The threat of disappearing? Who heard of it? Certainly not this group of kids who were walking around the city streets after a fun session of karaoke. Kauro was chatting and laughing with his group of friends, talking about latest celebrity news, fads, and gossip. After zoning out like he had done so previously back on campus, he was making a concerted effort to be involved and make sure no one suspected his behavior though his sharp eyes were looking for any sign of the strange figure rumored to be about. Everything felt so normal, and yet he could not shake the feeling that there was something wrong. 

The sound of a heartbeat shook his body, except it wasn't his. It did not feel like it was his. Somehow, it was as if he could feel the heartbeat of the world itself. It was sickening. His very being seemed to scream in repulsion against the violation of nature. 

Was it him or were the voices of his friends starting to lag, not matching the movements of their mouth? Were they moving just slower than they typically would? [color=7ea7d8]"Hey, what are you guys...?"[/color] His friends were suddenly still. No, it wasn't just them; it was the world. There was no breeze, no sound, or warmth. There was an unnatural stillness to the world though the only one that could move right now was himself. 

Kauro looked up to see that the evening sky had been replaced by a blanket of black with only the light of an impossibly large moon to guide his path. He stepped forward to find that the silence was broken by the spatter of a puddle. 

[color=7ea7d8]"The heck did I...?"[/color] Looking down, he quickly realized that what he stepped in was not water, but a pool of blood that stained his shoes. The color left his face, and he quickly surveyed his surroundings. Blood painted every corner he could see, and the buildings were dark and featureless, casting strange purple shadows. Were they really buildings or were they just part of the land itself?

The heartbeat grew louder and louder, beating his eardrums relentlessly. Then, he saw it. The damn thing that stood at the heart of the mystery; that tower piercing into the moonlit abyss. He took a step forward towards it, as if by sheer compulsion when he heard something behind him rushing closer in. Kauro turned back and at that moment, the world turned back to normal. No, it would be more accurate to say that he was back in his own world, or if his theory of Strange Gospel was to be believed, the point of time he was supposed to be in. It was hard to tell.

He was staring back at the group of friends who were just walking as if nothing had happened. Kauro had fallen behind from the group though it had gone noticed as one of them turned back and said, "Hey, you good? You look a bit pale."

Quick to regain composure, he offered a reassuring smile and said, [color=7ea7d8]"Um, I'm fine. I just remembered that I needed to pick something up from the supermarket. I'll catch you guys later." [/color]

They said their goodbyes and Kauro was left standing there, watching them go off into the distance. That charming grin was superseded by one of excitement with an almost crazed look in his eyes. Instead of the heartbeat from before, he could feel his own rise with his ever increase elation.

[color=7ea7d8]"Things have gotten very, very interesting,"[/color] said Kauro with a chuckle. Now he was more determined than ever to solve this case. All that was left was the matter of surviving it.