Preface
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
The repetitive siren-like sound of my alarm rudely woke me out of sleep.
“Jesus, it’s 5 a.m. Chill out,” I groaned, smacking the snooze button with more force than necessary.
Dragging myself out of bed, I started my morning routine. Standing in front of the mirror, my reflection stared back—long black hair braided down my back, dark brown eyes, and a permanent scowl carved into my face. The sound of my parents arguing downstairs played like background music, so normal I barely gave it a second thought anymore.
I went downstairs for breakfast, not bothering to wish them good morning. (Okay, I’m not that rude, but even if I did, they’d just keep yapping anyway.) I tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed out, munching on a piece of fluffy, buttery toast.
Hi. My name is Yurei Yokai—but just call me Yuri. I’m 16, I live in Tokyo, and I share a house with my constantly bickering parents. Their arguments are usually about things that don’t even matter. Honestly, if arguing were an Olympic sport, they’d have more gold medals than Japan’s gymnastics team.
As I walked down the street, earbuds in, I was halfway through an audiobook titled Top 20 True Crime Stories when some guy—who seriously looked like he’d escaped from a psychiatric ward—ran up and started wildly shaking my hand.
“Um, pardon me, sir… are you alright?” I asked, slipping one earbud out and eyeing him cautiously.
“S-S-SAVE Y-YOURSELF! H-HE’S-COMING!” he shrieked, shaking and wide-eyed, drawing stares from everyone around us.
How embarrassing.
“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t—”
Before I could finish, a woman rushed over and yanked him away. And holy crap, I was speechless. She was… stunning. Her golden honey eyes and thick, almond-colored hair framed her face perfectly. Even though her skin was pale, she looked like an angel straight out of a painting.
“Um… th-thank you,” I stammered, still a bit dazed.
“I’m so sorry about him,” she said softly. “He’s been like this ever since that school was abandoned.”
“Huh? Wait—what school—?”
But she didn’t answer. She just walked away with the man, leaving me standing there in confusion.
That was... weird. But Tokyo is full of weird things, so I just brushed it off and continued to school.
When I got to class, everyone was already in their seats, frozen with horrified expressions like they’d just witnessed a zombie apocalypse. I spotted my best friend and walked over.
“Miku, why the hell does everyone look like they’ve seen a ghost?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Miku and I have been best friends since we were practically in our mothers wombs. Back when life still made sense.
“Wait—you don’t know?” she gasped. “Girl, how chronically offline are you?”
I shrugged. “Very. That doesn’t answer my question though. Why is everyone so bedazzled?”
She gave me a long, judgy look.
“I swear to god, Miku, if you don’t start talking—”
“Okay, okay! Jeez. You know Jigaku School, right?”
Ugh. Not that school.
“That abandoned building people say is haunted? What about it?”
“Chisaki went in there yesterday. From our school. She hasn’t come back. And the police can’t find her.”
I chuckled. “Chisaki? The school bully? That girl probably pulled another dumb prank and ran off.”
Oddly enough however, Miku didn’t laugh. “No, Yuri. You don’t get it. Some people are saying—”
Before she could finish, the teacher walked in and everyone scrambled back to their seats.
Even though I played it cool, what Miku said stuck with me. A part of me couldn’t shake the unease curling in my stomach.
After school, I grabbed my bag and walked with Miku through the hallway when the intercom suddenly crackled:
“All students report to the assembly point immediately. I repeat, report to the assembly point immediately.”
We exchanged confused glances. Announcements after school were not an everyday thing. This wasn’t normal.
When we got to the assembly area, the principal himself was standing on stage with a microphone. That was definitely not a good sign.
“Oh, this is not about to be fun,” I muttered.
Once everyone settled, he spoke—his voice grave and deep.
“Thank you all for coming. It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you… the body parts of Chisaki Shounen, a student of Class 1-A, were discovered scattered throughout the halls of Jigaku School.”
Silence.
Jaws dropped. Gasps echoed. Some students broke into sobs.
And then—they showed us pictures.
Actual pictures. What the hell…
I tried to cover my eyes. Tried to unsee the blood smeared across the old school halls, the broken pieces of someone who was alive just yesterday. Even if she was a bully… no one deserves that.
“Oh my god,” Miku whispered, her voice trembling. “Poor Chisaki. This is bad, Yuri. Really bad.”
I placed a hand over hers, trying to steady both of us.
People whispered, others cried, some looked ready to throw up.
Just who could’ve done this?
And why…?
