Ken's POV

Nowhere ?/?/?


I was certain I heard Hana's voice as my vision blurred. When I regained consciousness, I was in a place that felt both different and oddly familiar: Room 3-A. But the girls were gone.

I got up, my head pounding as if I'd been struck. The first thing I noticed was the back most chair. This time, a mark of rotting blood extended from the ceiling to the floor, completely consuming the chair.

The windows were sealed shut, and a crimson light bathed the room. I approached the chair, searching for clues about where I was. It didn't feel like I was dreaming; everything seemed vividly real, yet utterly upside-down.

The sound of dripping blood and the stench made me nauseous—it was torture to stay near that chair. Beneath the desk, I found a piece of paper:

"Being trapped here is dangerous for your friends. Perhaps I've switched places with you.
Maybe I've already killed them and will throw their souls into this world too.
Enjoy seeing the world from my perspective."

The classroom door was locked from the outside. I was at Hana's mercy, subject to whatever plans she had in mind. Suddenly, I heard scratching noises running along the walls outside, like an animal waiting for me.

The ceiling began to leak, the same putrid liquid spreading, while the walls started closing in on me. They were covered in organic tissues, pulsating in a breathing rhythm.

A crackling sound drew my attention to the teacher's desk—a static noise from an old radio that seemed to be scanning frequencies.

"Thanks for joining us this Monday morning. Unfortunately, we have sad news. Earlier today, a student from Hinode Central High was found dead. Her body was discovered in the—"

The radio abruptly stopped, replaced by a high-pitched siren like a public emergency alert. I pressed my hands over my ears. The red light flickered in agony, casting dancing shadows across the room.

Something was in the room.

It felt like an "escape room" crafted by someone cruel. The difference was there didn't seem to be an exit. The laughter of a child echoed from all directions—and none at the same time. The air was thick and rancid, as if a corpse were hidden nearby.

I rushed to the windows, trying desperately to open them to glimpse the outside world, but they were sealed with steel bars.

"There's no way out. This is where it all ends," I thought. Sitting and giving up seemed tempting. I wasn't someone prepared to deal with this, and worse, my body might be under someone else's control right now.

The radio came alive again, continuing its broadcast as I sat on the floor.

"...Back of Room 3-A. The student was 15 years old. Initial reports suggest she died around 8 a.m., from head trauma caused by a fall. The police are investigating the case and—"

Wait... she fell? That doesn't make sense. There's more to this story than I know. But how do I escape this nightmare?

Something was coming. Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor—human? No, it sounded horrible. The stench grew stronger, even with the door closed.

The footsteps drew closer. Whatever it was stopped outside the door and began shaking it violently, rattling the handle. It was enraged, banging relentlessly.

And then it stopped.

As the shadow retreated, the door creaked slightly open, nudged by a faint breeze. I dove under the teacher's desk, bracing for the worst.

But nothing came. Only the flickering lamp swinging above me, casting eerie shadows. The hallway outside was bathed in cold white light—a stark contrast to the crimson classroom.

An invitation.

What other choice did I have? I stepped cautiously into the hallway.

It was unnervingly peaceful. Looking north, I thought I saw a shadow dart past—it resembled one of the girls, but I couldn't tell which. The shadow disappeared around a corner, followed by wheezing sounds, like someone gasping for air.

I began walking north. The other classrooms were sealed shut, leaving only a linear path forward. Turning the corner, I saw something I wasn't prepared for.

It was Yuri, or a twisted version of her. A shadowy figure cloaked in black and drenched in blood, with countless cuts marring her arms and legs. She clutched a massive razor.

Her eyes were lifeless.

When her gaze met mine, I knew instantly: this was no Yuri—it was a monster wearing her form. But why was it mutilating itself?

"H-Hello... Yuri? What happened to you?"

"Ken! Oh, God! Please, don't look at me—I can't be seen like this..."

"Did someone hurt you? I'm here to help."

"Ah... I trust you, but it hurts so much. Please, help me. I think... I nicked an important artery..."

Kneeling to help the shadow of Yuri, I let my guard down completely.

In an instant, I paid for it.

The shadow seized the razor and plunged it into my chest without hesitation, driving it through me with unimaginable force.

