Detention
The detention room smelled faintly of chalk dust and regret. Four students sat trapped in the same miserable place, each frustrated in their own way.
Josh sat hunched in the corner, glasses slipping down his nose, cheeks burning. He wanted nothing more than to disappear into the floor, but the thought of looking at anyone—especially girls—made him freeze. He wasn't new to social awkwardness, but this… this was a whole new level of suffering.
Cassandra, on the other hand, sat primly at her desk, perfectly poised. Her hand mirror caught every flicker of the fluorescent light as she carefully reapplied her lipstick. Even in detention, she radiated elegance. Other girls might have envied her, but right now she was only concerned with keeping herself flawless.
Matt lounged across from them, legs stretched over the desk like he owned the place. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he lazily tapped a pencil against the table. Clearly, detention was nothing new to him. The boy had mastered the art of nonchalance long ago, and everyone else might as well have been extras in his personal theater.
Amie, sitting stiffly in her chair, held a massive book in her hands. Pretending to read, she stole glances at Matt when she thought no one was looking. Her quiet curiosity was disguised behind the serious scholar act—but everyone knows that the eyes always give away the heart.
The four of them were worlds apart
Josh rested his head on the desk, muttering under his breath.
"This is my chance… my chance to actually talk to them, to make friends… come on, Josh… come on!"
Taking a deep breath, he straightened up, chest puffed out a little too much for comfort.
"HELLO! SINCE WE ARE ALL STUCK HERE FOR FOUR HOURS, WE MIGHT AS WELL GET USED TO EACH OTHER! LET'S ALL TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT OUR FAULT!!!"
The words burst out before he could think, echoing through the silent detention room.
Everyone froze. Eyes widened. Matt raised one eyebrow. Cassandra paused mid-application of her lipstick. Amie's book hovered in midair.
Josh's heart pounded. Sweat ran down his temples like a tiny waterfall.
"God… I just ruined my first impression. I'm so stupid…", he thought miserably.
The silence stretched uncomfortably. Then, finally, Matt leaned back in his chair, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
"Sure, dude… you didn't have to shout though," he said, voice calm but amused.
Josh swallowed hard, blushing furiously.
Cassandra tilted her head, lips curved in an elegant smirk. "Then why not? I'll bless you with my elegant story, since I have nothing better to do," she said, voice smooth and perfectly composed.
"That… actually seems like a sensible thing to do," Amie muttered under his breath, embarrassed. "Since we're all stuck here for four hours, it could help the time pass by quicker…"
"Alright," Josh mumbled, nervously rubbing his hands together. "I… I guess I'll go first."
He lifted his head just enough to peek at the others, then quickly ducked it again. "I… I was late to class," he admitted, voice barely audible. "I… um… I've never been here before…"
Cassandra let out a soft, melodic laugh. "Late to class? That's it? That's your grand reason for being trapped here?" she teased, flicking her hair back. "Almost cute… in a pathetic kind of way."
Josh's face turned beet-red. Great, first impression ruined, he thought miserably. "I—I said I was sorry!" he muttered under his breath.
Matt leaned back, resting his head on one hand, smirk curling on his lips. "Not bad, Bookworm. At least it's honest. My reason's way cooler."
"Oh, this I have to hear," Cassandra said, eyes sparkling with amusement.
Matt sat up dramatically. "I… accidentally broke the classroom projector… while trying to make it fly."
The room froze for a moment. Then Cassandra burst out laughing, practically slapping the desk. "You tried to make the projector fly?! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"
"I… I mean… it was a very serious experiment!" Matt defended, flailing his hands for emphasis. "Education shouldn't be boring, okay?!"
Josh buried his face in his hands, muttering, "This is why I don't talk to people…"
Amie, still pretending to read, finally lifted her gaze, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. "M-my reason… I… accidentally blew up the science lab," she said quietly, looking down at her massive book like it was a shield.
