Otoriphobia

12: All for Nothing.

"..."

Yuuna and Rin silently made their way into the room, Yuuna carefully closing the door behind him as he looked around and took in the sights of the museum-like room.

The room was large and was brimming with many different unique sights- Yuuna turned to see that one wall comprised of an assortment of different weapons, and that the other wall exhibited different butterfly specimens.

In the back of the room was a metal locker with an alphabetical lock, which stood beside an odd-looking telephone box.

But these oddities did not catch the attention of Yuuna and Rin- for there was a greater problem within the room.

"That's...!"

Yuuna rushed over to the glass case displaying the various weapons- which was ruined with a massive hole.

Shattered glass lay scattered across the floor, and Rin narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the ransacked display case.

"...It looks like... one of the weapons is missing. Somebody must have stolen it..."

Rin reached out with one hand and tapped a label next to an empty space where a weapon should have been- which read "Butcher's Cleaver".

"...A cleaver...?"

Yuuna glanced nervously at the label before staring down at the shattered glass that lay across the floor.

"...So... somebody broke in here and stole it. But for what-?"

"...I don't know. I'm sure we'll find that out eventually... but we don't have time to waste thinking about it. We've got to see if there's any clues, or anything of value in here that might help lead us towards the exit..."

Rin examined the remainder of the room carefully, spotting something as she grabbed Yuuna's wrist.

"E-Eh?!"

"Come on...! There's another box over there."

Rin walked across the room towards where the butterflies were being displayed- motioning to a locked black box with a butterfly design on its case.

Yuuna looked down at the box with uncertainty. It lay directly beneath the display of the orange monarch butterflies, and appeared to be untouched.

"Well... I guess it's not like we have any choice."

Yuuna pulled the pendant from around his neck and inserted the key into the padlock on the butterfly box, slowly unlocking it as he held his breath.

"..."

The box unlocked, and nothing happened to Yuuna- and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"...Ahhh..."

"W-What are you doing?! We need to open it up..."

Rin knelt down beside Yuuna and tore off the box's lid, reaching a hand inside...

...And gently pulling out a folder.

"A... Another one...?"

Yuuna felt disappointment sweep his hopes away as the picture of "Tetsuya Horyu" from earlier reappeared in his memory.