#itychallenge

You could hear him roaring your name, nearly upon you now. With another curse, you started piling the desks on top of the shelf, jumping back when it started to rattle.

“Get out here, you coward! I’m going to murder you!”

You honestly didn’t doubt it. Yasushi was insane and you knew he might actually kill you if he got his hands on you. You scanned the room, looking for a place to hide. No, he would tear the room apart looking for you.

One of the desks fell off the pile from the sheer force he was using. ‘It’s not going to hold!’ You bit your lip, looking at the window. It was a dumb choice but it was the only choice you had.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the window open, the cold autumn air hitting you in the face. The ground seemed farther than it actually was and you swallowed hard, rethinking your decision.

Yasushi managed to get the door open a crack, his arm slipping through to try and shove the desks out of the way.

It was now or never.

Do or die.

Taking a deep breath, you carefully slipped your leg over the sill. You ducked beneath the window, jumping when the pile of desks were thrown across the room. The shelf scraped across the linoleum floor as the door was slowly pushed open.

You pulled the rest of your body out the window, clutching onto the sill for dear life as you looked over your shoulder at the ground below. The door was finally opened enough for Yasushi to squeeze through and, despite the fear you felt, you couldn’t help but snort at his neon pink hair.

“Hah?! You have the nerve to laugh after what you’ve done?!” He growled, rushing toward you.

You cried out in surprise, jumping from the window. He reached out to you, fingers brushing against yours but he was unable to grab you. Your body hit the ground hard, startling the group of boys standing nearby. They looked at you in shock, eyes wide.

Clenching your teeth in pain, you slapped your hand atop a desk sitting in the courtyard, pulling yourself to your feet. Your ankle protested but you knew Yasushi was making his way toward you and you knew you couldn’t stick around. Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself forward, heading for the school’s gate.

Your number one priority was to get somewhere safe, far away from both Oya and the hot-headed blonde. ‘Well… I suppose he’s a pinkette now,’ you snickered, though it died as soon as you put weight on your ankle. It wasn’t broken, you knew, but it certainly was not having a good time.

Using the wall for support, you walked as quickly as you could.

You could hear Yasushi screaming in the courtyard, demanding to know where you had gone. Oya was notorious for their students being loyal to their own factions. Since you didn’t belong to a faction, they had no loyalty to you and, though they didn’t belong to the YasuKiyo faction, they weren’t dumb enough to go against Oya’s psycho.

They weren’t as dumb as you and that was a bit depressing to think about. To be fair, you had been dared to do it and you weren’t the type of person to stand down from a challenge. 

“When I find you, I’m going to kill you! I know you hear me, you brat!”

You winced, slipping into an alley. You really should have chosen truth instead… Heavy footsteps were heading in your direction and you quickly ducked down beside an overflowing trash can. The smell nearly made you gag but you managed to catch yourself, slapping your hand over your mouth and nose.

The footsteps stopped at the end of the alley and you tensed up, holding your breath. A heavy silence seemed to settle over you for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Was he still there? You were too afraid to check. With your luck, he would be standing on the other side of the trashcan, waiting to grab you as soon as you peer your head around. 

You were nearly out of air and, just as you started to remove your hand to breathe, you heard his boots hitting the pavement, heading away from the alley. Your heart raced within your chest and you continued holding your breath until you couldn’t anymore, sucking in a gulp of air.

As you stood up, you winced in pain. 

What were you supposed to do now? Yasushi wasn’t the type of man who forgave easily and he never forgets when he’s been wronged. You’d have to avoid Oya for a while. 

Possibly even the rest of your life.

You sighed deeply, running a hand through your hair. “I’m such a dumbass.”

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You fell onto the curb with a sigh, suppressing a shiver when the wind picked up. The sun was low on the horizon, barely visible behind the buildings. Leaves littered the ground, an ombre of orange, brown and red. They scraped across the ground whenever the wind blew, the sound echoing through the quiet night.

You untied your shoe, hissing as you slid it off your foot. Even with your sock on, you could tell it was swollen and it was sore to the touch. All you wanted to do was return home and curl up under your warm comforter. How could you, though, when you lived right next door to the psycho you had pissed off? The walls were thin and he’d definitely hear it if you came home.

You groaned, falling back onto the sidewalk and closing your eyes. The cement was ice-cold through your clothes, bringing goosebumps to your skin. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance and you groaned again. Normally, you adored the rain, but not when it was cold outside and you had nowhere safe to stay.

The sound of footsteps made you tense up but you didn’t open your eyes, hoping that it wasn’t Yasushi come to actually end your existence. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

You released the breath you had been holding when you realized it wasn’t him. Opening your eyes, you found an extremely tall, well-built guy towering over you. He was looking down at you with no expression, though you could see a hint of worry lingering in her dark eyes.

