"Ahhhhhhhhhh"

At the sound of the petrifying scream Yoshiki's eyes snapped open. He sat up too fast causing himself to feel light-headed. He was quick to realise: that wasn't the worst of his problems.

He tried to properly absorb his surroundings, even if his brain was initially rejecting the sight; it was all too surreal. 'What the hell?' He thought, his confusion refused to subside and his anxiety only worsened.

"Hey! What the hell is this?!" If this was some kind of joke it wasn't funny.

Then he remembered: the scream that woke him in the first place. 'Could it have been Shinozaki?'

In that moment nothing else mattered. There would be time to figure this out later. Right now the only thing pertinent was identifying that scream.

Yoshiki bolted out of the classroom swinging his head from left to right, trying to determine which direction the noise had come from.

"Is anyone there?! Shinozaki?" He spoke loud and clear so that anyone around would surely hear.

And then everything changed.

No, it couldn't be what he thought it was.

Taking a step closer only confirmed his fears, it was the partially decaying corpse of what appeared to be a female student. "Shit, what the hell is this place?" This was not good, his friends could not be in here. Ayumi could not be in here.

"Kishinuma?" From his left, the soft and familiar voice had him spinning on his heel.

"Suzumoto! You're here too. Are you okay? You're not injured are you?" Yoshiki observed her seriously. She looked fine, albeit scared. Almost like she was trying to curl up into herself. Still at the sight of a familiar face her body relaxed with relief.

"I'm fine, I'm so glad to see you, are you okay as well?" She had been so scared and alone, it had taken her a solid 5 minutes to accept that this wasn't just a joke that her friends were playing on her.

Mayu took sight of what Yoshiki had been looking at, she had already seen one, more than one actually, she practically tripped over the last one... that's why she had screamed.

"I'm ok too, it's good to see you're alright" he followed her eyes back to the body. "I think...that it's real, I don't know why it would be here...hell I don't know where here is." Turning back to look at her he noticed her face had paled. "Ah, are you ok Suzumoto, do you want to go somewhere else?"

She did want to go somewhere else, anywhere else but knew it wouldn't make much difference. "They're everywhere" this came out and a whisper, Yoshiki wasn't sure what she had said.

"Hmm they're what?"

"There's more...dead people, she's not the only one" Mayu cringed at the memory of the corpses, she had barely covered any ground yet and she had already seen more than most people would see in their whole lifetime.

"You're joking, man what is with this place".

"I don't know...do you think the others are here too?" Mayu wanted to see Shig again, she knew she'd be ok as long as he was around.

"It's likely, since we're both here...and since we managed to run into each other I'm sure we'll come across one another in no time so no need to worry I'm sure" He mostly believed what he was saying, but he was worried, it was the not knowing that was killing him, these bodies were here for a reason. What if any of his friends could end up like that.

"Yeah...you're right and two pairs of eyes is better than one".

"That's the spirit, let's go find our friends then, I'm sure Morishige will be looking for you".

Mayu agreed with that statement, Shig was probably worried about how she would manage all by herself. She didn't want to make him worry any longer, so she had to find him. "I hope he's ok".

"Don't worry he'll probably be more fascinated by this place than scared anyway" Yoshiki smiled light heartedly "He'll think it's like something out of those weird movies he likes".

"Yeah he'll be fine, I'm sure...and don't worry Kishinuma I'm sure Shinozaki is fine as well."

Yoshiki flinched a little a her words running his hand through his hair. "Uh yeah I'm sure she is...what makes you say that anyway." Sure Shinozaki was the one at the forefront of his mind, but she didn't know that did she?

"Oh it's nothing, we better make a start on searching don't you think".

Yoshiki regained his composure "Good call, let's go".

...

The two had searched for a while, they had come across only two significant things. Their first encounter with a ghost, it was a small blue flame that arose from one of the bodies they were passing by. It explained to them the closed spaces as well as the pain this school brought.

It didn't exactly boost their spirits.

The other thing was the newspaper article: it described the kidnapping of 4 elementary school children and their brutal murders that occurred right in this very building. This place was only getting worse the longer they stayed in it.

Things were uneventful for a while after that.

