The Demon [A JSHK Fanfiction]

Chapter 16

The two stared down at one another, the silence around them being tensed. Izumi dared not try to speak as she was afraid that Akane might lash out on her for whatever reason. Kou, Nene, and Izumi all looked at each other, all feeling the tensed atmosphere. The stilled air around them was finally broken and it was none other than Akane whom which broke the silence.

He isulted the shorter apparition for a good minute, his stoic features and straightforwardness seemed unnerving for Izumi. Despite working with him for the past hour or two, she had grown to dislike him due to his violent nature. As Akane had asked what the school mystery's business was with the unconscious Aoi, they were interrupted by someone crying for help.

The three, namely Izumi, Nene, and Kou, immediately ran from the infirmary to see what was going on. Yet to their dismay, a crowd was blocking them from seeing whatever had caused the other student's cry for help. Izumi had accidentally broke off from the two, eager to see what was going on for herself. Seeing a space she can fit through, Izumi immediately slipped through the students. As she finally got out between the students, her eyes immediately went wide when she saw the sight before her.

"What the- what happened here?!" Izumi let out in surprise, her wide eyes staring at the students which were turned old. They didn't really seem to have minded it rather, they seem to be enjoying themselves. Cautiously, Izumi approached the old people, observing them and wondering how in the hell they turned that way.

"Who could've done something like this?" She mumbled to herself, still too surprised by what had happened to the students. She turned back, wishing to find her friends as she feels highly uncomfortable around the elderly. It didn't take her long to find her friends, and she immediately went to them and decided to stay close to them as she felt safe with them around. Izumi shied away from one who approached a little too close to her, hiding herself behind Kou as she eye the students around them.

"Dammit! At this rate, the school's gonna turn to an old folk's home," Kou grumbled, sweeping a glance across the whole area they were in. Nene looked around as well, inching close towards the two as she, too, felt uncomfortable by the sight.

"What kind of a cruel supernatural would...?" Nene trailed off, her eyes landing behind her and onto a familiar face of her classmates. While Nene and her classmate Yamabuki had a short conversation, Izumi could see Akane spriting in their direction. She stepped back, giving him room to run towards whoever he had set his eyes on. She wished to not collide against the seemingly seething boy.

"There you are!!" Akane yelled, surprising poor Nene. Akane pushed Yamabuki aside, aiming for the small figure that used to sit on Yamabuki's shoulder. "I've had enough of this, dammit,"

"Mirai!!"

However, the small girl, which Akane addressed as Mirai, had ran away. Izumi, Kou, and Nene watched the small girl ran away, her speed unlike they have seen before. At this, something inside Izumi's mind had clicked. It seemed as though she had finally figured out who were the ones behind this odd occurrence. And she wasn't the only one.

"It's not surprising to see that the one behind all this is a school mystery," Izumi mumbled, turning to look at Akane, just in time to see Hanako floating behind Akane with his knife dangerously close to Akane's face, with his watch held by the apparition. Kou turned to glance at Izumi, appearing to have heard what the girl had said.

"So you're the ones behind this disturbances," Hanako spoke, his voice lower than his usual. "Clock keepers."

Surprised by his sudden apearance, Akane took his time to gather his wits, agreeing to what Hanako had said. Hanging his head low, Akane spoke, "'Mirai' got away."