Hello everyone, Welcome to Chapter 5 of "Persona Academy"! :D Following last chapter, Keita is running for his life from the dark creatures that found him during his night time walk through the campus of St. Lucia's. I hope you enjoy :)
Persona Academy
Chapter 5: Desperate Escape
Keita ran as fast as his legs would carry him, trying to lose the creatures that were chasing him. However, the creatures chasing him seemed to have unnatural stamina, as none of them stopped for even a second during the chase.
"Damn it! Someone! Anyone! Help me!" Keita screamed, trying to call out for help. But no one answered and the siren didn't help his efforts to be heard. Sparks flew from behind him as lampposts and other metallic obstacles were torn down and shredded with ease by the alpha male of the creatures.
Keita examined his surroundings as he ran, trying to distinguish any landmarks that would lead him to the dorm. His path was relatively straight, with minimal turns. But as he approached an opening in front of him, a group of the creatures blocked off his path, heading towards him. "Crap!" Keita yelped as he quickly turned and continued running.
Adrenaline was pumping through Keita's veins as he tried to move his body faster. Sweat was pouring down his face and his eyes scanned desperately around him. Everything was a blur now, a mishmash of colors and light. Whether that was due to Keita moving so quickly or his mind going blank with fear was up to debate.
Keita looked over his shoulder briefly. The creatures were still right behind him, desperately clawing forward and making unearthly growls and screeches, seemingly enjoying the chase. The alpha male's mouth began to glow with the same red energy that poured from the tears in its swollen hide, generating heat from within. "Not good!" Keita yelled. Flames spewed from its screeching maw and concentrated itself into a sphere of blistering fire. With a ferocious roar, the fireball launched at Keita, creating an explosion.
"GAAAAH!" Keita screamed as the fireball exploded by his feet, flinging him across the path he was taking by several feet, crashing into the ground. Keita began to hyperventilate, causing the white mist to pour from his mouth in short harsh bursts. His body was convulsing violently as he tried to regain his senses and control over his body. The shock of what happened just then was inconceivable.
After what felt like an eternity of trying, he finally managed to gain control of his body. But before he could get up, something knocked him back on his stomach with a loud thud. He turned his body and saw what had thrown his balance off. One of the black blob creatures had caught up to him and had grabbed onto his leg. Its sickening consistency glimmered in the azure moonlight. The mask on its body moved in a way that it seemed to be looking at him.
"Agh! Get off of me!" Keita demanded, kicking at the creature. His foot didn't have any effect on the creature as it crawled over his leg. It gurgled disgustingly as the black ooze that made up its body covered his leg. Keita looked around and saw the kendo sword he was carrying earlier; which flew out of his hand. Keita tried desperately to grab the weapon, but it was too far away for him to grab. Thinking quickly, he kicked the creature as far down his leg as he could and dragged his body towards the sword over the cold concrete. The weight of the creature added to his payload as he scraped desperately at the sword.
A sharp pain erupted in Keita's leg causing him to cry out in pain. He looked down and saw that the creature had cut his leg with a blade made of its own black goo, blood seeping from the wound. He gave one last reach and finally took hold of the kendo sword.
With a scream of fury, Keita gripped the blade in both hands and struck it viciously, causing its blue mask to crack and break up. As the creature shrieked in pain, Keita used the moment to his advantage, pulling his leg away. Shaking off the black goo, he began to run again. However, the wound to his leg and his exhaustion from the running took a toll on his speed.
The creatures were even closer than they were before. Keita could hear the deafening shriek of the alpha male become louder. Thinking on what happened Keita came to a horrifying conclusion. "These things can strategize" He thought. Their pack-like behavior, blocking off paths to close him in, sending units to slow down the prey, these things weren't just rabid monsters; they had some form of intelligence.
