a/n: some of the events will not follow the timeline!
~~~AKEMI AND OTHERS~~~
{Second Day}
When Naru told them they would be measuring each of the room using a tape measure, it was decided to have Mai, Bou-san, John, Yasuhara and Akemi to take the lead. The first one got into the chore due to it being her job, Bou-san was forced into it while John and Yasuhara wanted to help. Akemi though also wanted to help but all because of the tape measure, 'I haven't used a tape measure before~ I've always wanted to learn how to use it!' having such a privileged life, Akemi never held a tool before and now was determined to use one. Though it was not going as how she have dreamed it would ,
"How about this room, Akemi?" Bou-san and Mai opened a door and Akemi spoke the measurements she guessed the room to have.
Hearing her response Bou-san and Mai immediately took out the tape measure and placed it on the floors to check the length of the room only to get the same numbers that Akemi said. "Uwaah!"
Akemi let out a wry smile at the shenanigans of the two, it stunned them when it happened the first time Akemi guessed the measurement and now they couldn't get enough of it as it could save them time and energy. A breath of relief was gained when they realized the weapon they brought along was greater than any measuring tool however, when they noticed the difference between outside and inside, it made them took a few repetitions of measurements just to be sure.
"Huh? The measurements are off somewhere." Mai peeked at Akemi's notes which the heiress was designated to hold since they couldn't ask for her to measure the rooms. It's hard for them to imagine such an elegant creature to work, but Akemi was determined to hold a tape measure before the day ends.
Akemi stood in the middle of the room, her hair clipped with a black bow ribbon, tying a half pony style. As always to keep her disguise, the woman wore her spiral glasses which she seems to like the more she wore it. Her aunt would surely disagree of having Akemi to wear such glasses.
Her outfit consisted of a long-sleeved rainbow striped polo shirt tucked on her light washed wide leg jeans and white shoes and rainbow socks to match her top. When she showed herself to the crew after getting a shower earlier, Mai and Ayako wept at her sight. Akemi blinked, this was always her outfit?
"Oh?" Bou-san turned to Mai, peeking right behind Akemi to see the measurements written and sure enough there was a gap of three meters.
Akemi frowned when she too noticed the huge difference, ignoring the jabs her abdomen was giving her. "Strange... According to the measurements taken from the outside, this room should be rectangular."
'But this room is definitely square...' The others with her simultaneously thought while they observed the room they were in. It lacked lighting due to it being closed off as well as no light supports for a bulb, all they have was a handy flashlight that Bou-san and Yasuhara are carrying but they could definitely tell it was square.
"Urgh, not again..." Bou-san slumped at the thought of having yet another room of different sizes, this has been a number of rooms that Bou-san has lost count on, but remembers at least half or more of the rooms have different measurements. "Damn, this should've been simple. Let's do it again." Bou-san then opened the door to try and measure the outside, glancing back to call John. "John. you measured it, right? Let's go."
And so the Monk and Priest left the room while Yasuhara, Akemi and Mai waited for them. "That is odd... We've already measured this several times, right?"
"And we were more careful after the first time." Mai nodded towards Yasuhara's words. "We even double-checked the measurements..."
Akemi had nothing to add since they have told everything that needed to be told, all the heiress could do was let out a yawn— though in the back of her head, she was looking for when she could keep the tape measure.
"Looks like someone is tired," Yasuhara and Mai grinned when the very heiress let out another yawn. Third day of no sleep,
Akemi had the decency to be ashamed, admitting with a wry smile, "Well, I haven't been getting much sleep..."
CREEAKKK— !
A Monk and Priest went inside the room, almost sounding close to how a joke starts but based on their expression what they found was no funny matter. "Oh! How did it go?"
"We got the same measurements for the outside."
"Huh?" Akemi and Mai blinked, 'That couldn't be?'
"Something must be off. Our measurements have to match the room's actual size." Akemi said, handing Mai the paper charts where they write of the measurements before extending a hand towards Bou-san's direction. "Here, let me try."
The monk sent the heiress a knowing grin, lifting the tape measure high above his head as he teased: "Yeah, nice try princess, you are not getting the tape measure."
Akemi pouted at him, letting out a light huff when her plans were foiled. While at that moment John, Mai and Yasuhara continued to speak about the problem at hand. "We measured the outside again. In fact we did it twice,"
"Right." Bou-san nods, passing Akemi a smile and patting her head before walking ahead the room.
