Connected To You | Ghost Hunt

Bloodstain Labyrinth

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Having spent the whole day once again figuring out the layout of the mansion, the SPR crew decided to get some rest. Lin and Naru keeping watch for the night,

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Mai jumped out of her bed at the loud noise, Masako and Ayako also flinching when the quiet night got disturb.

The door to the girl's quarters once again let out three consecutive banging and so Mai opened it with a frown, just as did the boys whose room are next to theirs— all of them not liking how they were woken up.

When they heard the noise, having such an active missing case made them alert even in their sleep.

"What's going on?" Bou-san drawled out while Mai and the girls stared at Minami who stood at their opposite.

The burly man looked at the girls, glancing at the monk after. "I'm... I'm sorry, it's me Minami. Do... do you know Atsugi-kun?"

"Uh, wh-who...?" Mai and the others frowned, their drowsiness still blurring their thoughts.

Seeing their blank gaze, Minami let out an irritated snap. "My assistant! Just tell me if you saw him, we've been searching for him for two hours but we can't find him!" drip...

Mai opened her mouth to speak but a shiver crawled up her spine as something cold was coming, making the girl slowly look around before seeing a figure staggering by the corridor.

drip...

drip...

"?!" Mai gaped at the sight, Oliver whimpering sadly in concern. "Akemi-sempai?!"

Akemi stands weakly in the middle of the dark corridor.   Akemi showed no reaction to hearing her name nor the pairs of eyes turning to gaze at her with wide surprise. She remained staring in oblivion with a blank gaze, her eyes red and Oliver continue to whimper beside her and leading Akemi back to her quarters. The sounds of cries and the screams still fresh on her ears,

"Akemi?!"

"Hey, what happened to you?" Bou-san ran towards Akemi when the heiress threatened to fall on her knees, catching her just in time. Their close contact made the monk realized her cold skin. "-Why are you soaked?"

It was dark, with no light present besides Minami's flashlight so it was hard for them to fully see Akemi's condition. Yet when Bou-san caught Akemi's figure, they finally noted after getting closer Akemi's dripping figure. She was soaked to the bone, her whole body dripping with freezing water as though she submerged herself in a pool. They didn't even know she was out of their designated quarters, why was Akemi outside?

"Suzuki," Akemi hoarsely named, before connecting her blank red eyes towards the direction where she felt the others stood. "We're too late. She's dead." 'Help! Help! Help! Help!'

"And how did you know that?" Masako asks as she lifts her hand over her mouth. The others keeping quiet, waiting for Akemi's answer yet all they got was a sudden cold look from Akemi and the heiress forcing herself to stand up despite her wobbling legs.

They kept still as Akemi walked towards the female quarters, Minami still frozen in place and staring at Akemi with scared caution, a lump on his throat remained still and unmoving while he stopped his breath momentarily— wanting all of his focus on Akemi.

'Run! Run! Run! Run! Run!'

Feeling his alarm, Akemi paused in her steps— tilting her head ever so slightly that it almost came out as mocking and observing. She looked Minami dead in the eye. "What are you looking at?"