Limitless ✩ Gojo Satoru

Chapter Three ✩ Haunted Basement

Kanae stumbled down the stairs holding onto her pounding head from the use of her cursed energy.

Compared to many users that she knew of, she almost never used her cursed energy. She had no reason to. It was like an untouched machine covered in cobwebs and dust in need of grease to work. Better yet, it was like the body committing to a strenuous workout when one hasn't worked out in awhile. Her head was sore.

She pushed passed many party goers getting annoyed looks but she didn't care. She needed to get away before those guys broke out of her cursed technique.

She found herself mending with the other party goers. She had managed to convince herself into consuming half a glass of alcohol. Was it smart? Probably not but it brought some burning ease to the feeling in her chest.

"Oh my gosh Kanae! I have been looking for you everywhere!" Riko appeared pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Ah—Uh yeah. I kissed— I MEAN I missed you too!"

She stuttered as Riko's expression grew sour. "Why does your breath smell so strange? Your lipstick is smud—Don't tell me you hooked up with someone. I thought you promised—"

"Nothing like that happened...at all.." Kanae knotted her brows running her thumb across her chin. She glanced at her stained thumb running her tongue over her teeth. Right? That was fake Kanae.

Not convinced at all, Riko heavily sighed. "If you say so. If you are hiding something from me, I will eventually find out." She grabbed her wrist leading her towards a door.

"Where are we going?"

"It's the stupid haunted house thing that Leiko keeps telling all the girls to go to. So much girls went down there so it must be fun!"

Riko opened the door unveiling a black abyss. It was the basement. Barely visible which only made Kanae feel unsettled.

"I don't know if this is right Riko." Kanae's gut was telling her to turn around.

"Come on, it's just your nerves! You still hate the dark don't you? I'm sure lights will appear." Riko commented trotting down the squeaky stairs. Kanae gulped reluctantly following her.

It was pitch black, a feeling of nothingness before her. She stood at the top of the creeping staircase but slowly began to make her way down. It was oddly silent excluding the sounds the floorboards made in reaction to her feet. Riko had seemed to make her way down quick as Kanae took her sweet time.

It's way too quiet. It felt like her thoughts were echoing throughout the dark chasm.

She continued further and further into the darkness. Basements never really were big, but this one felt like she was walking for days. She wasn't sure if it was her depth perception or it was really getting larger.

"BOO!"

A ghastly puppet dropped from the ceiling before her. It hung from the ceiling lights now buzzing from within and its own voice box releasing static hums. Kanae jumped back squealing almost turning and running back the way she came.

Riko laughed at her expression. "Kanae, that literally wasn't that scary. You are thinking about it too much."

"When things jump out, it's not normal to stay still!" Kanae watched Riko's flat expression.

"I did—"

"Well we all can't be fearless Riko!" Kanae rolled her eyes before jolting as the product retracted into the ceiling. Riko couldn't help but snicker at her. A sense of wooziness filled the air probably from the effects of the alcohol coming into fruition.