Survive Together

Let me just say this, being the new girl is NOT as glamorous as it looks in the movies. I’ve only been at this school for, like, a week and it already feels like a cursed dungeon. The classrooms are dusty, the walls make weird cracking sounds, and the vibe? Yeah. Haunted. Very haunted. But do I look scared? Hah! No. I strut through these halls like I’m on a catwalk. Ghosts, demons, cursed frogs, come at me. Though... okay. Maybe there’s one tiny problem. I keep hearing someone whispering my name when I’m alone. Like actual whispering. It’s always soft and slow. I told myself it’s just bad acoustics or whatever, but it’s getting more frequent. Still, I’m not scared. I’m just... observing. Like a pro. Obviously. [[An old friend]]

Anyway, things got even weirder when I saw him. Yep. HIM. Tadashi Miyawaki. My old partner-in-crime from elementary school. We used to climb fences, prank neighbors, and throw chalk at birds together. Real bestie hours. But now? He just walked past me like I was a locker. Excuse me?? He looked way taller than before. Moodier, too. Still had that tsundere resting face. I waved. He looked away. Wow. Rude. But the next day, I caught him staring at me from across the room during class time. Twice. I mean... whatever. Not like I care. Not like my heart skipped. Shut up. [[Genius me and my dumb decisions]]

So today, genius me decided to stay late and finish math homework because apparently my brain refuses to function before lunch. The sky turned orange, then purple, and by the time I noticed, the hallway outside was already empty. However, I told myself that it was no big deal. I’ve watched horror movies before. I know the drill. And yet, I still fell asleep. At my desk. Like some extra in a zombie movie. When I woke up, it was pitch black outside. The classroom lights were flickering, and everything felt... off. I grabbed my bag and rushed out, pretending I wasn’t freaked out even though I very much was. The second I stepped into the hallway, I heard it again. (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")[Ayakaaa...] This time, it was way closer. Too close. [[No time to scream, just sprint]]

My heart dropped into my shoes. I froze for one second too long, then bolted. My footsteps echoed like gunshots, and the whisper behind me? Still calling. I didn’t dare look back. I ran past lockers, classroom doors, and that weird plant in the hallway that always looked dead but never dies. Something moved ahead—fast and dark. I screamed and turned around, full speed, not caring where I was going. And then I slammed into someone. We both hit the floor, hard. I was ready to punch a ghost, but when I looked up... it was Tadashi. He looked like he’d seen hell. His hand grabbed mine, tight. He didn’t even blink when he said it. [**"Run"**.] [[Hide in the locker]] [[Run to the exit]]

Tadashi didn’t wait—he pulled me hard toward the nearest classroom, and I followed, barely catching my breath. We burst through the door and stumbled toward the giant supply locker in the corner. I nearly tripped over a fallen chair, but Tadashi yanked me up and shoved the door open. We squeezed in, the metal frame groaning under our weight as he quietly pulled it shut. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_af3f0c89ea7b4793bab49294cca215bb~mv2.png"width=100% height=100%>] Inside, it was pitch black and smelled like damp paper and marker ink. My shoulder pressed against a mop, and Tadashi’s breath was warm against my ear. I could still hear that thing, sliding past the classroom, slow and slithery. It paused right in front of the door. My whole body went stiff. I didn’t even blink. Then came that whisper again, so close it felt like it slipped through the cracks in the locker. (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")["Aya...kaaa..."] I gripped Tadashi’s hand tighter. The thing moved on. But just barely. [[Silent and still]]

I ignored Tadashi's tug and ran towards the EXIT sign, with my heart pounding. I didn't know why—I just thought maybe if I could get out, all this would stop. The hallway seemed clear. I pushed my legs harder. Tadashi shouted something behind me, but I couldn't hear him clearly. Almost there. Almost- But the sign wasn't approaching. I blinked. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_fd444369694e40979970e9e832238a86~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] It was farther away. The walls stretched on. The lights flickered one by one. I looked back—Tadashi was gone. The floor beneath me rustled, like I was running on leather. I stumbled, fell forward, and then saw **it**. That smile from the darkness. Crooked. Hungry. Waiting. (text-colour:red) +(text-style:"expand","shudder")["You tried to run. I like that."] Something grabbed my ankle. I didn't even have time to scream. Just darkness. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**You never made it out.**]