“Oh, uh, yeah… yeah, I’m fine.” You offered him a sheepish smile as you pulled yourself up into a sitting position. As you slid your foot back into your shoe, you hissed in pain.

“Doesn’t sound like you’re okay,” he commented, squatting down beside you so he could see your foot better. He still towered over you easily and you hoped he had no beef with Oya.

If he did, there was no way you could hold your own against this guy. He was just radiating raw strength and power – it was almost stifling.

“What happened?” he wondered, glancing at you.

“I, uh… fell…” You rubbed the back of your neck, finding it hard to admit that you had jumped from the second floor just to avoid the consequences of your actions. “But I’m fine!” You replied quickly, pulling yourself to your feet. “Excuse me.”

You bowed your head to him before turning and starting down the street. Only… your ankle chose that moment to decide it had had enough, giving out beneath you. You closed your eyes, waiting to hit the cold cement.

Strong arms wrapped around your waist, holding you against a firm chest. Warm breath hit your ear when he spoke. “Let me help you home.”

“Ah, no, that’s not necessary…” You forced a smile, trying to pull away. He allowed you to do so, yet he kept his hand on your arm just in case.

“You can’t walk,” he frowned, brow furrowed. 

“I can’t go home right now, okay? I’ll just…” you rubbed the back of your neck with a frown, glancing at the opposite end of the street. “Find a park or somethin’.”

“It’s supposed to rain tonight. You’ll catch your death if you spend the night in the park.” Rao scanned you, considering for a moment. Many kids who came to the orphanage were running from abusive families and he had to wonder if you were doing the same.

To him, you were clearly lying about how you came to be injured. Now, you claimed you couldn’t go home, choosing instead to weather the cold instead.

“You can stay with me.”

Your head snapped toward him, eyes wide, and he realized he had phrased it poorly.

Shifting his weight, he motioned toward the orphanage behind him. “We have spare rooms. You can stay here tonight.”

You glanced at the building, taking note of several older kids peering out the window curiously. When they saw you, they darted back behind the curtain. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

He nodded, getting a firm grip on your arm before he began leading you toward the building.

“Thank you,” you replied softly before introducing yourself to him.

He smiled down at you, his brown eyes warm. “My name is Mario. Misaki Mario.”

“Nice to meet you, Misaki-san.”

“Just call me Mario,” he told you softly, pushing the door open. Several kids were peaking their heads around the doorway, looking at you curiously. When he noticed them, he frowned. “You guys are supposed to be in bed.”

“We were curious, nii-chan,” replied a young girl with black hair. Her dark eyes met yours and she frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” you replied with a small smile. “Just hurt my ankle.”

“I’ll get the ice pack!” She stated before turning and rushing off.

“No fair, I wanted to get it!” cried a young boy as he rushed after her.

“I’ll get the pain meds.”

“I’ll grab a blanket!”

“I’ll get the snacks!”

Rao chuckled, shaking his head before leading you over to the living room where an old couch sat. It was full of holes and it creaked sadly when you sat down. “Prop your foot up on the table.”

You lifted your foot and –

“Take your shoe off first,” he scolded, reaching forward to pull it off. When he realized what he was doing, he paused, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. “Sorry, habit.”

“It’s okay,” you smiled, surprised by how gentle and cute such a massive guy could be.

The children came rushing into the room, carrying various items they believed would help, including toys and a card game. After propping your foot up on the table with a pillow beneath it, you were given some pain meds and some water. The young girl gently sat the ice pack on your ankle and you winced at how cold it was.

“Thank you, everyone,” you smiled gently at the group, hugging the worn teddy bear one of the smaller boys had given you for comfort. 

“You’re welcome!” They chorused.

“Alright, back to bed,” ordered Rao, shooing the kids toward the door despite their protests. 

You sunk farther down on the couch with a smile, eyes closed as you hugged the teddy bear. Maybe pissing off Yasushi hadn’t been such a bad thing, after all.

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-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

A moment of silence passed by as we stared at each other blankly.

Finally, I scowled. “Are you gonna tell me or nah?”

“You broke first, I win!”

“I’m leaving.” I started to get up off the couch but he grabbed the back of my shirt, yanking me back down. Before I could insult him, he finally answered.

“I found a really cool video game store during my walk today.”

“A game store?” My brow furrowed. “Those still exist? Don’t most people just buy their stuff online these days?”

“Mostly, yeah, but you’re missing out on some great titles that way,” he clicked his tongue, waving his finger at me. “Listen up, kid.”

“I’m older than you.”

