Forbidden Knowledge Vol.1 (Marisa Kirisame X Male Reader)

Chapter 12 - Unknown

Flandre lay on her bed, her legs kicking up and down as she hugged a worn teddy bear to her chest. The dim light of the candles flickered gently in her room, casting long shadows over the dozens of other stuffed animals scattered across the floor—some torn, others missing limbs. She was lost in her little world, humming softly, when the door burst open, and Meiling, the gatekeeper, stumbled inside, looking worn down and panicked.

"Meiling?" Flandre turned, blinking in surprise. It was rare for anyone to come into her room like this, especially in such a hurry. "What are you doing here?"

Meiling made eye contact with Flandre, her breathing ragged as she rushed over. She was clearly out of breath, her usual composure shattered. "Flandre... I've been ordered to get you out of here."

Flandre's grip on her teddy tightened. "Out?" she whispered, her voice almost childlike in its confusion. "Like, out of the basement?"

"Out of the Scarlet Devil Mansion," Meiling clarified, her voice low and urgent.

Flandre's eyes widened, and she sat up straight. "What? But... I've never left the mansion before! Why?! On whose orders?"

Meiling hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Your sister."

Flandre's world suddenly twisted. In a blink, everything in the room shifted. The walls morphed, the air thickened, and hundreds of ripped teddy bears lay scattered across the floor as if she were seeing every one of her outbursts at once. The room rippled and distorted, time itself seeming to shudder around them.

"Come on!" Meiling grabbed Flandre's hand, yanking her from the bed and pulling her out of the basement. They ran together through the twisting hallways, the walls and ceilings flickering between the familiar gothic elegance of the mansion and something else—a more modern, sleek, futuristic design that felt out of place. Flandre stumbled, her mind spinning, struggling to make sense of the rapid changes, but Meiling held her tightly, pulling her forward.

They reached the split in the hall where the grand staircase led up. Waiting there was Koakuma, Patchouli's assistant, her face tight with anxiety.

"Koakuma!" Meiling called out. "How bad is it?"

"We need to hurry. It's real bad up there," Koakuma replied, glancing nervously toward the upper floors.

"What about Patchouli? What's she doing?"

"Aiding Remilia with this... dilemma," Koakuma said, her voice uncertain. "But I don't think—"

"If my sister's in trouble, I should help her!" Flandre interrupted, her voice rising. She tried to pull away, but Meiling held firm.

"No!" Meiling gasped, keeping Flandre by her side. "Your sister gave me strict orders to get you to safety. We're going to make for the shrine. We might be able to get Reimu's help—"

But before she could finish, the world around them blinked again. Time fractured, and the mansion's walls twisted once more. The air grew thicker and more challenging to breathe. Flandre's head spun as the environment shifted back and forth, her sense of direction slipping away.

Koakuma, looking more weary than before, nodded. "Go, Meiling. I'll... keep the library safe."

With a firm nod, Meiling hauled Flandre up the staircase, faster now, pulling her along. Flandre wasn't resisting, but she wasn't helping either, her mind dazed by the constant shifting reality around them. The building rumbled, the floors shaking beneath their feet as it continued to warp and change.

"What's going on?!" Flandre yelped, her voice trembling. Everywhere she looked, the mansion's layout shifted—the floors, the walls, everything. It was as if time itself was crumbling.