We waited. Maybe for minutes. Maybe longer. My legs were starting to cramp, and Tadashi’s hand was still clutched in mine like it was the last thing keeping me sane. I didn’t even mean to squeeze that hard, but he didn’t let go either. The thing outside dragged something across the floor—slow, like it was enjoying the sound. Then… silence. I didn’t know which was worse. I leaned closer to the metal slits on the locker door, barely breathing, my bangs stuck to my forehead. Nothing moved. My ears strained. Nothing. And just when I started to think it was safe to whisper— (align:"=><=")[**//THUMP.//**] Something slammed against the locker door so hard I nearly screamed. Tadashi’s hand flew to my mouth just in time. My whole body jerked in panic. The metal creaked. It knew. **It knew**. But then—quiet again. It was gone. ...Right? [[Stay a little longer]] [[Peek through the locker slits]]

Tadashi didn’t move. Neither did I. We were both statues—barely breathing, hearts pounding loud enough to feel. My eyes burned from keeping them wide open too long, watching the locker door like it might burst open any second. But minutes passed. Nothing. No footsteps. No dragging. No breathing that wasn’t ours. Slowly, his hand slipped from my mouth, and I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. I looked up at him—his face pale, lips pressed tight. He nodded once, like a silent question: *Ready?* I nodded back, even though every cell in my body screamed *no*. The locker creaked when he pushed it open. The classroom was still dark… empty. Or so it seemed. We stepped out carefully, shoes barely touching the floor. Maybe we’d made it. Maybe we were safe—at least for now. But deep down, I knew better. Things like that don’t just *go away.* [[Asking him ]]

I couldn't help it—I had to see it. Maybe it's really gone. Maybe I was just being a paranoid loser again. Holding my breath, I leaned slowly towards the locker opening, careful not to make a sound. My eyes peered through the narrow gap, scanning the dark classroom. For a few seconds, there was nothing. Just emptiness. My heart was still pounding like a drum, but I felt a flicker of relief. Maybe we were safe after all. Then... I saw it. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_c66ebf9378f34c7db8b86ef992cf1873~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] Eyes. Not human. Not good. Deep, hollow, and glowing red-staring right at me. Through the slits. Straight into my eyes. (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")["Found you."] I froze. And in the next heartbeat, the locker burst open. Something pulled on the door with inhuman strength, and before I could scream, cold, sharp fingers gripped my arm. I was pulled out of the locker like it was weightless. My back was slammed into the classroom floor. The pain was excruciating. I was gasping for breath. I heard Tadashi shouting my name—his voice breaking—but I couldn't answer. My body was shaking too hard, and my vision was blurred from the impact. The last thing I saw was his grimacing face, reaching out toward me—right before the shadows caught him too. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**Now it has both of you.**]

I followed Tadashi out, my legs shaky and my hand still clutching my chest like it could hold my heart in. The classroom felt… wrong. Too quiet. Too still. But my curiosity was louder than my fear. I glanced at him, whispering, “Hey… why were you even here this late?” He didn’t answer right away—just kept scanning the room with that sharp, tired look of his. “You’re not the kind of guy who stays behind to do homework, y’know.” I tried to joke, but my voice cracked halfway. He sighed, eyes still locked on the shadows. “I was looking for something,” he muttered. That didn’t help. “Something like… that thing?” I whispered again, and this time he looked at me. Really looked. “Ayaka… what do you know about Aooni?” My mouth went dry. The fact that he even knew the name sent a chill down my spine. “…Wait. You know it too?” [[Press him harder. He’s hiding something.]] [[Drop it. You need to focus on getting out alive.]]

