Chapter 7: The Whispering Tunnels
After having missed Aimi Hanazawa at the Shrine of Oath, Shou decided to retreat for now. He wanted to go back and check on his little sister, Ume. He didn't like her being all alone in the car. Armed with the Mystic Mirror, Shou left the Covet Courtyard. Now he was leaving behind the Shrine of Oath. Retracing the path he took earlier to get here, Shou carefully followed the dirt trail back down the mountain. Using his flashlight to see where he was going, Shou was just reaching the signpost when a sudden sound stopped him. He could hear it… Running footsteps and they were heading right for him. Was it a ghost? Shou spun around in time when a shadow came running toward him from the direction of the House of Severance.
"Ume!" Shou breathed a sigh of relief as his little sister threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Shou returned the hug and could feel his poor sister trembling all over. She was out of breath like she'd been running for miles. "Ume, what are you doing here?" Shou asked her gently. "I thought you were back at the car."
Finally Ume calmed down a bit but she still looked to be in shock. "I…I was…," she stammered. "But I… I had to go back. There was something I needed to do." As she said it, Ume withdrew from her brother and then held up the brightly glowing violets that she'd gather into a bouquet. Her flowers… In her other hand, she was clutching an old-fashioned-looking camera.
Shou eyed the beautiful violets and the camera. He didn't understand. "What happened? Are you okay?" And then Shou added reassuringly. "It'll be alright. I know how to cure you. We need to get to the House of Severance and…"
"I've been there…," Ume quietly admitted. And when she looked up at her concerned brother, for the first time, she smiled. "I…I think I'm going to be alright. You don't have to worry, Shou." She truly meant it. Her heart felt so much lighter now. All her memories of her love have been wiped clean. Her violets were all that remained of that love… The love she couldn't have in return.
Gazing into Ume's eyes, Shou noticed that she seemed so at peace with herself. Whatever problems Ume had been having, she'd managed to resolve them on her own. Shou was relieved that his sister didn't have the disease anymore. It was one less thing to worry about. Or so he thought… Shou's smile faded when he saw Ume looking over her shoulder with a scared and worried expression.
"Shou, we have to help Aimi!" Ume urged. "She fell down the chasm inside the mountain! She's lost somewhere down there!"
"Calm down, Ume! Take a deep breath," Shou said soothingly reaching out to take his sister by the shoulders to placate her. "Tell me what happened. Where is Aimi?"
With tears in her eyes, Ume told her brother about reuniting with Aimi at the House of Severance. When they tried to leave together, that's when the evil Unloved Woman ghost showed up and chased them. While trying to escape, Aimi accidentally fell down into the chasm and Ume had been unable to stop and look for her. She'd managed to elude the vengeful ghost but Aimi had been left behind at the mountain.
"I…I couldn't help her…, Ume said guiltily. "She's still there, Shou. Aimi is somewhere inside the mountain. She might even be hurt." Then Ume held up the Camera Obscura and showed it to Shou. "I was only able to grab this camera that Aimi had been using. I think she was using it to fight the ghosts."
Shou studied the camera and happened to notice the words "Camera Obscura" written on the top in Japanese. Interesting… Did this camera also have the ability to exorcise ghosts like the mirror did? Now that he'd been brought up to speed about everything's that happened, Shou already knew what to do. After waiting for Ume to calm down and dry her eyes, Shou placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll go look for Aimi," Shou offered. "I won't rest until I find her. In the meantime, let's switch items." There Shou gave Ume the Mystic Mirror, and Ume handed over the Camera Obscura over to Shou. "Stay safe. Head back to the car and wait for us. I'll bring Aimi back safe and sound."
Ume nodded while holding the Mystic Mirror tightly in her hand for assurance. But she still held her bouquet of violets in the other hand and realized there was one thing she wanted to do before leaving Matsumura for good. "I have to head back to the Tsuchiya Cemetery," she insisted. "There's something I must do."
"Ume…," Shou started to argue but then stopped himself. He didn't understand what was going through his sister's mind but he could see that this was an important task to her. Whatever it was, Ume felt that she needed to do it. Best not to interfere. "Ok," Shou finally relented. "But be careful. Promise me you'll head back to the car once you're done."