He ignored the comment. “There are a lot of gems out there that can’t be bought online because they no longer exist.”

“If they no longer existed, they wouldn’t be at the store, either.” I pointed out, making him scowl.

“Yah, I’m trying to teach you a lesson.”

“Your lessons are shit. That’s why everyone at Oya is dumb as hell.”

“Oi!” Nakazono glanced up from where he was sitting below the stage, a scowl on his lips. “We’re not all dumb, ya know.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, taking in the satisfied look on his face before adding, “Todoroki is pretty damn smart.”

His expression fell to a displeased scowl again and I snickered, proud of myself.

“You’re such an ass.”

“If you’re not an ass, are you even an Oya student?”

His lips parted to retort but then he paused, thought about it for a minute and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

It was Murayama’s turn to scowl now, smacking my shoulder. “Will you focus for two minutes, please? This is important.”

“How is it important?” I leaned back against the couch, arms folded over my chest.

“Because we can find a new game to play that no one else is playing.” He paused, turning his head away and mumbling under his breath. “I was hoping it could be our special thing.“

My heart warmed at the words. He and I have been best friends for years, connecting after he and Cobra first fought. He was my brother at this point, but we didn’t spend as much time together as we could. He was always busy dealing with Oya drama and keeping the younger ones out of trouble.

Meanwhile, I’ve been working a lot lately so I could keep my apartment and still offer money to the Oya kiddos so they could get things they wanted. Admittedly, we haven’t been spending much time together lately, so it makes sense he would come up with something like this.

I knew I wasn’t meant to hear the last bit so I sighed dramatically, pretending to be annoyed. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

He grinned, eyes lighting up.

“But you’re paying.”

He clicked his tongue, folding his arm over his chest. “Fine.”

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It was mid-autumn, the temperature dropping with each day that passed by. There weren’t many trees within the city, but the few that had been planted were already bare, their colorful leaves pooled at the bottom of their trunks. The world felt more alive, more magical during the fall season and I absolutely adored it.

I couldn’t wait for Halloween, especially since Daruma’s Halloween festival was always top tier.

I pulled my jacket tighter around my body as I headed in the direction of the store. Murayama was already waiting outside, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he peered through the glass.

“It’s about time,” he scowled at me, not waiting for a response before he darted into the store.

“And I thought I was impatient,” I scoffed, following after him.

No one was inside the store so it was eerily quiet. It reminded me of those old movie rental stores but, instead of movies, it was all video games for varying consoles, many of which I had never even heard of before. Murayama had been right when he said these things were gems that couldn’t be bought online.

A lot of my free time was spent browsing game lists, looking for interesting titles to save up for. Though I was picky and didn’t have a large library, I could name a lot of games simply by the description or by screenshots, but these games? I had never heard of any of them.

I hummed as I scanned the shelves, looking for anything that caught my eye though nothing did. Some of these names were insane, too.

Rocket Sizzlin’.

Killa Y.Q.Q.

Woman the Beaver.

Teenage Direction.

The Marvelous Enigmas.

Okay, that last one wasn’t bad. Feeling curious, I picked it up and turned it over. It was a pixel game about these sentient blobs of slime trying to pass for normal human beings. My nose wrinkled and I returned it to the shelf.

I wasn’t a big fan of older games and I don’t like pixel games. I prefer games with amazing graphics that make you feel as if you can jump through the screen and enter it. I like worlds that are so rich, you get lost in them, feel as if you’re part of them. Games that make you forget about the boring, mundane life you actually lead.

“If that’s what you’re looking for, child, I have the perfect game for you.”

I blinked in confusion at the old man standing a few feet away. He was short, the upper half of his body hunched over a cane as if it were the only thing keeping him on his feet. His head was mostly bald, with just a few strands of thin white hair placed at random spots. His mustache and beard was long but the hair was thin.

Where the hell had he come from? Why hadn’t I heard him? And how the hell did he know what I was thinking?

“Did I… say all that out loud?” I wondered, though I was sure I hadn’t. 

“Part of it, yes,” he chuckled, peering at me through small, dark eyes. “You were mumbling to yourself. A bad habit, I might add.”

“Oh,” I frowned, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Come, child. Allow me to show you the game you desire.” He waved his hand at me before slowly turning and hobbling away.

I highly doubted he would give me a game I enjoyed but I didn’t want to be rude so I followed him. He was so slow, though, taking five minutes just to make it to the other side of the small store.

Murayama poked his head around one of the shelves and snickered, clearly enjoying my annoyance. I flicked him off and he faked an offended look before disappearing again.

The man took a title off the shelf with a shaky hand, holding it out to me. I couldn’t help but notice how boney his fingers were, as if there was barely any skin left to cover them. “I believe you will enjoy this.”