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No offense, but you're way too calm for someone stuck in a cursed school." My voice was a low whisper, but sharp. "You knew about this place, didn’t you? You weren’t surprised by… whatever that thing was." He didn’t answer right away—just looked away, jaw clenched. That silence? It said a lot. "Tadashi," I leaned closer, "what aren’t you telling me?" My heart was racing. Maybe I didn’t want to know, but I had to. He finally spoke—slowly. "I didn’t think it would come back." That stopped me. "Come back?" I repeated, blinking. He sighed like it hurt. "Last year... someone disappeared here. I saw it. I thought it was over." My skin went cold. "You saw Aooni before?" I whispered. He nodded. "That’s why I stayed. I couldn’t let it happen again." A chill ran through me—not from fear this time, but from something heavier: the feeling that we were in way deeper than I thought. [[Investigating the past]]

I didn’t press him. Maybe I should have. But something in his voice, the way his eyes kept flicking toward the corners of the room—I just didn’t want to know anymore. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s just get out of here,” I muttered. Tadashi didn’t say anything. I walked ahead, pretending I wasn’t shaking, pretending the silence didn’t feel like it was crawling up my back. Then I heard him stop walking. I turned. “What now?” I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady. But he just stared at me, a strange look on his face. "You're not going to make it out," he said softly. My stomach dropped. Before I could ask what he meant, the lights flickered—and then died. Total darkness swallowed the room. I spun around, panic flaring, and ran toward the door. But something was wrong. The floor felt uneven. My foot hit empty air, and I fell—hard. Cold fingers wrapped around my ankle, yanking me back. I screamed, clawing at the floor, but it was like the shadows were alive. They wrapped around me, tighter and tighter, pulling me down into the dark. The last thing I saw was Tadashi standing there, unmoving, before everything turned black. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_822fedeae7104c5b825e2aa9bda9f68c~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**It's not him.**]

I didn’t push it further. Not yet. But I didn’t drop it either. I just walked beside him, ears still ringing from the silence he left hanging. My fingers stayed clenched. Something about the way he talked—the way he didn’t talk—gave me the creeps more than the demon thing that had chased us. "You’ve seen it before…" I repeated in my head. That meant this wasn’t some random nightmare. This was real. We crept down the hall, shadows crawling over the cracked walls. Tadashi kept glancing behind us. I didn’t know if he was checking for Aooni—or watching me. "You could’ve warned someone," I muttered. "Maybe fewer people would’ve disappeared." He stopped walking. "You think I didn’t try?" he hissed, finally snapping. "Nobody believed me, Ayaka." His voice shook, not angry—just… hollow. For a second, I felt bad. But only for a second. "Then believe me now," I said, stepping past him. "We’re not getting out of here unless you stop hiding stuff from me." He didn’t reply—but he followed. [[Ask about Aooni]]

I didn’t back down. “Tadashi… that thing, Aooni. You know what it is, don’t you? What is it really?” He paused, eyes narrowed like he was weighing whether to tell me. Then, his voice dropped low. “It’s not just a ghost. It feeds on souls. It doesn’t just kill—it erases. People don’t move on. They vanish.” The air around us suddenly felt colder. I tried to steady my breath, but my stomach twisted. That meant… all those missing students—gone, like they never existed? “So they’re trapped? Forever?” I asked, barely above a whisper. “Devoured,” he muttered. “It gets stronger each time.” (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_11d6096b3921488581a9ab1c98177047~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] I hugged my arms, trying not to panic. “Then what do we do? There is a way to stop it, right?” He nodded slightly. “There’s a ritual. Sealed away in the school’s archive room—the east wing. I saw pieces of it before, but I couldn’t finish it alone.” His voice softened just a bit. “But now I have you.” I blinked, heart racing—not just from fear. I forced myself to nod. “Okay. Then no more half-truths. We survive this together.” He looked at me for a second longer, then turned. We walked deeper into the dark, side by side, toward whatever nightmare waited next. [[The plans]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_565facf72de54a09ab5d9b28a39fbf6b~mv2.png"width=100% height=100%>] We stopped at a junction where the hallway split three ways. The emergency light above us flickered weakly, humming like it was trying to warn us. Tadashi scanned each corridor, then looked back at me. “There’s a ritual,” he muttered. “Someone tried it before… to seal Aooni. It worked—temporarily.” My stomach dropped. “So you wanna try again?” He nodded. “It’s our best shot. But we’ll need four items: a rope, a spell book, a candle, and... a doll.” I blinked. “A *doll*?” He looked away. “Don’t ask.” I pulled my jacket tighter as a cold breeze snuck down the hallway. “And you know where to find them?” He exhaled. “Some clues, yeah. Rope’s and candles probably in the storage room. Spell book should be in the library. the doll might be in the old classroom.” I stared at the three dark hallways. One reeked of mold—definitely storage. One had cracked shelves barely visible in the dark—library. And the last... the air felt wrong just looking at it. “So, we just go in and collect those damned things?” I asked. Tadashi was already moving. “Stay close. No splitting up.” I sighed. “Fine. But if that doll moves, I’m lighting it on fire.” (set: $visitedLibrary to false) (set: $visitedStorage to false) (set: $visitedClassroom to false) [[Which way now?]]