They were walking down the second floor hallway when Yoshiki urged Mayu over to the room entitled infirmary.

"Maybe this ones open, could be useful."

Mayu didn't deny that but the room itself made her feel uneasy, actually the whole hallway did.

Yoshiki grabbed the handle and started to pull.

"Kishinuma wai-"

"Hello"

"Eeek" Mayu turned to the side to see a girl in a uniform she didn't recognise standing there, her eyes looked cold and dead. 'Where did she even come from?'

Yoshiki loosened his grip on the door and walked back over beside Mayu. "Who are you?" 'She's got eyes like a dead fish' Yoshiki thought to himself, it was not an inviting look.

Ignoring his question she asked her own, she seemed like she might even be talking to herself. "You're new are you not?"

"Yeah we've not been here long...were you brought against your will too?" Yoshiki asked not yet feeling threatened. This was the first person they had seen that wasn't a pile of bones so he wasn't ready to brush her off just yet.

The girl kept her cold stare on the two unphased by them "ActuaIly, I died here quite a while ago, I came here in search for someone important to me you see."

Yoshiki was more taken aback by the fact that she was suggesting that she had came here by her own volition more than the fact she was dead. She didn't look dead...not really, to be fair she didn't look alive either, but she was still different.

So far on their travels the pair had came across their first ghost, it glowed blue and hardly took a human form, it made him wonder why there was such a difference between the two since they were both dead. What exactly made some ghosts so different from the others?

Mayu finally decided to speak, not feeling as fearful of her as she maybe should, "Excuse me Miss, you look familiar, would you happen to be an author?" Mayu could recall her face from something that Ayumi had shown her, she was sure that this was the same person the class rep often excitedly brings up during some of their conversations.

"Yes, my name is Saenoki Naho, I am an occultist who specialises in my writings on the paranormal...or should I say specialised."

Yoshiki wasn't interested in her or her past achievements he had only taken one thing from what she was saying. "Ok, that's great and all but you came here looking for someone right? Like by choice...does that mean you have a way out?"

Naho thought about it, she considered if there was any point of helping them, afterall she was yet to witness anyone escape from this place. It seemed there was no point in seeing how things played out, things were getting boring in here anyways especially with her search for Kibiki-sensei hitting constant dead ends.

"I don't have a way out but...I have an idea that might work."

"Spit it out then" Yoshiki wasn't happy with the speed this conversation was going at, the less time spent in here the better.

"Kishinuma..." Mayu looked over at him, she wanted out too but she was still afraid of saying the wrong thing, this was still a ghost after all.

Naho was unmoved by both of their reactions and continued on. "These closed spaces that we're in, they were formed by the 4 children kidnapped and killed almost 30 years ago in this very building. They are giving shape to this nexus. So what I'm suggesting is appeasement.

"The four kids in the newspaper article we found" said Mayu solemnly thinking things over. "It was horrible what happened to them."

"Appeasement?" Yoshiki repeated "Would that work? How would we go about it?"

"By putting them to rest the suffering and pain that holds these spaces together might just begin to break down, which my give a way to an exit...that's my theory so far anyway."

'At least that's a start' Mayu thought, she didn't want to say anything yet but she was so far ok with the plan. If it meant ending the pain of innocent children and getting to see her friends again she was up for it without a doubt. 'Those poor kids are probably so misunderstood after all.'

"Ok I understand what you mean but like I said, how?" Yoshiki was eager to know how to actually do this, right now it was all just words...if there was really a way.

"I was getting there." Naho quipped lightly. "What they lack is closure, with no remorse ever shown from the killer all they have is their anger and sorrow."

"The killer?" Mayu questioned, she hadn't really given it much thought, they must be nothing but a monster though...to kill children like that. Could they even gain remorse from someone like that, and even if so how would they...unless the killer themselves was here with them.

"Yes the killer...they are in this building with us"

Yoshiki felt the dread he experienced when he first woke up here resurface "You're kidding there's no way someone like that will show any remorse"

Naho didn't bother to reply.

Mayu tensed as Naho confirmed what she was thinking. Though she thought on it and decided that they had to try, the way Naho described it, if the plan went well then everything could go back to normal and they could even help those children. "There's nothing to lose at this point Kishinuma, we may as well get started now, I say finding the killer is the way to start."