"I promise," Ume said. Just when the two siblings were about to part ways. "Hey Shou… Ume suddenly called back. Shou turned and looked back at her. Ume hesitated. "He doesn't know how Aimi feels," Ume thought. She knew Aimi suffered from the flower curse too. She didn't want a terrible fate to befall her best friend…
Soon Shou was walking along the woodland trail, heading in the direction of the Takayama Mines. He was now carrying the Camera Obscura with him. Hopefully he could get the hang of using the camera. According to Ume, the House of Severance seemed connected with the Takayama mines. If he was going to find Aimi, he'd best go to the main entrance down the bottom of the mountain. He was more determined than ever to find the girl he's adored since childhood… With the flashlight to guide the way, Shou continued to follow the path along the river.
Reaching the end of the river, Shou could see the river ended at a waterfall. Listening to the powerful sound of rushing water, Shou carefully stepped over the edge to see if he could see what was below. It was too dark to see clearly. Now Shou stepped back from the edge and continued to follow the path that led upwards to the mountain. He walked a good fifteen minutes until he finally found the main entrance to the Takayama Mines. A rectangular mineshaft was built into the mountain where it was overgrown with moss. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. But this was the best way to go…
Just when Shou was heading for the entrance, without warning, he saw a ghostly woman appear out of nowhere. Her presence took Shou by surprise that he stopped and stared. What disturbed him was that the woman appeared to be covered in bloodstains… Other than the bloody stains, it seemed that she too died of the disease because she was covered head to toe with brightly red flowers that grew on her like tumors. And as Shou watched her warily, he saw the ghostly woman enter the mine-shaft while muttering foully to herself that Shou was able to overhear.
"I'll make him love me…I'll make him…" The words sounded so chilling and almost psychotic that it sent shivers down Shou's spine. Definitely a hostile ghost… Once the ghost disappeared into the mine-shaft, Shou knew he'd really have to watch his step now. Preparing himself for the horrors lurking inside the Takayama Mines, Shou entered the pitch-black mine. Shou immediately felt of whiff of cold stiff air blow into his face. Walking along the rocky passage, Shou could see bits of trash strewn around the ground here. Perhaps this part of the mines was more commonly explored by other thrill-seekers.
Deeper and deeper into the mine until eventually Shou reached the center of the mountain. Looking around the area, Shou saw more tunnels that led in different directions. And looking further on, Shou went over and approached what appeared to be an abandoned cart filled with discarded tools like old shovels, rusty pickaxes, hammers, chisels and pans. Most of the tools were old Japanese tools that would be considered historic relics by today. Just when Shou was wondering which of the tunnels he should explore first, that's when he the heard hair-raising laughter coming from the tunnel to the far right. A woman's evil laughter that echoed ominously in that direction… Shou peered down that tunnel and debated with himself. Should he investigate or was he better off staying away?
Shou gripped the Camera Obscura tightly with hands and decided to bravely venture down the tunnel anyway. If any evil spirits tried attacking him, he had the camera to defend himself with. Going down this tunnel was pretty difficult. Shou even had to walk through murky puddles along the railroad. The air smelled dusty and old around here. Shou kept a vigilant lookout all the same. After following the railroad tracks further into the tunnel, Shou eventually came upon a cave-in that kept him from going any further. And yet…There was something here. Shou could feel in his fingertips the Camera Obscura reacting towards something. Upon closer examination, Shou noticed the ghostly aura was coming from the piles of rocks itself.
"I need to take a picture," Shou silently realized to himself. Now he raised the camera up to his eye, adjusted the lens, and aimed down at the rocks. After a bright flash, Shou then waited for the photo to pop out of the bottom slot and held it up to the light to see what would be revealed. What he saw unsettled him. Bloodstains could be seen spattered all over the rocks as if somebody had been bleeding profusely. What could possibly have happened here? And among the bloodstained rocks, that's when Shou saw what appeared to be a bloodstained note. As if somebody wrote on it while bleeding… Shou carefully picked it up and tried to read what was written.
Bloodstained Note
I want him! He's mine! He's mine! I'll kill her!
I hate her! He's mine! I want him! I deserve him!
I'll make him love me! I'll make him!
