[@Zenphilvian] [@demonspade64] [@banjoanjo] [@Suku] [@HereComesTheSnow] [@DJAtomika] [@chukklehed] [@Mistress Dizzy] --- [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMbLyzqImo][b]Act I - The Prelude Part II[/b][/url] The school clock tower, sometimes referred to as the 'central spire', was located in the middle of the main school building, a lofty and majestic testament to the prosperity enjoyed by Uchima Senior High. It was for this reason that at the very top of the spire rested the office of the school's headmaster, whose duty was to improve the fortunes of the school as much as possible as if he was a god shining his light upon the students from far above. Indeed, when coupled with the presence of a great cast bell and the complicated mechanisms that kept the clock system running without fail, it was quite clear that the clock tower was [i]the[/i] symbol of the school's glory. Of its pride in its students. A shame, then, that it was associated with so much negativity. Sixteen years ago, when Uchima Senior High burned, the original clock tower fell, its supports engulfed by the flames and left to scatter to the four winds as little more than black ash. It was thoroughly carbonised, the pride of the school brought low by a wild, rampaging maelstrom of heat and light. Eight students died that day, and although the tower was rebuilt into its current form, the horrible memories from the turn of the millennium still lingered on. They were evident in the eerie black markings that were scratched into the bottom of the tower's