Matt froze mid-smirk. Josh's glasses nearly slipped off his nose. Cassandra's hand flew to her mouth, a mix of shock and delight in her expression.
"You… blew up the lab?" Josh whispered, almost disbelieving.
"I… I was experimenting," Amie admitted softly, voice barely above a whisper. "And… well… it didn't exactly go as planned."
Cassandra tilted her head, grinning wickedly. "Now that, I call impressive. Finally, someone knows how to make detention entertaining," she said, leaning back in her chair.
Matt leaned back too, smirk widening. "Finally… someone else who actually did something interesting."
And just like that, their awkward, mismatched stories became the first sparks of conversation, teasing, and rivalry—four strangers bound together for four hours of detention, with no idea just how unusual their afternoon would become.
Matt leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms like he owned the place. "Alright, Cassandra, spill it. Why are you stuck in this hellhole?"
Cassandra huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Huh! As if you'd understand the art of suffering. My teacher told me to stop doing my makeup. Can you imagine? Stop! I'm not a child, Matt. Nobody tells me what to do."
Matt snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Cry me a river. Next you're gonna tell me the principal personally fainted when she saw your eyeliner."
"Shut up!" Cassandra shot back, slamming her hand on the desk for emphasis. "At least I didn't try to make a projector fly and destroy half the classroom!"
"I… tried to improve physics, thank you very much," Matt said defensively, though a smirk tugged at his lips. "Science! Innovation! Art in motion!"
Josh, hiding behind his hands, muttered something under his breath. "I… I'm actually kinda… enjoying this…"
Amie peeked over her book, her voice soft but slightly teasing. "It does sound like an… interesting approach to science."
Matt leaned toward her, grinning. "See? Even the bookworm gets it. Science is an art form, Amie."
Amie blushed faintly and looked down. "I… I suppose… if it doesn't kill anyone…"
"Speaking of killing," Cassandra said dramatically, "my reason's obviously more civilized. Makeup, dignity, principal shouting… nothing exploded. Nothing! Unlike someone's little physics disaster here."
"Little physics disaster?* I think calling it a disaster is insulting to disasters," Matt replied, mock-offended.
Josh snorted behind his hands. "Oh my God, you two could argue about literally anything," he said, smiling despite himself.
Amie's lips twitched into a small smile. "They… really could," she whispered.
Matt leaned back with a satisfied grin. "It's called passion, Josh. You'll learn someday."
Josh tilted his head, feeling a warm tingle in his chest. For once, he wasn't being judged. He was laughing. Really laughing. He could get used to this.
Cassandra smirked at Matt. "Passion? You call your laziness passion?"
Matt shrugged. "Some people are born to do nothing elegantly. I am one of them."
"Elegantly doing nothing!" Cassandra gasped in mock horror. "What a skill. Truly inspiring."
Amie giggled quietly behind her book. "It… kind of is," she admitted softly, and Josh actually let out a snort-laugh, covering his face.
Matt leaned over dramatically, pointing at Cassandra. "And you—your entire life is apparently a tragedy in motion because of eyeliner!"
Cassandra flicked her hair, smirking. "Better than being the human embodiment of a physics fail!"
They all burst into laughter. Josh laughed nervously, but honestly, for the first time that day, he felt normal. Like a regular kid sitting around with people he didn't hate—or maybe even people he liked.
Amie finally looked up from her book, her cheeks pink. "You're… both ridiculous," she said softly, and her small smile made the corner of Josh's mouth twitch in a grin.
Matt leaned back, satisfied. "And that, my friends, is how real conversation goes in detention."
Cassandra rolled her eyes but laughed anyway. "You're impossible, Matt."
Josh, still smiling behind his glasses, thought: This… isn't so bad. Not bad at all.