"Ha?! Then why is the width still off by three meters?!" Mai was getting frustrated, even hitting the wall with her palm. Just a few more and she was gonna blow,
"That can't be, we definitely checked for errors." John shook her head,
"I wonder if there could be another possibility?" Yasuhara who has been quietly in thought, suddenly shared with a hand on his chin and Akemi hummed next to him, lifting a finger to suggest a thought. "Like a secret room?"
Yasuhara nodded at what Akemi suggested, the two getting on the same wavelength.
However, it was silent as John, Bou-san and Mai stared at the two with blank slates. Processing his words,
"ARRGGGH! Of course!" Mai like a crazy person exploded, her hands scratching her head, going rabid while the monk glares at the wall missing the three meters. Lifting his whole body to face the wall in anger,
"That's it. I say we tear down the wall!" Bou-san takes his foot up, about to kick however, John and Akemi managed to get to him in time before he could do any damage. Akemi and John held him off at a distance enough for his foot not to reach the wall. "It's the only way to be sure! Let me kick it down! Let go and let me kick this thing!"
"Bou-san, calm down!" John cried out when he tried to pull the monk away with a hard pull while Akemi beside him looked quite easy, keeping her strength enough to just let Bou-san stay where he was.
"That's right, Bou-san." Akemi gave the monk a weak smile and distracted smile, "We don't own this mansion— you could be reported for vandalism~ you don't want that, do you?"
Yasuhara tried to get the other two to calm down, seeing Mai filled with stress while Bou-san was anger and Akemi surely was tired, despite the spiral glasses hiding her sleepy eyes. "Wait! Why don't we take a break here and continue later? We'll probably figure out where the difference is once we took a slight break."
"Hear that, bou-san? Let's take a short break!" John pleaded, the Monk finally stopped squirming and taking a breath at the sound of the break. "Mai? Yasuhara-san is right, let's take a short break, hm?"
Bou-san and Mai once again took a deep breath, the monk already distancing himself from the wall and Akemi let him go to move closer to Mai, helping the high school student brush down her tangled hair properly.
The whole group oblivious on how Akemi's dog, who sat at the corner of the room guarding its owner had viewed all of their reactions. It confused him when hoomans were calm, then rampaged and once again calm. Hoomans are weird, yet he loves them all the same, especially those who give him treats.
But after that, all five of them collapse on their knees when they measured the room again for the fourth time only to get the same result. However, Akemi was still bright despite it; having to manage to get the tape measure on hand when she tried to stop an angered monk. The only cause of her grief was the distracting pinches coming from her abdomen, "Why is it when we measure, we measure a gap?"
"I've had it." Bou-san sighs, already weak and tired since they have measured for almost a dozen times; an exaggeration of course, yet felt like it.
"Hmm, this must be the center of the house." Akemi lightly commented while looking around the slightly dark room, petting Oliver. She just might have to prepare hot water to place on her stomach.
"That's funny." Yasuhara says just when he focused on what Akemi noted out,
"What is?" Bou-san turned to frown at the two former student council presidents with a tired gaze, yet curious.
"There's an air flow, isn't there?" Akemi spoke once she guessed that was what Yasuhara meant. Akemi only commented it to be the center because of the pathways they've taken, it was just a simple guess. Yet how she knew of the air flow was all due to having a lack of sight made Akemi more aware of her environment so when they first got inside Akemi had felt there was a draft. "This place is full of who knows how many strange rooms."
"In the last room there was a window that opened into a wall." John nodded, recalling the rooms they've passed by and measured. "There have been lots of features that serve no purpose for someone living here."
Bou-san huffs, playing with the flashlight in his hand. "I'd say so but the former owner didn't ever actually live here." Bou-san turns on the flashlight, lifting it up right on the corner of the ceiling. "This room has a window too."
"Let's check it out!" Mai beamed, the possible theory of having secret rooms excited her. Anything to prolong the inevitable that they had to measure the room again. "The suspense is killing me!"
Bou-san nodded, following along. "Hmph! you said it."
They opened the door after finally concluding that they finished measuring the room. Almost everyone except for Akemi winced as their eyes were overcome by sudden brightness. "Wow, it's bright!"