I took it from him carefully, reading the title. “The Five Grim Kings.” Okay, not a bad title at all. I hummed, flipping it over to read the description. “‘The Dragophire Kingdom was once a prosperous nation united under one banner, but peace can not last forever.'”

He nodded, closing his eyes.

“‘The nation started to fight itself, splitting into five different factions, all of whom were vying for power and control. While they threaten to destroy themselves from within, a new power has risen from the darkness with the intent to destroy all of them.’ Huh, that sounds strangely familiar.”

The man nodded again, a frown on his lips. “They fail to realize that they are stronger together. It is your job to unite the five factions and destroy Kaxarene.”

I hummed with interest. It didn’t look like it was that old, either, the graphics looking pretty decent on the case. It was hard to believe that it was a PlayStation 4 game. Why wasn’t this listed on the website? I bet loads of people would enjoy this.

The game was ripped from my hand by Murayama who wrinkled his nose when he looked at the cover. “I didn’t know you were into medieval RPGs.”

I shrugged a shoulder, snatching it back from him. “They’re fun to play sometimes.”

“I found something better,” he grinned, holding up two copies of a game called Cosplay Rubber Duckies.

“You have got to be kidding me…” I deadpanned, making him scowl.

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s a really complex battle royale MMO where you fight against others to take control of the mind stone and rule the world.”

“The mind stone? Isn’t that a Marvel thing?”

“They don’t own the term, idiot.”

“You’re the only idiot here, idiot.”

The old man chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. “Will you be purchasing the game, then?”

I considered it for a moment before nodding. “Sure, it sounds interesting. I’m not paying for it anyway so I have nothing to lose.”

Murayama scowled, remembering that he had agreed to pay. “It better not be expensive.”

“Doesn’t matter. Oya Kou’s leader can’t go back on his word.” I snickered, shoving the game against his chest before approaching the counter.

He clicked his tongue in disapproval as he followed after me. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Lucky? I think you mean unlucky. You’re a pain in the ass.”

“And you’re rude as hell. It balances out.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

The old man finally appeared behind the counter, slowly ringing up the purchase. When placed my game in a separate bag, slowly sliding it toward me. “Do be careful, child.”

My brow furrowed in confusion at the warning, a strange feeling of doom settling in my gut. Before I could question it, though, Murayama threw his arm around my neck and started to drag me from the store, complaining about how hungry he was.

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“Mother fucker,” I muttered under my breath, scowling at the TV screen. I was never good at battle royale games and I rarely made it into the top ten. “I died, you’re on your own.”

Murayama clicked his tongue, the sound barely picked up by his microphone. “At least you survived longer than last time. A whole minute and a half! You should be proud.”

I scoffed at his teasing tone. “I hope that duck with the Mohawk murders you and consumes your corpse.”

“Wow, that’s a bit drama – shit!”

I burst out laughing when said duck slaughtered him without much effort.

“You jinxed me!” He complained. “I lost because of you.”

“Tsk, tsk, Shiki. You shouldn’t blame others for your own shortcomings. You gotta own up to that shit.”

“One v one me.”

“Hell no. I’m dumb but not that dumb.”

“Liar.”

“I don’t even know how to respond to that so I’m just gonna switch games.”

“Don’t you dare.”

I hummed, grabbing The Five Grim Kings from its case. “Too late. I’m removing the disc.”

“I’ll kick your ass,” he threatened, but it lacked any real malice.

“Please, you could never beat me.”

Which was, technically, the truth. Both of you were on the same level and when you fought seriously, it ended in a tie every single time. He couldn’t beat me and I could never beat him. It’s super frustrating, but it is what it is.

“Oh no, I’m taking the disc out of the console.”

“Oi, get your ass back here and be my distraction.”

I pretended to think about it for a moment. “Nah. We’ve been playing for five hours, bro, I need a break.”

“Five hours?” He replied in surprise. “No way, it’s been like five minutes.”

“We started at noon. It’s almost 5:30.”

“Your clock is just wrong.” There was the sound of movement over the headset, followed by a moment of silence. “Oh…”

I snorted. “Dumbass.”

He clicked his tongue. “You’re so mean to me. It’s hurtful.”

“Uh huh, sure. You want me to stream this or nah?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright, gimme a minute.”

I was just about to insert the disc when my phone started to buzz from beside me. I muted my mic, removing one side of the headset so I could answer Yamato’s call. “What’s up, boss?”

“There’s been an emergency,” he grunted, sounding tired. “I need you to come in.“

“Seriously?” I groaned, leaning back against the coffee table. “Today’s my day off and it’s late. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No. The client is paying big money for this and we both could use the extra funds. Get your ass down here.” He ended the call.

