Osaka, Japan
Kaminari Academy
April 4th, 2023
"Class, welcome to the library. This is where we'll be having our lesson today," Teacher Sasaki announced, leading her students inside the library.
"Find a chair and settle down. We'll be starting our lesson shortly," she instructed.
Mike and the others found their seats and sat down, ready for the lesson to begin. Teacher Sasaki commenced her discussion, and the class delved into their usual interactive discussions and learning.
As the lesson neared its end, Teacher Sasaki opened her class list and started announcing names in pairs.
"Rinka and Mimi. Shino and June. Next, Michael and Karin..." she called out, causing confusion to sweep across the classroom. She continued announcing names until the pairings were complete.
"These are the pairs that will be working together on a new task. You'll each need to feature one location within the school and showcase its importance. With the increasing incidents in our city, the teachers have another meeting today. You have the whole day to complete this task, but please remain within the school campus," Teacher Sasaki explained before bidding them farewell.
With that, she left the library, leaving the students to their own devices. The others quickly exited the library and dispersed to their preferred locations within the school. Meanwhile, Karin approached the seemingly indifferent Mike.
"S-so, do you want to find a good place? O-or maybe we could feature the library itself?" Karin asked, her voice stuttering nervously.
"We can definitely feature the library in our assignment. It'll be super easy since this place is such a vital location for the school," Mike replied, standing up from his chair and scanning the library surroundings.
"We also have places like these back where I come from. They contain knowledge about the world, dating back to ancient times," Baldur chimed in, reminiscing about his past experiences.
"O-okay, we can d-do that," Karin agreed, following along as Mike began to explore the library.
Mike carefully surveyed the shelves, occasionally picking up books and reading their titles or glancing at their synopses. After a while, he turned his attention back to Karin.
"So, what do you think of the library?" Mike asked, his gaze fixed on Karin.
Karin, caught off guard by Mike's sudden attention, blushed and stammered, "I-its g-gr-great!"
"We can't just write 'it's great' on our project, can we? We need to make it more interesting," Mike pondered, deep in thought.
"How can I make this project more engaging? What can we do to make it stand out?" Mike mused, searching for ideas. "Perhaps incorporating some comments or opinions from people would help."
"That's a great idea. I recall you have an acquaintance here, the girl with plant magic, right?" Baldur suggested, recalling a previous encounter.
"Oh, you mean Rika? Yes, she works part-time here. Let's go and pay her a visit," Mike confirmed, his gaze shifting to Karin.
"I have an idea. Follow me," Mike suggested, leading the way towards the library counter where Rika was busy assisting students with their book registrations. As the other students finished their transactions and left, Rika noticed Mike's approach and greeted him with a friendly wave.
"Ah, so you've finally decided to return the book you borrowed on Monday?" Rika asked, stretching her arms as if implying for Mike to hand over the book.
"Oh, I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry, I've been really busy these past couple of days," Mike admitted, reaching into his backpack to retrieve the book. He handed it over to Rika, who swiftly stamped it as 'returned' and placed it back on the shelf.
"So, what brings you here today? I suppose you're not just here to return the book since you already admitted you forgot about it," Rika teased with a playful smile.
"We're actually here to ask for your thoughts on the library. We're working on a class project, and this is Karin, my project partner," Mike introduced, gesturing towards Karin. "So, would you be interested in helping us?"
Rika returned the wave and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, I'd be happy to help! What do you need?"
Karin waved back, feeling more at ease, and Mike continued the conversation. "Why do you personally like the library?"
Rika paused for a moment, reflecting on the question. "For me, it's the peaceful atmosphere. It's quiet and calm, yet at the same time, I get to interact with people. There are also some intriguing stories, both literal and metaphorical. In fact, there have been ghost sightings reported by students. They claim to have seen a sobbing female student during night classes, who suddenly disappears without a trace."
"I-is that true? Is the ghost real?" Karin asked, her voice trembling with fear at the thought of encountering a ghost.
"Well, there have been numerous reports, but it's hard to say for sure. It could be a prank or simply students imagining things out of fear," Rika shrugged, trying to ease Karin's concerns.
"Mike, I think it might be related to a damned," Baldur interjected suddenly, capturing Mike's attention.
"Are you certain? How can you tell?" Mike inquired, curious about Baldur's claim.
"As we were exploring the library earlier, I sensed residual energy that is typically associated with a damned," Baldur explained, his voice tinged with seriousness.
Upon hearing Baldur's revelation, Mike realized the importance of informing Rika about the situation. "I think it's crucial that we let Rika know about this in advance," Mike stated, his tone determined.
"Karin, could you find a few interesting books that we can incorporate into our project?" Mike asked, and Karin nodded in agreement. She left the library counter to search for the books they needed.
As Mike and Rika remained at the counter, Mike leaned in closer to Rika and began explaining the potential connection between the reported ghost stories and the presence of a damned in the library. He emphasized the need to stay alert and suggested that they remain in the library until nightfall.
"But what about your project partner? She's unaware of the existence of tales. Will you bring her along?" Rika inquired.
"No, it's too risky. I don't want to put her in danger if a fight were to break out," Mike replied, considering the potential consequences.
Just as they were discussing their options, Karin returned to the counter with a diverse selection of books in her hands. Mike took the books from her and placed them on the counter.
"Karin, I think I'll continue working on the project here tonight. It's best if you take a break for now," Mike explained, hoping she would understand.
"No. We were supposed to work on this together. I want to help," Karin responded firmly, determined to contribute.
Rika smirked, having anticipated Karin's response. "I'll be your lookout. You two can continue working on the project, and I'll alert you if anything comes up," she offered, gesturing towards a nearby table.
Mike sighed, realizing that Karin was adamant about staying involved. He shook his head and acquiesced to her determination. They gathered the books and settled at the nearby table, ready to continue their work. Karin took charge of jotting down important information, while Mike focused on creating the content based on the books they had gathered.
As they worked diligently on their project, time flew by. They took a break for lunch, and the afternoon gradually transitioned into evening. The project was nearing completion, with just a few books remaining for Mike to review, and Karin still needed to finalize her drafts.
"I'm already getting sleepy," Karin yawned, feeling the exhaustion start to catch up with her. She glanced at Mike, who was still focused on his book, and couldn't help but smile at his dedication. She continued working on her own tasks, determined to see their project through.
The sound of the school bell echoed through the library, signaling the beginning of the night classes. These classes were exclusive to the fourth-year students since the school could only accommodate a limited number of students during the day.
As the bell rang, Rika noticed that Mike and Karin were still engrossed in their work. She turned to her tale, the same consciousness living inside her head as Mike's tale, and asked, "Have you sensed the presence of the damned yet?"
"Not yet, but I can feel the mystical energy starting to thicken. Something is definitely happening here," the voice of 'The Tricked Woman,' Rika's tale, replied from within Rika's mind.
Rika glanced at Mike and Karin, concern flickering in her eyes. She knew they needed to remain vigilant and prepared for any potential danger that might arise as the night progressed.
As Karin put the finishing touches on their project and Mike completed his part, a sudden flickering of the lights caught their attention. Before they could react, a loud thud resonated through the library, sending shivers down their spines.
Rika's instincts kicked in, and she swiftly stood up from the library counter, her heart pounding. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the source of the sound, Mike right on her heels.
As they approached the scene, they were met with a chilling sight. A small group of students had gathered around someone lying on the ground, their panicked voices filling the air.
"Help, she's not breathing!"