stairwell. Scars in the school that would not heal. Black, shadowy burns. It was this dead end, this small space at the bottom of the school clock tower, that the muddled memories and impressions contained with Kaede Yamamoto's mind had led him towards. Except ... there was nothing there. Just those charred markings, remnants of the disaster from long ago. There was no Okazaki. No Oogami. No Hanzawa. No Sasaki. None of them were there. None of his friends were present. [i]Drip.[/i] [i]Drip.[/i] [i]Drip.[/i] The blood wasn't drying. It continued to drip off Yamamoto's back, dull crimson slowly pooling beneath his feet. This was tͭͧ͜͟͜͜͜h̴̻͘͜͜͜͜e̡̍̑͜͜͜͜ ĕ̖ͭ͜͜͜͜n̖᷁̍͜͜͜͜t̨̛̯͜͜͜͜r̷᷆͜͜͢͜͜a̢̱ͣ͜͜͜͜n̎̇̌͜͜͜͜c᷾ͨ͜͜͜͜͡e̳̤̍͜͜͜͜,͜ w͜a͜s͜n͜'͜t͜ i͜t͜?͜ This was where h̷̘͇᷿̏ͮ᷀ï̧̬̤͇̦̓s̸̵͇͙̬̔̿ m̤̫͇͚̻͍ͬe̵̘͇͙̿ͥͅm͇᷀ͮͣ̏᷄̕o͇̓᷆̒̏̔᷁ř̝͉͇̰̠᷊̋̆į̞̖̲͇̈᷀e̴̹̙͇̩͋͑s͇͇̉̐ͧ̀͡ had lead him to. Where his instinct had dragged him towards. Something important was here. The air grew thick and heavy. Humid. As if it were the monsoon season. Here, in the darkest part of the clock tower. Here, surrounded by the charring of a long ago fire. Here- [color=fff200][right][i][b] s̴̽̇̅͆̈͟t̼̭͊̅ͣ̅ͦÌ̝͛᷁̅ͮ͜Ļ᷿́ͤ̓̅̅l̸̛̰ͤ̌̅͞ a̮̗᷃̅͛͘ͅL̴̻̻̲᷾̅́i̙͚̒̓̅ͧ̉V̝̲ͪͭ̌̅̃E̵̬͎᷊̿̅᷈?̤͍͎̤᷃̅̍̐̃[/b][/i][/right][/color] And th- ti- -me the world [right][i]Bedenke, dass du sterben musst.[/i][/right] yellow green white black wave of darkness overwhelming Everything turning into blACk [color=fff200][b]sickly golden eyes[/b][/color] [right]"[i]Watch out.