VAGABOND

XXIX: A Message to Tina Belcher

» [XXXTENTACION - Amy Winehouse] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄   ◃◃   ⅠⅠ   ▹▹   ↻

The air in Nurse Katuya's office was thick with tension, a nervous energy pulsing through the room. Kodomo, Kure, and Sutō were visibly on edge, their body language betraying a deep dread they were all struggling to contain.

"Yo, Nurse Katuya. Put. That. Thing. Down. Slowly" Sutō's voice hitched with panic and dread. He pointed at the jar, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You have no idea what you' holding!"

Kure nodded slowly. "Yes, Katuya. That thing nearly killed us." He added, his face flushed with frustration, his words laced with anxiety. "We barely made it out alive after getting too close to it."

Kodomo was pacing now, running a hand through his hair as if trying to steady his racing thoughts. "Why do you even have that thing, we saw it shatter to pieces?!" He exclaimed, his voice rising in fear.

The others exchanged confused glances, struggling to process what they were hearing.

Furai arched an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Wait, hold up. Whatch'all talking about? What's in the jar?"

Kinso shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the conversation pressing down on him. "Yeah, whatch'all not telling us?"

Kamiwaii, who had been quietly watching the exchange, locked eyes with Katuya, his gaze intense. Then, without missing a beat, he smiled. "So, you don't know about the jar?"

Katuya raised an eyebrow, slowly setting the jar down on her desk with deliberate movements. "I've never seen this before in my life. But how do you four know about it?" Her voice held a note of disbelief.

Kodomo leaned forward, his hands trembling slightly as he spoke. "Because we've been inside it, Katuya. That's how I ended up with a cast on my leg."

The room fell silent. The weight of his words hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

Besū's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what? No way you actually went inside that thing?"

"Uh, yeah!" Kodomo exclaimed, frustration edging his voice. "Once again, that's how I ended up in a CAST." He shook his head, as if the memory itself made no sense.

Bēsu narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. "Wait, but how? Did y'all just hallucinate going inside, or—"

Kamiwaii's voice, though calm, held an intensity that made everyone stop and listen. "Not just inside the jar. We went into another realm. The jar itself is just a jar, but what's inside is a gateway to another state of being."

"Another state of being?" Tankue questioned.

"It's called Gekume—the realm of realms. A place where the laws of time, space, and reality don't apply." Sutō added.

Tankue rubbed his temples, as though the confusion was starting to give him a headache. "Wait, wait. Hold up. You're telling me y'all actually went into another realm?"

Kodomo nodded, his expression grave as he exchanged a glance with Kamiwaii. "Yes. And the one Katuya is holding is from the Kages. The darkest, most dangerous realm of them all. The one no one should ever enter."

Katuya's eyes widened as she glanced down at the jar. "The Kages realm?" Her voice was barely a whisper, the words tasting familiar on her tongue.

Kamiwaii took a deep breath, his expression serious. "It's a place where the darkest things come from. Where souls are trapped, where shadows take form. It's... a realm of power, yes, but also one of chaos and destruction. And now, it's here." His eyes shifted back to the jar, as if watching the swirling smoke inside made the danger feel more real.