The cursed shopping mall is completely empty. The shops there have all been boarded up, but the surrounding town is busy. A few families push strollers, and groups of middle-aged women window-shop along the sidewalk.
"Be safe," Ijichi tells you, before he raises his hand and brings down a Curtain.
Instantly, the world around you is cloaked in shadows. The chatter of the outside fades away. It's the sort of darkness which exists only in nightmares. Normally, the cover of darkness would be a comfort to you, but not today. Your inner alarm shrieks at you. Fight or flight kicks in. There's something primal about this place which tells you to keep a distance.
Why?
The Curses are low-grade. There shouldn't be any danger.
. . . Right?
Yuta takes everything in with wide eyes. To him, the place probably resembles a haunted house, which isn't far off from how it makes you feel. Feeling as if you're being studied, you keep glancing behind you. Maybe you're losing your mind.
Swallowing audibly, Yuta asks, "We – We should start looking for the Curses, huh?"
"Mm?" You're momentarily distracted with passing Inumaki his throat medicine and lozenges, which he tucks into the inside of his jacket. It's always better to be safe, in case the three of you end up getting separated. You draw in a long breath, but when you glance up, you're greeted by the sight of a rainbow-hued fish, with ribbon-like fins and bulging eyes, swimming languidly through the air. You point it out to Yuta and Inumaki. "Actually, I think they found us."
Yuta's eyes widen. "Oh."
As you watch, transfixed by the way their scales glimmer with multihued fire, to your left and right, rustling sounds pass through the deserted corridors, followed by an unnatural breeze. The noise grows. Gentle rustles transform into buffeting winds bearing the promise of a gale. A triumphant shriek makes your ears ring.
You rub at your arms absently, as though the pressure of your fingers will be enough to eradicate the dull, pulsating pain you feel. "Toge?"
"Tuna mayo." Inumaki nods at you, and unzips his jacket, revealing cheeks and tongue stained with inky black circles. He steps closer to the Curses, until he's close enough to touch them with an outstretched finger. "Burst."
The Curses are instantly engulfed in flames, and an explosion buffets you where you stand, whipping your hair into a frenzy. Inky black smoke billows like the sail of a pirate ship. Beside you, Yuta's eyes are bulging in disbelief, reminding you of the fishes you'd seen only seconds before. You can't help it. You laugh, a bright, bubbly rash of laughter that rings out loudly in the enclosed space.
"Toge's pretty strong, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he's amazing."
"Let's go back!" You call out to Toge, keeping your voice low. You don't know if whispers are necessary, but the pressing darkness and the thick silence of the deserted mall does make speaking in normal tones akin to shouting. "I think I saw a crepe stand, and I want sweets!"
Inumaki waves at you in acknowledgement, and begins walking towards the entrance. You and Yuta have to hurry to catch up, and you've just about caught up to him when you see his forehead pleat into a frown.
"Okaka!"
"Huh?" Blinking in confusion, Yuta places a hand on the Curtain. "Oh, you're right! The Curtain won't rise!"
Something's wrong. Your heart slams against your rib cage and your pulse roars in your ears, so deafening that you worry Inumaki and Yuta can hear it. Your blood races through your veins, aflame with fear. Your lungs are heavy, and breathing all but becomes impossible.
A trumpeting sound of fury rips through the quiet stillness of the Curtain, sounding very much like the enraged elephants you've heard on nature documentaries.
A chill passes down your spine. You take a ragged, coughing breath, trying to clear your airways so that you can warn your friends; but the ground opens up beneath you, and for the briefest moment, it feels as though you're floating, suspended in weightlessness.
Then a falling sensation drags at your stomach, and you're slipping away.
A shriek rips its way past your throat. "Yuta!"
"[ NAME ]!"
Desperately, you grab at his outstretched hand, trying to cling, to catch, but it's too late, and you're falling, down, down into the infinite blackness.
The last thing you see is the expression of pure anguish etched upon Yuta's face. A pitiful, despairing, wretched look as he watches the darkness swallow you up, far too late to save you.