Keita moved as fast as he could, until finally in the distance he saw it. His dorm was just up ahead! "Alright Keita, you're almost there!" He thought. He pushed with all of his might, heading towards his dorm. He could hear the screaming of students faintly over the sirens. Though as he limped, he heard another, much louder noise came from his destination. Red lights came from above all four of the dorms and a grating metallic sound came from the windows and doors. At an alarming speed, a series of metal barriers began to sheath the dorm.
"The lockdown! NO!" Keita gave his body a final push as he ran towards the dorm. 2 steel doors began to close themselves over the entrance. Keita threw himself towards the dorm, but it was no use. The steel doors had closed right in front of him, sealing him off from his only salvation. The screaming of the students focused behind the door.
Keita got up and slammed his hands against the metal door. "Come on! Open up!" He pleaded desperately.
"We can't get it open!" A voice yelled from the other end.
"WHAT?"
"The lockdown occurs automatically! We can't override it!" Another voice screamed.
"We can't leave him out there!" A female voice said. "He's going to die!"
"Please, I'm begging you! Let me in!" Keita pleaded, tears rolling down his face.
"We're trying!" The voice from earlier yelled.
An electric crackling could be heard from within. "No good. Give it another shock!" A third voice ordered. "It's no good! Nothing's getting through it!"
Keita's desperation and anger drove him to slam his fists against the door over and over, hoping that somehow it would cause the door to open. But it was to no avail.
"FUCK!" He screamed as he slammed his whole body against the door. Nothing he was doing made it dent, let alone make it move.
"We're gonna keep trying to get it open! Hang in there!" The student behind the door yelled.
Keita could hear the monsters that had been chasing him all this time, practically right behind him. He ran away from the door, trying to keep himself from behind cornered. He looked around and saw the monsters heading right towards him. Black slime oozed like saliva from the alpha male's jaws as it slowly moved towards him, its underlings following right behind it.
"J-Just leave me alone! I don't wanna die!" Keita pleaded. He was at the point of breaking. His body and mind were completely drained. He didn't have the strength or the mental power to continue running. No matter how fast he ran, no matter how desperately he tried to escape, it was not enough to escape these monsters.
He fell to his knees and felt his entire body shake as tears fell from his eyes. "I'm gonna die…I'm really gonna die!" Keita cried as his head fell low.
"Thou art I…" Keita could hear a voice, speaking to him inside of his head. His head erupted in pain as he clenched his head in agony.
"Leave me alone!" He pleaded, wailing in pain as the headache intensified.
"Thou art I…" It repeated.
"What does that even mean?" He pleaded.
"Thou art I…"
"Sh-shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Keita's body curled into a ball as he shook, unable to get off of his knees.
"SAEKI-KUN!"
"KEITA!"
Keita could hear two voices yelling in the distance. He could barely make out their forms, but he recognized the voices. "Kaz…Marina-senpai" He whispered in a shaky voice. The two came into view after a moment. Kaz had a pair of metal gauntlets over his hands while Marina had a spear in her hand.
"Saeki-kun! Get out of there!" Marina screamed, running as fast as she could.
"Keita, move!" Kaz pleaded.
The alpha male looked at the two and snarled before staggering them with a piercing shriek. This seemed to signal its underlings, since the majority of the small blobs in the pack charged at Marina and Kaz. The alpha male turned its attention back to Keita, fiery energy gathered inside of its mouth again as it bellowed in victory.
"NO! SAEKI-KUN!"
"GET OUT OF THERE!"
The fire burned within its mouth and gathered in a hellish sphere, pointed straight towards Keita. At this point, Keita was powerless. The ball of fire in front of him looked to be the only light that was at the end of this tunnel.
The creature reared its head back and fired the burning orb at Keita. Everything seemed to slow down to him as the projectile headed right towards him. All he could do now was watch as the fireball detonated, sending him flying across the square. He landed in the nearby grass, which did little to cushion the fall.
"OH GOD NO! SAEKI-KUN!"
"NO! KEITA!"
Keita's body gave out on him and slowly, his tear filled eyes closed up. He slipped out of consciousness as the enigmatic voice from before said the same words one more time.
"Thou art I…"