Yoshiki looked at her and hesitated "Yeah...I just, there's..."

"This may be the quickest way to seeing our friends again." Mayu may have not sounded fearless but she did sound determined, she wanted to do something to help, there was no use in being useless, it wouldn't get her anywhere.

Yoshiki smiled a little "Yeah ok, let's do this then." He turned to Naho "Look I don't know much about you but...Thanks, any lead is a good lead right now and im grateful for it."

Naho didn't say anything she just watched as the two turned walked away, in search of the killer.

...

At first they were walking aimlessly, they had no place to start really so it was just a matter of looking until they found.

Mayu looked over at Yoshiki as they walked his eyes scanning around the halls. She didn't like the silence anymore. "So Kishinuma, if this works out we'll be able to see the others again, that's good isn't it?"

Yoshiki's eyes flickered over to her glad she was making conversation. It was such a shame that this would have to be her send off. That the last memories of them she would have before she went off to her new school would be this. "Yeah, It'll be good to see them again, I don't know what it is about this place but it makes me feel like I wasn't just with them a couple of hours ago, it feels more like days."

"I understand the feeling." Mayus eyes cast downwards slightly as she began to think about her friends again and how much she missed them.

Yoshiki felt bad when he saw her face, 'dammit I said something wrong again didn't I'. As he looked at her saddened expression a thought popped into his head and he just couldn't help himself, he smirked inwardly to himself. "Hey Suzumoto, bet you're excited to see Morishige again huh?"

Mayu looked over at him, his words seemed innocent enough but the smirk on his face said enough about what it was he was implying. 'Ok Kishinuma two can play at that game.' Mayu done her best to sound innocent. "Yep I am, surely not as excited as you are to see Shinozaki though" she looked away after saying that trying her best to hide her smile.

Yoshiki's face reddened a little "Well yeah but not just her...y'know everyone else too" Its not like he was lying he wanted to see the others, I mean Satoshi was his best friend and he wanted him to be ok too.

It was then Yoshiki caught eye of her expression "Hey what exactly is with that look? Something funny?" He spoke with a partially agitated tone.

Mayu couldn't help let out a giggle after hearing his slightly aggravated and embarrassed tone. "No nothing funny Kishinuma, I'm just not use to seeing your face get so red."

After this comment his face really did become a noticeable shade of red. He decided he'd have to get his own back. "Ah you're right Suzumoto, good thing Morishige isn't here to see me, he might get the wrong idea and get all jealous, I know how close you two are afterall."

Mayu could feel her own blush forming, she guessed this was pay back, "W-well, he wouldn't be jealous...it's not like that or anything." 'Dammit, I stuttered didn't I?'

At Mayus quick loss of composure Yoshiki let out a short laugh, it was definitely more fun when it was other people getting embarrassed opposed to him.

With this Mayu also let out a laugh, it wasn't like it would be if she was back in her own school and felt safe enough to drop her guard, but it still felt good, for a moment she might even be able to pretend she wasn't in this place, she was just in her own world talking with a classmate at the culture festival. 'If only.'

...

As they traversed the halls it wasn't until they reached a certain hallway on the first floor that they saw something other than corpses. Although there was that too, four of them all in one space and in the middle stood another ghost. Not one like the flame they had encountered, or one like Naho that looked almost alive. This one was different, almost like a combination of the two, it shone an unearthly blue but its figure looked normal. It was the normal looking figure of a little boy.

"Oh god Kishinuma thats-"

"The one from the paper...I know"

"What do we do, do you think he'll hurt us?"

Yoshiki wasn't sure he didn't want to risk it considering Naho mentioned that it was there pain and 'anger' that was holding this place together. But still they needed to get through. "I don't know, we could try going around."

Before having much time to consider the plan that most likely wouldn't have worked anyway the ghost boy had spotted them and was much faster than anticipated, before Yoshiki could make up his mind it was right in front of him looking right into his eyes, its face contorted in anger.

"Gihh It Backk" It started to moan.

'Shit he's got no tongue and I can't...'