“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, turning the mic back on. “Oi, I gotta go. Got called into work.”

“Eh~? Just ignore it.”

“Can’t. Yamato would actually fire me this time.”

“Man, imagine having your wealth in someone else’s hands. Couldn’t be me.”

“Because you’re useless,” I snickered. “Later.”

“Don’t kill anyone.”

I left the party, setting my headset on the TV stand. I considered putting the disc back in its case but it was already out so I figured I would save future me the trouble. I popped it into the console before standing up and grabbing my shit, heading out into the cool afternoon.

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I let out a huff as I fell onto the bar stool, scowling at Odake-san. “The usual, please.”

A smile tugged at her lips as she started to prepare my drink. “Long day, hun?”

“The longest,” I sighed out, hanging my head. “This job is kicking my ass.”

She hummed as she set down a glass of chocolate milk before leaning her arms on the bar. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

I grabbed the glass, taking a large gulp before slamming it back on the counter. “My boss is running me ragged, Odake-san! As soon as I get back from one errand, he’s sending me off on another! He also complains that I take too long despite going there and straight back. He’s a tyrant.”

“Who’s a tyrant?”

I stiffened, straightening my back and looking fearfully at Odake before whispering, “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

She giggled with a nod, standing up to start preparing his drink.

I slowly turned on my stool, offering him a grin. “Hey, Yamato. How’s it going? How much did you hear, my guy?”

The tall man rolled his eyes before settling down beside me. “All of it.”

“Ouch.”

“I should fire you.”

“But you’re not gonna because you love me, right?” I grinned, nudging his shoulder.

He sent me a look but didn’t reply, choosing instead to thank Odake for the alcohol. 

I resisted the urge to click my tongue, downing the last of my drink. “Can I get another?”

“Coming right up!”

Yamato shook his head. “I can’t believe you come to a bar to order chocolate milk. You’re an actual child.”

“If I was a child, I wouldn’t be allowed inside the bar.”

“You know what I meant.” He sent me a look. “If Naomi finds out, she’s gonna be upset.”

“Don’t you dare tell her,” I hissed, smacking his shoulder. “It’s nothing personal, I just… the bar has a different vibe and sometimes I just need time away from Sannoh.”

“If Cobra hears that, he’s gonna be -“

“Really?” I deadpanned, making him snicker behind the glass.

“Don’t tease her too much,” chuckled Odake as she set another glass on the counter. “I like her company.”

“I like yours, too,” I nodded, taking the cool glass in my hand. “Thank you, Odake-san.”

She gave me a motherly smile, patting my arm. “Any time.”

After finishing my second glass, I said my goodbyes to the two and headed out into the night, ready to return home and get some sleep. I yawned loudly, rolling my neck. It had been a long day and Yamato expected me at the garage first thing in the morning to meet with a customer, so I couldn’t stay up too late or I’d end up oversleeping. 

Something caught my eye and I paused, taking a step back to get a better look. Whatever it was, it was catching the light of the street lamp, glinting softly. I approached it, glancing around for anyone who may have dropped it but the street was completely empty.

I kneeled down, fingers wrapping around the ice-cold metal so I could inspect it closer. It was a ring made of stainless steel, a black dragon inlaid across the length of it. In the dragon’s claws was a large orb made of sapphire. The blue seemed vibrant against the muted tones of the metal.

“Beautiful,” I breathed out, thumb rubbing gently over the orb. I glanced around again to ensure that no one was around before I slipped it onto my middle finger. The orb started to glow,  the metal growing warm against my skin. “What the -“

A circular wave of blue energy shot out from the ring, the world around me rippling like the surface of water after being disturbed. I prepared myself for what was to come next, but nothing happened. The world returned to normal, the night silent.

“I need sleep,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

When I returned to my apartment, I went straight to the bed, flopping onto it and cuddling the soft blanket Cobra had given me for my birthday. As tired as I was, I figured I could fall asleep pretty easily, but I found myself lying there for over an hour, unable to sleep.

I scowled in annoyance as I pushed myself up, grabbing a soda from the fridge. Caffeine definitely wasn’t something to drink when you wanted to sleep but something told me sleep wasn’t gonna come for me any time soon. Might as well enjoy it.

I plopped down in front of the TV, grabbing the controller. Pressing the home button woke up the TV, showing the title screen of The Five Grim Kings. Murayama would probably bitch about not waiting for him but I was too tired to care. I’d just buy him some ramen and he’d forget about it.

As soon as I pressed the start button, the ring started to glow again. Rather than the warmth I felt before, it felt as if it were on fire and I hissed, trying to tug it off but it was too hot to touch. “The hell?”

