Notes

The state of the library was something that could only be described as total carnage.

Doubled over in the dimly lit corner was a boy, several puncture wounds to his stomach left it a disemboweled mess. The light reflecting off a lifeless ringed hand giving away who it was. Kaede couldn't bare to look at the intestines spilt all over his lap.

A drenched knife lay near the feet of the second victim, who was facedown in a puddle of what could only be her vomit. Sticky blue strands of hair stuck to the floor, her back, and surrounded her discolored face. There was blood everywhere, soaking into her dress and pooling from her broken nose and creating a disgusting mixture with what she'd emptied from her stomach. Stains splattered against the bookshelves.

Nothing stopped the blonde from quietly approaching her friends' bodies, dry heaving several times in the process. The stench of death was too much. The ugly wound emitting waves of bright red blood from the back of Tsumugi's fractured skull was too much. The blinding rays reflecting off Rantaro's rings was too much.

Kaede gently tiptoed around the deceased girl, careful to avoid disturbing her body out of respect or staining her shoes with blood. On second thought, she settled with pulling her shoes and socks off, and placing them on an unsoiled shelf, right beside the thick, yellow paged books.

Digging around her backpack, Kaede pulled out the vest she had wrapped the shot put ball in, and- without a second thought- threw it over the red glazed floor beside Rantaro. As expected, it bled through instantly, but she didn't mind that, carefully getting on her knees atop the makeshift blanket anyway. The pianist's knees were slick with warm blood as she reached out a shaking hand toward her friend's expressionless face. His eyes were so glossy, sheathed and doll-like.

Kaede brushed the bangs out of his eyes with her fingertips, smiling bitterly, with a painful, growing lump in her throat.

"You promised to get us out of here Rantaro."

Saying his name and receiving no reply felt like fire in her lungs.

They had only known each other for a month, but trapped in this hell, that felt like forever. She'd already memorized every little thing that had made her so fond of him. The way he would twirl his rings when nervous, the way his eyelashes would brush his cheeks after grinning, his limbo between being completely laidback to diligently attentive. Everyone here was his little sis or bro, no one was too sneaky, outspoken, or distant for him to care for- nothing was asked in return. He simply loved without a worry in the world.

Someone had stained their hands with his blood.

Cornered him and Tsumugi.

The possibility of him interfering with Tsumugi's murder hadn't left her mind.

She was on the ground. He had heard. Bursting through the doors, the monster noticed. He went to subdue it. It pulled out a knife.

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