"Kishinuma! Hurry let's just get out of here!" Mayu was ready to run but Yoshiki didn't move an inch. "Kishinuma!"

'Shit' "Suzumoto...I can't" he spoke in breaths, clearly straining himself, "I can't move...just go... run right now!"

Mayu felt like she was about to get thrown into a full blown panic attack, she couldn't leave, it wasn't in her nature, but she was scared...so scared.

As the ghost boy brought his hands up to Yoshiki she did what her body told her to do which to her surprise was not run away. Her hand went straight for her pocket and grabbed the first thing it touched which she then launched at the ghost.

There was a sound like glass shattering as the boy stumbled backwards away from Yoshiki who done the same but managed to catch himself.

'I can move again', he looked at the ghost was looking down towards the ground grabbing at his face.

"Suzumoto quick lets go before he recovers!" The two ran past him in the direction that the ghost was initially blocking. Yoshiki could have sworn he heard something as he ran past the corpses...'Kizami?' Maybe he was imagining it.

The two ran round the corner to the right not stopping until they were sure they weren't being followed. They ended up at the 'Custodians closet' which Yoshiki quickly discovered like many of the doors in this place was also unopenable.

"Kishinuma...are you ok?" Mayu thought he was going to die back there...the magnitude of everything was finally coming to her attention.

"I am thanks to you, what was that thing you threw anyway?" He had been mere moments away from death he assumed, he wasn't taking this lightly, if it could happen to him it could happen to anyone of their friends.

"It's ok...you didn't really think I'd leave anyway did you" she laughed a little, what she really wanted to do was cry but...not in front of a boy. "Right, the thing I threw...I should've mentioned it earlier, It just slipped my mind. It was some kind of stone, like a gem or power stone I think they're called. Before we met up I found it in one of the classrooms."

"Power stone? I wonder why there'd be something like that in a place like this...still I'm not complaining." Yoshiki stood scratching his head as he let his eyes wander off to the back wall and what was in front of it. Mayu turned as well.

"Another body" Mayu said sadly.

"Yeah but what's that beside it?"

Mayu looked over at the object in question, the two moved closer. "A doll?"

Yoshiki bent down and picked it up.

"Kishinuma, what are you doing, we should be more careful around here, especially after what just happened" Mayu was on edge now, she didn't want to do anything that could put then in danger.

"Well we can't just leave it her, it might be useful." He started inspecting the doll, it was creepy and old fashioned, it wore a red dress and hat.

"So you just bend down and pick it up just like that" Mayu didn't mean to sound frustrated she was just scared after what had just happened. And it wasn't just that, this place it's self made her feel less like herself.

Yoshiki looked back at her after she said that, he couldn't understand what the big deal was at all "Well yeah you want me to levitate it?"

Mayu didn't get to say anything else before Yoshiki's eyes snapped back at the doll and he jumped a little. "What? What is it?"

"You can't hear that?"

Mayu stepped closer to him and the doll and suddenly she could hear a voice in her head. "It's saying it's sorry."

"Not just that...it's alluding to the fact that it's the murderer...or more likely owned by the murderer seeing as I couldn't imagine the doll itself being very deadly." As he listened to the dolls message he couldn't help the feeling of resent that was forming. How could apologising make things any better? 'If you were that sorry you wouldn't have done it in the first place.' Still it didn't matter what he though, if the ghosts thought it was good enough...

"This is it Kishinuma! If this counts as repentance we could use it to appease the children." Mayu was hopeful about this, it had to work...it most definitely would.

"I agree now we just have to find the children, or maybe even just one of them come on lets go." As he looked back up at Mayu he noticed something behind her that set off warning signals all through his body. "Hey behind you be careful!"

Mayu turned quickly at his warning noticing another ghost like they had encountered earlier right behind her...except this one was red, and looked more like an actual flame rather than just being shaped like one. "Lets go Kishinuma."

The flame seemed to flicker for a second before finally speaking up "What you think you can just stand around my body ignoring me and leave as soon as I show myself! It's not fair! It hurts you know...Sister it hurts."

Mayu stepped back whimpering slightly, the ghost did not appreciate her reaction "Are you scared of me?! I'll show you what it's like to be scared all the time!" And with that the flame launched itself at Mayu.

