Chapter 8
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Shadow Realm Part 1.
Yesterday is such a tiring day, I never thought that I will able to see the matured Ruru. To think that my soul will wander in that space and experiencing two things in one day. I'm glad I survived. I was in the dining area, Euclece and Ruru are playing something. It's five o'clock in the morning so I'm preparing for school. To be honest, I don't want to go to school today, I don't want to see either my new classmate or the guy who helped me yesterday.
"Ugh, why is this happening to me anyway?!" I complained to myself, the two of them looked at me in a worried expression. "What happened?" Euclece asked me in a worried tone.
I whined, "What should I do Euclece? I feel like I'm being threatened!" I started to cry but not a single tear dropped, but more importantly I can no longer assure my safety. Since the day I met Ruru, more and more weird things happened in my life. "Who the hell will do that!? Imma beat the hell out of 'em!" out of anger on seeing me in that state, Euclece suddenly became a burning soul. She furrows her eyebrows while forming her fist as if she is ready to punch anyone who meets her. Seeing her expression, somehow I felt relieved. Then a sudden idea popped out in my mind.
"Oh! Why don't you come with me instead?" I asked.
"Ahhh no proble--- What?!" Euclece perplexedly blurted out.
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I ended up bringing Ruru and Euclece to my school. If something happened, I guess the two of them can be able to protect me. I don't want to be selfish, but I'm really scared of the people here. In my imagination, they look like walking monsters!
"What's with the enormous aura coming from the students here? I really hate it!" Euclece protested, "Ha? You don't know that those humans are bullying our little princess?" Ruru snorted while looking at the students annoyingly.
Shhh, Ruru has such a big mouth. No wonder he can't keep secrets.
"What?!" Euclece merged with anger while looking at everyone.
"Will you calm down, Euclece. It's not like they did something today..." I said while calming Euclece.
While I'm having a conversation with the two of them, a sudden greet came out of nowhere. "Good morning."
It was that guy from yesterday, I think his name was Mikael? Now that I think about it, Mikael has such alluring purple eyes matched with his dark purple hair although I think he's a little bit pale for a normal human being. And also he has a charming smile plastered on his face so that's why he's so popular with girls.
The girls inside our classroom started to surround him despite that knowing I'm here. It's not that I want to listen to them, but I can't help it. I'm so close to them!
"Mikael-kun, are you a foreigner? Did you transfer here from abroad??" The girl to the first line asked, "Yes~" With a smudgy look Mikael blurted.
Why do I feel like he's lying?
"Wow! From where?!" the girl was intrigued.
"U.S."
The U.S? With purple hair? He doesn't even look like a foreigner to me, he looks like an Asian. These idiots are believing him huh.
"Mikael-kun, do you have a girlfriend?" Okay, they are literally trying to hit him. Wish you luck.
I shifted my gaze outside the window trying to ignore them, it's not worth listening to it anyways.
"I have... She's beside me." My eyes widened because of the surprise he gave me. "Eh?" I looked back at him just to see his teasing smile at me.
"What the hell is he talking about!? I want to kill him!!" Euclece nearly hits Mikael but Ruru is holding her back by holding her arms. "Calm down, Euclece. If you hit him, you'll become a bad ghost." Ruru reminded her. As Euclece realized what Ruru's said, she refrained from her actions and controlled her emotion by reminding herself that she might cause a problem to Latrice.
"Eh? Your girlfriend is that freak?! Mikael-san, are you sure? She's very dangerous!" One of the girls doesn't agree with what Mikael is trying to say. Guys, are you stupid? He's lying!
"I'm here to protect her from the people like you. You think I don't know what you people do to her?" He's smiling in front of these girls, but his eyes are somewhat angry. "M-mikael-kun?"
"Bullying others to please yourself. Trying to look cool to other people while other is suffering is inhumane. In short, you people are not humans. Doing something like that doesn't make you humans. You're acting like animals- oh scratch that, you're not even qualified to be treated like animals because animals still have hearts. You're lower than animals. A nameless species who doesn't know how to treat people right." Mikael said bluntly.
