[b][color=crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Date Nobu [b][color=crimson]Location:[/color] [/b]Outskirts - Jitsuryoku-hima's Cemetery (?) It is because of this line of thinking that you are considered to be a weirdo, a black sheep amongst the members of your class. Whereas the normal human being would have either allowed themselves to be frightened by the implications of the date inscribed on the gravestone or pretended it was no more than a joke or perhaps a mistake, you went straight to the numbers and their supposed meaning, creating a connection that, to the untrained eyes, would never exist. Regardless of whether you are a genius or a complete idiot, it goes without saying that the words that escaped your mouth moments ago would do no good to your image. Or, at least, that should have been the case if the one kneeling in front of you was a normal person. And Murai Chikako is anything but. After all, there is hardly any mundane in the island who holds as much knowledge of the supernatural without being directly affiliated with it. [i]"..."[/i] The girl does not reply, but her face manifests slight signs of irritation. The meaning behind the number one hundred and thirty seven is not exactly easy to explain when one does not have a specific topic to relate it to. Its a magical number not just associated with mysticism but science and religion as well. While someone like Sazae Yokoi would have been able to elaborate on it plenty (maybe making things up along the way), Chikako is not as talkative. It looks like she will not give you the answers you seek, at least not until you can somehow narrow down your search. Hell, that's what you can assume given the circumstances. Though the girl does not utter a single word, you are pretty sure she's not mute, so she must have a reason to keep her mouth shut. [img]https://i.imgur.com/CzS8jWh.jpg?1 [/img] [b]Chikako:[/b] [i]"Predictions indicate that A.I. will be able to fully blend in with humans by 2047"[/i] ---All of a sudden. Your schoolmate says something strange in a manner that defies the laws of her usual self. Chikako is quiet and usually limits herself to using only a couple of words to communicate. This time, however, she has spoken an entire sentence as if she had been reading a headline from a newspaper article. Perhaps what's more intriguing is that it has nothing to do with the paranormal, per se. Creating an A.I. with said capabilities is something humanity will do, eventually. It might take thirty years, it might take a hundred, but if technology is allowed to advance without brakes, then the time will come. If that's the case, then why...? Is this girl even sane...? Instead of giving you the answers to the questions you saw desire, though, the world goes ahead and rewards your intellectual efforts with the worst encounter possible. [i]"Heh, I knew waiting near one of the spawn points wouldn't be a bad idea. Newbies always bring goodies with them."[/i] The figure of a man emerges from the shadows and from a distance you can already tell that he means trouble. Your attention is immediately drawn to the dirty clothes he's wearing and then towards the knife in his hand. A homeless man... That is seemingly about to rob you. [i]"Okay kid, put everything -Food, electronics, whatever- on your bag and hand it over. Do it and I promise I'll hurt neither you nor the princess over there"[/i] At first glance, there is nothing that separates this man from the ordinary criminal you'd see on the streets from time to time and the words he speak do little to indicate otherwise. That said, the moment he takes a step closer, your opinion changes. Though he's clearly making an effort not to show it, he looks desperate. Who knows what he may do if you don't do as he says. [hr][b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Tsuchihana Ren & Amano Ayane & Amisaki Kyou [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Location Unknown - Parking lot (?) [@Kyuuzen]Chanelling all the courage you can muster, you decide it will be your job to check what lies on the other side of the ambulance's back door. While there is no reason to believe it'll be anything bad, a feeling of dread washes over you as you reach for its handle. The reality you once knew is no more and you've seen it collapse with your own eyes. Your mind knows this and intends to take advantage of it, luring your thoughts towards an image of the worst case scenario. It hurts to admit it, but even if you aren't as expressive about this sort of thing, it wouldn't be a mistake to say that you're as scared as Arata is. Eventually, you take a deep breath and open it, relaying on the rest of your teammates to provide illumination. Inside you find no human nor creature, but several signs of life. Used blankets, spare (possibly expired) food and a notebook. Though it initially defies your past notion of common sense, it appears that someone has been using this ambulance as their second home. In the end, your findings aren't exactly as useful to your cause as you would have expected, but urged to find some clues, you venture into the ambulance itself. Ignoring expendable items, you go straight for the notebook. Invading someone else's privacy is not really your cup of tea, but perhaps it would shed some light on what's going on. The moment your hand touches the notebook... A strange feeling to the touch informs you that something is not right and you immediately pull back your hand to safety, startling everyone else in the process. Though it's a small quantity, your hand now has blood in it, and it's fresh. Whoever