In an instant Yoshiki dropped the doll and moved his body in front of Mayu's using his hand to protect face. As it hit him he felt his hand burn as if actual fire had just hit it, he let out a groan of pain.

"Ahh Kishinuma are you ok?" With the flame now gone she ran to the front of him trying to get a better look of where he was holding. "Kishinuma?"

"Gah I'm fine, it was just a little burn. Its ok really." He answered through the slight pain trying to reassure her.

Mayu felt bad since the attack was supposed to be aimed at her, and she knew how Kishinuma was, he wouldn't really say how he felt. "Here I have some stick-on bandages with me in my bad somewhere, lets see your hand."

"Right thanks, let's be quick though, we should get away from here." With that he tilted his head towards the body indicating that's what he wanted to get away from.

Mayu nodded and after his hand was covered she grabbed the doll and the two started to put some distance between themselves and this area.

"Kishinuma...I'm sorry if i snapped at you earlier, I think I was just a little shaken...to think you helped me right after...well thank you."

Honestly Yoshiki wasn't even thinking about it, he figured as much but still the fact she cared enough to apologise was appreciated by him. "Don't' worry 'bout it, seriously a tiny little moment of frustration in a place like this is nothing to dwell over...plus we're totally even now so..." He looked at her smiling raising his burnt hand a little higher for a second to indicate what he was referring to.

Mayu was glad he wasn't upset and smiled back "Yep...I guess we are even then."

...

They were hesitant as they came back to where the ghost boy had been.

"I don't see 'im" said Kishinuma walking a step in front of Mayu just to be sure,

"Ok then, lets just be quick getting through here".

Kishinuma was about to agree when he stopped himself "Wait, but aren't we looking for him now? So he can hear the repentance?"

Mayu's stomach dropped, he was right, but to go looking for the thing that tried to hurt them it scared her.

Kishinuma caught note of her expression, he understood, afterall he was the one who was forced into that paralysed state...it was one of the worst feelings of his life. "It's okay Suzumoto, it won't be like it was before now we have this" he motioned to the doll "This will work I'm sure of and we'll be one step close to seeing everyone else and getting out of here."

Mayu smiled lightly appreciating his reassurance. She didn't answer but she nodded and went forward doll in hand. She was tired of looking like the scared one, she needed to act. 'Shig wouldn't hesitate if he were trying to find me so I won't either'.

The two searched the area for a while but there was no sign of the ghost boy anymore.

"Just our luck, obviously he'd disappear as soon as we were looking for him" Kishinuma said with a sigh scratching his head.

They ended up back on the second floor where they had met Naho, she wasn't there anymore...instead in her place was another ghost child, a girl this time one with a missing eye.

Mayu was scared and knew she should be, but at the same time couldn't keep herself from not feeling at least a bit sympathetic towards them. 'It must have been so painful to die like that.'

"Ok are we really doing this" Yoshiki looked at Mayu.

She took a deep breath before nodding. "Yeah I guess we are."

Yoshiki then held out his hand suggesting that he wanted the doll.

"No it's ok Kishinuma I'll do it." She didn't know why she felt like being brave, maybe she thought Shig would be proud of her or that it was so she could be proud of herself, she just knew she had to do this.

"Suzumoto, you serious? I don't mind really, if it's what gets us out of here...and I mean if anything goes wrong..." he was ready to consider just grabbing it off her, but in the end this was her choice still the worry was still there. Not like he wanted to do it either but...if something did go wrong maybe it would be better it happen to him than her. 'Although whos to say we both won't get it'.

"Kishinuma, trust me...I want to do it." She couldn't really believe what she was saying herself, but through her shaking and stuttering she felt strong, and ready. 'I'm coming Shig'.

Yoshiki let out a nervous laugh. "Ok then...just don't want Morishige on my back for letting you do this that's all". He had a bad feeling but then again everywhere in this place gave him a bad feeling, it might just be nerves.

Mayu smiled gently at him, "It's ok...I wont tell."

With that they both started towards the ghosts who quickly took notice and stopped pacing letting them come to her.

