Blades of Despair

-Chapter Fifteen-

Game Over

I was awoken by a startling, cold sensation. Gasping for breath, I jolted and quickly opened my eyes. Someone had splashed water over my face.

"Oh, thank goodness, she's awake!" I heard a voice, but my senses were still accommodating to a sensory overload.

"Alright, just give her some space. She needs to wake up properly," said another voice, this one belonging to a man. Where am I?

"Ori?" I turned in the direction of the voice to see the concerned face of a red-headed man. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a raspy cough. "Hey, don't exert yourself, you've been out for a little while now, take it easy."

"Ugh," I groaned, "what happened?" Suddenly, I saw a flash of red and I quickly sat up, which only further dizzied me.

"I told you to take it easy," said the red-headed man sternly. I looked at him again, and slowly recognised him as Miyagawa. He wore a very concerned expression on his face; brows furrowed and wet eyes. Has he been crying?

"Where am I? What happened? I was in the games room... and then..." I put my hands to my mouth as I recalled what I had seen. I looked at Miyagawa, my eyes wide in horror.

"You're in my room," Miyagawa began to explain, "I brought you here when Yoneda and I found you fainted in the doorway. Yoneda stayed behind to wait for the others to arrive, while I carried you here." I blushed at the image of Miyagawa carrying me and found myself wondering what it felt like to be that close to him. I shook my head. Now isn't the time for thinking about things like that, I scolded myself, I need to go back to the games room.

"What I saw," I replied, "did you see it too?" Miyagawa sighed loudly but nodded. I shuddered. "We have to go there."

"Wait," he ordered, "you just woke up from fainting. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"There's a killer on the loose," I retorted, "we need as many people investigating as possible." As soon as I said this, I remembered that I had heard two voices when I woke up. I looked behind Miyagawa to see Mina Tsuru. I screamed.

"Ori! What's the matter?" cried Miyagawa worriedly.

"What's she doing here? I found her in the games room!" I answered in a panic.

"Oh boy, I forgot about," Miyagawa muttered. I looked at him, demanding an answer. "When we found you, we also found Mina in the games room, crying. I assume that that's not what you saw?"

"No! She was dead when I went to the games room! How are you here?"

"I was unconscious," Mina said quietly. Her voice was hoarse, which I assumed had come from the crying. "When I came to, my vision was blurry. I could make out Yoneda and Miyagawa panicking and trying to stir you. Then, Miyagawa pointed to something else in the room and Yoneda saw that I had woken up, but he was also distracted by something else. I turned and saw... her." I gulped.

"After that," Miyagawa continued, "Ouji and I brought you and Mina here. I've been looking after you both while the others investigate." I took a few moments to control my breathing before saying anything.

"So, does that mean," I began, "that Uehara is...?"

"Don't say it!" screeched Mina, her eyes immediately welling.

"I think it's best that we avoid discussing this for now," interrupted Miyagawa, anxious to not provoke Mina. I stood up and brushed myself down with my hands. I was still feeling a little disoriented, but I tried to not show that weakness in front of Mina and Miyagawa.