The lights started to flicker, the TV screen glitching out. One second, the intro cinematic was clear and, the next, it was so blurry I couldn’t even see what was happening. I shot up with a frown, looking for something I could use to pull the ring off. I settled for the blanket, wrapping it around my finger and tugging hard but it wouldn’t budge. It was as if my finger had swollen, trapping the ring in place.

When I removed the blanket, a beam of light shot from the ring’s orb and into the TV. “What the fu -“

The light exploded, blinding me as it threw me backward. I don’t know what I hit, but it knocked the wind from my lungs, my vision blurring. As I slid down to the ground, my vision dotted with black, my consciousness slipping from my grasp.

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A groan passed my lips as pain shot through my skull. What the hell happened? Why does my body feel so sore?

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.”

My body tensed as I shot up, wide eyes looking around frantically. “Oh my god, I’m in Skyrim?!”

“What is that?”

I looked at the large man sitting across from me, dirt covering his skin and his wrists bound with rope in front of him. I blinked dumbly a few times, slowly looking around. I was in the back of a horse-drawn cart, sure, but the guy sitting up front was no Imperial soldier.

Instead of armor, he was wearing a black robe and rather than being surrounded by trees, we were surrounded by an endless sea of yellow grass.

“I am so confused.”

“Did you hit your head or somethin’?” questioned the man, leaning forward.

“I think so.” I reached up to my head only to realize my wrists were bound, too. “What the fuck is this shit? Why am I tied up?”

“You got caught in Kaxa territory.”

“Kaxa?”

“Kaxarene.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue but he just stared back. “Thank you for clarifying, that definitely clears things up.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I was being sarcastic!”

His brow furrowed. “Sar… castic? What’s that?”

“S… Sarcasm doesn’t exist here? Oh god, I’m gonna die!” I cried dramatically, standing up and trying to yank my hands free. “Let me off this damn thing!”

“Sit down, now!” Snapped the driver, eyes narrowed at me. 

“I refuse! I have rights, ya know!”

“Please sit down, friend! You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“I refuse! Try and kill me, I dare y -” I cried out when the cart came to an abrupt stop, making me lose my balance. The man tried to grab me but he wasn’t fast enough and I fell over the side, landing on the dirt path with an oof.

The driver jumped down, pulling a sword from within his robe. “I’ll save the hangman the trouble with you.”

I scrambled back as best as I could, scowling at him. “Stay away from me! You have no idea what I’m capable of! I’m warning you, man!”

But he didn’t stop advancing, lifting the sword above his head. 

The sound of hoofs pounding the ground made him pause, his eyes lifting to something behind me. I refused to check because I wanted to be able to dodge if he swung the sword at me. The man cursed, turning and rushing back to the cart, slapping the reins as he yelled at the horse to move.

It neighed loudly, taking off like a rocket. 

Horses raced past me after them, kicking up a cloud of dust that had me coughing. 

“Hey, are you okay?” A horse came to a stop in front of me, the man jumping off its back to kneel in front of me. The lower half of his face was covered by a red bandana yet he felt familiar to me. He pulled a knife from his belt, flipping it in his hand before reaching for me.

I scrambled backward until I hit something solid. Looking up, I realized it was the legs of a massive man also wearing a black bandana over his face. He, too, seemed oddly familiar.

“Ah, I’m not going to hurt you, I swear!” replied the first guy, holding his hands up. “I’m just gonna cut the rope.”

The second man reached down, grabbing my shoulder with one hand and easily hoisting me to my feet. “We don’t know who she is. She could be with Kaxa.”

“But she’s tied up. Why would they tie up one of their own?”

“To keep their identity hidden.”

My eyes snapped to the side as a third man appeared, blonde hair covering his forehead and dark eyes. I knew that voice well. “Cobra?”

His eyes widened in surprise before narrowing suspiciously. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

“The hell are you talking about?” I scowled. “It’s me. Is this some kind of prank or something because it’s super elaborate and I hate it.”

“Be quiet,” hissed the second man, gripping my shoulder tightly.

“That fuckin’ hurts, bro, damn.” I tried to pull away but his grip was like iron. Wait a minute… I looked at him, squinting at his half covered face. It took a moment for it to click in my brain. “Yamato?”

“Don’t act like you know me,” he hissed, ripping the bandana down to his neck.

“Wait, then that means…” My eyes fell on the first guy, still holding the knife. “Chiharu?”

Chiharu tugged down the bandana, looking confused. “How do you know me?”

“Chiharu only just joined us,” Yamato muttered, sending the blonde a look. “No one should know him unless…”

“They’re from Oya Lions,” finished Cobra, closing the distance between us.