Mayu walked over clutching the doll, her shaking started to worsen but there was no backing out now.

The one eyed ghost girl was about ready to attack when Mayu held up the doll. "Wait! Just listen" Her voice was shaky but she did not relent. "I have something I need you to hear."

Mayu and Yoshiki's backs were faced towards the wall at the side of the infirmary door...the girl stood directly in front of them both now, though her movements stopped as she listened to the doll and it cries of repentance.

"It's ok now, you can be at peace." Mayu's shaken lessened a little as she saw the ghosts face soften.

That moment only lasted for a second as it let out a screech that actually hurt to hear. Yoshiki turned quickly as he heard a loud bang, it was the infirmary door swinging open and out of it came another small ghost girl this time with the complete top half of her head missing. Yoshiki stumbled back a bit and to the side at the sight as the first one with the missing eye simultaneously went towards Mayu causing her to step back.

Although the ghost did not just go for her, in an instant it ended up behind her along with the other ghost girl and Yoshiki and Mayu found themselves facing each other.

Both ghost seemed to levitate slightly as they grabbed onto Mayus back, not just her clothes but right into her skin, she let out a cry of pain realising they were trying to pull her backwards. She felt the tiny fingers burrow into her and she wanted it to stop now. The doll had inevitably been dropped without her realising it, she took no notice.

Mayus body was ready to be shaped into a sort of sideways 'U' as her body was pulled back at enough speed to lift her feet of the ground and send her arms forward for a second.

"Suzumoto!" Yoshiki was as quick to act as he had been back when the flame had attacked her, he brought his hand forward to grab hers. "Come on, I've got you!" Yoshiki yelled throwing out his arm towards her, she tried to take it, they were so close, just as their fingertips touched she was pulled back with a force stronger than she had ever felt before. He was fast, but not fast enough.

Mayu could swear that everything went in slow motion, she swore she could hear each vein in her body tear apart, she felt it too, her skin being ripped from bone, her head being tore away from her eyes, for a second she was weightless and then she was heavy. There was no time for her to scream or react, but she knew she was dying, they had left her time to realise that.

For Yoshiki it all lasted a split second. He was about to grab her and when she was ripped back so fast he swore he saw a ripple in the air. A tearing sound invaded his ears as her body shattered right in front of him. It practically exploded, blood spurted out from the now empty space where she was pulled back from, he wasn't quite sure what had happened to her, all that was around him was blood and chunks of red. The blood sprayed onto him, bits of flesh grabbed onto his own skin, he saw red for a second as blood went into his eye, it dripped down into his mouth and he spat as he stumbled back all the way into the wall still unable to understand what was happening.

The two ghost girls had vanished but he didn't notice.

Yoshiki wasn't quick to regain his composure, he stood leaning on the wall, using his left arm for support as he looked down and away from the flesh that was only mere seconds ago a human being. He tried to scream but nothing more than a small voiceless cry came out.

He slowly began to slide down the wall, his knees contracted as they slumped to the side.

He not so gently put his head on the wall. Blood drops slid from around his eye and down the side of his cheek. He stuttered still feeling the urge to scream. Nothing would ever erase this from his memory, nothing would change the fact that he had failed her.

'I'm so sorry Suzumoto...I should have...been quicker'. He felt he had only himself to blame for this. He should have just taken the damn doll off her, or not suggested using it in the first place.

Too many bad thoughts were in his head, he would have to break the news and somehow try and find a way to explain this, Suzumoto was his friend she had always been nothing but sweet to him and now he wouldn't ever be able to return the favor, what about their group would they even be able to move past this? Her leaving was bad enough, if they knew they'd never see her again...It was too much. The idea of having to tell them all what happened here filled him with the worst kind of dread he had ever felt. After a while of just sitting there motionless his eyes began to cloud over and he noticed a pressure on his body, a sort of heaviness that wasn't there before. He was drifting away but too consumed in dark thoughts to acknowledge it. Even as his body became heavier and heavier he ignored it. Eventually a black mist appearing out of nowhere started to wrap itself around him, looking for a way in, into his body, right into his soul and his very existence. He didn't even notice. The darkness around him was spreading but he didn't care. He didn't care.