(if: $visitedLibrary and $visitedStorage and $visitedClassroom)[ (text-colour:green)[✓ All ritual items collected.] [[Go back with Tadashi to start the ritual->Preparing ritual tools]] --- ] The hallway split like a twisted Y, each path stretched into a different kind of nightmare. Tadashi pointed down each one, voice steady—but barely. “We’ll need to check all three. No skipping.” Left led toward the (text-style:"italic")[library]—the air there already felt heavy, like books whispering secrets we weren’t supposed to hear. Right was the (text-style:"italic")[storage room], stacked with god-knows-what and probably hiding more than just broken chairs. Straight ahead was the (text-style:"italic")[old classroom], sealed off years ago. My skin prickled just thinking about it. I sighed. “So we’re just gonna pretend none of these look cursed?” Tadashi didn’t laugh. (if: not $visitedLibrary)[ • [[Go to the Library->Library]] ] (if: not $visitedStorage)[ • [[Go to the Storage Room->Storage]] ] (if: not $visitedClassroom)[ • [[Go to the Old Classroom->Old Classroom]] ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_9ba6ce0c9ec94e25819b0ac0b1635ff6~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] The library door creaked open slowly. Dust filled the air, and every shadow between the shelves felt alive. Tadashi’s flashlight flickered as we stepped inside. “The spell book might be behind that case,” he muttered, pointing to a pile of fallen books. I moved closer, crouched—then something brushed against my leg. Cold. Wrong. I flinched. “Did you feel that?” I whispered. No answer. The flashlight died. The room dropped into silence. Then a faint dragging sound started between the shelves. My heart pounded. I reached for Tadashi in the dark, but he was already alert, scanning the shadows. Just as the light flicked back on, I saw it—a pale hand vanishing behind the shelf. My voice caught in my throat. Tadashi’s jaw clenched. “We’re not alone,” he said. And now, that shelf—it looked… moved. [[Stick with Tadashi]] [[Check it out alone]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_d28b6aa006194504a452838ca8236f46~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] The moment we stepped into the storage room, the door creaked shut behind us—click—locking the darkness in with us. It wasn’t just dark... it was thick. The shelves towered high, filled with old boxes and broken items. Tadashi’s flashlight flickered as he led the way, and the dust in the air made it hard to breathe. I stayed close, trying to ignore the feeling that we weren’t alone. Then I heard it. A sound. Wet. Slow. Breathing. (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"tall","rumble")[**//ShhhhSSShhh//**] I grabbed Tadashi’s arm. The sound wasn’t ours. It was behind the shelves—deep, rattling, like something big was watching. Oh gosh, just let me get what i want. [[Cling to Tadashi]] [[Don’t move.]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_a77382d574c844dc9a2fc99e041b238e~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] As soon as we stepped into the old classroom, the door creaked shut behind us. The air was heavy and smelled like blood. Broken desks were scattered everywhere, and torn curtains swayed even though there was no wind. Tadashi’s flashlight cut through the darkness. I held my breath, hugging myself tight. “Let’s just find the doll and leave,” I whispered, though my voice didn’t feel like mine anymore. Suddenly, something scratched across the chalkboard—slow and sharp—making my skin crawl. I turned toward the teacher’s desk, and that’s when I heard it. A whisper. Not in my head this time. It came from under the desk, low and wet and full of hate. (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")[“She’s mine.”] My legs locked in place. Tadashi grabbed my hand without saying anything, but I could feel how hard he was gripping it. I looked up at him, my voice shaking. “W-What was that?” He didn’t answer. Just stared at the dark like something was staring back. [[Check the desk]] [[Hold it together]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_e718e212df5c48fe8758008c4fe08a03~mv2.png"width=100% height=100%>] Tadashi didn’t say much as he stood in front of the whiteboard, drawing the ritual symbol with red marker. I stayed close, setting the candles around the desk like the book said, double-checking the rope, and placing the doll at the center. Everything had to be exact. I glanced at the open spell book again—even just looking at it made my head feel weird. My chest was tight, my stomach doing flips, but I forced myself to stay focused. This was the only way. Tadashi finally stepped back from the board. "That’s the last stroke," he said quietly. "We’re ready." I nodded, though I felt like I might throw up. We stood in front of the desk, side by side, the faint candlelight making our shadows stretch across the room. The air felt heavier than before, like something invisible was watching us. "Okay..." I whispered, trying to calm my shaking hands. "**Preparations are done... Let’s start this ritual.**" [[Start Ritual]]

