REPLICA-GAME

<9> Chosen Ones

[11.21.2021]

"That name again, Chatterbox." Toko said, "If even Alexis knew that much, I can't help but wonder what else Alexis knew that he decided to keep to himself."

"But hold on, if Aria was a substitute, why was her name on the list of thirty more victims?" Isaac asked.

"Well, Alexis' list didn't explicitly say those dead were members of New World. It was just a list of thirty victims."

"In other words, she was always going to die." Reika said.

Reika wasn't able to think long on it as his phone lit up with a message. Seeing it was from Katsumi, he opened it. However, before he could read the message, Katsumi then called and Reika quickly answered, "Katsumi? What's wrong? Something happened?"

"Reika! Did you see the message I sent?"

"Yeah, just numbers, why?"

"It's more than numbers, it's numbers. I put them in the map and it gave me a location nearby. Not only that, but I was sent those through Marisol's phone." Reika froze as he heard what Katsumi had just said, the mention of use from Marisol's phone. For Reika, it wasn't the first time this had happened.

Once before in the world only he remembered, the boy going by Ghost Head had used the phone to bring Katsumi to the old church where they had found Marisol's heart. Now it was being done again, but to everyone other than Reika, it was a first.

"No wait, Katsumi, don't-" Katsumi hung up before Reika could finish.

"Dammit, that girl."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Isaac asked.

"It's Katsumi, she was sent a message about a location to head for. But the one who sent it used Marisol's phone to do it." Turning his phone around, Reika showed both Isaac and Toko the location, "She's headed there now. We need to go there now. I'll call Chloe and see if she can make it as well."

"Toko, you have your car nearby?"

"Of course, how else do you think I got here? Reika, should we pick up Chloe or will she meet us?"

Reika walked ahead of the two and towards Toko's car, "She'll meet us. Chloe is familiar with the area, so it won't be that difficult. Come on, I'll call her from the car."

Wasting no time, Toko and Isaac joined Reika as the trio got into Toko's car, quickly driving in the direction of the location Katsumi had sent. Not only Chloe, but Reika also sent the same message to Judy in hopes she would go to the location as well.

"It makes no sense, we all saw Marisol's heart inside that box, so how is her phone still sending messages to her?" Toko asked, "Not only that, but to such an obscure location?"

"Possibly the one who killed Marisol wants Katsumi as well?" Isaac suggested, "Marisol's death was completely different from the others, so it's safe to assume this is something else altogether, don't you agree, Reika?" Isaac looked to the backseat.

"Or do you have a different theory? You have been in quite a rush and oddly silent. Do you know something?"

"I do." Reika started, "This has happened before, only it was at the old church."

"The church?" Toko asked, "Is that why you ran out in a hurry like that?"

"Yeah. Katsumi would run out because of the thought of Marisol, only then would she find out someone calling themself Ghost Head had Marisol's phone. Now it's happening again, something about it all never felt right, but I can only hope we get there before Katsumi does."