"When will you stop being so naive, you stupid child? Do you think this world is kind to innocent fools like you? They end up dead, like I did in that room. You sanctimonious idiot. I thought I despised Monika, but God, how I hate you, Ken!"

Life drained from me in mere seconds. I collapsed, torn between believing it was real or just a hallucination.

I awoke in the same chair Hana had once occupied, locked in Room 3-A again.

In my hand was a darkened knife. Around me, shadowy figures of children danced and laughed in eerie circles. They seemed blind.

Two choices lay before me: kill these beings out of fear or attempt to escape the room.

Violence isn't the answer.

Slowly, I rose from the chair. The shadows froze.

Taking a careful step to the right, they stirred again. Suddenly, one appeared directly before me, motionless, staring.

As the image sharpened, I saw it: a child with a twisted smile pulled taut by strings connected to its back.

The child was short, dressed in a bloodstained school uniform, with piercing red eyes.

"Do you want to die too? I've learned... to enjoy killing. Joining Hana is your destiny."

The creature's mouth opened impossibly wide, and I leaped back, fleeing the classroom. As I slammed my shoulder into the door, the creatures began shambling toward me.

This time, I headed down the stairs instead of continuing north.

Reaching the ground floor, silence returned. There were no shadows chasing me anymore.

The exits, however, were blocked by immense barricades. To my left, a small shadow wandered, a fleeting impression that urged me to follow.

I sprinted through the ground-floor corridors, rounding a corner to the east.

There, I saw the source of the shadow: a black cat.

It shed its shadowy guise as it approached its owner.

Hana Ikeda.

She crouched, offering her hand to the cat, playing with it. I froze, paralyzed by indecision.

Run?

Confront her?

Wait?

The weight of her aura was crushing, the air compressing and swirling around her.

Faced with true power, there was no choice but to accept fate.

"Hello, Ken. I don't think I've given you the chance to meet my only friend. This is Petty, my precious little daughter... Can you guess why this beautiful girl is still with me?"

"I-I-I..."

"There's no need to be so terrified. You can still be useful to me. You see, in the spiritual world, I am almost a God. This school is my domain. Outside, it's a land of spirits of all kinds, where I can't go for now. Anyway, Petty died when I was walking her near the school. Those bastards saw me and thought it'd be a good idea to KILL MY PRINCESS!"

Her fury was palpable. My chest tightened under the pressure, tears streaming down my face.

"Awfully quiet, aren't you, Ken? I thought you were brave enough to play the spiritual medium and exorcise me. Wasn't that your idea?"

She vanished and reappeared behind me, circling slowly.

"I'd love to know who's been teaching you about the spiritual world. Whoever it is, they've been keeping a lot from you. You... shouldn't have noticed me. It's ironic, isn't it? I wanted to be seen, but by noticing me, you've trapped yourself in my world."

"So... I'm stuck here forever?"

"No. I need a messenger. If you want to leave, you must tell everyone: 'Hana wants to be recognized. If you acknowledge her, she will drag you to hell.'"

"What do you gain from me spreading this message?"

"Panic. Fear. I want to see you all bleeding in terror, unable to sleep, exhausted, paranoid, slicing yourselves to relieve the dread I sow in your minds..."

That creature grinned, but her words revealed something important: she wanted recognition, and she had a cat.

That could be the key to know who she was.

There was only one way to end this madness: to swallow my pride and obey her demands.

This wasn't the time for confrontation, the disparity in power was absolute.

"I... accept. I'll do as you say. Just let me return to my world."

"Of course... No problem. But, oh, how I HATE that smug little smile of yours and the way you flirt with Monika right in front of me. Your happiness disgusts me so much it clouds my thoughts... That's why... I'll..."

Hana released the cat, letting it roam freely through the school. She leaned close, her voice a whisper in my ear.

"...Torture your soul until it breaks."


Monika POV
December 22, 2017 – Friday Afternoon


This was the second incident involving members of the literature club. My head felt like it was spinning, and the events from hours earlier swirled together in a chaotic storm in my mind.

Why are these things happening? The first weeks had been so calm, but ever since Ken joined, this is the second time I've been sitting on this infirmary bench.