We ducked behind a shelf, breath shaky. Tadashi stayed tense beside me, but his hand didn’t let go of mine. His hand felt warm. My chest still pounded from whatever that thing was, but his closeness quieted the worst of it. “You okay?” he asked softly. I nodded, barely. “That... that was way too close.” He didn’t tease. Instead, he looked at me—really looked—and for a second, the horror melted. “You’re braver than you think,” he said. I let out a laugh, shaky and nervous. “You say that now, but if I scream again, you’re carrying me out.” His lips curved. “Fine. Just don’t expect a piggyback through a haunted school.” The tension cracked, just a little. I looked down, realizing I was still holding his hand. He noticed too—but didn’t pull away. We found the book shortly after, resting beneath a cracked copy of some forgotten novel. He handed it to me, and for once, the air didn’t feel so cold. “One down,” he said. “Three to go.” I nodded, heart still fluttering—but not just from fear. (set: $visitedLibrary to true) [[Which way now?]]

I swallowed hard and slipped away from Tadashi’s side, creeping toward the shelf where I saw the hand. “Just a peek…” I whispered to myself. His voice called behind me, sharp. “Ayaka, don’t—” but I was already there. The air was freezing. I reached around the corner, fingers brushing the edge of the shelf—then everything went still. No sound. No breath. Then something grabbed me. Hard. Ice-cold fingers yanked me backward into the shadows. I screamed, but it was like my voice got swallowed by the dark. My flashlight hit the ground, spinning—just long enough to show my face one last time in its dim, shaking glow. And Tadashi… running too late. (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")["You shouldn’t have come alone."] --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**It waited until you let your guard down.**]

A sudden creak made my eyes shoot upward—just as a box fell from the top shelf. I barely gasped before Tadashi yanked me into him, his arms wrapping tightly around my body. THUMP! The box crashed down behind us, sending bits of plastic and old wires skittering across the floor. I clung to his jacket without thinking, my face pressed to his chest. Everything felt like it had stopped for a moment—except the frantic beat of his heart against mine. He didn’t move for a few seconds, like he was making sure nothing else would fall. Then he pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “You okay?” he asked, his voice a little softer than usual. I nodded, breathless. That’s when I noticed the candle tucked under his arm—and the rope, already draped over his shoulder. Wait... when did he grab those? I blinked, still a little dazed. “You’re seriously multitasking in a haunted storage room?” I muttered. He smirked, but didn’t answer. Typical Tadashi. (set: $visitedStorage to true) [[Which way now?]]

I held my breath and stayed still, barely even blinking. The air inside the storage room had gone thick, like it was pressing against my skin. Beside me, Tadashi was tense—his flashlight flickered weakly, then died with a faint click. Total darkness. That awful breathing came again, low and raspy, dragging through the silence like sandpaper. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_33cd8a09bc2548baa035ef3f7c3338ed~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")["Soul...soul..."] It was close. Too close. I couldn’t see, couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Then something cold wrapped around my ankle—bony fingers, slick and wet. I gasped as it yanked me hard, slamming my back against the floor. Tadashi shouted my name, but his voice sounded far away, like he was being swallowed by a tunnel. My fingernails scraped uselessly against the floor as I was dragged between the shelves. I never saw what took me—I just felt its breath right behind my ear, and then… nothing. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**You disappeared without a trace. Only your scream remained**]