It was decided to leave what they got on the chart, in no way could they change the numbers when the tape measurement provides a different result. If Naru found out they tampered with the information, he would most likely destroy them.
"Hmm, you're Shibuya Psychic Research, right? Was there a reason for bringing children here?" A voice coming from the hallways was heard. At first Akemi didn't notice such a thing but when she felt the surprise from the others, she too followed where they looked.
"Oh?" Akemi and the others glanced at the newcomer yet Akemi and Yasuhara were the first to greet the Chief Priest Imura.
"Good afternoon." Akemi and Yasuhara smiled, 'Oh, they're putting on their 'business face'.' Mai thought, she watched Akemi and Yasuhara greet the prejudiced Chief Priest with no problem whatsoever,
"Children can be mediums as well as adults." Akemi tried to politely say since she herself is a medium while Mai whispered towards Bou-san,
"Who's that guy?"
"I think he's that monk, 'I-some-thing-or-other'."
Akemi gave the two a wry smile, "He's Kenshou Imura-san." Both the monk and Mai let out an 'Oh' remembering such a name.
"When did you become a medium? You still look like a schoolkid." The Chief Priest Imura directed his question towards Yasuhara who gave him an innocent blink of an eye before giving the priest a quick response. 'He is a school kid...'
It irked Akemi to see a judgemental person with the same professional work as she. If anything, they should be the one to understand what they are going through,
"Me? I turned 243 this year." Yasuhara lied smoothly. The others going rigid at his lie before realizing it held no truth, 'He's— he's a dangerous one...'
Yasuhara placed a hand on the back of his head, giving out an act as though he was embarrassed. The others waiting to hear what he'll say next. "My family has lived long for generations but we don't brag about it much."
Bou-san and Mai covered their mouths, watching Imura change his expression from strict face to irritatingly red. "Eh— Do you take me for an idiot! When were you born? Tell me!"
"Um in the year Houreki 8," A suave reply out of Yasuhara's lips. Akemi gave it a count and he managed to got his year correct, she was proud.
"Incidentally, it was a Tsuchinoe Tora year. You young people today are so fearless. if I asked an elderly person those questions when I was young, I would have been slapped senseless." Yasuhara gave a light laugh, while the people behind him struggled to keep theirs in. "Speaking of when I was young, I still remember the Tenmei Famine. It was devastating... people today have no idea what a famine is. They only think they know from family stories. Such arrogance... But then my parents were born during the Kenmi Restoration, and they were always giving me an earful about the Onin war."
Bou-san and Mai were already gasping their sides from the pain, John beside them let out a weak smile. While Akemi couldn't remove the proud smile that was on her lips while Yasuhara continued to lie, Imura's aura was turning heated from each words.
"And even that must have been nothing compared to the Genpei war that my grandfather on my mother's side went through. For my great grandmother on my father's side, the Jinshin war was huge. I hear my great-grandmother on my mother's side burned to death during the downfall of Yamataikoku— Oh, poor Himiko was a beauty, I'm told— And then there's my great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side... oh? Imura-san, where are you going? Imura-san?"
The chief priest scurried away, his bald head considerably red all over before Yasuhara can continue his made up story.
Bou-san and Mai let out a loud laugh finally feeling free while John gave them a wry smile; Being a foreigner he didn't know much about Japanese history, he just hoped they didn't took it too far and hurt the poor man's feelings.
"Yasuhara-san, you're awesome!"
"Stop laughing..." John chastises weakly, feeling slightly awful that they were laughing against an elder though glad they seemed to be having fun.
"Well done, boy!" Bou-san patted a small smiling Yasuhara on the back while they continued to laugh.
"I took it too far, didn't I?" Yasuhara muttered under his breath, clapping his hands to pray. "Forgive me for making fun of the elderly."
After such an interaction, they went back to having trouble with the measurements, unknowingly— knowingly taking them the whole day when the sun has already set the moment they finished.
Now they had to face a moody wizard as he wondered what took them so long. It was gut-wrenching, the five of them standing in front of Naru and Lin— the two checking the coordinates while the ones who measured knew there were gaps and missing pieces on their work.
They would have been scared if the missing pieces meant they didn't do their job right. However, each one of them did it by the book! Even going as far as exchanging the tape measure one to another to see if they get the same result. So at most, it was only nerve wracking because Naru would surely question them about their work and they would have a problem facing him.
