The Algebra classroom was stuffy and filled with the faint smell of chalk. Yui sat at her desk, her notebook barely had any of the mathematical equations written down let alone even solved.
Instead, she was replaying the events of yesterday and questioning if any of it was even real. The questions that had been haunting her since wouldn't stop. She was replaying it all again like a tape, her clipping into the limbo and Haruka saving her, than meeting her brother. A sharp nudge to her arm broke her thoughts. She looked up to see her seat-mate asking for notes.
"S-sorry..I don't got any either.." The teacher noticed Yui and sighed, Yui sank lower into her seat, wishing she could disappear.
The bell rang mercifully soon after, signaling the end of the period. As the students filed out, she had been instructed to meet up with Haruka and Haru during lunch.
She hesitated, the thought of seeing them again made a nervous jolt through her stomach..but she also knew she couldn't keep ignoring what happened. She made her way to the school's rooftop, Harukas usual composed expression softened when she saw Yui, she scooted over and patted on the seat, signaling her to sit down. "You've made it," Haru said, in a welcoming calm tone.
"Let's skip the theatrics" Haruka cut in, her tone calm but firm. "We have a lot to discuss, but not much time..so let's keep this short and simple."
Haruka looked down at her lap, and sighed softly
"The limbo is a place for spirits who can't move on. Some are good spirits who just need guidance..and then there's others..who become corrupted and vengeful."
"Like the boy who tried to kill me.." Yui added on. Haru's eyes darkened
"The Purgatory between life and death is a very complicated place, you might end up somewhere else that isn't a parallel of our neighborhood…and if you die in the limbo, your existence is erased… you'll haunt the place forever until you can move on."
A chill ran down Yui's spine. The thought of being erased and forgotten sent a jolt of anxiety through her chest. Haru spoke softly,
"So..if you can't move on, you'll become like the spirit you saw yesterday. Though some spirits are just vengeful the moment they become ghosts." Yui stood there processing the weight of his words. "Sometimes the limbo can drive wandering spirits mad, causing them to blame the living for their death."
The air around Yui felt heavier, and for a moment she could almost feel the oppressive emptiness of the limbo. "W-what about Ayumi?"
Haruka and Haru both froze, Haruka then spoke
"You can't tell her, at least not now.."
Yui sighed.
"She's my best friend and I love her so much, I can't just pretend that nothing happened since she always knows when something is wrong with me, eventually she will ask questions"
Haru shrugged his shoulders "I mean you could just tell her the truth, it doesn't hurt to at least try."
Haruka rolled her eyes "Right, Sorry i've been acting weird lately, yesterday I just slipped through the ground into some parallel world that looks like ours with ghosts and almost died.."
she said sarcastically. Yui shot her a glare "Exactly! how do I even explain this?" Haru sighed "I guess we'll just have to figure something out, speaking of your friend, I didn't see her today."
Harukas brows furrowed as she considered it "That's unusual, Ayumi seems pretty dependable right?" Yui nodded, worry creeping up her spine.
"Yeah, she's never missed a day of school unless she's sick or has a doctor's appointment…what if she's in danger?" Haruka raised a hand to stop Yui from spiraling
"It's to soon to jump conclusions, Yui..your paranoid. Ayumi could just be sick, You should text her." Yui's anxious expression softened "Yeah I could text her.."
Haruka smiled, "Good. Thankfully we don't have school Thursday and Friday till Monday! We can relax, and so can you, you need it. Though, let's exchange numbers in case anything happens."
As the school day approached it's end, everyone went home and continued on with their day, later in the evening, around 5:16pm, Ayumi walked down the familiar side walk toward the pharmacy to pick up medicine for her cold.
The sun was beginning to set casting long shadows across the quiet street, But as she continued to walk, something felt odd. She stopped for a moment, looking around but the street was empty. Ayumi tried to brush it off, trying to convince herself that it was just her being paranoid.
She quickened her pace, her thoughts racing as she turned a corner, she glanced over her shoulder, nothing. She heard foot steps but they were light and steady, she'd speed walk inside the gas station to pick up her medication, the guy at the front desk said
"Be safe out there, a kid shouldn't be wandering out at dusk time." Ayumi simply nodded and smiled then proceeded to leave the pharmacy.
The next day Yui woke up, she checked her phone messages and saw that Ayumi still hadn't replied. Yui thought since there was no school today might as well visit her then. As Yui approached Ayumi's door her overwhelming anxiousness consumed her. She'd been meaning to talk to her after everything that's happened but it's just been a lot going on. Before Yui could ring the doorbell, her mother answered the door. Yui quickly stood up straight
"Hi Mr and Ms's Suzuki! Is Ayumi home?" Ayumi's fathers expression turned dark and serious "Ayumi has been missing since yesterday evening, we haven't seen her since..authorities are on the look out."
Yui's expression shifted to anxiety and concern "w-what" Her mother cut in "Please sweetheart go back home and stay home with your parents before we lose any more children."