Belonging | 𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐱 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐨

𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥

Third-person POV

The hallways resounded with the sound of their footsteps. Flickering lights illuminated the pathway just enough to see by. Towa and Riei kept walking, though, still not getting anywhere. The walls shift and creak and the looming emptiness of the building was unavoidable.

"Are you sure about this? Aren't we practically trespassing on someone else's property?" Towa whispered as she followed behind Riei.

"Why? You're scared? A half-demon being scared of an abandoned house, and it's not even night time yet. Now that's new." Riei chuckled.

"I'm not scared! Who said I am?!"

"Shhh. You're going to make a scene."

Towa heaved a sigh while keeping it to herself. She had no clue whatsoever as to why Riei requested her to accompany him to this abandoned house after school. Besides, he's still in his day form.

"What exactly are we searching for, anyway?" Towa asked.

"A clue."

"A clue to what?"

Towa unexpectedly collided with Riei's back. He then spun around to face her.

"You can start sniffing."

"Don't treat me like I'm your dog!"

Towa grumbled but start sniffing nonetheless.

"I don't smell anything suspicious though..."

"Just continue sniffing."

As they reached the living room of the deserted house, the two of them immediately started exploring it. That was when Towa stumbled upon something suspicious. Although it was a built-in cabinet, there was a gap between the wall on either side of it. In addition to that, there was a peculiar odor emanating from beyond the cabinet.

"Hey, Riei. I think you might wanna see this." Towa called and the boy walked towards her.

After that, he examined the cabinet and started searching through the old book until it rested on a lever that moved the entire cupboard away, exposing a massive hole in the wall and a stairway behind it.

"A hidden passage..."

"It's just like in those haunted movies," Towa commented.

Still, she was astounded by how quickly Riei was able to identify the book that concealed the hidden lever. He was just like the detective in the movies. However awestruck Towa was, she soon turned horrified as Riei started to walk down the stairs.

"Whoa, hold on a second... you're going down there?! It could be something dangerous."

"We won't know unless we check it out."

'This guy got no fear at all!' Towa screamed in her mind.

✲'*。.❄¨¯'*✲。❄。*。¨¯'*✲

Towa's jaw dropped when she saw what awaited them at the bottom of the steps.

The basement live as under constant shadow as if the sun keeps reaching for those walls that shrink away. Its windows stay black without the rippling effect of the light, never knowing that the dust that clings and the dirt of years.  The walls are so cold to the touch, stealing the heat from these warm fingers. In addition to that, there was some outdated electrical equipment that was coated in a layer of dust. If one had to put it into words, the setting would be comparable to the workplace of a scientist in the past.