lives there must have left, injured, only a few minutes before your arrival, otherwise the blood would have been dry. Worried, the Student Council President asks you to join them outside and you are urged to obey. You leave everything as is and get out of the ambulance. As soon as you do, the girl recklessly dives into the vehicle herself. Being confident and brave like few others, there's not stopping Kiyoko when she's like this. She comes back a few seconds later with the notebook in hand. It looks like she used a sheet to wipe off the crimson substance. You all gather to read its contents under the combined light of your cellphones. Turns out the notebooks is pretty much a diary and is organized in several entries, a lot of which are illegible or have been outright torn off. [list] [*] I don't know where I am. I am scared... And I cannot seem to be able to contact anyone. Oh God, the skies... What the hell is this place? [*] I've been doing my best to get by on my own. It's always dark, it's always night. I'm beginning to lose track of how much time has passed since I woke up inside this building. [*] Finally, I came across a group of survivors. Apparently, they arrived here long before I did and they are being kind enough to show me the ropes. According to them, this 'world' is called 'The Land of Shadows'. Creepy, huh? [*] I want to leave, but they say it’s a bad idea. It’s okay, though, I know someone who can help me. [*] Seeing a barricade has been erected at the entrance, I came down to the parking lot looking for another way out, but there's none, damn it-! That kid lied to me! [*] Hahaha-! It looks they can't come down here. I guess I've found a safe-zone of sorts. So long as I stay down here... They can't hurt me. [*] I heard their screams today and I did n-o-t-h-i-n-g~! Screams of fear, screams of pain, screams of agony! They got what they deserved and it was a bliss![/list] [color=crimson][b]Everyone's sanity -1[/b][/color] Evidence suggest that the author’s mental health will only continue to deteriorate from that point forward. You figure it's for the best to leave it there... [hr][b][color=Crimson]Player Characters:[/color][/b] Amari Hideaki & Sazae Yokoi & Tanaka Amélie [b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Shopping District (?) - Mazonix With Amélie acting as the vanguard, the group quietly moves through the expansive halls of the Shopping Mall. The more you walk, however, the more disturbing changes in your surroundings you manage to detect. At first it's the occasional barricade at the entrance of a shop, which is something your mind can overlook given the amount of riots that appear to have taken place, but when your eyes catch claw and bite marks on one wall and designs drawn in what appears to be blood in another, you have to pause and consider whether you are headed in the right direction. [@Seirei No Hai] Out of curiosity, you leave Natsumi's side for a moment and decide to approach one of these drawings. The reason for doing so is simple: Without a shadow of a doubt, this has to be a magic circle-! The outer layer contains words written in a language you cannot understand, most likely ancient hebrew. But what draws your attention the most is the drawing contained within the circle. At first glance, it looks like a regular circle with a fancy design, perhaps an attempt to despict a hurricane. However, close inspection reveals the real message. It's dragon -or a lizard- chasing after its own tail with the intent of eating it. Now that's definitely familiar. Isn't that the symbol for-? ---Ugh... You are forced to take a couple steps back. Not by an invisible force, but rather the horrible stench that comes from it. Was this really drawn using blood? It almost seems surreal. You'd need a considerable amount to be able to create such an elaborate design, let alone repeat it all over the place. ... You decide not to delve on the thought for too long. [@Duthguy]Doing your best to remain calm despite the madness that seems to surround you, you make a honest effort to stay clear from any suspicious marking or logos. As the group's advance comes to a halt, you claim an empty bench and use the time to practice some stress-relief exercises in order to remain calm. Right next to it is one of those tube-fashioned trash bins. There is a sticky note attached to it. It reads: 'use only during an emergency'. You are left puzzled by the meaning behind the message. [@Vertigo]You venture a little ahead and reach a crossroad. If your memory serves you right and assuming everything is the same, a turn to the right and a walk of about a hundred meters should take the group straight to the exit. For an island so small, Mazonix sure is huge. ---Ah. Your body moves before you can even process it. Normally, you'd be eager to meet new people, but instinctively understanding the danger of being approached by a number of shady invididuals wearing dark robes, your legs quickly throw you out of their field of vision just in time. Following your example, Toru silently does the same. Unfortunately, the rest of the group isn't as nimble. [@Seirei No Hai][@Duthguy]They've taken notice of you. Without saying a word, two cultists begin to advance towards the group, while the rest (two other people) decide to remain stationary. Fear takes over. It's strange but you can hear the sound of your heart beating. Its rhythm increases the moment a bloody hood emerges from under one of the men's sleeves. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Q1Ma2Ig.jpg?1[/img] [color=crimson][b]Encountered Cultist x4[/b][/color][/center]