Josh's glasses slid down his nose as he leaned forward, excitement shining in his eyes. "did you know, today's a special day," he began, voice almost trembling with anticipation. "It's the blood moon. That's when… spirits, yokai, and all kinds of supernatural beings become active. They can cross over into our world, but only for a short time…"
Cassandra raised an eyebrow, one hand still resting on her perfectly manicured cheek. "Spirits? Yokai? Are you seriously telling me ghosts might be roaming around today?"
Matt smirked, leaning back in his chair with a lazy confidence. "Ha! Sure, Josh. And maybe a unicorn will stop by for detention too."
Josh ignored them, eyes sparkling. "I'm serious! There are legends… eyewitness accounts… it's not just stories!"
Amie, who had been quietly observing, suddenly snapped, voice clear and confident. "Don't tell me you actually believe in spirits and ghosts, Josh." She stood up a little straighter, cheeks tinged pink but her gaze unwavering. "Anything that can't be proven with science doesn't exist. End of discussion."
Josh's mouth fell open. "W-what?! But… but there's evidence! Historical accounts, strange occurrences, folklore!"
Amie crossed her arms, unwavering. "And yet, none of it can be tested, measured, or verified. That's science. That's the only thing that matters."
Cassandra leaned forward, clearly entertained. "Ooooh, looks like we've got a debate! I love it already. This is better than watching Matt defend making projectors fly."
Matt raised a finger, mock-serious. "Hey, projector physics is real science! Don't mock genius!"
Josh jabbed a finger toward Amie. "See?! She just dismisses everything! You can't just ignore history and accounts! The supernatural is real, I swear!"
Amie tilted her head, smirking faintly. "History is full of stories. That doesn't mean any of it's true. If it can't be tested… it's imagination, not fact."
Cassandra leaned back, clapping slowly. "Wow… this is so dramatic. I love it. Team Science vs. Team Ghosts. Can we make it a game? Loser has to fetch detention snacks?"
Matt laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, I'm so in. But just so you know, I'm on Team Chaos, which automatically beats both of you."
Josh groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "You're impossible, Matt! This is serious!"
Amie's lips twitched, suppressing a smile. "And yet… you're arguing about it in a detention room instead of, you know, observing evidence."
Josh leaned closer to her, excitement overtaking his shyness. "That's the thing! We could actually see something tonight! With the blood moon, strange things happen—things science can't explain!"
Amie raised an eyebrow, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "I… I'm not saying it's impossible," she admitted, her voice quieter now, "but until I see proof… I'll stick to science."
Cassandra leaned in conspiratorially. "Ooooh… this is getting spicy. I love it when nerds argue. Matt, cheer on your side. Make it interesting."
Matt smirked. "I don't pick sides. I just sit back and watch the chaos unfold. But if ghosts show up, I call dibs on the first dramatic faint."
Josh groaned, but a smile tugged at his lips. Finally, someone actually listened to me. This is… amazing.
And just like that, the four of them—arguing, teasing, laughing, and challenging each other—
By the time their argument over ghosts and science had gone on for what felt like hours, night had fallen. The fluorescent lights of the detention room cast long, eerie shadows across the walls.
Matt crouched behind a row of desks, whispering to Josh. "Why… why did you decide we stay in the school for the night?"
Josh adjusted his glasses, excitement shining in his eyes despite the tension. "I didn't decide, really… but listen. This school… it was built five hundred years ago… on top of a prison where the evil yokai, Enmaji, was sealed."
Cassandra clicked her tongue in disbelief, one eyebrow raised. "Of course it was. Of course, we're stuck in a cursed school while arguing about ghosts. Makes total sense."
Josh leaned closer, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper. "And tonight… with the blood moon rising… spirits, yokai, and other supernatural things become active. It's… going to get spooky."
Matt groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. "Oh yeah, totally fine. Totally normal. Who wouldn't want to get haunted by ancient yokai at night?"
Cassandra tapped her chin, smirking. "Well, Josh… you better make this interesting, or I swear, you're dead."
Amie, standing slightly behind the group, adjusted her book and added softly, "I just… want to make sure we don't get caught by the janitor. That's all."