The panic attack Yuri had, the fight, Ken fainting in the middle of the classroom...

It couldn't be real, but I couldn't doubt it anymore: there's something supernatural in Room 3-A. And it's been watching us this whole time. Just thinking about it made me nauseous.

"Sayori... I need to apologize before asking this, but has anything like this happened to Ken before?"

The vice president might seem absent-minded and silly on the surface, but that was far from the truth. She quickly understood the meaning behind my blunt question.

"No, never... I don't understand this either. These things happening this week... I've never seen anything like it."

"I see. I don't understand it all, but I think he's been fighting a very difficult battle on his own. Even though he asked for help, I failed to fulfill my role as the leader."

That statement caught the other girls by surprise. They were sitting on the other benches in the infirmary's waiting area. Yuri, the last person to have spoken to Ken, added:

"He seems knowledgeable about the occult and looked very stressed when I spoke to him..." Yuri said, nervously running her fingers through her hair.

"Even I, who don't believe in that stuff, am starting to get scared. I mean, this is the second time we've been here in less than a week. I told you it wasn't a good idea for him to join our club." Natsuki's words were almost aimed to hurt me since I had given the final approval.

"I think we should help him and..." As I was speaking, a tall woman appeared, breathless, at the end of the infirmary corridor and approached us. She looked a lot like Ken, so it was obvious who she was.

"Hello... You must be Ken's friends, right? Well, where is he? What happened to him?"

Although the woman was elegant and carried an air of high class, I felt the same unsettling sensation I had when I was alone in Room 3-A. That feeling of unease and disturbance. My role was to pull us out of this mess, and I had to be as sharp as possible.

"I'm the responsible one. I can't fail. Observe everything, Monika..." I thought as I analyzed her.

"Hello. Well, he wasn't feeling well this morning, so we brought him to the infirmary. We're also waiting for news and..."

The nurse appeared at that moment and interrupted:

"Oh, Miss Hiromi, please come in. We need to speak privately. And as for you all... I think it's best you leave. He's going to be here longer than expected."

"What do you mean!? So you know what's wrong with him?" I intervened immediately.

"Sorry, I can only share that information with the person responsible for the patient. If you'll excuse me..."

She closed the door in our faces. I considered eavesdropping on their conversation but realized it would be pointless.

"It's for the best..." I said to the girls.

"I hope he's okay. I'm so worried... I don't know what I'll do if it's serious," Sayori murmured, biting her nails and staring at the floor.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling for us to leave.

"Please, Nat and Yuri, take care of Sayori for me. I need to discuss something with the administration."

"Oh... Sure, let's go, Sayori. Everything will be fine."

After we parted ways in the school's halls, I was finally alone. The place had never felt so empty. It was clear that only the five of us were left in the entire school, and that didn't seem right.

Something serious is happening here, and I need to figure out what it is.

I decided to head to the restroom on the second floor in the east wing. Something seemed to be calling me.

I can't ignore this.

Entering, I checked everything I could and found something that made me take a step back in distrust.

A black cat.

"What would a cat be doing here?"

Looking closer, the feline seemed distracted, but as I approached, it immediately turned to face me. Its eyes were completely red, and its mouth was smeared with blood.

The image lasted mere seconds before it simply vanished into thin air.

I wasn't losing my mind. Something was happening.

When I looked into the mirror, a shadow began to form behind me. But as soon as I turned around, there was nothing.

Whatever it was, it was trapped in the "world of mirrors."

My conversations with Ken in the park resurfaced in my mind. The figure in the mirror... it had to be her.

Hana Ikeda. No doubt about it.

It felt like being in Room 3-A, but infinitely worse.

The black cat was leaning against her leg. She matched every description Ken had given me.

She smiled.

It was as if she were waiting for me to do something, to say something. But faced with a presence so overwhelming, I couldn't move.

Her predatory eyes pierced my soul.

I was going to die.

"I've always dreamed of this day, Monika—talking privately with the graceful and perfect president of the Literature Club. But I'm here to give you a warning: Stop trying to find answers. Involving the other girls is also a mistake. Ken flew too close to the sun, and look what happened to him, poor thing."

"What did you do to him?"