However, the people beside Akemi thought differently, having found a different use for Akemi; Earlier was for the room measuring, now to face the last boss of their hard work. They were truly glad she was with them on this,
Lin typed a few more coordinates, placing the coded rooms and measurements Mai and the others took and revealed a huge gap of empty space right in the middle of the house and slightly fewer spaces missing on other pathways. "This is a sketch of the area we investigated on our second day."
"How many rooms are there?" Naru asked, looking closer to the monitor and standing beside Lin. Already frowning when he noticed a few oddities.
"Including the attic, 106."
The others gulped, knowing Naru already took note of the problem as soon as his frown deepened.
"One hun— that many?!"
'Sheesh, no wonder we're so tired...' Akemi gave a sigh, her stomach was surely craving food after working for so long. Though she did like using the tape measure, so she endured.
Naru then pointed towards the screen, noticing a thick outline of the overall house. "That's the outer perimeter of the building." Lin answered when Naru questioned what it was,
"It doesn't match at all, does it?" Naru asked his two assistants with a displeased stare, mostly unconvinced of their hard work.
'And the battle begins,' Bou-san, Akemi and Mai thought to themselves when Naru now faced them.
"I don't care what it says. We measured it properly!" Mai barked, Akemi cheering the high school student
Naru ignored the high school student and coolly continued. "In addition, there's too much empty spaces between rooms."
"So! Don't blame us for the measurements! Could the measuring tape be inaccurate?" Mai resisted the urge to once again mess her hair. 'Why don't you go just measure it yourself!'
Akemi was the next one to defend, her brow cured inward and her lips tugged to a small frown. Though her glasses hid her eyes, "We double-checked the rooms, and double-checked the double-checked." Naru and the others blinked at Akemi's word, she blamed her confusing drawls to lack of sleep. "This house has been renovated so many times it has made the mansion so confusing. We think there are secrets rooms, and could have been done on purpose to ensure confusion from visitors. Is that seriously our fault then?"
Naru was quiet, lifting a hand on his chin. "That is a troubling possibility. Let's verify the measurements again tomorrow."
The five people who worked diligently went rigid. Mai's eyes widened at the thought of all 106 including the attic. "Huh?! All the rooms?! Only if you give us laser range finders!"
"You already have a measuring tape." Naru said coolly.
Now Akemi didn't mind the tape measure, she liked the tape measure and though having to work on all 106 rooms sounded overkill, she also didn't mind as long as she gets to use the measuring tape. Though that wasn't the case, earlier was it? The people she was partnered with didn't want her to measure the rooms due to her image and now she was hungry and her abdomen kept throwing a tantrum and her emotions was all over the place and she lacked a few days of sleep and Naru expects her to do it all again tomorrow?!
If it wasn't her time of the month, Akemi would have reacted more calmly but no. She was on the time of her month and she has lost her beauty sleep all because of this mansion. So Akemi in fact, didn't react calmly.
"If you have that much faith on the measuring tape, then why don't you do it while the rest of us stay here in the base?" Akemi said, unaware of the words she spoke until she spoke of it. The lack of sleep was definitely getting to her,
The people around the temporary base froze, their eyes widening towards Akemi.
"What did you say?" Naru too was stunned that Akemi spoke back, though it didn't last long and he waited to see the outcome of this.
"Akemi, you are one word away from starting a war..." Bou-san whispered towards the heiress but she didn't hear it one bit.
Taking a brave step forward, she glared at Naru and Naru fixed his stance, tilting his head as he watched Akemi release her irritation without a word.
"Why. Don't. You. Do. It. Your— " Before Akemi could finish her words she paused, finally realizing what she was saying. Her eyes finally cleared and widened in surprise when she faced a quiet Naru who continued to wait for her to finish that sentence with a raised brow.
"Well, Maruyama-san?" Naru crossed his arms over his chest, the corner of his lips twitching. When Akemi was still quiet, he spoke once more. "Are you still there?"
Like a block of stone, Akemi replied in a monotone, "Physically, yes. Mentally is debatable." Naru gave a scoff under his breath, as her bravery disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"I guess Maruyama-san was just tired since she hasn't been getting any sleep?" Akemi took his words quickly nodding, anything to get her out of this mess.