Whoever wrote this was clearly disturbed. Shou jumped with fright when he heard the wicked laughter again and this time it came from back down the tunnel. Was there a ghost stalking him? That's when Shou noticed it for the first time. A trail of bloodstains leading down the railway tunnel… Shou had no choice but to follow the bloodstains… Finding his way back to the central center, Shou saw the bloodstained trail continuing down the third tunnel on the left side. And then Shou saw her… The same bloodstained woman with brightly lit flowers leering back at him from the tunnel. Shou froze like a statue and stared back at her until she vanished from sight. The ghost was stalking him…
Taking a moment to wait for his heartbeat to slow down, Shou started to make his way down the tunnel where the Bloodstained Ghost lurked. It was crazy but Shou had no other choice. If he wanted to locate Aimi, he had to search all these dark caves and tunnels. This tunnel was harder to navigate. Shou had to duck his head because the ceiling was low. There were no railroad tracks here so maybe this tunnel was dug long ago by miners. Along the way, Shou would see the bloodstains on the ground. But then Shou stopped and shined his flashlight on the wall where he saw something written in blood there.
Yasue Takagi + ****** ******
4ever
Most of the words were illegible but Shou was able to make out the name. Yasue Takagi? Was this the Bloodstained Ghost's name? What happened to her? Following the trail of the bloodstains even further into the tunnel, Shou ended up at another dead-end. Moonlight poured down from the ceiling above from the hole that was probably dug by an animal. But it was here that Shou could see the bloodstains splattered around the stone-walls. Then Shou noticed a pile of trash on the ground here but when he took a closer look, he saw a couple of photographs in the pile. Curious, Shou bent down to pick up a photograph to see what was depicted on it. It was the picture of a young-looking man, although Shou couldn't tell for sure because the man's eyes in the picture have been scratched out. As if somebody had done this out of great anger…
Picking up another photo, Shou saw that this one had a picture of the same young man with his arm around a woman. Somebody had furiously scribbled black ink over the woman… All the photos contained the same young man in them. Somebody had been very obsessed with this man… Shou had been so distracted with the photos that sudden sinister chuckling from behind caused him to spin around in alert. Standing not too far away and peering out at him from around the corner was the Bloodstained Ghost again. She was chuckling nastily and watching Shou a couple seconds before disappearing. This left Shou feeling more paranoid than ever.
Now Shou headed back down the tunnel but he still continued to keep an eye out for the Bloodstained Ghost. With two tunnels with dead-ends so far, Shou picked the next unexplored tunnel. This time the tunnel took Shou deeper into the mountain. The tunnel's path seemed to lead ever downward that Shou felt like he was traveling way underground. Just how deep did the mountain go? Eventually he came upon another obstacle that blocked his progress. Shou came to the end of the tunnel where a deep black hole blocked him. The hole was too wide to jump over so Shou decided not to risk it. But how was he going to get across safely?
Then Shou sensed a ghostly aura emanating from the other side of the tunnel. That's when he knew… The Camera Obscura could help him. Shou raised the camera to his eye and took a picture of the black hole in the middle of the tunnel. A second later, the photo revealed a hidden clue. By the looks of it, this looked like another dead-end cavern somewhere. It looked harmless enough. But Shou couldn't help noticing the blood splatters around the cavern walls. Rather he liked it or not, Shou had to investigate. So he turned around and went back up the tunnel.
Returning to the center of the cave, there was only one tunnel Shou hadn't explored. Armed with the flashlight and camera, Shou carefully began to make his way down the tunnel to see what lied on the other side. Going down this tunnel, Shou saw a lot of discarded tools on the side of the railway track and even a railroad switch. Shou tried turning the switch but it was too rusty and didn't budge at all. Hanging from the wall was a lantern that lit up most of the tunnel so Shou didn't need the flashlight much. He started to move forward ahead but saw that the entranceway had been boarded up with wooden planks. Shou decided to head down the dark tunnel to his right.
Walking along the dark tunnel, Shou followed the twists and turns of the tunnel. As he went deeper, that's when he began to notice the bloodstains starting to appear along the rocky walls. Then he knew… The Bloodstained Ghost could be nearby. Despite his growing fear, Shou kept pressing on. Soon Shou reached the end of the tunnel and entered the familiar cavern that was filled with rocks, more discarded tools and sturdy-looking wooden planks propped against the wall. Shou eyed those wooden planks and immediately found a solution. He could use one of those wooden planks to build a bridge over the gap. Shou started to head for the wooden planks but something stopped him. A deep sinister voice spoke to him from the darkness.