Cassandra leaned closer, teasing. "Oh, come on, Amie. Admit it—you just want to hide behind your giant book and look heroic if things go wrong."
Amie flushed but stayed quiet, her gaze flicking to Josh, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
The wind howled through the hallways, carrying faint whispers that sounded almost like chanting. Shadows stretched and flickered along the walls. The school, old and creaking, felt alive, almost watching.
Josh's eyes gleamed. "Tonight… legends might actually come to life!"
Matt peeked around the corner of the hallway, smirking nervously. "Yep… nothing creepy here. Totally fine."
Cassandra clicked her tongue again, mock-annoyed. "I can't believe I'm doing this. This is… ridiculous."
They waited. And waited.
The halls stayed empty. No whispers, no shadows moving on their own, no eerie chants—nothing.
Amie groaned, slumping against a desk. "As expected, it was all a hoax."
Matt crossed his arms, staring at the darkened hallway. "Yeah… some blood moon, huh? I feel cheated."
Cassandra rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers impatiently. "Of course nothing happens when we're here. This is pathetic."
Josh, frowned. "Maybe… we're not ready… or it hasn't started yet."
Then… everything went black.
They didn't feel themselves fall asleep. They hadn't been tired. And yet, when they opened their eyes, the world around them had changed completely.
The fluorescent lights were gone. The familiar classroom walls had shifted into towering wooden beams, aged and worn, carved with strange symbols. Dust floated lazily in the air. Their desks and chairs were still there—but somehow ancient, almost sacred. The blood moon's crimson light spilled through the windows, illuminating the halls like a shrine from another time.
Josh sprang to his feet, eyes wide, glasses slipping down his nose. "I… I told you! I told you this would happen!"
Matt rubbed his temples, his voice low and incredulous. "Okay… where… where are we?"
Josh puffed up his chest, voice suddenly proud, like he had been waiting for this moment. "We're in the spiritual version of our school. That's right. There's a spiritual world parallel to ours, where time moves slower… and only people with high spiritual energy—shamans, mystics… that kind of stuff—can normally enter."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but curious. "So… why are we here? None of us are shamans, Josh."
Josh grinned, adjusting his glasses. "That's the best part! Today is the blood moon. There's an excess of spiritual energy. So… technically, anyone can slip in—no special training required."
Amie's eyes widened slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "So… this isn't our school… not exactly…"
Matt groaned, leaning against a desk. "Great… we're stuck in some creepy spiritual clone of the school. Just what I wanted for a fun night."
Cassandra smirked, though her eyes reflected genuine awe. "Well… at least it's dramatic. I'll give it that."
Josh's grin widened. "Oh, it's more than dramatic. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness… everything supernatural!"
Amie shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at the crimson-lit halls. "I… hope it's safe."
Matt muttered under his breath, "Safe? Yeah… right…"
But even as they spoke, a strange vibration seemed to hum through the floor, faint but unmistakable. The spiritual version of the school wasn't just a silent shrine—it was alive. And it was watching them.
The four of them cautiously stepped forward, taking tentative glances at the spiritual version of their school.
Everything was… different.
Ancient artifacts lined the halls, glowing faintly in the crimson light. Strange writings covered the walls, swirling in patterns that seemed to shift when no one was looking. Even a colorful, almost cheerful-looking dummy sat propped against a wooden pillar, its painted eyes staring blankly.
Matt tilted his head. "Huh… it's… actually kinda cool. Creepy, but cool."
Josh's glasses fogged slightly as he squinted at the dummy. "Guys… that's not a dummy," he said, voice trembling just a little. His excitement was now mixed with real fear.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. It's just a—"
Before she could finish, the dummy shuddered. Its painted smile widened impossibly, stretching like rubber. Its neck twisted unnaturally, snapping to face them with a demonic grace.
The four froze, hearts pounding.