"Hai..."
Naru took a step forward, and the others waited in baited breath to see what he would do, their fear for a comrade rising up the more he took a step closer. "Then I suggest you take some rest, we wouldn't want you to be tired when you're going to measure the rooms again tomorrow now, would we?" With a subtle devilish grin. Mai and the others shuddered when the room went cold except for Akemi, "Or would you rather do it now, preferably by yourself?"
'You know I can't sleep on an active house, you handsome rogue!' Akemi felt her brow twitched, feeling her lips pout towards Naru when she read his aura; Feeling a light air of amusement. He was cornering her!
If Akemi was well-rested from the beginning, she wouldn't have reacted so harshly, though it amused Naru to see her reaction. It was a first for him to see such a smiling woman turn irritated and reveal such expression.
He turned back once Akemi and the others left to eat dinner, taking a sit beside Lin who paused typing, glancing towards the now passive male as though nothing happened.
"What is it, Lin?" Naru asked without looking away from his work.
"...Nothing..." And Lin went back to typing.
The SPR crew besides Lin and Naru, who remained at the base, sat around the long dining table— eating their dinner for the day. "It's up to us, isn't it?" Yasuhara rhetorically asked since they dreaded tomorrow to come.
"Sheesh, have a little sympathy for the elderly," Bou-san sighed. "Oh, my back hurts..."
"If we're not careful, we might slip up." Akemi beside Yasubara nudged her elbow, giving Yasuhara a tired smile as she said: 'Someone's asking for you, President.'
"Excuse me, are you Shibuya-san?"
"Uh, yes!" Yasuhara whipped his head, pushing out his chair and greeting Igarashi-san. Letting out a sigh when he almost didn't react to the call,
"I'm sorry... you're in the middle of dinner. Is it all right if I interrupt?" Igarashi looked around him with an apologetic face yet the group was kind enough to the woman and didn't mind.
"Please do, um- Igarashi-sensei."
'Oh, this might get complicated.' Mai sweat dropped when the events took a sudden left turn, Naru wasn't near the area and Mai wondered how Yasuhara would turn it around.
"Well actually, I have a favor to ask, and you don't appear to be shady like other certain mediums." Akemi hummed as her first thought was Minami and his group, 'Looks like she thought the same...'
"I'd like to conduct a seance tonight and I'm hopping you and the others would assist me, if you can Shibuya-san."
"ah... Okay, I see— uh" Yasuhara nodded, not knowing how to respond. 'How would the President react to this?' Yasuhara glanced at the tired looking Akemi who munched on her food with little nibbles, her hand lifting to point on the corridor at the same time Yasuhara caught movement on the same direction where Naru and Lin showed up, finally finished with their part of work and are planning to eat. "Ah Narumi-kun!"
Hearing his alias, Naru turned to them. "Yes?"
The others stifling their grins when the name Narumi-kun almost suggested a good boy image that they could never imagine Naru to have. While Akemi continued to munch,
"Igarashi-sensei was inquiring about holding a seance tonight. I'd like to participate, but what do you think?" Yasuhara asked, making it look nothing more like asking an opinion from an assistant.
The others held back their snickering lips, 'That was a close call! Heheh what a nice kid.'
Naru ignoring their laughter gave a nod. "I see, I would like to participate too. However, we can only arrange a small seance tonight."
"Then would 9 o'clock in the next room be okay?" Igarashi asked when she finally got an answer,
"Yes, that would be fine."
"Yasuhara-sanis quite an actor!" Mai gushes as soon as Igarashi was out of hearing range, the praised person let out a weak smile.
"But I got nervous for a moment there if it weren't for Akemi-san telling me ahead, I would have slipped."
Akemi lifted her head from her eating, the chair beside her being pulled so Naru could take a seat. "A day off would be great~"
The actual boss then spoke, "You'll get a day off once you finish the measurements tomorrow." Naru smirked, the heiress biting her lip while she stabbed her food at the same time. 'This stingy wizard is really!'
They all didn't last long at the dining room when they quickly finished their food knowing that they have a seance to get to made them want to prepare for what will come.
"Please come in." Igarashi opened the door to the Shibuya group, letting them get inside when they finally knocked on the door.
"Thank you for inviting us," Akemi smiled just when she and the others went inside; having a camera around her neck.