"You're mine…"
Suddenly all around him, Shou saw the bloodstains shining brightly from the cavernous walls. Written in blood all over the walls were the words "I love you," over and over like some crazed chant. And as Shou heard that unsettling insane laughter rang out, that's when he turned and finally saw her. The Bloodstained Ghost appeared and she was blocking the only exit out of the cavern. Shou now knew he had no choice but to fight the ghost. The grisly woman was bleeding all over and the brightly red flowers dotted all over her. Shou realized that it was the flowers that were causing her to bleed so much…
Shou raised the camera once again and tried to remember the instructions that Ume gave him on how to use the Camera Obscura. Through the viewfinder, Shou was able to capture the ghost's image and he pressed the shutter-button. He could feel spiritual power from the camera, just like with the mirror. Shou took three more shots with the camera. But the Bloodstained Ghost proved to be more deadly than appearances would suggest…
With a crazed chuckle, the red flowers suddenly bloomed and poisonous smoke began to billow out. Shou realized to his horror what the black smoke was… The ghost was covered with oleander flowers! And oleander was poisonous! Shou backed away at once and instinctively covered his nose and mouth with the palm of his hand. Black clouds of smoke still wafted around the cavern but Shou was careful to keep his distance from it and not breathe it in. He had to beat this ghost and fast. The Bloodstained Ghost's constant crazed laughter still unnerved him but Shou kept the Camera Obscura trained on her at all times and clicked the shutter-button to take powerful more shots at her.
Suddenly Shou coughed and had to lower the camera as he got caught in the poisonous smoke floating in the air. He could even feel it draining at his health… With a twisted smile, the Bloodstained Ghost moved closer and closer towards him. Shou ducked out of the way just as she tried lunging for him. The smell of oleander was threatening to overwhelm him. But Shou tried to hold his breath while using the camera to get in more fatal shots at the attacking ghost. The smell of oleander was starting to make him feel dizzy. The Bloodstained Ghost advanced upon him again while breathing out poisonous smoke that grew within her. She seemed almost unstoppable…
One powerful fatal frame finally did her in… And Shou literally breathed a sigh of relief as the Bloodstained Ghost let out a furious temper tantrum while screaming violently and disappearing away. As soon as it was quiet in the tunnels again, Shou waited for his heartbeat to return to normal. He also took in deep breaths of fresh air when the smell of oleander vanished. That was really nerve-wrecking… Shou took some Herbal Medicine to get his strength back. Once he was feeling brave again, Shou started over to pick up the strongest and sturdiest wooden plank that he could carry back with him. But before he did, that's when he saw the red oleander flower lying abandoned on the ground. It belonged to the ghost… Shou stared at it and wondered if he'd dared… Curiosity got the better of him, and Shou reached down to touch its red petals and he saw the turbulent emotions of the bloodstained ghost named Yasue Takagi.
(Flashback)
She loved spying on him. She spied on him every day. And every time she watched him go about his day, she'd fantasized that she belonged to him. And he belonged to her. She hated the idea of sharing him. Didn't he understand that she needed to be near him? He never accepted any of her letters, never seemed to notice her at all. But he would learn to love her. Their love could be pure if he gave it a chance. She had to watch him, to protect him. She could win his love. She'd proven her devotion to him. He would choose her above all else.
Then one day, he met someone else and immediately began dating her. How sickening it was to see him with "her"! I am with him every day! I have proven myself worthy! She's an imposter! Yasue loved him too much to give him up. She had to prove her love. It was the only way to get him to notice her. That dark cloudy night, she finally went to his house. I'll tell him how I feel… Yasue had already brought with her the butcher knife. Now the real love of his life would come for him.
And that's me! I'm the one who really loves him! I've loved him longer than her! I've earned the right to love him! Not her! She's a fake! Not his real love! It's me! It's me! I love him! I'll always love him! Our love will endure! My love is better! He will choose me! You'll see!
Shou had to back away at once because the oleander flower was giving off a dangerous poisonous scent. And Shou could sense the crazy obsessive love pouring out of the flower. No doubt that Yasue's idea of love was harmful and poisonous… Shou went over, picked the strongest and sturdiest wooden plank and carried it back through the railway tunnels.
