Anne's Diary (1)
After the investigation was over.
We hailed a carriage towards the dormitory building.
Since the sun had already set and darkness had fallen, we were planning to return to our rooms for the time being.
The children were all exhausted.
"It's already this late... No wonder I'm tired."
"M-me too, I feel like my eyes are closing."
"You were crying all day. It's a wonder you didn't collapse."
"I-is that so...?"
"Do you even know how annoying it was?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"...I wasn't telling you to be depressed."
The rattling carriage.
The two girls are sitting side by side, talking.
At first glance, it seemed like they were picking on each other, but seeing them close together, it didn't seem like that.
The atmosphere had subtly softened compared to before.
'Better than expected.'
Was it because of the memory in the basement?
A strange bond seemed to have formed between them as they faced the monster with their backs to each other.
A villainess who allows the main character to sit next to her.
It's a scene I couldn't even imagine in the original story.
A chuckle escapes me at the heartwarming sight.
"Hehe."
"...What's so funny?"
"It's nothing."
Well, what was so good?
Perhaps it was a sense of relief that the episode had ended well.
It deviated somewhat from the original plan, but... I think it was a worthwhile story.
I've learned a new light.
'I'll be able to do better in the future.'
Everything was still going smoothly.
I quietly savored the anticipation of what was to come.
***
And.
That anticipation was shattered as soon as I returned to the dormitory.
"..."
A cold silence settled over the space.
An eerie silence.
Originally, I should have heard voices greeting me, even if they were annoyed, asking if I was back.
But now, only a heavy silence was pressing down.
There was no sign of life in the darkened room.
"...Irene?"
I call her name, just in case.
But as if mocking my last shred of patience, there is no answer.
Only a terrible emptiness echoes.
Thick darkness engulfs the surroundings.
The view of the night sky through the window.
Perhaps because of the clouds, there were no stars visible tonight.
I stood frozen for a moment in the scenery that faintly depicted loss.
-Several assailants appeared in the shopping district.
-The shopping district... That's not far from the dormitory building.
-Were there any casualties...?
-There haven't been any reports yet.
-That's a relief.
-Well, there might be hidden victims.
A conversation I had carelessly dismissed flashes through my mind.
An ominous premonition.
The joy that had filled me just moments ago turns cold.
I mutter softly.
"Where did you go?"
Clap-!
I clap my hands.
The scenery before my eyes changes instantly.
Teleportation activated in a short moment. I was now in front of the dormitory building.
I roll my eyes, but there's nothing to see.
Clap-!
I clap again.
This time, it was the path leading to the shopping district. Similarly, there was nothing special.
I don't stop and continue clapping.
Clap-!
Carriage stop, nothing.
Clap-!
Central street, nothing.
Clap-!
Back alley, nothing.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap-!
Dozens of claps ring out, and the background changes rapidly each time.
The claps are now emotionally charged.
My vision flashes ten times a second.
I fiercely chase the fox's trail.
Clap-!
The repeated clapping stops in an alley not far from the shopping district.
Perhaps because of the complicated, winding path, it was a place students rarely visited.
I quietly stare at the ground.
"..."
A basket lies there.
As if someone had dropped it while shopping, spilled groceries are scattered at my feet.
It was the basket the fox always carried when she went to the shopping district.
'Why?'
Do bad premonitions always come true?
Next to the messy floor, there's a strong, alien presence.
Although it was so faint that it wouldn't even register in ordinary eyes... it was definitely a trace of black magic.
My eyes couldn't be fooled.
Whoosh-.
A shadow flutters in the passing wind.
After a moment of silence, I let out a single, hollow laugh.
A bitter, sarcastic laugh.
"Ha."
Baob.These bastards.
***
Meanwhile
The fox wakes up on the cold floor.
"...Ugh."
Eyes flutter open to a splitting headache.
Her wavering pupils reflect a scene covered in darkness.
The coldness of the stone floor seeps into her back.
A dizzy moan escapes her dry lips.
"Ugh, haa..."
Despite her blurry vision and furrowed brows, the girl slowly raises her upper body.
She can't breathe properly.
It's because of the excruciating pain that floods her entire body.
Like a pane of glass on the verge of shattering, it feels like she's being torn apart piece by piece.
It's a side effect of excessive sleep magic.
"Ugh, cough, haa...!"
Especially for Irene, who had no immunity to magic.
The fox had to swallow her screams and wriggle on the floor for a while.
That moment passes.
"Haa, haa..."
Her headache gradually subsides.
As her ragged breathing returns to normal, the girl can finally look around.
It's a space shrouded in pitch black.
The fox murmurs blankly.