It was a huge help when Akemi wore a live camera at the School Nightmare case however, when that idea wasn't used back to Yasuhara's school and possible happenings had never been caught on camera. So Naru once again applied the camera on Akemi, now thinking this is what he should have her on at all times for all cases. Akemi now deemed herself as an assistant and camera woman.
Seeing that there was a lot of people around to accompany her, Akemi decided to have Oliver stay with Lin back at the base to keep the man company. Akemi did always feel bad for having the mechanic left behind. The heiress also took note that what they'll do is a seance, that might not be the best environment for a dog to be once they actually get to call the spirits. Akemi just felt that this seance would not go well,
"Thank you for your assistance Shibuya-san," Igarashi smiled towards Yasuhara who returned the gesture before the woman pointed towards the two more people occupying room, Minami was looking around with a plain looking camera but hearing their arrival made him turn and glance at them, while Dr. Davis sat quietly by himself at the table. "Dr. Davis and Minami-san will also be partcicipating. Will be this all right?"
"Of course," The stand-in President nods and all went to work, not really minding to have more people.
"Hey, isn't this great?" Mai whispered, nudging Bou-san who blushed. Unaware that Minami was walking around the room slowly getting closer towards Akemi,
"Sh- shut up! and stop looking at me like that!"
Yet the heiress was pulled away by Naru when he asked for her assistance towards a camera stand.
"It's a bit dark. May we make it a little brighter?" Minami asked in disdain, his camera wasn't getting anything but darkness and tried to fix that problem however, his question received a confusing stare from Igarashi and the others.
"Brighter? During a seance, there is only one candle. Spirits dislike the brightness, do they not?" Igarashi pointed out and Minami scratched the back of his head from the information, Akemi frowned at him.
"Huh? Is that right? What a nuisance..."
Now even Igarashi was doubting Minami even more, "Do you not have a night vision camera? I invited you because you said you would record this on video..."
"Uh, no... tonight I thought that..."
"I thought he was suspicious." Ayako narrowed her eyes towards Minami who tried to stutter his way out of the obvious lack of knowledge.
"Yeah!" Mai nodded beside the woman, watching the burly man fumbling with narrowed eyes.
"Mr. President," Naru called towards Yasuhara when Minami's constant way of trying to prove himself was wasting time. "Could we possibly bring our own camera?"
Igarashi smiled when Yasuhara agreed. "That would help us greatly."
Then they started and turned the lights off. The people only present at the seance table was Yasuhara, Igarashi-sensai and her assistant as well as Minami and the alleged Dr. Davis.
Masako was asked to be part of the seance, being a known medium and all but shockingly the girl declined. Not quite feeling good herself to perform a seance, now that the medium mentioned it Mai noticed how pale she looked.
Once the lights turned off with only a candle burning at the table they surrounded; most of the SPR team remained observant on the side.
"Please take a deep breath and call upon the spirits..." Igarashi softly and calmly spoke at the same time she placed a hand on her assistant's back when they all held hands except for her assistant Suzuki whose one hand held a pen with papers piled in front of her. "The spirits living in this mansion, to those living in this mansion please possess this woman's hand and reveal your souls. I implore you to reveal yourself."
'Are spirits actually going to come? I feel like yawning but that would be disrespectful...' Mai's eyes blinked in curiosity, leaning her back on the wall while she thought so. Watching the seance with observant eyes yet her determination to keep watching lacked strength.
"Please let us hear what is in your souls. If you hear my voice, please reveal yourself. What is..."
"Hm?" The only lit candle in the room flickered and beside her, Mai felt Masako tense beside her. "Masako?"
SQUEKK!
SQUEEKKK!
SQUEEKKK!
~~~AKEMI~~~
At the beginning of Igarashi's call, nothing was inside, but the moment the candle in the room flickered it was then bombarded by a number of spirits. Number of spirits that Akemi couldn't count by herself filled the room with the darkness and willingness to be seen, Akemi heard their wails a lot more louder as they screamed.
'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!'
The sudden loudness made the heiress jump, lifting both her hands to cover her ears to try and shut their voices out but that was useless when she still heard them screaming on her ears. While the heiress tried to shut them out, the spirits noticed her condition and once more gave out anguished cries.
BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—!
'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!' The spirits surrounded Akemi, their cries growing louder.