[/i]"[/right] The floor disappeared it started falling A swarm of blue. Glittering in the darkness. Wings. Flapping. They rose. They rose to meet the falling ones. Butterflies. Dreamlike. Ethereal, intangible. Dancing, a tornado of warm blue light. And below them, below them were the dark. Cold. Mumbling incessantly. Golden eyes. Reaching out with tendrils. Oozing emotion. [right][i]r̵̛̛͎͆͂́̾̎͑̓̒͂ͦ͜ư̵̧̛͈̭͎̩͇̘᷄᷅̎᷁͡n̷̨̛̛͈̳̫̯̊̋᷃̎ͯͭ͠ i̛͙͇͌̈͏̨̎͋͏̴̛̅͊͝t̛̛̺̼̞̹̤̦̫͈̒͐̎ͧ̇ h̛̛̠̙̙͍̤͉̄ͪ᷇̎̌͘͝ů̇͏̸̡̛̛̳̪̋̎̉͂̈̈r̶̛̛̬͍͚̬̘᷁̈̑̎͂͗͂t̛᷂̟͗̄͏̛͍̱ͩ̎̒ͤͪ̉ṣ̛̛̞̯̺̙̒ͮ͊̎ͦ̆̃͟ ḭ̛̛̞̻̗̌̉̎ͥ́ͩ͛͂͘t̛̛͕̲̲ͨ͆̐͗̎᷇̈͆ͤ͟ h̛̛̝̠ͥ᷆̓᷅̎ͪ᷅ͯ͒᷁ͅư̛᷿̦̘᷿̥̱͚͓̅ͭ̎͛᷉r̡̛̛̼̣̱̊᷄̎ͩ̒͐̑̆͘t̵̶̛̛̰᷊̖̍ͥ̑̎ͥ͋᷉͝s̨̛̛̬͋̓ͣ̓̎̍̏ͣ᷆͝͝ i̛̛᷊̠͚̜̦̪ͩ̍᷾ͧ̎̔ͥt̛̛̝̖̗͉̝̭̿̎͛ͪͤͬ᷈ h̵̨̛̛̙̼̠͌͆̓̎̈́̅̿̎u͏̡̛̛᷂᷿᷆̊̎̇́̕͘͜͟r̶̛̛͇̗͖̎̆᷄̎̕͢͠͡͝t̨̛̛̜̮͂ͨ̎̐̇̐̓͞͞ͅs̷̷̛̛̳̗̎᷀᷾᷆᷀̎̌᷅͞ ş̨̛̛̳͔̤̫ͯ̒̑̎̿̎ͧa̛̛̪̜̘͒ͧ̑̓̎ͫ᷃̈͟͠v̛̛̪̞̲̂̔̐̎᷇̈᷉͗͜͟e̛̛̲̗̝᷿̙̟͗ͭ̎̎̌ͨ͠ m̸̛̛͉᷿᷊̹͒̇̃̎̒̃ͮͯe̴̛̛̛̝ͤ̽̋̇̎̃͆ͭͦ͞ p̛͚ͯ͊͗ͯ᷇̎᷾͏̛̙̼̓̈l̷̛̛͉̮᷊̳͔͇̟ͧ̎ͬ͝͞ê̛̛̟̖̰ͧ̓͛̎̔ͪͨͥ͡a̢̛̛̟̠̟̟̾̎ͦ͂᷅̿͠͡ş̛̛͎͇̫̭̝́͗᷄̎̓̽̇e̛̛͈͓̲̲̗͛᷇̓̎̒̀ͥ͟ p̛̛̛̹͚̘͗͒̀̎̿͐̄̇͟ľ̨̛̛͇̥͔̤̠͖̝̎᷅ͬ̕e̛̛͇͎͎̞̳ͣ͂̈͌̎̊͗̑a̷̛̛̝̳̣̳̯ͥ᷁̎᷆̈̔̕s̵̛̛̮͇̱̼̘͉͑̿̎ͮ᷄̔e̛̛̠̜̬͊̓ͧ̑̎̌͋̃͂ͬ p̶̛̛̠̘͉̭᷾̈̎̽̓ͧ͠͠l̫̽͏̢̛̛̘͔̻̉̎ͨ᷾͢ͅe̷̛̛̦̟͇̩᷁ͧ͆̌̄̎̂ͨa̛̛̯̩᷿̻̬͇ͭ᷁᷄̎ͩ͞͠ş̨̛̛̪̹̰̖᷿̪̎͋͐̕͟e̷̴̡̛̛̱͙̙̹̖᷾̅̌̎᷃ ḩ̛̛᷂̻̯ͧ͊̇̎̋̉̏͟͜eͥ᷃͏̸̶̛̛͍̥͓᷉̎ͨͧ̄l̷̛̛̲᷿̏᷇᷇̃ͮ̎᷅͂̀̾p̶̛̛͍̖͉͖᷊ͮͯ᷃̌̎͞ͅ ỉ̵̛̛͈̹̉̄̎̓͌᷆͘͘͘ d̛͈͋̄͏̛̫̰̲̎ͥ̾̿̈͟ơ̢̛͇᷂̹͙᷿̌̌̎ͬͦ͡͠ṇ̛̛͔̠̠̈̈̌̎̍̿᷇͢͢'̛̛̱̠͔᷅ͯ̀ͪ͗̎̍ͮ̑͠t̷̛̛̺͓̙ͫ᷀ͮ̎͒᷁᷃͊͡ w̡̛̛̜̰͍̖͍͔᷁͐̎ͬͧ͡ạ̛̛̩̦͎ͦ᷁͆̎̅̏͑̃͠n̵ͭ͏̛̛̥̜̎᷁ͣ͗᷁̚͠͠t̸̛̛̘͖̄̈͊̎̉͒͂̚͞͡ t̷̛̛̺᷿̗̱̣͚̂̆̎̃͘͟ơ̸̶̡̛̳͔̈̈́̾̑̎̉ͨ͞ ď̨̛̛ͫ̄̿̎͊̅᷉̐ͫͅͅì̡̛̻̪᷃͏̶̢̛̛͙̎͐᷇e̴̛̛͚̬̞͔̞̦̯͋̎͊᷉͢ w̷̧̛̛̖͑͌̒̎᷇̉᷁̊̏ͅh̛̛̺̯̤͇̝͉̯̞᷈̍̎̾̕y̴̵̡̛̛̤᷂̯̦̒̑̎᷉̈́̈́ d̵̛̛͈̳͇̥̲ͬͩ᷉̎̔͢͠ơ̛͍̝̗̜̲̘͛̄̍̎̔̎͊n̢̢̛̛̬͍̦̈́ͤ͗̃̎᷀̔͘'̶̷̛̛̦̀ͧͤ̀̎ͨ̃ͦ͜ͅẗ̴̛̛͈̥̥̗́͂̆̎͗᷅̑͢ y̛̛̯͙̺᷀᷅̎͑͏̛̣̒̅͜ơ̧̛̦̰ͪ̐͑͌̎ͭ̋̎̓͞ư̴̧̛̙̺ͭͦ̒᷇̎̇̎̃͑ j̛̛͓̦̯͓͈̤͍̔̃̾̎̋̓ư̵̴̛̲͂̍᷇ͫ̎̍͑͡͠͡s̵̢̛̛͉̩᷊͚͂᷀̎ͩ́͜͡t̵̛̛̛̲͋̑́᷃̎᷁̋̈͜ͅ l̵̛̛̞̞̪̗̣᷃͑̎̅᷀᷅̾e̵̛̛̠̙͚͇̍᷇̂̎ͣͭ̑̒a̛̛̼̲̖ͭ́͊᷾̎̈᷄̈᷈̄v͏̛̛᷂᷂͖̽͗̊̎᷈̂̉͟͞e̛̬ͧ᷉͏̢̛̙́̎̐᷆̽̚̚ m̸̛̛̟̗̦͓̯᷂̌̆̈́̎̄̏e͏̛̛̻͖͙ͨ̊̾̎ͭ͗͂̆͞ a̵̧̛̛͚͍͚͈ͭ̒̅̎᷀̄͗l̛̛̛͍̮̳͚̲᷄̄̎͛ͦ̂̒ơ̷̴̛̟̗͇᷂͌ͦ̎̓̂̈́̈ṇ̷̸̛̛̭̻͚᷂͒̆̎̓ͩ̕ę̛̛͈̯ͭ̃͗̊́̎ͧͣͬ͜ į̶̛̛᷂᷊̽͌͆̌̎̒̐͌ͅ ḩ̴̷̛̛̪̺᷃̽̊̎̓᷄̆͡a̷̛̛̱̩̼̖̽͋ͯͣ́̎᷀̎t̛̛̻̗͔̥ͤ̊̎ͪͯ̾ͤ̋͞e̛̛͕̦̺̳̬᷈̾̔ͩ᷈̎᷁᷇ ỵ̛̛̛̗̦̎͑̎͌ͤͥ̚͜͠ơ̡̛̜͚᷊̭̝ͭ̎᷀̿̒ͤ̚ử̛͙̗̺̯ͫ͒᷇᷁ͨ̎ͭ᷅ ņ̵̛̛̛̟̤͕̥̭̘̘̠͆᷄̎᷾̎̏̉ͩ᷅̔ơ̵̛͎̻̰᷂͌́̎̌̄ͦͨ͢ ṡ̛̛̭̞̱̗̄̍̎᷅͗̑̕͡a̛̛̻᷊̼̝͓̐̒ͯ̎᷾ͮ̃͜v̶̛̺᷊̅ͭ̎͜͏̛͔ͥ̋̃͞ę̛̛̬̮̗͍᷅̌̿̎᷈᷀ͤͅ m̸̛͆̍͏̧̛̛͈̅ͬ̎ͮ͗᷄ḙ̵̛̛̤̦̲̏̎ͯ᷈̆̿̕͜ d̛̛̯̳͙̄ͥ̎̍͂᷃ͩ͊͠͞ơ̸̸̧̛̜᷿̄͊ͪ̎̑̔̿͂n̡̛̛͙̳̱̦ͥ̒̒̎͆̑̎͡'̸̸̶̛̛̛͎̘̤᷿̎̓͌ͤ͝t̛̛᷂͈̳̬ͤ̾͋᷃̎͆᷾̓͡ ç̛̛᷂̭̪ͥ̑ͮ̿̎᷀̓̋ͅơ̴̛͇̤̹̳̘͛̇̎ͭ͒᷆ͅm̸̛̛̮̤͈̙ͤ̊̊͗̎᷆ͯ͊e̛̛̬̪̫̲̻ͤͥ͊͗̎ͧ͂᷅ b̶̛̛᷿᷊̹̋᷀ͮ᷁̎̅͟͠͠a̛̛᷅̓ͬ͠͏̛̘̰̎᷇̾ͤ͡c̛̛̗᷿̗᷊̖͈͋ͭ̓̅̑̎̾᷃̃k̛̛͎͌᷆ͧ᷄̎͒͑᷃̋̌͡͞ ẙ̛̛̳̹᷂͕̗͍̈́͐̎͐̂̈́ơ̛̘̮̗͔̑͊̎͂̋̅̕͟͡ư̶̛͔̫᷊͓̞᷿̋̎̎͠͞͝'̧̛̛͎͈̙́ͩͨͩͯ̎͋᷉̓r̛̛᷿̹̼̠̘̎̓᷀̓̃̕͢͞ẻ̛̛̛͖̹͓̣̌ͫ᷆̃̎᷾̚ n̷̛̛͕͖̞̻̂͒́̎̽̌̊͜ơ̴̛̱̮̖̘ͪ͛́̿ͭ̎ͬ͝t̴̛̛̥̻͇̥᷁̐̎̈̒ͥͯ͝ m̛̛̜̠͍͔̬͒̎̓̽̉̿͘ͅe̵̡̛̛̗̱̼̓᷈̎̒᷃̚͡͝ y̛̛͇̬͖̭͍͈̩̎̎͆̾͡͡ơ̛͎̮̗̯͕̈̍̎̿ͯ̓̇͘ư̛͇̲̣᷄᷃͑ͮ̏̎̅᷾ͫ͝'̶̛̛̪͕̦͚͊ͥ᷈̎͐̍ͫ͟r̵̢̛̛̿᷀ͩ̋᷾̎̾̀ͤ͠͡ë̛̛̪̬́᷀͋̎ͬ͂̂̓ͥ͜͝ n̡̛̛̙͙͙᷿̪ͪ᷀̑̎̍̊͞ơ̛͚̘͗ͯ̑᷅̒̎ͣ̋ͮ᷀̚t̛̛̜̬̄ͣ͂ͬ͂̎̇̈́͗̉̏[/i][/right] They could taste Yamamoto's despair. They could sense the potential of those who followed in his path. They could see them fall closer and closer and closer into their hands. The butterflies became a bed of light. A bed of light for them to land upon. A bed of light for them to rest upon. A bed of light to protect them. Yet they still came. The dark. It came for them. For their prey. For their second chance. [right]"[i]A simple test; can you state your name?[/i]"[/right] And the darkness attacked.