It wasn't easy but somehow Shou managed to drag the wooden plank back through the railway tunnels and back down the other tunnel that led ever downward. But at last, Shou took the wooden plank and placed it over the hole, building a bridge over the gap. Carefully arranging it in place, Shou tested the wooden plank first by stepping on it with one shoe before deciding it was safe to cross. There Shou successfully got to the other side and was able to head down further into the mountain. Along the way, Shou couldn't help noticing that it was getting darker. And the air was growing thicker…
Just as Shou was wondering how far this tunnel went, he stopped when he saw the Torii gate at the end of the tunnel. Then he knew… Shou was about to enter a sacred area. A place not recommended for the living unless they willingly seek death. Shou hesitated but he knew he couldn't go back now. Aimi could be somewhere beyond this gate and he had to find her. Now Shou stepped through the gate and seemed to enter a very dark cave. It was so dark that not even the flashlight was bright enough to penetrate the darkness. That's when Shou knew he'd entered the Mountain Abyss. The darkness was so deep that Shou feared that he wouldn't be able to see…until he spotted the brightly shining red spider lilies growing among the ground. The only light he had around here…
It baffled Shou that red spider lilies could grow inside a mountain. But then he remembered the folktales about this place. It is said that red spider lilies grow near the land of the dead. This could only mean one thing. Shou was near the otherworld… Besides the deep darkness, Shou couldn't help noticing how stifling the air was down here. It was almost hard to breathe. Shou took a couple of more steps into the mountainous abyss and wondered if it was such a wise idea to be wandering around these parts.
Using the light of the red spider lilies to guide him, Shou continued to move forward and found another path that led him even deeper below ground. The air grew thicker and colder… So cold that Shou felt like he was stepping into a freezer… The red spider lilies popped up here and there along the trail and Shou had another thought. It is also said that when someone is never to be seen ever again, a red spider lily blooms in that very spot. Shou shivered and tried to keep these superstitious thoughts out of his head.
At last, Shou reached the end of the path and entered a large pitch-black chamber. Upon looking way up, Shou could make out light from above. But way down here, it was deep dark abyss. Shou took a couple of steps forward and gasped at what he'd discovered. In front of him was a little field of glowing red spider lilies growing plentiful. Lying sprawled among the ruby-red petals was Aimi Hanazawa…
"Aimi!" Shou called. He hurried to her side at once. She must have fallen from above and miraculously landed on the red spider lilies that cushioned her fall. "Aimi! Wake up!"
Shou knelt down and gently rolled Aimi onto her side. He prayed she wasn't seriously injured. But to his immense relief, Aimi moved and managed to open her eyes. She peered up at him and her heart burst with pure happiness at the sight of him. "Shou…," she whispered.
As Shou sat with her among the red spider lilies, he kindly waited for Aimi to get her strength back before exiting this place. He used his flashlight to try to see if he could see around the pitch-dark cave. Then he noticed that another path straight ahead seemed to lead even deeper into underground. He wondered what was down there… But he turned his focus back onto his dear friend. Now Shou stood up and being a gentleman held out his hand to help Aimi get back on her feet. The feel of Aimi's nimble fingers sent tingles up his arm that for the first time, Shou felt comforted by her presence. Aimi didn't appear injured although she did look shaken up.
"Are you okay?" Shou asked her. "Ume was worried. She told me where to find you." Suddenly Aimi suddenly grabbed her stomach and threw up brightly glowing gardenia flowers. Shou looked on in horror as Aimi coughed up a couple more petals before she finally stopped. "Aimi! Are you…?" Shou reached out for her.
Aimi wiped the petals from her mouth before answering Shou. "I'm…I'm fine," she said in a shaky voice. Without meeting Shou's eyes, Aimi could already feel herself blushing. "I only get this way whenever I think of…"him," she said mysteriously. Once her stomach stopped hurting, Aimi looked up at Shou and tried to put on a brave face. "Let's leave this place. I can't stay here for long."
Shou nodded understandingly but he felt hurt by her words to him. "Is she in love with someone else?" Shou couldn't help but wonder to himself. "Does Aimi love someone who doesn't love her back? Is that why she has Hanahaki Disease too?" Shou led the way back up the tunnel and Aimi followed close behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Shou could see the poor girl appeared to be very stressed about something. Perhaps being inside the mountainous abyss was taking a bad toll on her. What especially bothered him was the way Aimi kept stroking her chest as if she were feeling some kind of pain.