'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!' 'HELP!'
They stood in front of her, not more than their early twenties with their skin deathly pale. Their body pruning out blood right on their necks as the women letting out cries for help while the males screamed in anguish. Their body looked drained; a body that was cleared out of blood yet their necks continued to spill out the same crimson red they lost. It came out splashing or squirting all over the place, that Akemi wished none would get to her. But what disturb her were their eyes. Their eyes were an all black making Akemi feel like she's staring at nothing but holes. All of it staring back at her,
CLATTR—!
'HELP!'
CLATTR—!
'HELP!'
CLATTR—!
'HELP!'
"What's that scary rapping sound..." Mai looked around before she noticed Akemi's condition.
BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—!
Akemi's breathing was ragged and shivering, her fingers that are still covering her ears turned cold and shaking at the same time her skin turned sickly pale. The screams were just too loud and what she saw was too scarring.
'No!' Akemi shut her eyes, letting her lose sight when the spirits tried to reach out their hands to touch her. Her spiritual energy gaining their attention, they wanted to have it! They wanted to have it! They wanted to have—
JITTER—!
'RUN!' 'RUN!' RUN!' 'RU—' The candle in the room fell, and the screams of the spirits disappeared. Yet Akemi felt worse than she ever did, when the screams told her to run and suddenly diminished. The atmosphere on the room lowered to a few degrees, making Akemi see her breath.
"OOWAAA!"
"Please don't move! Keep quiet..." Igarashi-sensei yelled out when she felt one of the people sitting at the seance left their post.
Akemi thought it was fine. The screams were no longer there and so removed her cold fingers away from her ears, not that it did anything earlier to shut the spirits out.
But that is when she felt it.
A sense of death filled her body to the brim, the feeling of being watched cannot be removed from her senses. Like prey's instinct of survival, she felt like a rabbit to its predator.
Akemi should have known better and remained still, because as soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the most putrid smell of rotten meat and a ghastly sight that would forever haunt her dreams.
Blood. It was covered in scarlet red blood that continuously dripped down the floor as though newly spilled and fresh.
Back with the other spirits her eyes closed voluntarily out of disturbance yet with what's inside the room made her eyes widen instead— her senses not letting her take her gaze away in fear. In fear of what? Fear that the moment she closed her eyes, death would be inevitable. That she'll be next on the list,
Akemi took a step back unconsciously, bumping at someone behind her making the heiress let out a short squeak of an apology. Her shaky hands clutching over a hand when arms were placed on her waist to keep her from falling, yet it seemed to be the wrong course of action when the spirit whipped its head towards her direction. Seeing her fear, its eyes widened like a plate of saucers growing bright from feral hunger, sensing the great energy Akemi held.
All of her senses told her to run just like the spirits said but before she could make out a call, Akemi blinked and it was suddenly in front of her. Wanting to see if she can see him.
Akemi went rigid on her spot, her eyes remained staring at the darkest shade of forbidding black she has ever seen, it surrounded the whole room like a black hole wanting to suck her in its clutches; knowing she'll never get out from its bloodthirsty derange. What she thought of as a demon standing in the middle of the room, stood now in front of her caving in with a body near skeletal and misshapen. It's body drooping and close to wilting and as though that wasn't worse— it let out the most cruel and hideous grin no sane man could do.
Its breath fanned her sickly pale cheeks, the warmth of it sent cold shudders down her whole body, it looked real. It looked real for Akemi when it reached her face with its malignant hands, blood continued to drip from it while he reached.
Trying to keep herself together, Akemi stepped back once more, with the person behind her keeping her steady. When it proved that she couldn't move away, Akemi instead turned her head towards the person holding her, leaning on the side and intertwining her shaking hand with the same hands that held her waist, clenching tight as a message to never let her go.
As though answering her touch, the hold on her tightened. Their hold was warm.
Akemi frowned, feeling nauseous and the need to vomit scratches her throat when the demon persisted and pushed its face closer to hers. Its stance staggering as though its feet couldn't hold him up longer.
Akemi tried as hard as she can, avoid looking. Be normal. "I'm— I'm scared..." Akemi tried to word out only to find it difficult with how her voice kept shaking, the hold on her waist hugged her closer. "I'm scared..." Akemi tried to play it off, but the moment her eyes connected towards it, letting it knew everything it needed to know.
