𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐚 [𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞] ✓

chapter 2: stone

note:

the first use of your powers *huffs in relief*
< flashbacks are in full italics and are separated by double dividers >

━━༻❁༺━━

WHEN YOU CAME to, you found yourself in a room, seated on a chair. The room, you deduced, was inside the shrine and was lit by mere candlelight. Various pieces of parchment were stuck on the wall with characters scrawled on them in deep red ink.

Red,

Avenge,

Zeal,

Carnage.

That was all you could make out — the others were too far away from you, or were written too messily.

That was all, but it was enough. This cursed spirit was absolutely crazy.

You tried a shaky inhale, only to cough and choke as dust and smoke entered your lungs. You wiped your mouth against the shoulder fabric of your uniform and narrowed your eyes, trying to find the spirit in the dim lighting of the room.

The seat under you was sharp and bony and you looked down to make out what exactly you were sitting on. Immediately you clasped a hand over your mouth in horror and launched yourself out of the chair, falling to the floor on your knees.

It wasn't a chair at all, but a pile of bones — human bones.

Your stomach lurched and you bit back a scream as you thought of the skull that sat between your legs — you closed your eyes tightly.

A noise from your left shocked you and you whipped your head in the direction of the sound. "Takana?" It was Inumaki and, the moment he laid eyes on your crouched figure, he ran towards you, kneeling at your side.

You didn't think you could ever feel relief so strong until the light-haired boy showed up.

Why does he keep saying names of food? First it's salmon, now it's leaf mustard? You brushed the thought aside because now was not the time, and slowly stood up with Inumaki's help.

"Takana?" He repeated. This time, he held his hand up in an O.K sign. Is he asking if I'm okay? You thought and sighed.

You brushed dirt off your pants and looked at him. "I'm alright, if that's what you're asking. Not injured. You?" He shook his head and removed his hand from your shoulder.

Even though you said it, his eyes still scanned your body to check for any injuries. You gave him a confused look but it immediately changed to surprise when you felt the strong aura once again behind you.

This time you were ready. You balled your fists and felt anger surge through you. What happened to all those humans that died? Their families? How was a being supposed to live so easy knowing it killed so many?

No. It had no feelings. It was no being.

In rage, you cried out and turned around, cursed energy surging into your hands and delivering a punch to the spirit's 'face'. It landed well, and it stumbled with a dent in its face, but you took most of the fall, not used to your cursed energy transferring to other parts of your body.

Your skin was on fire and it felt as if little demons were crawling through your veins from behind your eyes and into your arms. You fell onto the floor, landing against the wall of the shrine.

It was a miracle that your glasses hadn't fallen off yet.

Through your narrowed eyes, you saw the curse recovering and stalking towards you, its black hole eyes now surging with red-hot fire. You gasped, and tried to get up, but everything ached and the most you could do was lift yourself into a sitting position.