[@Savo][@Suku][@JBRam2002]

[b]NPC: Jihei Okazaki - Kendo Clubroom, Practice Building???[/b]

There was nothing inside.

Even with the constant, painful drumbeat rattling off in his skull, Okazaki could still muster up enough focus to shoot a glance towards the empty space where Alexander had chosen to swipe at, the sound of the baton rushing through the stagnant air fading away like the noise of a room after a joke failed to land. Given the worries and rising tension of the others as they had approached the entrance to the clubroom, the revelation of there being nothing was almost anticlimactic.

A poor ending to a scene.

"I guess we will be borrowing your club's weapons, Isami-san," he said, before taking a moment to press two fingers against his temple. The headache was intensifying. It was very much his hope that the emergency exit not too far away could give them a chance to escape, if only for the pain to stop. "You are more familiar with where everything is stored, so would you mind taking them out?"

He looked towards the emergency exit, a simple door mere steps away. They simply needed to check if it was the correct path for their escape.

[hr][b]?????????[/b]

His vision was blurring.

His breath was ragged. His legs were numb.

His blood was rushing. He could hear his heartbeat as loud as a thundercloud.

It drowned out the noise of his steps. The noise of aging wood underneath running feet.

It hurt to run.

Yet he kept running.

He had to keep running.

He would still have control of the situation if he could just keep running. The situation. It had to be okay. He wouldn't fail. Ignore the weakness of his body. Ignore the pain stabbing into his feet. Ignore the wheezing. Just keep running. That was his responsibility.

Turn the corner. Don't crash. He can't be late.

He won't fail.

Can't fail.

It was coming. It was his responsibility to stop it.

To not fail again.

Stop.

Don't remember.

Three still left.

Keep running.

Don't be late.