Akemi could see him. Akemi could see it.
And he would have fun playing with the new prey.
"Who's there!?" Mai yelled out, when she felt hands reaching over her. Turning to her back only to remember that her back is against the wall. 'No one is there..' The high school student thought to herself.
The malignant spirit turned its eyes towards Mai, letting out some grunts that she couldn't understand— peeking towards the side, the heiress went slack at the sight of two helpers just behind Mai.
Fear rushed up to her and as well as simmering anger, not wanting Mai to get caught but from the sounds of the malignant spirit made Akemi change her attention, when it lifted a finger and point to her.
Her.
And just as Mai panicked, the lights to the room lit up with John's help. Bou-san already calming the room with his chants, placing the room back to its normal temperature.
Akemi let out a breath when the lights finally turned on because the malign spirit was gone the moment it did, yet that didn't stop Akemi from looking around to try and learn where it went only to find out that Minami was hiding below the table scared for his life while the esteemed Dr. Davis was feeling over the wall, trying to find the door to leave.
"Well that was strange..." Mai let out, glancing around the room to the scattered papers only to look back a second towards Akemi's direction.
"...?!" The whole SPR team gaped as Akemi felt herself stiffen, realizing who was embracing her.
The heiress was about to turn on her back but their intertwined fingers held on. 'Ara...'
'Akemi-sempai don't blush while hugging him like a leech!' Mai yelled in her thoughts, not wanting to sound like a jealous vixen in such a place.
Warm hands tightened around Akemi's waist before pulling away achingly slow. The heiress turning around to face him with glittering eyes, "Be careful next time when walking around the dark." Naru's voice deep and sardonic whilst he poked her forehead, pushing her away with it. "You're stepping on my foot. Back off."
Akemi flushed in embarrassment but those feelings rushed into her didn't stop the shaking fear that was instilled deep into her, "Ara~ gomen..." Akemi voiced dreadfully quiet and shy. 'Now she's feeling shy?'
Naru sighs at the sight of her, his brows lightly furrowed at the same time he looked her over. When he took notice that she was fine physically, he went to kneel down to pick up one of the papers discarded on the floor. He expected Akemi to take opportunity of the moment, but it seems Akemi was too shaken to kid around.
If that was correct, then they are in a serious situation after all.
"We definitely invoked spirits," Naru states when the words written 'Help' was plastered over it. His lips lightly tugged to a frown when he saw how much paper was discarded on the floor, not including the ones still on the desk. 'Is this how much is whispering on Akemi's ears?' Naru thought, unaware that those whispers turned to scream.
"This says the same thing too." Ayako turns to collect the papers while she too picked up and read the words 'Help' written on it as well.
John and the others getting the same results as they said: "Same here."
They all picked up any papers that said help, meaning everything around them but Akemi took a few steps on a different direction. Right where the malign spirit stood and picking up a paper she was drawn to.
Bou-san glanced towards Akemi seeing her hold up a paper, knowing she wouldn't be able to read it, he decided to step forward to give her aid so he went near to see what it wrote; guessing it was 'Help' like the others but it seems Akemi knew what was written when she said: "I don't want to die."
Bou-san frowned at the different written words, also noticing the distinguished writing written in red. "Why is this the only one written in-"
THUD— !
Before Bou-san could finish his question, Akemi tensed and fell on her back, shaking violently.
"Akemi?!" Bou-san was confused when the heiress suddenly fell but soon yelled Akemi's name when he realized the dire situation, his yell gaining the attention of others to finally notice Akemi's convulsion.
"Akemi-sempai?!"
"Akemi!" All of them ran towards the heiress, trying to help the woman snap out of it. Igarashi and his assistant tried to call for help while Minami and the alleged Dr. Davis watched in shocked. Not even finding it among themselves to wonder why they called her Akemi instead of Claire that she greeted with.
Ayako sat on the ground and immediately supported Akemi's head when the heiress continued to shake involuntarily. Naru knelt beside Akemi and removed Akemi's glasses only to note how her eyes were open wide and darting in different directions. Pupils in a haze, and on a vision.
Without a thought, Naru took a hold of her hand. Something inside him told that she needed it.
And as though waiting for the inevitable Akemi let out an ear-piercing shriek, wild and premonitory that shocked them to their bones.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"AKEMI!"