"The Masterpiece had escaped."
In order to be free of his pursuers, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had found himself enrolling into the prestigious Advanced Nurturing Spirit Academy --- the only place they cannot reach. It towered as the best institution in Ja...
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Deep in the heart of a dense forest, the towering trees intermingled with the tangled vines and thorny bushes, creating a complicated maze of greenery. It has been quite some time since the sun had set, and the sky had now turned pitch-black. There were hurried footsteps running through the underbrush; their sound getting louder and clearer as time passed.
They seemed like they were coming from all directions at once. The air was heavy with the smell of wet soil and decaying leaves, and the underbrush scratched their skin like the desperate claws of an animal. Eventually, the footsteps converged, and their makers all breathed heavily, gasping for air. The urgency in their breaths was intense, and they could feel the fear emanating from each other.
"Have any of you found him?" A man, breathing unevenly, asked those that had gathered. He had the appearance of a 40-year-old middle-aged man with a thick beard and a broad-shouldered figure. A figure that you could easily imagine to be capable of snapping a tree trunk with a bear hug.
Another man, slightly smaller in stature, turned towards him and gasped, his breaths ragged. Worry was etched on his face, his hands trembling, and cold sweat running down his back. His voice trembled with emotion as he spoke in a hurried, high-pitched tone.
"T-There is no sign of him anywhere!" "The sensors are also catching neither a glimpse nor hair of that brat!"
The others also shared similar discoveries. They had been searching through this dense forest for what felt like an eternity; their search beginning as soon as the anomaly was discovered alongside the clock that struck midnight.
Now, as the first faint light of dawn began to filter through the trees, they begrudgingly understood that there is no longer anything that they can do... Realizing the fate that will befall them once this matter reaches the ears of their master, their faces turned grim, and fear etched deep lines on their faces.
"How are we supposed to report this to the professor?"
The man with the broad shoulders muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His shoulders slumped, betraying his defeat as he stared blankly ahead... The first rays of dawn pierced through the dense foliage, casting patches of light on his face, highlighting the despair etched into his features as he sighed.
"The Masterpiece had escaped."
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People, buildings, concrete no, pavement is the correct term, birds, dogs... dogs huh, are those pets I wonder.
As I gaze out the window of the bus, rows of unfamiliar scenery filled my vision one after another.
People, they are bustling, some ambling leisurely, trying to savor their time and appreciate their environment perhaps. Others rush by with a purpose, maybe they are late for work or their classes or some other agenda... One of them in particular wore a suit attire and a furrowed brow. His eyes are narrowed in frustration as he strides briskly down the sidewalk not minding the nearby pedestrians, all while taking a glance at his watch every 4 to 5 seconds compulsively, as if every second counts.