Josh whispered urgently, "I… I told you… that's not normal…"
Amie's grip tightened on her book, knuckles white. "It… it's moving!"
Cassandra's voice trembled, but only for a second. "Guys…?" she said uncertainly, her usual poise slipping.
"RUUUNNNN!!!!" Matt yelled, finally letting go of his cool façade. He grabbed Josh's arm and shoved him toward the nearest stairs.
The four of them bolted, feet pounding against the wooden floors that seemed impossibly long, impossibly endless. The air smelled like dust and something… old.
Behind them, the yokai—tall, grotesque, with that impossibly wide smile—lunged forward. Its neck twisted again, jerking unnaturally as it pursued them.
Josh stumbled on the stairs, glasses sliding down his nose. "I… I think… it's catching up!"
Amie's book swung wildly as she ran. "Keep going! Don't stop!"
Cassandra, hair flying in her face, screamed in a mixture of terror and exhilaration. "This… is… terrifying!"
Matt, laughing nervously while sprinting, added, "I take it back! Projectors flying? That was nothing compared to this!"
The stairs twisted downward endlessly, each step seemingly longer than the last. The four of them barreled forward, adrenaline pumping, the demonic yokai's footsteps thundering behind them.
Amie's voice cut through the chaos, calm but panicked. "Just… keep moving! Don't look back!"
Cassandra gritted her teeth, sprinting. "I swear… if I survive this, I'm never disagreeing with Josh ever again!"
The four of them didn't stop. Not even for a second. Behind them, the wide-mouthed yokai let out a bone-chilling screech, twisting its head in ways no human neck should ever twist… and the endless stairs seemed determined to swallow them whole.
As they ran, they stumbled into a massive hall. At the far end, a giant door loomed, glowing faintly under the red light of the blood moon.
"Over here!" Matt shouted, pointing toward the door. "This has to be a way out!"
The four of them sprinted toward it, adrenaline pumping. With a desperate push, they all got inside and slammed the door shut behind them. For a moment, silence fell.
They collapsed onto the floor, panting, sweat running down their faces.
"Why… why is it chasing us?" Amie finally managed to gasp, gripping her book tightly.
Josh swallowed hard, voice shaky, eyes darting around. "I… I think… yokai… sometimes they curse humans… or even possess them… if they catch them."
Matt whipped around to glare at him, voice cracking in panic. "You didn't think we should know this before running into it?!"
Josh's face paled. "I… I didn't… I didn't know it would—"
"Enough!" Cassandra cut in sharply. Her usual poise was gone, replaced by the same fear they all felt. "Just tell us how to get out of here!"
Josh swallowed again, forcing a calm tone. "We… can't. Not until the blood moon passes and it's daytime."
Matt groaned, flopping onto the floor, chest heaving. "Of course… just great. Trapped in some… nightmare version of our school with a giant yokai waiting for us."
Amie's voice was barely a whisper. "So… we have to survive… until the sun comes up?"
Josh nodded, looking grim. "Yeah… we have to stay alive, hide if we can, and not do anything that draws its attention."
Matt sat up, pointing shakily toward the center of the hall. "Look… there. That… that's where it's coming from. The chains lead straight to it."
The others followed his gaze. At the end of the room, massive chains snaked toward a hulking figure. A giant yokai, Enmaji, stood there, its red eyes glowing under the blood moon's light. Its presence was overwhelming, ancient, and terrifying.
Josh's voice shook slightly. "That… that's Enmaji…"
Josh swallowed, realizing the reality of their situation. "The school was built to seal it… but with the blood moon, its power is at its peak."
Amie hugged her book tighter, knees shaking. "So… it's awake. And we're… completely exposed."
Matt's jaw tightened. "Then we don't have a choice. We need to move. Stay together. Follow me."
The four of them rose, hearts hammering, eyes fixed on the giant yokai and the chains that seemed to pulse like veins. Every step was careful, every sound magnified. Survival was their only option—they had to make it until dawn.