“Oya Lions?” My brow furrowed. Did that idiot go and change the name of the school without telling me? I shook my head, lifting my hands. “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on but I am not your enemy, Cobra. I would never betray you!”

“Cobra look.” Yamato grabbed my wrist, showing off the ring.

“That’s…” Cobra’s eyes widened and he tugged down the bandana. “Where did you get that?”

“I found it on the street. Thought it was cool but now I can’t get the damn thing off.”

“She’s… she’s the chosen one!” whispered Chiharu, looking at me with wonder.

“Chosen one?” I laughed, shaking my head. “Nah, fam. If I’m your chosen one, you’re all fucked. There’s no way anyone would be dumb enough to make me someone that important.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.”

My head snapped to the side, growing wide. It was the only man from the game store, but he looked different. He was taller, for one, his back straight. Luscious white locks flowered from his head, falling to his shoulders. Standing on either side of him were Kohaku and Tsukumo.

“You,” I breathed out, my brain slowly piecing it together. I scowled, rushing toward him. “You did this, didn’t you?!”

Kohaku stepped forward, brandishing a sharp looking sword that made me stop dead in my tracks. “Not another step.”

“Does everyone in this damn world have a sword?” I complained, glaring at the old man. “Oi, what the hell is going on? What did you do to me?”

“I merely opened the portal to get you here,” explained the man as he stepped closer, patting Kohaku on the shoulder. He instantly relaxed, though his gaze did not leave me. “The ring chose you.”

“Well, I don’t choose it. Get this damn thing off me and send me home!”

“You can’t go!” cried Chiharu, rushing up to my side and giving me a pleading look. “Please, chosen one. If you don’t help us, the Kaxarene will destroy everything!”

Yamato scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “We’re doing fine without her. We don’t need the help.”

“Oh, but you do, my boy,” stated the old man with a frown. “You’ve no idea the darkness that’s coming.”

“What do you mean, Niramo?” Cobra took a step toward him, his brow furrowed in concern. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“I’m afraid I cannot say.” Niramo lowered his head in apology before his gaze landed on me. “However, I can tell you that this one is the one who will help bring light back to Dragophire. It will never be whole again, but it can be healed by the one who possesses the power of the King’s Ring.”

Everyone looked at me expectantly and I swallowed nervously. “You guys are so fucked…”

━━━━━━༻🕯༺━━━━━━

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy -> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

coming soon!

You don't know what's going through her head. And you won't know. It might be a dangerous place to be. Full of blood, dark corners and pain. Or maybe it's a place full of...

"Unicorns!" Yelled black haired as she jumped in front of her seatmate in the classroom, big smile decorating her pale face and a notebook with mentioned creatures in her hands. "I found it in the shop next to our school. Ain't they cute?"

"Mary...." Red haired looked at her friend and sighed. "You're almost an adult, behave like one."

"But I love unicorns." Opposed Mary and gently caressed the cover of her notebook. "They make me smile. Just say they are pretty. Please....🥹 Oli."

"Fine." The girl called Oli rolled her eyes, looked at her friend and murmured. "Unicorns are pretty. Happy now?"

"Yes!" If I tell you Mary looked like a little kid who got a candy that's exactly what I mean.

The lesson started with the teacher coming in, so both girls focused on the board.

Well, Oli wasn't so focused on the lesson as she was focused on her seatmate. Her dark eyes were scanning every feature of Mary that was unaware of being observed, her whole attention was cumulated on the notes she was taking. Black hair falling down her back and the sides of her face, hiding it from unknown stares. Blue eyes following the writing on the pages of the notebook with unicorns. Long fingers holding the black pen, leading it to create words on the paper. And the long sleeves of the school uniform that made everyone in the school look the same, no one is better, no one is worse.

Oli's eyes stopped at the arms of the girl next to her who didn't raise a head when the teacher asked for the answer to her question. To think of it, she's never seen Mary in short sleeved clothes. She's never seen her at school in spring or the beginning of summer, she would always stop coming.

'Maybe she's got an allergy or something.' Thought Oli and looked at her empty pages that in comparison to Mary's were a big loss.

"Do you wanna come over?" Black haired whisper shooshed away Oli's thoughts.

When their eyes met, red haired saw the fire in blue irises of her friend's. They've never met out of school, in either of their houses, so it was a bit of a surprising offer. But with no control over her movements, Oli was nodding slowly.

"Sure, I'd love that."

This answer brought a smile to Mary's face, she looked like a little kid.

.

"Do you have a tissue?" Mary sat at her chair and faced Oli with a smile then pointed at her blouse on which were red dots and splashes. "I spilled my strawberry jam on my hoodie."