If I was staring death in the face, I wasn't going to do it in cowardice, not anymore.

"You'll find out soon enough, everything I need is already in place, in a span of three days I will drag all of you with me, this whole city".

"Why are you doing this?".

"Vengeance for thirteen years ago, for the way they treated me in that hell, for what they did to my little princess, but I can spare you if you forget about all of this.."

"...".

"I see, then this will be our first and last friendly conversation, Monika. The next one will be in hell..."

In the blink of an eye, Hana's presence disappeared, as if a crushing weight had been lifted from my chest.

I immediately understood why Ken had been so on edge. Knowing something so terrifying had been in our classroom this whole time...

Even in fear, I carefully noted every detail of the interaction. Memorized every word.

Though I was a complete novice to the spiritual world, Hana made certain things obvious: her pet that followed her everywhere, her palpable anger and resentment, and the school's suppression of her story.

The path became clear to me: Discover who Hana Ikeda was and how she died. If there's a way to save Ken, it's through that path.

I felt my legs weaken; I hadn't even realized how much I was trembling. I splashed water on my face and took a deep breath.

I left the restroom and headed to the third floor, to the Literature Club corridor.

A black trail was visible on the floor.

How did I not notice this before? Maybe that's why this part of the school feels so abandoned.

Before entering the room, I saw the cat again, standing at the corner of the hallway.


Hiromi POV
December 22, 2017 – Friday Afternoon


In this line of work, I've faced countless challenges, battles, and hardships, but I had never been humiliated like this before. Seeing my son in the infirmary... For the first time in many years, I truly felt powerless, it was clear as day: Ken was in a spiritual coma.

This happens when a person's consciousness is forcibly pulled into the spiritual world. I'd dealt with it twice before in my life, both times victims were attacked by demons. What I'd witnessed this week was nothing short of a demonstration of overwhelming power.

There's no mistake…

The spirit my son encountered had to be at the level of a Superior Demon. How could I have been so foolish? This was all my fault.

"Judging by your expression, I'm guessing you understand what happened to your son, don't you?" the nurse asked, as if expecting a reaction from me.

"A nurse who believes in spirits?"

"Everyone on the staff is required to pass a vocation test. The headmaster looks for spiritually awakened individuals to work here."

I could sense hostility emanating from this person. One glance was enough to understand why obtaining permission to purge the spirits from this place had been so difficult.

The school isn't innocent.

It was best not to start a fight here. My son was under her care, and his friends were waiting outside. I needed to figure out a way to get him out without causing trouble.

"I understand. I'm here to sign the transfer papers to the General Hospital. Sorry, but I'm in a hurry."

The nurse gave me a strange smile and nodded.

I decided to suppress my spiritual vision, activating it would only attract all the spirits lurking in the school. Without it, I couldn't fully gauge her emotions, but I had to remain calm.

She handed me some forms to sign. After I completed them, other medical staff arrived, and together, we moved Ken out through the school's back exit.

Once in the ambulance, I looked back at the school, this time using my spiritual vision.

There were no words to describe it. The next time I return to that school, it will be for war. What I saw was actually bone-chilling: The entire place is sinking into the spiritual world...

Upon arriving at the hospital, I called my government contact, the Strategic Secretary of the Multinational Security Alliance.

"Hello, Miss Hiromi. I wasn't expecting to hear from you until Sunday to confirm the operation. Has something happened?"

"The situation has escalated to a potential global-level catastrophe. I'm sending photos I took on-site. I need immediate support."

I sent the message and photos. It took about ten minutes for him to respond.

"This is Mr. Choi Eun-ho. Your case has reached to me. Could you clearly explain what's happening at this school?"

The Alliance consisted of twenty countries. On the surface, its purpose was to handle conventional security issues like wars and conflicts. But in reality, it existed to monitor and contain spiritual phenomena. Each year, a new president was appointed. This year, it was a Korean; the year before, a Chinese leader, and the one before that, an American.

I had never spoken to someone at this level before. My next words were crucial. I couldn't afford to exaggerate or be imprecise.

"Good afternoon, sir. I've identified a spiritual anomaly that, within hours, has escalated from a local to a national and now a global threat. It's caused by a Superior Demon spirit, which has been dormant in a classroom for thirteen years.