There it was—half-buried under papers in the desk drawer. A doll, porcelain and pale, its glassy eyes staring up like it had been waiting. I reached toward it, heart pounding, but Tadashi grabbed my wrist. “You sure?” he whispered. I nodded, though I wasn’t. The air around it felt wrong, heavy, like it didn’t want to be disturbed. “If something jumps out, I’m blaming you,” I muttered, forcing a grin. Tadashi didn’t answer—he was staring at me like I might break instead. “Just be careful, idiot.” His voice was quieter than usual. That weird tension again… not just fear. Something softer, sticking to the edges. I picked up the doll. Nothing happened—yet. “See? Easy,” I said, holding it out to him, but he didn’t take it. His eyes stayed on me. “You’re shaking,” he murmured. “I’m cold, dummy,” I lied. But I didn’t pull my hand away when his fingers brushed mine. We stood there for a second, too long, then Tadashi cleared his throat. “Let’s go. This place is creeping me out.” He opened the door for me. As we stepped out, the room behind us went unnaturally silent again, like something was listening. But at least we were holding the doll—and each other’s warmth. (set: $visitedClassroom to true) [[Which way now?]]

Tadashi didn’t let go of my hand when I whispered, “Let’s check it together.” He nodded once, and we walked toward the teacher’s desk. The air felt thicker near it, like something was breathing just under the floor. I crouched down, shining the flashlight underneath. That’s when I saw it—the doll. Its head was cracked and its eyes were missing, but I knew it was the one we needed. I reached out slowly, Tadashi right beside me, keeping watch. “I got it,” I said, my fingers brushing over the doll. Then the ground beneath us shifted. Something growled—deep, low, and angry. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_11d6096b3921488581a9ab1c98177047~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")[“SHE'S MINE.”] Black arms shot out from the shadows under the desk, grabbing Tadashi’s leg and my waist. I screamed, trying to pull away, but it was useless. The hands were strong, wet, and ice-cold, dragging us into the floor like it was made of liquid shadow. Tadashi grabbed me tighter. “I won’t let go!” he yelled. But we were both sinking, fast. The last thing I saw was his terrified face, right before the darkness closed over us. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**It never wanted the doll. It wanted both of you.**]

Tadashi nodded at me, his expression unreadable, then opened the spell book between us. "Ready?" he asked. I gulped. "As I’ll ever be." Together, we began to chant—slowly and carefully. The air thickened instantly, as if the room itself was listening. Candle flames danced violently, and the rope coiled tighter on its own. My voice trembled, but Tadashi kept steady. His calm presence grounded me as our voices intertwined, echoing with strange resonance. Every time we hit a new line, the whiteboard symbol pulsed—like it was breathing. Then a sound cracked through the room. Not just any sound—the whiteboard snapped. The glowing red lines on Tadashi’s symbol twisted unnaturally. "Keep going," he said, louder now. We pushed on. Wind tore through the broken window, pages flapping. My skin prickled. Then, slowly, something stepped into view. (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_11d6096b3921488581a9ab1c98177047~mv2.jpg"width=100% height=100%>] (text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","shudder")["SOUULL...SOOULL...."] Its huge, dark eyes locked onto us. "Aooni..." I whispered. "Don’t stop!" Tadashi shouted, shoving me behind him as Aooni lurched forward. I clutched the book tighter. No turning back. The ritual had begun. [[Chaos?]]

Aooni lunged—its limbs twitching at impossible angles. Tadashi dragged me back, knocking over a desk as cover. "We need to finish it—NOW!" he shouted, flipping the spell book open again. My hands shook too hard to hold it. The symbol on the board flickered, unstable. "We’re running out of time!" he yelled. The candles went out one by one as the air turned heavy like drowning. Everything in me screamed to run, but if we didn’t act now… we’d never escape. I looked at Tadashi—blood on his cheek, eyes wild but focused—and knew we only had one shot. I scanned the book, searching for something—anything—that could work. My eyes locked onto three final rituals written in red ink. "Tadashi..." I held the page up. "We have to choose. Now." He met my eyes, nodding once. The monster roared behind us. No second chances. No wrong move allowed. Just three ways to end it all—each with a price. [[Bind the evil with both souls]] [[Let one carry the curse]] [[Rewrite the ritual with blood]]