"You clumsy kid." Oli put her hand in the bag and handed her friend a pack of tissues. "Here you are."

"Thanks! You're the best!" Before wiping out the stains, Mary hugged her seatmate.

"I know." Laughed Oli and shook her head.

The bell rang but the moment all of the students sat by their desks, the teacher came in running out of breath.

"Classes dismissed. All of you, go home." And he left.

Saying that everyone in the room was shocked isn't enough. They were terrified and surprised. But happy at the same time.

"I've never seen him act like that." Said a boy at the back of the room.

"He looked like he'd seen a ghost." Added blond haired girl and her friend nodded in agreement.

"Someone got killed in the bathroom!" A young boy ran by the door and headed towards the exit, his backpack swinging from side to side on his back.

"What?" Everyone got up from their seats and ran to the bathroom, to find out more about the sudden situation and to check the information.

"Someone was brave enough to kill someone in the school bathroom." Boys were whispering amongst themselves with smiles on their faces. "I wanna know who did that."

"Yeah, me too." Mary joined the conversation with a smile. "Maybe aliens."

"Or Ted Bundy's descendant."

The whole class stopped a few meters away from the bathroom, the teachers were inside with medical workers, and were trying to see the body of the victim. They were climbing on each other's backs to have a better view.

"What are you doing here?" The maths teacher came from behind them and made them all look at her. "Go home, now."

"Yes, ma'am." Everyone turned on their hills and politely walked away, throwing glances at the bathroom from time to time.

"Do you think red suits you?" Asked Mary and looked at Oli who looked rather scared than happy.

.

"Welcome." Black haired opened the door to her room and let Oli came in first.

The room was a lot different from any room that red haired has ever seen. The floor, walls and the ceiling were covered in white tiles. The bed was white, sheets as well. Everything was white and looked a lot like a cell in a psych ward.

"I know what's going on in your head." Mary stopped the stream of thoughts in Oli's mind and locked the door. "Why does my room look like that?"

Red haired slowly nodded surprised that her friend easily read her thoughts. Was it that visible?

"It's easier to clean up the blood." Answered calmly Mary with a big smile on her lips that showed her fangs...fangs? Since when has she had fangs?

"Blood?" Oli didn't believe what she heard.

"Yeah." Black haired opened one of her drawers and took out a big, shiny knife. "Blood. You think who had killed this fucker in the bathroom? Me. It was all me. And the stains on my hoodie? It was a strawberry jam, that's his blood. Now ask. Ask why did I kill him."

Dangerous fire was shining in Mary's eyes, something that Oli has never seen.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Thanks for asking. Let me think." Black haired touched her lips with a peak of the knife. "Hmmm...he was a douchebag, a pervert, a dumbass. He was a parasite. No one needed him."

Mary made one step towards Oli who backed the same amount of distance. Was she scared? Well, yes.

"Now I'll do the same to you." Sweet voice of Mary disappeared, now low, harsh words were leaving her lips freezing the air in the room. "I'll cut deep into you, enjoying every cut, every stab, every blood drip. I'll be laughing as you were crying for help. You know why? Because you are annoying. You always were underestimating me. You thought I'm a stupid kid who likes unicorns? You were looking down on me because of that. I hate you. I've always done. I only need your pretty face to finish my collection. Now you will end on my shelf, next to others like you, those who underestimated me."

In a second the white room turned into a red room. White tiles changed colour to reddest red. The sheets soaked in blood. Pale face of the killer was covered in blush and red stains that made her look psychotic. The irises were big, big as big is the moon.

"Suffer." Whispered Mary with a smile as her fingers dug into a wound on Oli's belly. "Suffer as much as I suffered through all those years."

With a quick pull, black haired took out her friend's guts in accompany of Oli's screams and Mary's laughing. The intestines were around the bleeding body, making the room look like a big mosaic.

"Now I'll take your pretty face."

With those words still on her lips, Mary sat on Oli's weak shoulders and grabbed her chin to keep the face in place.

"I want you to feel everything as I take your precious beauty from you." Whispered black haired with a smile as her knife sunk in the skin of Oli's cheek. "Understand what it means to have everything be taken from you."

.

"Perfect." Said Mary as her new trophy hang on the wall. "The collection is now full."

With a smile on her face, black haired headed downstairs to the kitchen where here parents were sitting with a cake on the table.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Said both of them with smiles and slid the plate closer to Mary who clapped her hands as she saw the unicorn on the top of the cake.

"Thank you! I totally forgot." Her smile was genuine, as well as her enthusiasm.

"We hope today was and will be good for you." Added the father and a mother nodded in agreement.