I've detected the formation of what appears to be a bridge between worlds. Additionally, the entire location is sinking into the other world... The entity's first victim is my son, who is now in a spiritual coma."

Minutes of silence followed, each second stretching endlessly. I could hear background conversations on his end. This event was unprecedented in human history. Until now, the classification of Superior Demon spirits had only been theoretical and a myth.

Spirits are categorized as follows:

Yokai: Vengeful spirits capable of devastating a neighborhood, inducing collective paranoia in those who occupy their domain, such as abandoned buildings.

Oni: Spirits that manifest physically, causing environmental pollution and agricultural difficulties. These spirits are bound to sacred lands, not inherently malevolent but fiercely protective of their territory.

Goryo: Spirits that can infect entire nations, often found in former war zones or sites of horrific tragedies. Their power ensures such places never find peace.

Kijo: Spirits responsible for pandemics and intercontinental afflictions. They are a natural evolution of Goryo spirits.

Maō, Superior Demon, or Demon King: Beings whose existence defies all previous classifications. They are pure manifestations of latent spiritual energy. There's no confirmation about these creatures in known human history. According to legend, one of these entities could destroy the planet within a day of its "leakage"—the moment it escapes its domain. They are theoretically capable of altering the fabric of reality itself.

This is what I was announcing to the world: the existence of the first Superior Demon. A true harbinger of the apocalypse. Based on what I saw as I left the school, the leakage will occur on Monday.

"Miss, before we can classify this threat at such a level, we need to confirm the impartiality of your assessment. We ran a background check, and your surname matches that of the spirit."

"Yes, but we're not related. This spirit belonged to a child who died at the Central School In the past."

"There are no records of any deaths at Central School in 2004."

"Of course not. All evidence was erased from the city's records. Check the Surveillance Service archives. The situation is far worse than I can explain."

The conversation was getting tense, but I did my best to provide a full report of everything I'd observed since returning to Japan, especially on the events of today. After much effort, they seemed convinced of the severity.

"We're canceling the team's deployment to Hinode. Instead, we'll evacuate the surrounding cities and proceed with a strategic elimination plan."

There are two ways to deal with a spirit that feeds on the energy of nearby people: eliminate the people or confront the spirit directly.

The government concluded that facing Hana was impossible. Any evacuation effort would be detected by the spirit, spreading chaos globally in the spot.

The decision was clear.

Sacrifice Hinode and all its inhabitants.

A bomb strike on an allied country.

"Sir, with all due respect, strategic elimination will only increase the fear of people in nearby cities, potentially feeding it further."

"I'd rather deal with those consequences than face a Superior Demon. With luck, the spirit born from the fear of a bomb attack will only reach Goryo-level. By your oath, you have the right to leave with your son, but if you reveal this or attempt to help anyone, we will punish you accordingly."

"Please, we can do something like this, not after I… Well, what if I find a way to stop Hana, I mean, this spirit?"

"And what do you suggest? Do you think your talismans and spells will scratch a deity?"

"Please, if this isn't resolved by Monday, you can destroy the city. Bring observers here; I promise I'll find a way."

More silence. The situation had escalated to a point I could never have imagined in a thousand years. I had hoped to rally the world's best mediums. Instead, they wanted to obliterate the city and its people indiscriminately to extinguish Hana's spirit.

"Your credentials are excellent. Frankly, I doubt I have anyone more qualified to handle this type of threat. Even knowing it's a suicide mission with no chance of success; do you still want to try?"

"I like challenges," I replied, attempting a smile while holding my phone.

I ended the call. Breaking down emotionally was not an option. My son lay in a coma before me, and the city's residents had no idea they had just three days left to live—unless I did something.

I took Ken's outstretched hand in mine and closed my eyes.

My life doesn't matter. I will protect my son's right to live a happy life.

I visualized the greatest healing power I could muster, but it didn't seem to be a spiritual wound. Then I saw the problem: a spiritual cord stretching back toward the school.

An idea crossed my mind. There was a way to pull him back into his body.

Wait for me, Hana. I will drag you into the abyss, even if it means my death.