I pressed my palm against Tadashi’s without thinking, our blood smearing together on the open page. The red ink pulsed—alive—as if it had been waiting for us. “Together,” I whispered, voice trembling. The air crackled, and the board behind us lit up, it's symbol glowing. Aooni screamed, its body twitching violently as if something inside was breaking loose. Tadashi gritted his teeth and shouted the chant, while I echoed his words, even when my lungs burned and my voice cracked. The symbol spun faster and faster—until it burst into a bright light. Then—silence. I blinked against the light. The room was wrecked—burn marks everywhere, melted candles on the floor. The board was clean. No more symbols. No more presence. Aooni... was gone. Just like that. I turned to Tadashi—he was breathing hard, but alive, eyes wide with disbelief. We held onto each other, shaking. Step by step, we made it to the hallway, past the dark ruins of our nightmare. When we pushed open the school doors, the cold air hit us like freedom. Outside, the sky was painted soft orange. Dawn. We stood in front of the school as the sun finally rose, casting golden light on the cracked windows and silent halls behind us. I glanced at Tadashi—“Tadashi, what about the souls Aooni took?” He didn’t answer at first. Then— “**Maybe...they’re at peace now.**” --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**END**]

We chanted the last line together, but something was wrong. The candles flickered violently—then blew out. The pages flipped wildly by themselves before catching fire. The symbol on the board turned black. Aooni screeched and lunged forward with impossible speed. Tadashi shoved me back. “Stay behind me!” he shouted. I screamed his name as he stepped into the symbol’s circle. Blood poured from his nose, eyes, ears—but he kept chanting. His voice broke—then silenced. Light exploded outward—forcing Aooni back for a moment—but Tadashi collapsed inside the circle, unmoving. “No…” I crawled to him, grabbing his shirt, his hand, his face. “Wake up! Tadashi!” But his eyes wouldn’t open. His chest barely moved. My tears splashed onto his skin, mixing with blood. Everything in me shattered. I’d promised I’d protect him. We were supposed to get out together. Not like this. Not just me. I wandered the halls in silence. Every room echoed his voice. Every shadow looked like him. I found the old rope we packed. Set up a chair in the center of the classroom—the same one where we started the ritual. I wrote his name on the chalkboard, then mine. I didn’t need to say goodbye. I just needed to be where he was. My hand shook as I looped the rope. But my heart felt calm. Peaceful. "Wait for me, **Tadashi...**" (align:"=><=")[<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/285803_fcc493f9335e4d0d89bf914a958dd5cb~mv2.png"width=100% height=100%>] When the teachers found us the next morning, the room was cold. Two bodies. One circle. One failed ritual. No survivors. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**END**]

The ground shook as Aooni let out a twisted scream, its body starting to fall apart. For a moment, I thought we’d finally won. But then Tadashi was thrown back by something unseen. He hit the ground hard. “Tadashi!” I rushed to his side—he was still breathing, but unconscious. My chest tightened. This wasn’t over. Red glowing words appeared across the floor like blood spreading through cracks. “To break the curse... a city's soul must be given. One survives. One remembers.” I froze. It wasn’t just about finishing a ritual—someone had to give something up. Something alive. And with Tadashi out cold, I was the only one left who could. I looked at him one last time. I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t let everything be for nothing. So I whispered the final words, the real ones, and felt something deep inside me slip away. When the sun rose, Tadashi woke up, groggy but safe. “Ayaka...? Did we make it?” I smiled. “Yeah. **We made it.**” He didn’t need to know what it cost. One survived. One remembered. --- (align:"=><=")+(text-style:"expand","blink")+(text-colour:red)[**END**]

foto : (align:"=><=")[<img src=" "width=100% height=100%>] audio : <audio src=" "autoplay> bg : tw-story[tags~="tema"]{ background-image:" "; background-size:cover; } https://pin.it/2bQV5szqy

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"expand","tall","buoy")+(align:"=><=")[**WARNING!!!**] (align:"=><=")[This story contains **horror stuff**, **creepy things**, **disturbing themes**, and **romance**. Your life depends on your choices. Good luck.] (align:"=><=")[[Start the Nightmare->New girl, same drama]]