They walked on in silence but then Aimi finally spoke. "I can feel so many emotions in this place," she said while Shou listened keenly. "So many broken hearts… Unrequited love. Somewhere deep in this mountain is a meadow. A meadow full of red spider lilies…" Shou carefully crossed the wooden plank and Aimi followed. But Shou continued to listen to Aimi talk and he noticed that she seemed to go into a sort of trance. "So much sadness, loneliness, and bitter anger…"
"You're going to be okay," Shou said soothingly. He held out his hand and Aimi willingly took it. "We can cure you of your disease. We just need to perform the Severing Ritual."
Aimi said nothing as Shou guided her through the tunnel. She remembered Ume handing her the Spiritual Shears earlier. The very thing that could save her from the disease. But Aimi didn't want to be cured. She couldn't stop loving him… But could he love her back? Aimi stopped walking, causing Shou to turn around and look back at her. Aimi was torn between her heart and her fear. This was it… It was her only chance. Her one chance to put an end to her Hanahaki Disease.
"Shou…," Aimi started. She looked into his eyes and opened her mouth…
But then Shou was looking over Aimi's shoulder and his eyes widened in horror. When Aimi spun around, she too saw the ghostly woman floating up the tunnel. It was the Unloved Woman. With red-spider lilies covering her face like bruises, she was glaring hatefully at Shou and Aimi. The air grew cold as ice as the Unloved Woman moved toward them. Aimi stared at the vengeful Unloved Woman and felt frozen on the spot. But Shou immediately reacted and stepped in front of Aimi to protect her. Shou raised the Camera Obscura and prepared to do battle with the evil ghost.
Shou took a picture with the camera but realized to his horror that the camera didn't appear to have any effect on the ghost. The Unloved Woman was unstoppable… "Run Aimi! Run!" Shou's shout echoed throughout the dark tunnels. It was already too late. The Unloved Woman already reached for Aimi…
"You will never be loved. Never! Be forever unloved!" The Unloved Woman spat viciously.
Aimi leaped back just as the Unloved Woman tried reaching for her neck. Aimi didn't mean to but somehow she ended up accidentally pulling out a red spider lily off the woman's body. The second she touched the red spider lily with her finger-tips, Aimi sensed the evil ghost woman's feelings, her memories, and her life. Powerful emotions of love, betrayal, anger... Aimi's Empath enabled her to peek into the heart of this ghost and catch a glimpse into what emotions cursed her in the afterlife.
(Flashback)
During the hottest summer season, the same lovely woman in the orange-kimono was being led down a corridor by her ladies-in-waiting. She was the only child of the lord of Kimura Castle. She was a beautiful young woman who lived in the Matsumura town during the Edo period. Today was an important day as she was to meet her groom-to-be for the very first time. She was extremely nervous but excited too. Reaching the end of the corridor, the door was opened for her and she was led out to the courtyard that looked an awful lot like the Covet Courtyard.
It was here where she first saw the samurai she was to be married to…and it was love at first sight. Their marriage would strengthen the allegiance between their noble and extinguished families. But she knew in her heart that she would now and forever love him as his faithful and dutiful wife. To be with him forever was what she truly wanted. She stepped up before him and smiled warmly up into his handsome face. She never had any doubts… She knew she could turn her political marriage into the perfect love match.
Her father, Lord Kimura, was there to formally introduce them to each other. He gestured to his lovely daughter and spoke her name with pride. "Hanari…" The woman named Hanari bowed her head respectfully to her groom-to-be. And as she gazed up at him with misty eyes, she failed to notice that her groom-to-be gazed back at her with indifference reflected in his dark eyes…
Shou was really panicking now as he managed to catch Aimi before she fell to the ground. He didn't understand what was happening but upon touching the Unloved Woman's red spider lily, Aimi's eyes seemed to disappear at the back of her head and it looked like she was having a seizure. Shou didn't know what was happening but he knew he had to get her as far away from that evil ghost as possible. Shou lifted Aimi safely into his arms and was already running for both their lives through the dark eerie tunnels. It wasn't easy carrying Aimi and the Camera Obscura, but somehow Shou managed it.
"Hang on. We're almost out of here," Shou said reassuringly to the unconscious Aimi. "We'll get through this together. Stay strong for me, Aimi. Stay strong."