Where are you?

A few days later within the Shinigami academy; the start of the second week had begun. The weekend itself was very slow as people didn't exactly know every ground rule yet. To be certain, everyone stayed inside in case they messed something up and got yelled at. Miko spent most of her time talking with Orochi. The morning of the second Monday began with some theory lessons about the aspects of Shinigami. However, Orochi and Miko were only just leaving their dorm and walking over.

[Miko] "So why'd you come to the academy?"

[Orochi] "I felt that I should do something with all the tutoring my grandfather gave me"

[Miko] "Was he a Shinigami?"

[Orochi] "In some ways yes. But he got bored of work and came back home"

[Miko] "Wow… you managed to stay in contact with your grandfather even in death"

[Orochi] "No. He was merely a replacement. Nobody usually appears holding the same title. If they do, then the past generation would probably be dead. My real grandfather is probably up in the hills of the Rukongai southern district"

[Miko] "I never had anything like that. As far as I know I merely appeared and fended for myself in some rundown shack beside district 67. There were a lot of kids there with me including some older members who planned to go to the academy. I wonder if they did or not…"

[Orochi] "Well I'm sure they did…"

[Miko] "Heh. I did meet two Shinigami who would come to the shack every month. They were so kind to us. I never knew why they did come back and give us food. Apparently they used to live in the same conditions. Later, I heard they had taken part in the battle over the living world"

[Orochi] "You knew them at all?"

[Miko] "Not exactly. One was a girl and the other a boy. Much taller than the girl. They seemed like good friends. But even before the fight happened, they disappeared without a trace. As if they were taken. Its not like I was friends with them but my curiosity does interest me in them

[Orochi] "Hehe… when was this?"

[Miko] "Er…about… 100 odd years ago"

[Orochi] "How old were you then? You must have been like a baby"

[Miko] "Well I met them the day I turned up. You know that when you die you arrive looking how you did back in the living world. Well I must have been killed younger than the human age of two.

[Orochi] "Well I'm about 122 at the moment. When you live as a spirit, time surely flies by. Before you know it, you're older than the oldest living human and you still look like you're a student"

[Miko] "We are students"

The girls laughed as they strolled down the corridor. The theory lesson was a few meters away before another student leapt into the girl's way. He was a big guy; pretty bulky for a student. He had spiked hair with tram line cutting on the side of his head. The colour was an interestingly bleached red that looked like strawberries.

[???] "You're Miko aren't you?"

[Miko] "Er…"

[Orochi] "What's it to you Borris?"

[Borris] "I've heard rumours that your friends with Kaige"

[Miko] "Yeah. In some ways I would call him that"

[Borris] "Well he apparently didn't come back to his dorm last night. Everyone thinks he's done a runner"

[Miko and Orochi] "What!"

The girls looked at Borris worryingly. Even though Orochi pounded Kaige not too long ago, she still wanted to make sure he was ok. Miko herself was more doubtful.

[Miko] "Then we should go look for him"

[Orochi] "Are you sure he's in trouble Miko? He could just be with a teacher"

[Borris] "Lessons have just the second begun so it's unlikely"

[Miko] "What's with that guy? He keeps looking angry all the time but stutters whenever I talk to him. It's as if he's got an illness"

[Orochi] "That's not a nice thing to ay to a mate"

[Borris] "Well… he should turn up eventually. But I just thought you should know seeing as he keeps looking for you"

[Miko] "Huh?"

[Borris] "You didn't know? Half the time when you're wandering around he's behind you. I've seen him chasing after you lot for a good couple of days. He even hid in a bin outside your door for a few hours before lessons to see what time you left. He really is a weird guy"

[Miko] "I Hope I haven't caused this. That does sound pretty scary though. Kaige is my stalker?"

[Orochi] "Don't worry. After lessons, we'll go look for him. Right Borris?"

[Borris] "Hey I'm just telling you, I'm not here to be helping you"

Orochi held out her palm towards Borris who quickly leapt to his defence and braced his face. Orochi smirked to herself when Borris presented a freaky dance where he flailed his hands to try and cover all his weak points in case she tried anything, whilst standing on one foot.

[Borris] "Alright, alright. Ill help you out just don't hurt me!"

[Orochi] "What a feeble man…"

[Miko] "Hehe"

[Orochi] "Let's go then"

Borris let out a sigh as Orochi lowered her arm. She looked quite happy that she could manipulate people so easily just by holding her arm out. She flicked her blood red fringe out of her face and walked into class. Borris turned and jogged down a different path to his lesson to get away from Orochi. Hopefully, if he left class earlier he could get away from Orochi before she turned up to get him. Miko slowly followed Orochi into the theory class whilst gazing out the nearby window that overlooked the woodlands.

[Miko] "Kaige… where are you?"

[Orochi] "Hey, over here!"

Orochi waved her arm out of the few class mates who had turned up. She deliberately picked a seat near the window because she enjoyed looking for suspicious things. Miko strolled in and sat next to her. The seat beside Miko would usually have Kaige on. But he wasn't there today.

[Orochi] "Hey what's that?"

Orochi was already staring out of the glass at the woodland. Two boys had run out of the building and sprinted towards the woods with swords in hand. They weren't Zanpakutou so they could possibly been proper Shinigami. Orochi managed to glimpse one of them wave in her direction as he ran under the thicket as if eh knew she was watching. Long Black hair spiked at the top and left lazily at the back. What was weird were the red streaks on the side of his head and through his spiky fringe. The other guy was running to quick to be looked at properly. Miko leant over Orochi's shoulder and peered out the window too.

[Miko] "What's up?"

[Orochi] "I just saw two people running into the woods"

[Miko] "I don't…"

[Orochi] "Who were they? I remember seeing that guy at the entrance ceremony with… that white haired guy…"

[Miko] "White haired kid?"

[Orochi] "Yeah. Before everything started, he and two other guys were messing around in Rukongai. They seemed drunk.

[Miko] "Really? Rihiku didn't look that wasted when I talked to him"

[Orochi] "He didn't drink. It was the other two.

[Miko] "You mean the guys you supposedly saw running into the woods"

[Orochi] "Yeah. I never got any of their names but I'm guessing that Rihiku bloke is the white haired one"

[Miko] "I think so"

[Teacher] "Miko! Orochi! Pay attention. The class is starting"

[Miko and Orochi] "Sorry Sensei"

As Miko and Orochi bowed to apologise, Miko looked out the window with the corner of her eye to see a man standing outside. He was a tall guy, black uniform, sleek blade, and happy expression…with white hair…and waving her way…