"Where am I...?"
A dazed whisper.
The first thing that washes over her is bewilderment.
Her black eyes scan the surroundings.
How did she end up in a place like this?
The girl ponders her hazy memories.
She was definitely shopping in the shopping district, but she heard footsteps following her from the moment she turned into the alley.
Sensing something amiss, Irene didn't let her guard down.
The moment she turned around, gripping the sword at her waist.
"...Was I tricked?"
Her consciousness cut off there.
The last thing she saw was a red flash.
An unpleasant light.
Irene quietly holds her breath.
Assessing the situation comes first.
Her black pupils scan the darkness, dissecting the surrounding scenery one by one.
The most noticeable thing is the iron bars.
"..."
The fox is trapped in a narrow cell.
As she examines the tightly surrounding bars, a sudden sense of déjà vu washes over her.
"Damn it."
A curse slips out involuntarily.
Just a few months ago, she was in a similar place.
The slave auction house where countless beasts were gathered. The girl bites her lip at the memory that passes like a trauma.
Is it their doing again?
"No, they couldn't have followed me all the way to the Academy..."
Then who could it be?
Kidnapping someone in broad daylight at the continent's most prestigious educational institution.
At the very least, she could tell they weren't in their right mind.
Her mind is in turmoil.
Her anxiety turns into stress.
Eventually, a headache creeps in.
As she groans and presses her fingers to her forehead, a strange noise suddenly reaches her ears.
Someone's footsteps.
Thump, thump-.
Footsteps echo in the long corridor.
They approach the cell where Irene is trapped at a leisurely pace.
Just then.
"Don't just stay there, crouch down...!"
"...?!"
Something touches the fox's shoulder.
Startled, she turns around to see fingers poking through the bars.
It seems like someone is trapped in the cell next to hers.
A young voice whispers softly.
"Sister! Pretend to be asleep quickly...!"
"W-what?"
"Before the devil comes...!"
The footsteps are now close at hand.
Hesitant, Irene decides to follow the advice and lies down.
As if she hasn't woken up yet.
"..."
Thump-.
The footsteps stop in front of the cell.
As she calmly repeats her breathing, she hears two men talking behind her.
"It seems she hasn't woken up yet."
"I guess so."
"What are your orders?"
"Leave her alone until tomorrow. We still have many other test subjects to deal with."
"What about the failed experiments from today?"
"Move them to the lowest floor."
"Yes, sir."
Test subjects, experiments, failed experiments, the lowest floor.
They were somehow ominous words. The fox clenched her fists involuntarily.
She felt like her tail would move from the tension.
"I'm looking forward to the upcoming experiment."
Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
***
It’s cold.
It felt as though my heart no longer beat.
In the chest of that child from back then, there was always an ice-cold spike lodged deep inside.
A sensation I had long forgotten.
'How long has it been?'
The cold air lingers around me.
My mind is as cold, stinging, and silent as snow falling on a winter night.
A cool breath escapes through my lips.
Strangely, I feel unusually calm.
There isn’t the slightest tremor inside me. In the world, gradually enveloping me, I was swimming through it.
The sensation of slowly sinking brings an odd sense of peace.
A brief meditation.
As I sit there with my eyes closed for a moment, a girl's voice suddenly calls out to me.
"Captain."
"······."
"All the members are ready."
"······."
I lift my head that had been bowed.
Before my eyes are the members of Astro, each draped in white robes.
They stand at attention, awaiting orders.
It’s almost time.
I slowly rise from my seat.
Their gazes all converge on me.
A bloodthirsty aura swirling in the air. Each of them stood ready, armed to the teeth.
They were assassins, waiting for commands.
"A declaration of war has been issued from the Babb."
"······."
"Not exactly a provocation, but... unfortunately, they've laid their hands on a dear friend of mine."
There was no need for leniency once the line had been crossed.
If something was taken, it must be reclaimed.
I intended to show them exactly whose possessions they dared covet.
"It seems we have some cleaning up to do... Will you join me?"
"Everything will be as you command."
In unison, the members bow their heads.
Satisfied with their response, I smile, as the vice-captain hands me my robe.
It was the same pure white.
"Captain."
"Thank you, Neria."
Flutter-.
Without hesitation, I draped the robe over my shoulders.
After tidying up my disheveled collar, I lifted my feet, which had been stuck to the ground.
It was time to begin the observation.
"Shall we head out, then?"
I muttered within the flickering shadows.
"To find the fox."
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Ahggg they messed up with the wrong...Maid? Fox?
ReplyDeleteYeaaaahhhhh, they're turbo fucked. Poor idiots.
ReplyDelete