Night had already fallen when the pair arrived at the high school. This time their objective was to investigate the origins of the ritual game; reports stated that this was where it first began, with several of its victims dying on school grounds. However, the cause of deaths had already been preemptively covered up by authorities.
Alighting the vehicle, Tsuki spared no time laying down the ground rules.
"You will remain by my side. You may not technically be a recruit anymore, but you are very inept when it comes to the supernatural."
"So follow my orders, understood?" Her words may have stung, but there were no lies.
If it wasn't for the knowledge imparted onto him by the Codex, then Shin would not have even known the innate differences between a rank 1 Spirit and a rank 5 Spirit.
Leading him to the trunk of the vehicle, she opened it to reveal rows of metal cases engraved with the tail-devouring serpent.
Opening one of the boxes, she then retrieved a silver pistol and handed it to Shin. "Since you have not chosen a path yet, this will have to do."
And then she retrieved another box; this time it was filled with numerous differently shaped charms, some rectangular, some square, and some triangular. Taking out three charms, she then explained their uses:
"This pale yellow charm is called a 'Lightning' charm. Recite the name, and you will summon a bolt of lightning to strike at anything before you."
"This triangular one is called a 'Wanderer' charm. When you chant the name, you will become 'invisible' for approximately 10 seconds."
"And this one, you should be familiar with."
Seeing the lusterless surface of the charm, Shin immediately recognized it.
"That's the 'Bind' charm, right?" he confirmed.
"Yes. You will take these three charms and use them in case of an emergency. In the event we get separated, stay put. I will come find you."
Taking out her silver pocket watch, she took note of the time.
"It is just past nine. There will be plenty of time to reach Outpost 0 before the Waking Hour."
Closing the lid of her pocket watch, the pair then made their way to the gates of the school.
…
Inside of the school grounds, the atmosphere felt eerily uncomfortable. A thin fog had settled on the courtyard that Shin and Tsuki were walking through. But seeing that she was unbothered, Shin suppressed his uneasiness.
They had to make their way to the auditorium. And it did not take too long before they had arrived at the steps of the entrance; however, they could see that the door had been chained shut.
Reaching into her pocket, Tsuki retrieved an odd-looking object made of bony appendages that vaguely resembled a key.
"This in a Artifact belonging to the space domain. It can allow one to bypass most locks."
"It's called a skeleton key." She said as she inserted it into the lock.
"I see." Shin would have found humor in that statement, if only it weren't for her blank expression.
This door led to a reception area of the auditorium, with a set of stairs leading upwards towards a doorway that led to the real entrance of their destination.
When Shin took the first step on the stairs, the feeling of unease instantly amplified. Taking another step, it grew even more.
"My instincts are telling me that something is not right here." Shin insisted, freezing all movements on the stairs.
Even though Tsuki had not discovered anything herself, she still trusted in Shin's observation. Her experience as an agent was plentiful, so she knew the dangers of ignoring the slightest anomalies.
Retrieving the silver pistol, she nodded and continued making her way up the steps, with Shin following closely behind.
Planting his foot on the 4th step, the 6th step, and then the 10th. The hairs all over his body stood on end, sending warning signals. And then his foot landed on the 13th step.
Here everything returned to silence.
The immediate surroundings had changed completely. The reception area of the auditorium, the stairs, and even the doorway at the top. All of it was gone.
Shin now found himself in a long, dreadful hallway; the walls were smeared in blood and drag marks across the floor. Hospital beds lay overturned, and a deep darkness filled each end of the corridor.
Worst of all, he was now alone.
…
On the other end, Tsuki found herself in a similar environment, separated from Shin. Recalling the warning he had given and the sudden change in surroundings, she quickly identified the anomaly.
"An array has been placed here. This could be troublesome…"
Despite being a somewhat accomplished agent, Tsuki had never actually encountered an array before. But from the knowledge she possessed, she knew it was no simple matter.
An array was a special concealed space that would drag people in once they've fulfilled the conditions. And this time it was when they stepped on the 13th step of the stairway. Apart from being concealed, one of the biggest dangers of an array was that they followed their own laws of physics.
But luckily she knew how to dispel an array.
Every single array had a core; destroy it and you'll break the space. Not wasting any time, she summoned the ball of light in her hand and made her way down the long hallway.
…
Struggling with the brand-new communicator he had received, Shin was somewhat hopeful that he could maybe reach Tsuki with it. However, it seemed that wherever he was, he disrupted the use of electronics.
He had remained in the same spot since he had arrived in the new environment, with the silver pistol in hand, not daring to defy Miss Tsuki's instructions.
I could have been an engineer, but no… I had to become cursed because of some stupid game. I swear, I'll find those bastards and make them pay. Scanning his surroundings, Shin inwardly vented his frustrations.
Thwack!
A noise suddenly erupted from the darkness.
Pointing his pistol down the long aisle, a loud screeching sound could be heard, like metal being dragged across the floor.
And the noise was slowly getting closer.
Before long, a huge figure outlined itself in the darkness.
Shit!
…
"Why do you kids hate curfews so much?" A masculine voice appeared from atop a dilapidated ruin overlooking a certain high school.
The sky was devoid of any stars, with only a large crimson moon illuminating all. The clock had already struck midnight, signaling the arrival of the 13th hour.