"W-what is this? I-is he insane like that girl?!" The girls are starting to have a doubt about Mikael. They are stepping back like they can't believe that 'that was Mikael's true nature.'
"Is he trying to get rid of the girls using Latrice?!" Panicky, Euclece uttered.
Mikael gazed at me and smiled innocently. Like I will fall for that!
"Come 'on, they are both insane. We don't have anything to do with them." The girls were outcaste because of me. I don't know what to think about this Mikael guy when he showed me that Illusion and now, he's trying to protect me? Or is it just for a show?
I didn't realize that Mikael's hand was already at my lips. I was shocked, "Hey! Don't touch her!" Ruru angrily said.
"How was your wound? I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable yesterday but if you don't take good care of yourself. Your little friend here might devour your whole existence."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"I told you that don't touch her!" Ruru was about to hit Mikael when he suddenly stopped doing so. It was Mikael who glared at him, "R-ruru?!"
"I-I can't move..."
Mikael made an evil smile within his face. "Don't do that little guy, I was very considerate enough not sending you afterlife but if you do such vulgar things, I might change my mind."
"He can see us!?"
The three of us were alarmed. Mikael can see the two, I pushed him causing us to fall in the ground.
"Don't do anything to them!" I shouted inside the class unknowingly. I noticed how my classmates diverted their gaze on the two of us, but I didn't bother myself with it. "What do you think you are doing?" I was sitting in his tummy, what the heck am I doing?
"Don't hurt my friends!" I demanded.
"Latrice-chan!"
"Friends? You call those ghosts a friend? Are you that pathetic?!" He's starting to mock me; I'm not backing out. I let my angry face within me and started to punch him lightly. "Yes, I am pathetic! That's why you don't have permission to hurt or even bad mouth them! I won't allow it!" My tears started to flow like waterfalls in my cheek. I can't help it; he's trying to hurt my friends!
"Come on now..."
Unexpectedly, a dark shadow started to devour the two of us.
"Eh? What is this?" When I looked at Euclece and Ruru, they are being tied up with the black shadow that appeared from nowhere.
"Oh god, he's at it again..." A few minutes after, I found myself in the middle of pitch-black darkness. Falling and falling endlessly.
"R-ruru! Euclece! Where are you guys?!" and in a moment, I flopped my butt to the ground. "Ouch..." What the heck? What is this place? It's so dark but thankfully I still manage to see clearly what's around me, I guess.
I stood up firmly and started to walk. I don't know where my destination is, but I can't just stay there. I need to find Ruru and Euclece.
"Ruru-kun! Euclece!? Where are you guys?!" I kept on shouting even though I just keep receiving my echoing voice.
"This is all that stupid Mikael's fault! If he didn't do that to Ruru...We won't go to end up here." When I look at this place, I felt like crying for Pete's sake. This isn't even a horror story!
I noticed a light not far from where I am, maybe I can ask for help! I chased the light, but when I do... I found myself inside of a building. To be more specific, inside a classroom.
Then I heard a sound the piano, there were students here too. They are gathering in the pianist at the corner. I got intrigued, I walked towards them.
I was surprised when I realized that the pianist they were idolizing was Ruru himself! He can play a piano. Wait a minute, why is he even playing piano, isn't he supposed to find me instead?
"Ruru, you jerk!" I smacked him with an inevitable force. He stopped from playing the piano, everything went into a deafening silence.
After that, he tilted his head creepily to look me. Of course, I'm still angry with him but he suddenly widened his eyes like he saw a ghost from me.
"Wait...How did I able to hit you?" I looked at my right hand that smacked him before.
"You came back! You came back just for me!" He gripped my shoulders tightly. Even if he's doing that, I don't feel anything besides he's smiling like he's seeing me for the first time of his life. Although I don't know how I should react when in fact that he can touch me like he's a normal person!
He suddenly hugged me, "Ruru. We're together even before we got here." I said dully.
"What are you talking about? It's been a year since you left me."
Huh? A year? What is he even saying?
"You're still a shorty like before too."
"Huuuuh??"
"Look..." Ruru suddenly took a pink touch screen phone outside his pocket as he has taken a shot of me. My eyes widened nearly popping out their case. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY?!"