distract himself from himself. Yuuki shook his head in the negative.

"The last we heard from Kominato was that their immune systems were low so they were being quarantined," Yuuki explained. Dejected signs rang out around the room with the knowledge that they won't even be able to see them. The news hadn't even used any current images for them, which allowed Kenta's brain to come up with its own visions on what to expect. And until he can see them in person, his mind will run wild with extremes.

"Do you guys think Sawamura and Miyuki are alive?" Nabe asked with a quiver in his voice. He was one of the few that had been near tears by the time the news segment had ended.

"Yes." Yuuki instantly replied with complete confidence. And just like that, some of the tension Kenta had been holding since he first caught sight of his teammates on the television had been released, if only by a small amount.